The Atlanta Falcons enter Week 5 sitting at 2-2 following two straight dominant victories. The offense is humming, the pass rush has come alive, and this team looks like a legit playoff contender. But if this team wants to extend its winning streak to three, they'll have to do so in their third primetime game in as many weeks as they'll host the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday Night Football.
However, prior to their Week 5 matchup, the Ravens were dealing with some issues on the offensive line, and they were definitely scrambling knowing the Falcons lead the NFL in pressures. So they struck a major trade with the Philadelphia Eagles on Wednesday, as they acquired center Cam Jurgens and a 2027 seventh-round pick for a 2027 fifth-round pick and a 2028 second-round pick.
Trade: Eagles are sending two-time Pro Bowl center Cam Jurgens and a 2027 7th-round pick to the Ravens in exchange for a 2027 5th-round pick and a 2028 2nd-round pick, sources tell ESPN. pic.twitter.com/AaGL3MYqS7
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) October 7, 2026
We're not here to dive into the winners and losers of this trade, because frankly, that isn't relevant. But what is relevant is the ramifications this move will have on the Falcons' hopes of improving to 3-2 on Sunday.
Cam Jurgens is far from the best center in the NFL, but he's still a two-time Pro Bowler who has played well before. But he injured his back in the 2024 playoffs, played through it, and was never the same. But in this industry, desperate times call for desperate measures, and this overpay could bode well for this win streak.
The Atlanta Falcons' defensive line is still at an advantage against the Ravens (even with Cam Jurgens)
I know Pro Football Focus metrics are something to take with a grain of salt, but they sometimes are accurate--and if you look into those, it's easy for Falcons fans to be encouraged about this matchup. Jurgens' 38.7 PFF grade ranks 73rd out of 74 qualified guards, while his 31.7 pass blocking grade is 68th-best of those 74. Those numbers make him borderline unplayable, especially since he's allowed the fifth-most pressures among all IOL.
But that's just it. It says guard. The Eagles were playing him out of position, but the Ravens are going to move him back to center. They lost Jovaughn Gwyn, Danny Pinter, and Ethan Pocic to injury, so they played rookie Vega Ioane at center in Week 4--but Jurgens' arrival means he can play center and Ioane can go back to guard.
That seems a little better for the Ravens at least, but this is also good for the Dirty Birds. Trading for him on Wednesday makes a turnaround to get practice reps in a new system and play on Sunday pretty difficult--so it remains to be seen how much they're going to be able to rely on Jurgens.
Even still, this doesn't solve all of Baltimore's issues up front. Ronnie Stanley and John Simpson haven't been great either, and a lot rides on whether or not the former second-round pick can re-capture his pre-injury form, and a matchup against an elite Atlanta pass-rush will not come easy.
As I mentioned, the Falcons' primary objective here doesn't change. Jeff Ulbrich and Nate Ollie want to disrupt in the backfield, and the biggest fish to fry in this game is Derrick Henry anyhow. And even rushing four, this defensive line should be able to get home given all the holes on Baltimore's O-Line.
The bigger question here remains whether or not Lamar Jackson will play on Sunday Night (which seems unlikely), but whether it's the two-time MVP or Snoop Huntley taking snaps from Cam Jurgens, this Falcons' defense should have the same success we've seen them have all year.
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