The Philadelphia Eagles and the Baltimore Ravens are separated by less than 100 miles via Interstate 95, which connects Pennsylvania, Maryland, and the rest of the Eastern seaboard of the United States. Despite the short distance between the two football teams, each team shares a division rivalry with another NFL team residing nearby – the Eagles with the Washington Commanders in the NFC East and the Ravens with the Pittsburgh Steelers in the AFC North.
When the Cleveland Browns left for Baltimore before the 1996 season, they retained their current divisional status in the AFC while moving over 375 miles via Interstate 76 from Ohio to Maryland. Therefore, an East Coast edition of the “Battle of the Birds” kicked off in 1997 during Baltimore’s second season in the NFL.
The stage is set for an epic feathery fight in Week 13 of the 2024 NFL regular season between the Eagles (9-2-0) and Ravens (8-4-0). Both teams feature MVP candidates at the running back spot, with Saquon Barkley in Philly and Derrick Henry for Baltimore. The Eagles trail the all-time series with a 2-3-1 record during the regular season with no playoff meetings.
Eagles Salvage Late Tie in First Meeting
Philadelphia salvaged a 10-10 tie behind a 2-yard touchdown run from Charlie Garner late in the fourth quarter at Memorial Stadium in Baltimore. A peckish Ravens defense sacked the Eagles nine times for 66 yards.
The new Baltimore Ravens only used that venue for the 1996 and 1997 NFL seasons. However, Memorial Stadium was no stranger to the NFL. The historic Baltimore Colts were 118-89-5 over 30 years before moving to Indianapolis, Indiana, before the 1984 NFL season. Baltimore’s 1958 NFL Championship win was the first time sudden death was used to decide a playoff game … but did you know “The Greatest Football Game Ever Played” was played at one of baseball’s most iconic destinations – (Old) Yankee Stadium?
That Colts franchise claimed victory in Super Bowl V over the Dallas Cowboys, 16-13, on a field goal with five seconds remaining. It was the first Super Bowl following the AFL-NFL merger in the 1970 NFL season. Fast-forward over three decades to January 2001, and the Baltimore Ravens hosted a celebration of their own following a convincing 34-7 win over the New York Giants in Super Bowl XXXV at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa Bay, Florida. The dominant Ray Lewis-guided Ravens’ defense did not allow an offensive touchdown, with New York’s lone score coming on a 97-yard kickoff return.
Donovan McNabb Hosts South Philly Halloween Party in 2004
The longest gap in series history occurred between the first and second meeting in franchise history between Philadelphia and Baltimore, with seven years between visits from 1997 to 2004. On Halloween Night in 2004, Donovan McNabb connected with Terrell Owens on a red-zone touchdown to open a 15-3 advantage on the scoreboard at Lincoln Financial Field in South Philly. Baltimore responded with a touchdown on the ensuing possession, but it was too late as Philadelphia closed October 2004 with a 15-10 win to remain unbeaten at 7-0 on the season.
The Eagles finished 13-3 during the 2004 NFL season before commanding playoff wins over Minnesota and Atlanta in the postseason. Philly flew south to Super Bowl XXXIX in Jacksonville, Florida, to be disappointed by the New England Patriots dynasty of the era in a narrow 24-21 loss.
Ravens Smash Eagles in November 2008
Philadelphia did their best imitation of that New York Giants Super Bowl team from 2000 by only scoring a long kickoff return touchdown in a 36-7 blowout loss to Baltimore in 2008. Quintin Demps provided some hope before halftime with a 100-yard TD return that left the score at 10-7 before the break. In the second half, Ed Reed picked off Kevin Kob in the end zone and scored a 107-yard interception return for a touchdown that still reigns as the longest in the NFL.
Reed beat his own record, a 106-yard INT return against the Browns in 2006. While the Ravens legend can claim that astounding interception record, Antonio Cromartie holds the unbreakable record for the longest score on a 109-yard return off a missed field goal for the San Diego Chargers against the Vikings in 2007.
Mike Vick’s Late TD Run earned Eagles win in 2012
An early season meeting provided an electric meeting between Michael Vick and Joe Flacco during the 2012 NFL season. Vick completed 23-of-32 passes for 371 yards, a touchdown, and two interceptions on the day. However, the legs of the Eagles quarterback on a 1-yard touchdown run provided the final points on the day in a 24-23 victory at Lincoln Financial Field.
Get ready to start reading this name A LOT. The Baltimore Ravens kicker, Justin Tucker, started his reign of terror against the Philadelphia Eagles in this game with a perfect 3/3 on-field goals, including two 50+ yard goals in the loss. The Ravens claimed a shiny new Super Bowl ring in 2013 before the franchises would meet again in 2016. Baltimore defeated San Francisco, 34-31, in Super Bowl XLVII at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in New Orleans in February 2013. Tucker was a perfect 2/2 on field goals in the fourth quarter to keep Baltimore in the lead.
“Oh What Night – Back in Late December 2016”… Almost
In 2016, rookie Carson Wentz and veteran Joe Flacco engaged in a gridiron version of the board game Battleship at M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore, Maryland. Wentz finished with 22-of-42 passing for 170 yards with one interception, while Flacco completed 16-of-30 for 206 yards with two touchdowns and an interception. Tucker was 2-2 on field goals, including a 53-yard blast through the uprights in the second quarter.
With Philly trailing 10 points in the final frame, Wentz engineered back-to-back scoring drives capped off by a 4-yard touchdown run with four seconds left on the clock. Wentz dropped back for a game-winning pass on the resulting two-point conversion, but the football fell to the turf, allowing the Ravens to claim the close 27-26 win in late December 2016.
Wentz, Eagles Comeback Falls Short Again in 2020
Now an NFL veteran signal-caller, Wentz found his team in the situation four years later against the Baltimore Ravens in front of a sparse, spread-out crowd in October 2020. This time, the comeback mountain loomed a bit larger with a 12-point deficit following back-to-back Justin Tucker fourth-quarter field goals. Wentz located Travis Fulgam on an 18-yard touchdown pass with under five minutes to play, closing the score to 30-22. After regaining possession with 3:11 remaining, The Eagles QB launched a 50-yard jump ball for Fulgam that was flagged for defensive pass interference. Carson scored himself from the 1-yard line before Baltimore blew up the option play on the game-tying two-point conversion for a 30-28 road win.
In his third NFL season, Lamar Jackson was 16-of-27 passing for 186 yards and a touchdown. The mobile quarterback also did the damage with his legs on a team-high nine carries for 108 yards and a score. Tucker again annoyed the Eagles on a perfect 3-for-3 day, including a 55-yard field goal. Jake Elliott missed his only field goal attempt from 52 yards.
Seventh Meeting on Sunday Afternoon
Philadelphia (9-2) and Baltimore (8-4) clash for the seventh time in franchise history on Sunday at 4:25 PM EST at M&T Bank Stadium in Maryland. Two MVP-level performers at the running back position will take the field as Saquon Barkley and Derrick Henry lace up the cleats for NFL Week 13. If you are playing daily fantasy football this week, placing a certain Baltimore kicker into the lineup might be a good bet, given the consistent performances against Philadelphia in a few appearances over the last decade.
Mandatory Credit: Mitch Stringer-USA TODAY Sports
