NFL power rankings: Chiefs destruction of Eagles leads to big changes
The Eagles surprisingly hung tough with the defending AFC champions until late in the third quarter, when Patrick Mahomes & Co. were simply too talented for the Birds and pulled away to an easy win.
Jonathan Gannon’s defense didn’t show up at the Linc on Sunday, but Nick Sirianni’s offense was humming for most of the afternoon with Jalen Hurts at the helm. So the Eagles shouldn’t fall terribly far in this week’s power rankings across the country, right?
Well…
Let’s scour seven different national outlets to find out what they’re saying about the Birds after the third straight loss:
ESPN
This week: 25
Last week: 24 (-1)
“Miles Sanders is the Eagles’ lead back, yet only has 37 carries through four games — which is tied for 33rd in the NFL with the Cowboys’ No. 2 running back Tony Pollard and Jets rookie Michael Carter. He has nine rushes total in the past two weeks. Meanwhile, rookie Kenneth Gainwell (89 total yards and a TD vs. Chiefs) is heating up. Sanders and QB Jalen Hurts were expected to be a dynamic 1-2 punch out of the backfield, but it’s been slow going for Sanders to start.”
NFL.com
This week: 25
Last week: 22 (-3)
“The Eagles rolled up over 450 yards of offense on the Chiefs and never had to send their punter on the field. It was another promising effort by the offense, but also another game filled with unforced errors that doomed Philly to its third straight loss. The Eagles had three touchdowns taken off the board by penalties in drives that eventually ended with field goals. Longtime NFL personnel man Mike Lombardi calls these instances “four-point plays” for the number of points you leave on the field by trading a touchdown/PAT for a field goal. The math ain’t pretty: The Eagles had three “four-point plays” on Sunday in a game they lost by 12. Nick Sirianni’s team needs to clean it up.”
CBS Sports
This week: 27
Last week: 24 (-3)
“At 1-3, they are quickly falling behind in the division race. Jalen Hurts did some really good things against the Chiefs, which gives them hope.”
Sporting News
This week: 23
Last week: 20 (-3)
“The Eagles’ offense is looking good with Jalen Hurts but it’s still making critical mistakes. Their defense is starting to show its true colors against more legitimate offenses.”
Pro Football Network
This week: 25
Last week: 23 (-2)
“Jalen Hurts returned to his non-Cowboys form against the Chiefs. He played well trying to will the Eagles to a victory against a team that greatly overmatched them offensively.
“Philadelphias defense simply couldnt get off the field. Despite having talent along their defensive line, they arent able to overcome good offensive lines. Meanwhile, the Eagles offensive line seemingly hasnt stayed healthy since their Super Bowl run in 2017.
“The rest of Philadelphias 2021 campaign should be focused on grooming their younger players and trying to figure out what they have in Hurts. But theyll have to do all that toward the bottom of the NFL Power Rankings.”
Bleacher Report
This week: 25
Last week: 23 (-2)
“In Week 1, the Philadelphia Eagles blasted the Falcons in Atlanta.
“Things have gone downhill since.
“Defensively, that slide has become an avalanche. After getting gouged for 471 yards and 42 points by Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs, the Eagles have allowed over 40 points in back-to-back contests. The Eagles had three touchdowns nullified by penalties in Week 4 and were 3-of-6 in the red zonemistakes that didn’t sit well with first-year head coach Nick Sirianni.
“‘You’re furious that you’re 1-3,’ Sirianni told reporters. ‘The self-inflicted wounds have got to stop.’
“A bright spot Sunday was the play of second-year quarterback Jalen Hurts, who threw for a career-high 387 yards.
“But things won’t get any easier for Hurts and the reeling Eagles. After a trip to Charlotte to face the Panthers in Week 5, Philly hosts the Super Bowl champion Buccaneers on a short week before a trip to Las Vegas.
“1-3 could be 1-6 before long.”
Sports Illustrated
This week: 27
Last week: 20 (-7)
“DeVonta Smith might be the brightest spot for the Eagles right now. He looks like the No. 1 receiver the team has been searching for. The optimism after the teams season-opening win has faded, though, and the next stretch of games doesnt offer much reprieve: Panthers, Bucs, Raiders.”
Jeez. Dropping seven spots in SI’s ranking? Finishing in the bottom eight of the league in a majority of the rankings?
The nation does not think highly of the Eagles. That’ll happen when you lose three straight, but the Birds haven’t exactly been losing to bad teams out here. The Chiefs, Cowboys, and 49ers could all be playoff teams.
Ah, well. Can’t ask for respect until you earn it.
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)
Average after Week 3: 22.66 (-1.66)
Average after Week 4: 25.28 (-2.62)
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