Instant analysis: Saquon Barkley to rescue late as Eagles D contains ...

BALTIMORE − It was only a matter of time for Saquon Barkley and the Eagles.

The Eagles did little in the first and third quarters, and Barkley, who had 255 yards rushing last week, was stuck on 44 through three quarters.

But Barkley broke free for a 25-yard touchdown run with 7:56 left in the fourth quarter, giving the Eagles a critical 9-point cushion, and that was enough for the Eagles to beat the Baltimore Ravens 24-19 on Sunday.

Barkley finished with 107 yards rushing on 23 carries, his eighth game over the century mark. That also put him at 1,499 yards for the season as he nears LeSean McCoy's franchise record of 1,607 yards set in 2013.

But it was a hard-fought win for the Eagles in what some have billed as a Super Bowl preview. The Eagles won their eighth straight and improved to 10-2, staying 2 1/2 games ahead of Washington in the NFC East.

It wasn't quite the offensive shootout that many expected, however, even though the Eagles came into the game with the No. 3 offense in the NFL and the Ravens had the No. 1 offense.

And in many ways, it was the Eagles' defense and two missed field goals by the Ravens' Justin Tucker, that enabled the Eagles to get by.

The Eagles, with the NFL's No. 1 defense, did enough to contain quarterback Lamar Jackson, who had 206 yards passing and Derrick Henry, second in rushing yards to Barkley, to 82 yards rushing.

The Eagles also got a strong first half from A.J. Brown, who had all of his 66 yards receiving in the first half. The Eagles were playing without receiver DeVonta Smith, who missed his second straight game with a hamstring injury. Smith tried to prove he could play before the game, to no avail.

Jalen Hurts had yet another mistake-free, if not unspectacular game, going 11-for-19 for 118 yards and a TD. He also ran for 30 yards and a touchdown.

Something had to give as the Eagles faced the Ravens on Sunday in what was perceived to be a marquee offensive matchup.

The Eagles came in 14-1 in their last 15 games against AFC teams going back to the midway point of the 2021 season, Nick Sirianni's first as Eagles head coach.

Then again, Jackson came in 23-1 in his last 24 starts against NFC teams, going back to his rookie season in 2018.

Still, the Ravens were on the cusp of taking the lead in the third quarter, twice driving deep into Eagles territory before stalling.

Tucker is one of the best field goal kickers in NFL history, but he's struggling this season. That continued Sunday. Tucker missed an extra point in the first quarter and then two field goals in the third quarter.

The first was from 47 yards, the second from 53 yards with 1:21 left in the third quarter. The Eagles held their 14-12 lead.

Early on, it was all Ravens as they drove down the field twice, taking a 9-0 lead before the Eagles could get their bearings straight.

The Eagles committed six penalties in the first quarter, and Hurts was 0-for-4 passing through the first quarter.

But then the Eagles got going, cutting the lead to 9-7 on Hurts' 17-yard TD pass to Dallas Goedert. Then after the defense held again, Hurts took the Eagles to the Ravens' 1, gaining 9 yards on a run on 3rd-and-5 from the 10.

Hurts' tush push with 2 minutes left gave the Eagles their first lead of the game at 14-9.

The Ravens then got to the Eagles' 20 before Jalen Carter's sack on Lamar Jackson pushed them back 12 yards with 16 seconds left. One play later, Justin Tucker hit a 50 yard field goal.

Then the Eagles turned to their defense.

Zack Baun had 13 tackles and Nakobe Dean 10, and Jalen Carter had a crucial sack of Jackson in the third quarter that cost the Ravens 13 yards ahead of Tucker's miss from 53 yards.

Contact Martin Frank at mfrank@delawareonline.com. Follow on X @Mfranknfl.