Sunday’s match up between the Baltimore Ravens and Philadelphia Eagles bring together two teams that have much to prove this season. Andy Reid is on the hot seat as he needs to bring more to the table than his normal playoff appearance followed by their early exit.
For Baltimore, a team that has lost a huge asset in Terrell Suggs, this team will need to prove that they can still match up to most NFL teams defensively. Their age is beginning to make an appearance in their linebacker core and secondary set. Their age has already made an appearance in their offensive line.
What does that mean though in a match up between the Ravens and the Eagles?
Both teams are physical. One team is coming in from a fantastic win over a division rival while the other barely made it out alive from one of the worst offensive team in the league. In this match up, the tone for the season will be determined.
Both teams have a chimp on their shoulders. For Baltimore, the Ravens need to prove that last week’s win over the Bengals was not a fluke and foreshadows this season. Joe Flacco, who looked phenomenal in his season opener will need to, above all, continue to grow and play the way he has since week 8 of last season. There have always been doubts as to whether Flacco was really the prime time quarterback Baltimore needed.
Philadelphia has a bigger chimp than your average zoo would carry. The organization as a whole is attempting to bolster their chances of a winning a championship. As great as a coach Andy Reid has been for the Eagles, he has only been able to bring together the team to make a conference championship run twice. Under his advice and supervision, they put the franchise tag on a player, Michael Vick, that was perceived as a hated icon within the NFL and was lackluster in his season debut. Vick has also been extremely injury prone and is slowly becoming a disappointment. No team more than the Eagles have more to prove than they ever had to in a year.
This sunday, Baltimore will be watching. Waiting. All in the hope that a parade will be on the streets in the cold month of February.