This game needs no hype. It is straight-forward stuff: Two outstanding teams in every phase of the game meet at 4:25 PM as the Eagles look for their eighth straight win and 10th overall against the Baltimore Ravens, a team many expect to make a deep run in the AFC postseason.

The storylines, then, are obvious, so let's get to them …

1, Run game vs. run game

We know that both teams run the ball extremely well – the Eagles are first in the league In rushing offense and Baltimore is No. 2 – and both teams are, in fact, going to run the ball on Sunday. They're both going to try to establish the ground game in a variety of ways – with backs Saquon Barkley and Derrick Henry and quarterbacks Jalen Hurts and Lamar Jackson. The teams have the ability to control the line of scrimmage with the offensive lines and they both have options in the design in the run game. Is it as simple as the team that wins on the ground wins the game? It's not that simple, but in a lot of ways, it's going to matter. Both offenses want to stay ahead of the sticks and win on third down and that generally means you run the ball well on first and second downs. The Eagles have the understanding of how good Baltimore's No. 1-ranked offense is; Baltimore the same with the Eagles' third-ranked total offense. A lot of the focus will be on the ground game and the way the defenses attack it.

2. What is there to exploit about Baltimore?

Based on the numbers, Baltimore's pass defense has struggled – the Ravens rank 31st in the league in pass defense allowing 276 yards per game. But is that really the case? Or do offenses throw the ball a lot because they're trailing on the scoreboard and/or because the Ravens are so good (78 yards per game) against the run? Sometimes, numbers can be deceiving. But this statistic is not deceptive: Baltimore has allowed a conversion rate of 44 percent on third down, ranking 25th in the NFL. And Baltimore has allowed 24.5 points per game, which ranks 23rd. The Eagles have a chance to score some points here.

3. Red zone success is necessary on Sunday

This is a staggering number: Baltimore has scored a touchdown on 78.7 percent of the possessions it has had in the red zone. Lamar Jackson's mobility plays a big part in that, as does Henry's brute force. The Eagles need some stops is the point here. The middle of the defensive line – Jalen Carter, Jordan Davis, Milton Williams, and the gang – have to win, win, win. And the Eagles have to tackle very well and when they have a chance to take the football away, they have to come up with the ball. Philadelphia has the fifth-best red zone defense in the NFL, so a strong performance on Sunday would go a long way toward a victory. And offensively, the Eagles know they need touchdowns against an offense that scores 30.3 points per game. The Eagles have scored touchdowns on 55.8 percent of their trips inside opponents' 20-yard lines.

4. So many matchups to watch, but it comes down to QB play so many times

The great individual matchups across the board make this game so enticing and must-see viewing, but let's be honest here: The best quarterback usually wins the game. And that means Jalen Hurts and Lamar Jackson, two dynamic players who have been big winners throughout their careers. How the respective defenses play them is a curious this: Will the Eagles consider a spy against Jackson? Will Baltimore blitz Hurts? The game within the game is going to be fascinating as it unfolds – which team wins the adjustments could win the game – but the bottom line of the quarterbacks is going to be critical. Ball security is huge. Time management will be important. Reading and reacting and making the right calls is obviously enormous. Hurts has been outstanding with 18 total touchdowns and only one interception in the seven-game winning streak and, of course, Jackson has accounted for 30 total touchdowns and only three interceptions this season. Big matchup and Hurts needs to be aware that Baltimore will be coming after him looking to take the football away.

5. Expect a close game

Games between these teams are usually very close – the last three games have been decided by 1 point, 1 point, and 2 points. They are both well-coached, very talented teams. But how the teams handle the end of each half is very, very important. We saw on Thanksgiving Day what managing timeouts and clock management and situational football means as Chicago lost to Detroit. Everything matters in this football game.

6. Some intangibles to consider …

• Baltimore ranks last in the NFL, drawing an average of 8.4 penalties a game

• The weather will be cold on Sunday, so which kicker has the most range and handles the wind and cold the best? Justin Tucker and Jake Elliott are both great and both have missed some kicks this year and they've both bounced back.

• Turnovers are obviously huge, as always. Philadelphia has a +3 in turnover ratio and Baltimore is +2. These teams will not beat themselves.

• Baltimore converts 47 percent of its third downs on offense and the Eagles' defense ranks third-best in the league, allowing just a 33 percent conversion rate. In Sunday's win at the Rams, Los Angeles was 0 for 8 on third downs.