NFL power rankings: Eagles’ close loss to 49ers draws mixed reviews
The Eagles came back to Earth a bit in Week 2, and while there’s no cause for actual concern about the team’s trajectory, we probably won’t see the Birds in the Top 10 in anyone’s power rankings anytime soon.
But let’s scour seven different national outlets to find out what they’re saying about the Birds after the blowout win:
ESPN
This week: 21
Last week: 21 (+0)
“[Quez Watkins] entered training camp as a reserve but earned playing time with one electrifying play after another this summer. We’re now seeing that translate to the regular season, as Watkins hauled in a 91-yard reception against the 49ers on Sunday and finished with two catches for 117 yards. He’ll likely be boom or bust week to week, but if you catch him at the right time, Watkins might just go off for you.”
NFL.com
This week: 20th
Last week: 17th (-3)
“The Eagles dominated the 49ers for most of the first half on Sunday and still found themselves trailing as they headed to the tunnel. When the dust cleared on a 17-11 loss, Philadelphia was left to make peace with the opportunities wasted: Jalen Reagor stepping out of bounds prior to a long touchdown catch, a Quez Watkins 91-yard reception somehow producing zero points, a Derek Barnett unnecessary roughness penalty that whittled away precious time in the fourth quarter. The Eagles deserve credit for hanging tough with a talented San Francisco team, but that was also a winnable game they let slip away. The challenge to bounce back will be greater with Brandon Graham lost for the season with an Achilles injury.”
CBS Sports
This week: 23rd
Last week: 22nd (-1)
“They did some good things against the 49ers, but blew early chances to take a grasp of the game. You can’t do that against good teams, and they paid for it.”
Sporting News
This week: 19th
Last week: 18th (-1)
“The Eagles have found their quarterback in Jalen Hurts for now, but despite his high dual threat floor, his inexperience will show at times in tougher games such as Week 2 vs. the 49ers. The offensive line and defense are going back to being strengths, which can be helpful assets in trying to edge the Cowboys for the NFC East down the line.”
Pro Football Network
This week: 20th
Last week: 26th (+6)
“This team lost today, but they appear to be a scrappy bunch. The offense averaged 1.5 yards more per play than the 49ers, but they could only manage 3 points until late in the fourth quarter.
“The passing attack needs to find more consistent production away from the line of scrimmage or downfield shots. The intermediate areas of the field have to become a viable option, or the offense wont consistently score points.
“Using a trick play in a 4th-and-goal situation is too cute, especially with an incredibly mobile quarterback at your disposal.”
Bleacher Report
This week: 22nd
Last week: 22nd (+0)
“In Week 1, the Philadelphia Eagles got the Jalen Hurts they hoped the young quarterback would become in his second season.
“In Week 2, the Eagles got the Jalen Hurts who was equal parts electrifying and maddening as a rookie.
“Hurts once again picked up yards with his legs Sunday against the Niners; his 82 yards on 10 carries led the team. But his passing line wasn’t nearly as good as the week before: 12 completions on 23 attempts for 190 yards.
“With that said, Hurts’ so-so day was far from the worst thing that happened to the Eagles on Sunday. Per Eagles reporter Derrick Gunn, veteran defensive end Brandon Graham was carted off the field with what is believed to be a season-ending Achilles tear.”
Sports Illustrated
This week: 22nd
Last week: 18th (-4)
“The Eagles were among the biggest surprises of Week 1, but scoring just 11 points in the follow-up game against the 49ers takes some of the shine off a 32-point effort in Atlanta. The Eagles have plenty of veterans, but at the start of a new era with a first-year coach and young quarterback, more ups and downs should be expected.”
It’s hard to be mad about this batch of rankings. Falling a little bit after a loss is expected, but the Eagles actually maintained in a couple places, and even jumped in one ranking thanks to sticking with what many believe is a strong 49ers team.
I’ll be tracking the Eagles’ power rankings across these seven outlets all season long at the bottom of these posts.
Season-long tracker
Average before Week 1: 26.42
Average after Week 1: 20.57 (+5.85)
Average after Week 2: 21.00 (-0.43)
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