Grading the Eagles' 27-26 Loss to the Ravens

Quarterback
Rough day for Carson Wentz, on the road against a quality Ravens defense — although he did lead the Eagles down for a potential game-winning two-point conversion after scoring with four seconds remaining. Unfortunately, Wentz's first pass of the contest went for an interception in his own end to set up a touchdown, a scenario that's become all too familiar this season. You can forgive a line of 22 for 42 for 170 yards and a pick on a windy day, especially since he got them in the end zone at the finish. That being said, it's a little troubling Wentz hasn't learned from the specific mistake of digging his team an early hole.

Grade: C

Running backs
Ryan Mathews always runs hard, but he really seemed to be fighting for every inch this week. That might have helped loosen up the No. 1 run defense in the NFL, because the lanes only got bigger as the game wore on. Mathews was patient too en route to 128 yards and a touchdown on 20 rushes. Byron Marshall looked a little too much like a top on the first few touches of his career, spinning in circles only to go nowhere in particular, but the rookie settled in and finished with nine carries for 22 yards.

Grade: A

Wide receivers
Jordan Matthews was practically non-existent this week, which is a problem, because the rest of the Eagles receivers are non-existent almost every week. Matthews did make six grabs, but out of 11 targets and only for 27 yards. That was enough to lead the unit, the next closest being Dorial Green-Beckham with one reception for 11. Nelson Agholor drew a key pass interference penalty on the final drive as well, but dropped a ball earlier that he might've been able to convert for a first down. In other words, the usual disappointing effort, minus the moderate production from Matthews.

Grade: F

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Tight ends
Zach Ertz led all Eagles with 80 yards receiving and caught almost everything thrown his way, at least the ones that were catchable. The same cannot be said for Trey Burton, who only managed to haul in two of six targets for a grand total of two yards. Ertz was a key part of the Eagles' fourth-quarter comeback though, and has really begun to show up for the offense in recent weeks.

Grade: B

Offensive line
Considering the line was down to its fifth right tackle, the Eagles couldn't have asked for much more out of the big uglies. 4.4 yards per rushing attempt isn't sensational, but against a Ravens front that entered Sunday limiting opponents to 3.4, it was far more effective than anticipated. The unit was very good in pass protection as well, only allowing Wentz to get sacked once and hit five times total. It was an overall outstanding performance, especially under the circumstances.

Grade: A

Defensive line
The D-line was slightly more active rushing the passer than we've seen in some time. Fletcher Cox had one sack, while Brandon Graham and Beau Allen shared another. The unit also accounted for four tackles for loss, which unfortunately doesn't negate the otherwise terrible job of stopping the run. Running backs Terrance West and Kenneth Dixon averaged 5.3 yards per carry, which was far too much and paced the Ravens' offense.

Grade: D

Linebackers
The two biggest plays of the game were both made by linebackers. Nigel Bradham's strip sack of Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco set up a first-half touchdown, and Jordan Hicks' interception and 34-yard return in the fourth quarter led to a field goal and helped keep the Eagles in contention. As for how much Bradham and/or Hicks were to blame for the defense's disappointing effort against the run, we'll forgive because the team isn't even in the game without two plays.

Grade: A

Defensive backs
Three plays stand out. First, an uncontested five-yard touchdown pass to Kamar Aiken on the Ravens' opening possession. Second, a 34-yard score to Steve Smith in a window between cornerback Jalen Mills and safety Jaylen Watkins. Finally, a 54-yard catch-and-run by Mike Wallace, who beat his man then ran through the Eagles secondary as if it were Swiss cheese. Otherwise, the group held Flacco to 206 yards and a 6.9 average, although the wind was a 12th man out there. Maybe the defense could've used that more to their advantage had Baltimore not run with such ease.

Grade: C

Special teams
Caleb Sturgis did his part on a blustery day in Baltimore, making all four of his field goal tries to keep the Eagles in the game. Donnie Jones had a punt down inside the Ravens' 20-yard line, and Kenjon Barner was strong in the return game before exiting with a hamstring injury.

Grade: A

Coaching
Doug Pederson's decision to go for two at the end might be called into question, but it's really irrelevant. He had the Eagles in a position to win the game at the end, and while it was unsuccessful, it was a minor miracle the team even got back into the game. They're still playing for Pederson and defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz, which is a positive sign considering their record is now 5-9.

Grade: C+

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