Eagles News: “Reed Blankenship is quietly having a terrific season”

Let’s get to the Philadelphia Eagles links …

In Roob’s Eagles Observations: How Jalen Hurts is responding to a new role – NBCSP3. Maybe he’s gotten a little overshadowed by the two outstanding rookie defensive backs, but Reed Blankenship is quietly having a terrific season. He’s got a 49.3 defensive passer rating, 3rd-lowest of 54 safeties who’ve been targeted at least 20 times (behind only the Lions’ Kerby Joseph and the Packers’ Xavier McKinney), and he’s one of only three safeties who hasn’t allowed a touchdown and has three or more interceptions (along with Joseph and McKinney). Stathead has only been tracking defensive passer ratings since 2018, but Blankenship’s 49.3 would be the lowest by an Eagle defensive back over a full season. Pro Football Focus has Blankenship ranked similarly. Of 89 safeties who’ve played at least 200 snaps, his 78.9 grade is 8th-highest. Only two homegrown undrafted position players have made a Pro Bowl for the Eagles since 1955: Tight end Chad Lewis in 2000, 2001, and 2002 and safety Quintin Mikell in 2009. But Blankenship is building up a nice case for himself along with guys like Joseph, McKinney, and Brian Branch.

Eagles-Ravens Game Preview: 5 questions and answers with the Week 13 enemy – BGNThe Ravens tend to show up against the best in the NFC. I feel this will be no different. A tough, time-of-possession-styled contest where both offenses hammer the run game and blend in play action to attack downfield could be an entertaining battle of physicality and willpower. I think it comes down to the wire, though, and the Ravens being favored by three points to a winning field goal.

Ravens – Eagles: Slowing down Saquon Barkley in all facets among 5 keys to victory – Baltimore BeatdownDouble AJ Brown as often as possible. The Ravens’ defense has struggled to limit the impact of opposing teams’ top targets in the passing game, especially when those players have been elite No. 1 wide receivers this season. The Eagles’ three-time Pro Bowler is as dangerous as they come with his explosive big-play ability as a vertical field stretcher and yards-after-the-catch monster. Brown’s 18.6 yards per reception since his breakout rookie season and rank fourth in the league while his 90.9 receiving yards per game are a career-high and rank third in the NFL. Brown is the exact kind of wide receiver from a playstyle physicality standpoint that has given the Ravens’ secondary and fourth-year pro Brandon Stephens, particularly, a lot of trouble this season. He can climb the ladder and make contested catches, locate the ball well downfield and make acrobatic grabs with little to no separation. This could lead to the playing time and rotation frequency of first-round rookie Nate Wiggins and two-time Pro Bowler Tre’Davius White increasing even more this week to ensure they don’t get consistently gashed through the air. Whoever lines up across from Brown on Sunday should have safety help on almost every play, otherwise, this game could turn into a track meet or shootout.

Game Preview – PHI at BAL – Iggles BlitzVic Fangio has gone up against Jackson a couple of times. The Ravens beat Miami 56-19 last year. They beat Denver 23-7 in 2021. Advantage Jackson. But Fangio has the #1 defense in the league right now and he’s got the talent to slow down the Ravens this time around. Eagles defenders need to play smart. Rushers must stay under control. Flying up the field will get you burned by Jackson. You want to rush so that you keep Jackson contained in the pocket. When he gets outside, bad things can happen. The guys in coverage will be challenged. Because Jackson can move around and buy time, defenders must cover longer than usual. Tackling will be critical in this game. Jackson is one of the most elusive players in the league. Tacklers must wrap him up and stay balanced. If you lunge, you’re in trouble. Tackling Henry is tough with a capital T. The best way is to get penetration and not let him build up a head of steam. You also want to gang tackle Henry. He’s not someone you want to take on alone. The pass catchers have good RAC ability, especially Zay Flowers. Tacklers need to get those guys down cleanly. There will be a lot of talk about toughness and physicality in this game. The Eagles defense needs to be assignment-sound and they need to play smart. If you freelance and take chances, the Ravens can make you pay.

Game Preview: Eagles vs. Ravens – PE.comBased on the numbers, Baltimore’s pass defense has struggled – the Ravens rank 31st in the league in pass defense allowing 276 yards per game. But is that really the case? Or do offenses throw the ball a lot because they’re trailing on the scoreboard and/or because the Ravens are so good (78 yards per game) against the run? Sometimes, numbers can be deceiving. But this statistic is not deceptive: Baltimore has allowed a conversion rate of 44 percent on third down, ranking 25th in the NFL. And Baltimore has allowed 24.5 points per game, which ranks 23rd. The Eagles have a chance to score some points here.

Yes, the running back market has changed – PFTThe NFL is a copycat league. And the Cardinals have opted not to repeat the mistakes of teams like the Giants, Titans, and Raiders. Those teams watched high-end tailbacks walk away earlier this year, in Saquon Barkley, Derrick Henry, and Josh Jacobs, respectively. The Cardinals won’t let that happen with James Conner. At a reported two-years and $19 million (the full structure will reveal the true value and extent of the commitment), Conner’s deal is better on its face than the two-year, $16 million signed by Henry with the Ravens in March.

Washington Commanders Roster Moves: Emmanuel Forbes Jr released – Hogs HavenThe Washington Commanders announced several roster moves before tomorrow’s home game against the Tennessee Titans. Emmanuel Forbes has been a healthy scratch multiple times this season, and now he’s finally being released by a coaching staff that didn’t have any use for him. He is the last of Ron Rivera’s former first round picks, and the purge is now complete. Washington traded for Marshon Lattimore at the trade deadline, and he finally started practicing with the team this week, but he’s doubtful for tomorrow’s game.

How sneaking out a few more wins could do more harm than good to the Cowboys – Blogging The BoysMany fans are sour on Mike McCarthy. The Cowboys have won games under him, so something good is happening in Dallas, but how much of that is from their head coach? If you think the front office is terrible at supplying the groceries, then McCarthy may look like a godsend. However, if you believe the Cowboys have a talented roster, then you probably feel like Magic Mike is not doing enough with what he’s given. After their Thanksgiving win on Sunday, Jones indicated that extending McCarthy is not out of the question. The Cowboys have been hit hard with injuries this season. Is it possible the terrible performance we’ve seen from the Cowboys could get blamed on injuries? Even as bad as it’s been this year with missing key guys, the Cowboy’s problems go a lot further than that. There have been many instances where they don’t look very prepared. The Cowboys are always near the bottom in penalties as this is something McCarthy can never seem to shake. When they lose, they lose badly and sometimes in embarrassing fashion.

Making the case: Why the New York Giants should keep Joe Schoen and Brian Daboll – Big Blue ViewI think Daboll is on thinner ice than Schoen. The inability to improve the offense despite taking it away from Mike Kafka, the lack of discipline the Giants play with and the issues Daboll has had with his coaching staff are all demerits that make you wonder if Daboll is the right head coach. I can see a case for keeping Schoen and moving on from the head coach, provided ownership allows the GM to make the next coaching hire rather than forcing a coach on him. Still, I think the best path feels like letting Schoen and Daboll try to finish the job together. [BLG Note: Please keep them, Giants!]

Brock Purdy injury update: 49ers QB expected to play in Week 13 vs. Bills – SB NationGame day update: Brock Purdy did not experience any setbacks with his shoulder and is expected to play against the Bills, per Adam Schefter and Ian Rapoport.