No team in the NFL has a later bye week than the Ravens, and no team with a Week 14 bye has a tougher Week 13 test than the Ravens, either. The Denver Broncos, Houston Texans, Indianapolis Colts, New England Patriots and Washington Commanders — their going-away gifts this weekend are opponents with losing records.

The Ravens? They get the 9-2 Philadelphia Eagles, winners of seven straight. They get an offense led by NFL Most Valuable Player contender Saquon Barkley and All-Pro wide receiver A.J. Brown that’s third in yards per game and fourth in points per game since Week 6. They get a young, talented defense that’s first in yards per game allowed and second in points per game allowed in that same span.

“This is a really good team we’re playing,” Ravens coach John Harbaugh said Wednesday. “I think some people think that they might be the best team in the league.”

Sunday’s game at M&T Bank Stadium will be revealing — not just for the Eagles and Ravens’ championship credentials, but for the MVP cases of Barkley and Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson, too. Here’s what to watch in the teams’ matchup.

1. One of Ravens offensive coordinator Todd Monken’s guiding principles is finding explosive plays. Eagles defensive coordinator Vic Fangio helped usher in a modern era of coverages designed to limit them. Who’ll win out Sunday?

There might not be a better matchup all season. The Ravens entered Week 13 leading the NFL in explosive-play rate, having generated a run of at least 12 yards or a completion of at least 16 yards on 15.1% of their plays. Philadelphia’s defense ranked fourth (9.4%) in explosive-play rate — and first since returning from its bye in Week 6 (6.6%). Bolstered by the emergence of rookie defensive backs Cooper DeJean and Quinyon Mitchell, the Eagles have allowed just 12 plays of at least 20 yards over the past seven weeks, the league’s fewest in that span.

The Ravens shouldn’t be daunted. When they were preparing to face Fangio’s Dolphins defense in Week 17 last season, Miami ranked second in explosive-play rate (8.2%) over its previous six weeks. But in a 56-19 win that all but wrapped up Jackson’s second MVP award, the Ravens created an explosive on a fifth of their plays, averaging a ridiculous 8.9 yards per play. Jackson finished with a perfect passer rating (158.3) after going 18-for-21 for 321 yards and five touchdowns.

Fangio, a Pennsylvania native, joked Wednesday that he’d “rather play Swarthmore.”

“Their whole offense is dynamite,” Fangio told local reporters. “They run it great, they throw it great, they got good receivers. They have the best group of receivers they’ve had there in a long time. Two really good tight ends. Their line is blocking good. It’s no accident they have the No. 1 offense in the league.”

2. The Eagles seem built to stop a passing attack like the Ravens’.

Zay Flowers? Philadelphia has only the 18th-best pass defense against WR1s this season, according to FTN, but top cornerbacks Darius Slay and Mitchell have combined to allow just 33.6 yards per game in coverage since their bye, according to Pro Football Focus. (Slay missed practice Wednesday and Thursday with a concussion that could sideline him Sunday.)

Mark Andrews? The Eagles are giving up just 41.6 yards per game to tight ends and have the fourth-best pass defense against players at the position, according to FTN.

Justice Hill? Same deal. Just 32.2 yards per game allowed to running backs, with the No. 5 pass defense against backs.

Play-action passes? They’ve been a net positive for Philadelphia’s defense, which has allowed just 6.7 yards per attempt on 61.5% accuracy.

The Ravens’ recipe for success could look a lot like it did Monday against the Los Angeles Chargers. The Eagles have lined up with light boxes (six or fewer defenders) on 76.6% of their early downs, just behind the Chargers, according to TruMedia. They’ve been vulnerable to the run in those looks on first and second down, too, allowing 2.08 yards before contact and 5.2 yards per carry. And they haven’t faced a running back as overpowering as the Ravens’ Derrick Henry.

Outside linebacker Brandon Graham’s season-ending triceps injury could loom large. The 36-year-old is Philadelphia’s top-graded run defender, according to PFF. The Eagles have allowed 16 explosive runs on their 124 carries (12.9%) with Graham off the field this season and just seven explosives on 130 carries (5.4%) with him on the field, according to TruMedia.

