Baltimore Ravens vs. Philadelphia Eagles: 5 Keys to Victory

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Jun 17, 2015; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Philadelphia Eagles wide receivers Jordan Matthews (81) and Nelson Agholor (17) during minicamp at The NovaCare Complex. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports

Eagles Wide Receivers vs. Ravens Cornerbacks

The Eagles made a lot of changes on offense and the absence of Jeremy Maclin is one of the key losses for Chip Kelly. Maclin decided to leave Philadelphia to join former Eagles coach Andy Reid with the Kansas City Chiefs. It is a significant loss for the Kelly as last season was Maclin’s best of his career. After missing the previous year with a knee injury, Maclin recorded 85 receptions for 1318 yards and 10 touchdowns, leading the Eagles in each category.

The Eagles will certainly miss Maclin, but they have some wide receivers that are young and very talented. Second-year player Jordan Matthews had a terrific rookie season that was overshadowed by the phenomenal season by the Giants Odell Beckham. Matthews caught 67 passes for 872 and eight touchdowns in his rookie campaign.

Losing Maclin was a big blow, but Kelly found a very good replacement in the draft ub former University of Southern California wideout Nelson Agholor. The former Trojan was impressive in his first preseason game, catching three passes for 57 yards and scoring the only receiving touchdown of the game for Philadelphia.

The Ravens secondary was the biggest weakness last season, largely in part to injuries to Jimmy Smith, Asa Jackson and Webb all throughout the season. It seemed as if every week there was a different duo starting at corner for Dean Pees defense.

General Manager Ozzie Newsome went out and addressed it as best as he could by bringing Kyle Arrington and Cassius Vaughn into the mix. In addition to a healthy Smith and Webb, Baltimore might have some of the best depth at the position in the league.

The Ravens secondary will face a tough test because after Matthews and Agholor, there are still players that can make an impact. Riley Cooper and Miles Austin have each had solid careers in the NFL and the Ravens will have their hands full on the outside. Josh Huff is a former third-round pick from Oregon that Kelly likes to create mismatches with.

Ravens fans can remember how Tom Brady torched them in the final game of the 2014 season. Saturday’s game will be a good barometer of how far they have come since that painful evening.

Next: Who Runs Away with the Job?

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