In the NFL’s pass-first era, the running backs are making noise at an old-school position. You could see his sarcasm begging for permission to bite. As Justice Hill listened to a question about the NFL’s running back revival, he pursed his lips and figured out how to respond the nicest way he could.

We’re just going to have a tough time stopping this running back that we’re playing,” Ravens coach John Harbaugh said of Saquon Barkley as Baltimore prepares for its matchup with the Eagles.

Geno Smith faces the team that drafted him after turning his career around on his fourth stop and going to the Pro Bowl the past two seasons. The Seahawks are fighting for the playoffs while the Jets have fallen apart. Their coach and GM already have been fired. Aaron Rodgers’ future is uncertain. Yet, the team still has plenty of talent.

Receiver Johnny Wilson (hamstring) and safety Sydney Brown (knee) are also questionable. Cornerback Darius Slay (concussion) has been ruled out, as expected. It would be unusual for a player to clear concussion protocol in less than a week.

Chief among them are the two best running backs in the game today, Derrick Henry of the Baltimore Ravens and Saquon Barkley of the Philadelphia Eagles. Both in their first season with their new teams,

According to Pro Football Focus, outside linebacker Brandon Graham is Philadelphia’s top run defender. He suffered a season-ending triceps injury and could expose an average defense against the run. Prior to Week 13, the Eagles are allowing 5.2 yards per carry after contact – without facing Henry.

This weekend's game between the Baltimore Ravens and Philadelphia Eagles features the two best running backs in the game today.

This past offseason saw a resurgence of the running back market in free agency, with five different veteran running backs signing multiyear deals that pay at least $7 million per season, with two of them exceeding $12 million per year.

Baltimore has won eight of its past ten games, while Philadelphia is on a seven-game winning streak. The Ravens currently sit a half-game out of first place behind 8-3 Pittsburgh in the AFC North, while Philadelphia holds a 2.5-game lead over 7-5 Washington in the NFC East standings.

Henry and Barkley are leading a renaissance of sorts for featured running backs, and now the sport’s top two rushing stars go head-to-head when the Baltimore Ravens host the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday. With more than 1,300 yards apiece on the ground, those two are even stealing headlines from Lamar Jackson and Jalen Hurts entering this matchup.