Ravens 27, Eagles 26: Big plays and hot takes

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Reviewing the big plays and hot takes from the Eagles' 27-26 loss to the Ravens:

First quarter: Carson Wentz's 13th interception
Just a bad decision and bad throw by Wentz. Looking for Trey Burton crossing the middle, Wentz is pressured and flings an off-balance, back-foot pass that goes right to linebacker Zachary Orr. 

Minutes later, the Ravens go up 7-0 after Joe Flacco finds Kamar Aiken wide open in the end zone for the 5-yard TD. Baltimore moved the ball at will, going 36 yards in five plays. 

First quarter: Wentz gets lucky
Wentz scrambles and has an opportunity to throw the ball away, but doesn't, and fumbles. Fortunately the Ravens can't gain control before it goes out of bounds, and the Eagles punt. 

Granted, Wentz was running left and would have had to turn and throw across his body. But still. It's Week 15. Wentz by now should know better.

First quarter: Barner nice punt return
Kenjon Barner looks capable of breaking one every time he touches the ball (kinda like Darren Sproles), and on his first punt return makes a few nice moves for a 22-yard gain. 

First quarter: End around to ...
Michael Campanaro, a third-year WR out of Wake Forest, breaks a 39-yard run.

It helps set up ...

First quarter: Justin Tucker blasts a 53-yarder
Just before the cold front arrived and the wind began swirling, Tucker blasted one through the uprights and knew it was good right after he kicked it. It gave the Ravens a 10-3 lead and tied an NFL record:

Second quarter: Nigel Bradham sack/fumble
A play earlier Jalen Mills didn't fall for the double move and showed excellent closing speed to break up a pass to Mike Wallace.

A play later ...

Second quarter: Ryan Mathews TD
After an offside penalty on Terrell Suggs, Mathews ran in the TD from four yards out, his eighth rushing score of the year.

Then, instead of kicking a 33-yard PAT into the swirling wind, the Eagles give the ball back to Mathews, who soared into the end zone for a two-point conversion to give the Birds an 11-10 lead.

Second quarter: Remember these guys?

Second quarter: Kenjon Barner injured
Barner injurea his hamstring on a 10-yard catch and run, and Byron Marshall makes his NFL debut. 

Second quarter: Caleb Sturgis gives Eagles the lead
Sturgis hits a 34-yarder to make it 14-13.

It was a 17-play, 59-yard drive in 7:42. 

Second quarter: Joe Flacco bullet to Steve Smith, TD
Flacco unleashes a 34-yard frozen rope between Mills and Jaylen Watkins to Smith, who four  plays earlier walked off the field grimacing and holding his left shoulder, which he landed on after diving for a deep ball down the middle. The Ravens take a 20-14 lead into halftime.

Third quarter: Terrance West busts a 41-yard run
First play from scrimmage in the second half, and West breaks a big one.

Third quarter: Fletcher Cox sack
But the drive goes nowhere. Bennie Logan throws Kenneth Dixon for a 3-yard loss, then Fletcher Cox sacks Flacco to force a punt.

Third quarter: Eagles catch a break
Wentz throws deep to Jordan Matthews, but the ball has plenty of air under it and is picked by 10th-year safety Eric Weddle. However, Zachary Orr obstructs Ertz and is called for illegal contact when it looks like Ertz ran into him. 

Third quarter: 4th-and-3 
The Eagles go for it on the Ravens' 39, but tight end Trey Burton can't come up with the quick pass in traffic. It certainly looked on target.

Third quarter: Byron Marshall gets going
Marshall follows a 12-yard run with a 10-yarder. The two runs along with a 27-yard Ertz catch help set up a 27-yard field goal to draw the Eagles within 20-17 early in the fourth.

Fourth quarter: Kenneth Dixon 16-yard TD
The rookie out of Louisiana Tech takes the pitch and runs almost untouched to the end zone for his first career rushing touchdown to give the Ravens a 27-17 lead with 11:06 left.

Fourth quarter: Nelson Aghlor stopped on 4th-and-2
Agholor on jet sweep misses a running lane created by Ertz's block, avoids being stopped for a loss and turns the corner but, just before lowering his head to muscle for the first, steps out of bounds a yard short of the marker.

Fourth quarter: Jordan Hicks keeps them alive
The Ravens have a first down at the Eagles' 11, yet instead of running the ball, the pass -- and pay for it. Hicks picks Flacco, and the Eagles draw within seven when Sturgis hits a 29-yard field goal.

Fourth quarter: Great catch Ertz
On 2nd-and-10 from the Ravens' 41, Ertz runs and out and up to get wide open and does a great job to tap both feet inbounds for a 24-yard catch.

Fourth quarter: Agholor draws PI
On 2nd-and-10 from the 17, Agholor runs a nice route and is held up by Temple product Tavon Young, giving the Eagles a 1st-and-goal at the 4. 

Fourth quarter: Wentz runs in the TD
Wentz drops back, sees the opening and runs in the touchdown to get the Eagles within a point.

Fourth quarter: Going for the W
Doug Pederson eschews the extra point to go for two ...  

... but Wentz's quick pass intended for Jordan Matthews appears to be tipped by C.J. Mosley and falls incomplete.

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