The Eagles face Lamar Jackson for the first time; here are some facts and figures, and a look at the remaining QBs on the schedule
Jackson is 23-4 in his career as a starter and isn't even the best quarterback left on the Eagles schedule.
Lamar Jackson is off to a slow start compared with his blistering campaign from last season, when he led the league with 36 touchdown passes and set a quarterback record with 1,206 rushing yards. Through five games, Jackson has nine TD passes and 238 rushing yards, but the Ravens are 4-1.
Here’s some facts, figures and trivia ahead of his first visit to Lincoln Financial Field on Sunday (1 p.m., CBS3).
The Ravens have scored at least 20 points in all 27 of his starts. They’ve topped 30 three times this year.
Remembering how Rams tight end Tyler Higbee scorched the Eagles for three touchdowns in Week 2, it’s worth noting that Baltimore tight end Mark Andrews has caught five of Jackson’s nine TD passes this season.
Jackson, the No. 32 overall pick in 2018, is still on his rookie contract and is arguably the best bargain in the league. The average annual value of his deal is $2.3 million, which is 42nd among quarterbacks. Jeff Driskel (1-8 career record) is just ahead of him at $2.5 million. Colt McCoy (7-21 career record) is just below at $2.25 million. Carson Wentz ($32 million) is eighth.
Jackson’s contract runs through 2021, with the Ravens having the standard fifth-year option in 2022. Up next for Jackson is to win a playoff game. He’s 0-2 with upset losses at home to the Chargers in 2018 and the Titans last season.
Though the Ravens have three good running backs -- veterans Mark Ingram and Gus Edwards, and rookie J.K. Dobbins -- it’s Jackson who leads the team this season with 238 rushing yards.
The record for most rushing yards by a quarterback in a game against the Eagles since 1950 is held by M.C. Reynolds of the Cardinals, who had 99 in a 1958 game in Chicago. Reynolds, who played at LSU but quit his senior season, played five pro years for four teams. He died in 1991. Confess that I’d never heard of him.
Oakland’s Terrelle Pryor holds the modern-day mark for quarterback rushing yards in a game against the Eagles. He had 94 in the 2013 contest better remembered for Nick Foles' tying the NFL record with seven touchdown passes.
Jackson is the only player to throw five TD passes and run for at least 85 yards in a game twice. The Eagles defense, already feeling the heat, is staring at a forest fire holding only a garden hose.
Remaining Quarterbacks/Eagles schedule
The Eagles have 11 games remaining against nine different opponents (they play the Giants and Cowboys twice). Barring injury or ineffectiveness, these are the quarterbacks they are in line to face:
Week 6, vs. Baltimore: Lamar Jackson
History vs. Eagles: First meeting since 2016, and the Eagles' first against Jackson.
2020 season: The Ravens are 4-1 despite Jackson being merely average over the last four games. Jackson, who missed two practices last week with knee and stomach ailments, had a career-low three rushing yards in a 27-3 win against Cincinnati -- the same Bengals club the Eagles tied. Jackson, the 2019 MVP, was held under 200 passing yards in each of the last three games.
Rank among the nine QBs Eagles will face: 3rd of 9.
“We’re still very much a work a progress."
Week 7, vs. N.Y. Giants: Daniel Jones
History vs. Eagles: Jones is 0-1 after losing the 2019 season finale.
2020 season: Miserable. The Giants are 0-5, but they did show a pulse in last week’s 37-34 loss at Dallas.
Rank among the nine QBs Eagles will face: 8th of 9.
» READ MORE: Doug Pederson declines comment on Lane Johnson’s second opinion; Eagles tackle won’t practice Wednesday
Week 8, vs. Dallas: Andy Dalton
History vs. Eagles: Dalton is 2-0 against the Birds, but he hasn’t seen them since 2016. Injured starter Dak Prescott is 5-3 against the Eagles.
2020 season: He beat the Giants in relief of Prescott last Sunday in his first extended appearance for the Cowboys.
Rank among the nine QBs Eagles will face: 7th of 9.
Week 9: Bye
Week 10, at N.Y. Giants: Daniel Jones.
History vs. Eagles: Ugly for the Giants, who have dropped 11 of 12 in this series.
2020 season: The star running back is hurt and the young quarterback (Jones) has six turnovers and no touchdowns in the last four games. Colt McCoy could be playing by the time this game rolls around on Nov. 15.
Rank among the nine QBs Eagles will face: 8th of 9.
Week 11, at Cleveland: Baker Mayfield
History vs. Eagles: This is Mayfield’s first game against the Birds, and the first meeting between Cleveland and the Eagles since Carson Wentz made his pro debut in 2016.
2020 season: The Browns have won four in a row, thanks largely to the best running game in football.
Rank among the nine QBs Eagles will face: 6th of 9.
Week 12, vs. Seattle: Russell Wilson
History vs. Eagles: Including last year’s playoff win, Wilson is 5-0 against the Eagles with eight TD passes and one pick.
2020 season: The Seahawks have won all five games and Wilson is the favorite to be league MVP.
Rank among the nine QBs Eagles will face: 1st of 9.
Week 13, at Green Bay: Aaron Rodgers
History vs. Eagles: Rodgers is 4-1 in his career as a starter, the lone loss coming last season, when he threw for 422 yards. Craig James, who had just been called up from the practice squad, sealed it with his first career interception.
2020 season: The Packers are 4-0 and coming off a bye. Rodgers (4-1) is second to Wilson (1-1) on the MVP betting board.
Rank among the nine QBs Eagles will face: 2nd of 9.
Week 14, vs. New Orleans: Drew Brees
History vs. Eagles: Brees is 4-3 in the regular season, 3-0 in the playoffs.
2020 season: The Saints are 3-2 and in the middle of the statistical pack offensively. Brees will be 42 in January, and he’s not the downfield threat he once was. Bet against him at your own peril, however.
Rank among the nine QBs Eagles will face: 5th of 9.
Week 15, at Arizona: Kyler Murray
History vs. Eagles: This will be the first start against the Eagles for the 2019 offensive rookie of the year.
2020 season: Murray put up 380 passing yards on the Jets last week. Who on the Eagles is going to cover DeAndre Hopkins?
Rank among the nine QBs Eagles will face: 4th of 9.
» READ MORE: Jim Schwartz says the Eagles gave the Steelers' Ben Roethlisberger too many opportunities to burn them
Week 16, vs. Dallas: Andy Dalton
History vs. Eagles: Not Eagles-related, but did you know Andy Dalton was picked immediately ahead of Colin Kaepernick in the 2011 NFL draft? Dalton went 35th to Cincy. Kaep went to San Fran.
2020 season: 2-3, which is good enough for first in the putrid NFC East. Just in case, Ben DiNucci, who originally had committed to play his college ball at Penn, and former Browns practice-squadder Garrett Gilbert are behind Dalton.
Rank among the nine QBs Eagles will face: 7th of 9.
Week 17, vs. Washington: Kyle Allen
History vs. Eagles: The Birds have never faced Allen, who once beat out Kyler Murray for the starting job at Oklahoma.
2020 season: Allen was knocked out last Sunday’s game, his first start in place of Dwayne Haskins, who appears on his way out of D.C. Veteran Alex Smith went in to finish up Washington’s fourth consecutive loss. Allen is expected to start this week against the Giants.
Rank among the nine QBs Eagles will face: 9th of 9.