The Eagles are hitting the road for a short trip down 95 South, as they’ll be the visitors at M&T Stadium on Saturday night for an intriguing matchup against the Ravens.
Buy Eagles TicketsOn the road again#FlyEaglesFly pic.twitter.com/E0L3HqYK0V
— Philadelphia Eagles (@Eagles) August 11, 2023
Lamar Jackson has been officially ruled out, and with joint practices against the Browns scheduled for Tuesday and Wednesday, the expectation is that Jalen Hurts and other key starters will be held out as well.
With several huge storylines set to play out, here are five things to watch in the preseason opener.
RB carries
Philadelphia has six running backs on the roster and three will likely have to play a significant portion of the snaps.
Kennedy Brooks will likely see the bulk of the snaps in the second half, while Trey Sermon could get an extended look in the second quarter as well.
Baltimore streaking
The Ravens haven’t lost a preseason game since 2015 and even with coach John Harbaugh choosing to not discuss the details, it’ll be a storyline to watch.
Star quarterback Lamar Jackson will be held out, along with several other Baltimore starters or key contributors.
Extended action for Nakobe Dean
Dean was nursing an ankle injury earlier in the week, but he’s cleared and ready for his first extended action as a starting linebacker in the NFL.
The Eagles and the rest of the world will be watching to see Dean look stout against the run, and physical at the point of attack.
Running with the Dawgs
Speaking of Nakobe Dean, Saturday offers the first opportunity to see five former Georgia Bulldog defenders take the field as a unit.
Dean will be a player to watch, but most of the eyes will be on Jalen Carter and Nolan Smith.
A slimmer Jordan Davis should see some snaps, while Kelee Ringo should get significant snaps in first his first professional experience.
Coordinators debut
Brian Johnson and Sean Desai will make their debuts as offensive and defensive coordinators for the Eagles and Saturday will provide a brief synopsis of how they’ll scheme and utilize elite talent on both sides of the football.