Lamar Jackson and Derrick Henry are some of the NFL’s most feared offensive playmakers. The same can be said for Jalen Hurts and Saquon Barkley. Which QB/RB set you prefer could come down to taste. For LeSean McCoy, the records of their respective franchises make all the difference.
Advertisement
Ahead of the Philadelphia Eagles-Baltimore Ravens Week 13 showdown, The Facility debated whether the Hurst-Barkley combination was better than the Jackson-Henry collaboration. McCoy, a former Eagle, flew high with Hurts and Barkley. He struggled to pick his preference but pointed to Philly’s 9-2 mark – compared to Baltimore’s 8-4 tally – as the deciding factor.
“We are 9-2… that matters… Lamar is that good, and ‘King Henry’ is that good. But [the Ravens] do got four losses. That did happen. Even though Jalen Hurts is not on the same level as Lamar… Henry and Saquon [are] close, but Saquon has got the edge this year. I’m going with the Eagles… I prioritize winning over the look.”
McCoy recorded 9,074 yards from scrimmage and 54 touchdowns across 90 games in green and white. Bringing his case down to wins and losses is a logical process.
He supplemented his argument by mentioning Philadelphia currently boasts a better rushing attack (193.4 yards per game) than Baltimore (180.2). Two of his co-hosts, however, weren’t having it.
Emmanuel Acho and Chase Daniel picked Lamar Jackson and Derrick Henry
Overall, The Facility had a split panel on the question. James Jones sided with McCoy on Hurts and Barkley being better. Acho and Daniel chose Jackson and Henry. Jones echoed McCoy’s points about Philadelphia’s record. Acho elected to break things down in a different manner that referenced McCoy’s own words.
“The [difference] between Lamar Jackson and Jalen Hurts… is greater than the [difference] between Saquon Barkley and Derrick Henry. Simply put, Lamar Jackson is more good than Jalen, than Saquon is more good than Derrick Henry. That’s really what it comes down to.”
Daniel told Acho he had “the exact same answer.” In a rare moment of logical TV discourse, both sides made concessions to the other. McCoy admitted Lamar Jackson “is a lot better than Jalen Hurts, and I think that will never change.”
Acho expressed belief that Philadelphia is a better team than Baltimore but chalked that up to the Eagles’ defense being more stout than the Ravens’ unit. The stats reflect that.
Through Week 12, Jackson leads the NFL in passing yards (3,053), passer rating (117.9), and passing touchdowns (27). He is averaging approximately 47 more total yards per game (304.3) than Hurts (257.5). Barkley is posting roughly 41 more total yards per game (149.9) than Henry (118.4). Their production, essentially, is a wash.
Baltimore’s offense is scoring almost four more points per game (30.3; 2nd in NFL) than Philadelphia’s (26.9; 7th in NFL). The Ravens’ defense, though, allows six more points per game (24.5; 23rd in NFL) than the Eagles’ unit (18.1; 6th in NFL). The defensive differential is drastic enough to cause Baltimore to lose more often and could lead to their downfall on Sunday
Kickoff for the Eagles-Ravens contest is set for 4:25 p.m. E.T. on CBS.
