Baltimore Ravens vs. Philadelphia Eagles: 5 Keys to Victory

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Aug 13, 2015; Baltimore, MD, USA; Baltimore Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco (5) prepares to throw the ball in front of New Orleans Saints defensive end Cameron Jordan (94) during the first quarter in a preseason NFL football game at M&T Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Amber Searls-USA TODAY Sports

Starters Play

As we previously mentioned, the starters will play significantly longer in this game. After doing a fantastic job of moving the ball on offense and holding the Saints O to virtually nothing, the truth is things won’t go as smooth Saturday evening. Baltimore must learn to not only pounce on their opponents, but put them away also.

In fact, the past two times the Ravens have taken the field as a team, they have squandered two large leads. After taking a 17-0 lead against the Saints, they found themselves trailing with just under two minutes remaining in the game. They held two 14-point leads over the New England Patriots in the playoff matchup last season, only to lose the game in the end.

The Ravens have proven that they can come out of the gate on all cylinders, but they need to play a complete game to beat the Eagles. They have found out the hard way that you can play well early in a contest, only to have that momentum shift and be on the losing side at the end of the game.

The starters need to come out and set the tone early, but keep that intensity going throughout their time on the field. Once the starters get into a rhythm, that energy should carry over to the backup players as well.

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