3. Ravens defensive lineman Michael Pierce’s return to the practice field — and perhaps to game action — couldn’t be better timed.

The Eagles lead the NFL in rushing yards (193.4 per game). Hurts is third among quarterbacks in rushing yards (456) and first in rushing touchdowns (11). Barkley is first in rushing yards (1,392) and coming off a career-best game (255 rushing yards) in Philadelphia’s 37-20 win Sunday over the Los Angeles Rams.

The Ravens’ run defense has not exactly suffered since Pierce went on injured reserve after Week 8 with a calf injury; they’ve allowed just 3.5 yards per designed run over the past four games, according to TruMedia. But the massive Pierce, whom Harbaugh indicated could be activated for Sunday’s game, would give the Ravens another level of security up front — and in the back end, too.

Over the Ravens’ seven full games with Pierce, they allowed just 3.7 yards per designed run when playing with at least two deep safeties, more than a yard better than the league average in that span (4.9). Only the Houston Texans (3.2 yards per carry allowed) fared better with lighter boxes.

If the Ravens can contain the Eagles’ ground game without needing to drop safety Kyle Hamilton or Ar’Darius Washington into the box, the benefits would be far-reaching. In the run game, it’d give the Ravens another deep-lying defender to keep Barkley from turning good runs into home runs. And in the pass game, it’d help them shade their coverage toward Brown when Hurts does drop back. Fellow standout wide receiver DeVonta Smith (516 receiving yards), who sat out the win over the Rams with a hamstring injury, could return Sunday, but was limited in practice Thursday.

4. The last time the Ravens had to stop an elite wide receiver in Baltimore, they failed. Miserably. In Week 10, with Tee Higgins sidelined by injury, Cincinnati Bengals star Ja’Marr Chase had 11 catches on 17 targets for 264 yards and three touchdowns in a 35-34 loss.

“He’s a hell of a player,” cornerback Brandon Stephens said. “It’s a battle out there every play, and you can’t take a play off.”

The Eagles’ Brown might be just as scary. He’s third in the NFL in receiving yards per game (90.9) and first among qualifying wide receivers in expected points added per target (0.72). His unique blend of speed, strength and after-the-catch ability makes him a difficult matchup for each of the Ravens’ top cornerbacks.

At 6 foot 1 and 226 pounds, Brown is big enough to handle Marlon Humphrey’s physicality at the line of scrimmage. He’s forced 11 missed tackles this season, according to PFF, sixth most among wide receivers; rookie Nate Wiggins’ missed-tackle rate (20%) is 10th worst among qualifying cornerbacks. And on fades, go routes and double moves this season, all of which Stephens has struggled to defend this season, Brown has five catches on 10 targets for 214 yards and three touchdowns, according to Sports Info Solutions.

“He’s physical, he’s fast, he’s got good hands,” safety Kyle Hamilton said of Brown. “A great RAC [run after the catch] receiver, at the same time. And I think what separates them [Eagles receivers] from a lot of other people is just their effort. I feel like you can see it on tape. They might not be open at first, but still working for the ball, and the quarterback does good at getting out of the pocket, and those plays, as they get extended, usually become big plays.”

5. Week 12 is full of games with meaningful AFC playoff implications. Here’s a look at how a few results could affect the Ravens, according to The New York Times’ playoff simulator:

• If the 9-2 Buffalo Bills lose Sunday night to the San Francisco 49ers, the Ravens would boost their chances of claiming the AFC’s No. 2 seed from about 17% to about 38% with a victory over Philadelphia.
• If the 8-3 Pittsburgh Steelers lose Sunday afternoon to Cincinnati, the Ravens would boost their chances of winning the AFC North from about 68% to about 82% with a victory over Philadelphia.
• If the 4-7 Bengals lose to the Steelers, however, their hopes for a playoff rematch against the Ravens would be almost extinguished. Cincinnati has about a 9% chance of making the postseason, but that would drop to about 2% with an eighth loss Sunday.

“You get to this point in the season, every game kind of counts,” Hamilton said. “So as we go down the stretch, they get more and more important, but I don’t really think we’re thinking too much about that. A big win last week against an AFC opponent will definitely help us in the playoff picture, but at the end of the day, we’re still trying to win the game.”