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Running backs Saquon Barkley and Derrick Henry are the main attractions for Sunday’s Eagles-Ravens game

“As far as running backs, we just want to go out there and do our job. Do our job effectively, show that the position matters,” Henry said of his and Barkley’s impact.

Baltimore Ravens running back Derrick Henry (22) ranks second in rushing yards in the NFL behind Saquon Barkley.
Baltimore Ravens running back Derrick Henry (22) ranks second in rushing yards in the NFL behind Saquon Barkley.Read moreMatt Freed / AP

The Eagles are heading to M&T Stadium on Sunday to face the Baltimore Ravens in a matchup between two of the league’s best running backs. The Birds are coming in hot — riding a seven-game winning streak — after a 37-20 victory over the Los Angeles Rams. After another stellar performance from running back Saquon Barkley, they take on the Ravens, who have their own dominant ground attack.

Both teams are fresh off a West Coast trip; the Ravens beat the Los Angeles Chargers, 30-23, on Monday. Running back Derrick Henry ran through one of the league’s top defenses and finished with 140 rushing yards on 24 carries. Quarterback Lamar Jackson continued to make his case for league MVP, throwing for 177 yards and two touchdowns on 16-of-22 passing. He ran for another score.

Barkley is the league’s top rusher with 1,392 yards after running for 255 against the Rams. Henry is behind him with 1,325 yards. Here’s what the Ravens are saying about the Eagles ahead of their matchup:

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Battle of the backs

The Ravens are concerned about the Eagles’ duo of Jalen Hurts and Barkley — especially after Barkley’s most recent performance.

“Where do you start with Saquon Barkley?” Ravens coach John Harbaugh said to reporters. “He’s just a really hard guy to tackle. I think his vision is really good. … His ability to see from edge to edge and all the way across. Whenever there’s a gap that’s not defended, he can see it. And not only see it, he can get to it. All the other highlight stuff is there as well, but just his ability to make the defense pay for not being in the right spot is probably the thing that jumps out at me the most.”

Since Barkley signed with Philly, he has made an immediate impact. He has 12 touchdowns this season for the NFC East leaders and he has given the league a play of the year candidate with his backward hurdle.

“First of all, Saquon, slow your [expletive] down,” Henry said jokingly. “He’s a hell of a player. They’re a hell of a team; they’ve been doing a great job as a team. How many games have they won? ... But as far as running backs, we just want to go out there and do our job. Do our job effectively, show that the position matters.”

Although the media’s main focus may be on the battle between Barkley and Henry, Jackson said: “I’m not thinking about that at all. I’m trying to win.

» READ MORE: Why the Eagles won’t repeat last season’s collapse: ‘This year’s team has a concrete identity’

“I don’t care about what everyone else is saying,” Jackson told reporters. “I’m just trying to go in there and focus on winning the game. But it’s going to be a game. It’s two great running backs. I knew Saquon from high school. We were in the all-star game together, and he jumped over somebody’s head. So I had pretty much seen him before I got into the league, college, or anything. I knew about Saquon. But Derrick Henry. King Henry. I’m with him every day, and I’m seeing what he’s capable of. So it’s going to be a great matchup. But I’m not worried about it.”

Even though Jackson says he’s not worried about the battle of backs, Harbaugh is.

“We’re just going to have a tough time stopping this running back that we’re playing,” Harbaugh said. “And we’re hoping that they have a tough time stopping our running back.”

The Eagles play Sunday afternoon in Week 13 against the Ravens in Baltimore. Join Eagles beat reporters Olivia Reiner and EJ Smith as they dissect the hottest storylines surrounding the team on Gameday Central, live from M&T Bank Stadium.