The Eagles Power Rankings Round Up Going Into Week 13
After a couple of tough weeks in a row, the Eagles finally got back to looking like a great team. Yes, the Packers put up 33 points on them. But the Eagles put up 40. And they had their way on the ground on the game all night. So after the national media started to sour on them after the Commanders and Colts games, did the way they beat up the Packers put them back in the good graces of the National Media? Let’s take a look at the Eagles’ power rankings going into week 13.
NFL.com- 1 – (Last Week- 2)
“Monster performances in prime-time games can serve as ultra fuel in an MVP race. Jalen Hurts showed a huge audience what a difference-maker he can be on Sunday Night Football, breaking Michael Vick’s franchise record for quarterbacks with 157 rushing yards in a 40-33 win over the Packers. Hurts also became the first NFL QB since at least 1950 with 150 rush yards, 150 passing yards and at least two passing scores in a single game. The Eagles nearly made team history, as well: Philly rushed for a whopping 363 yards, falling just 13 yards shy of the franchise record, set way back in 1948. Said RB Miles Sanders: “It’s chasing greatness every week.”
The Jalen Hurts MVP hype is real. If we were making the call right now in week 13, it would be between him, Tua Tagovailoa, and Patrick Mahomes. It is only week 13, so things can change. But if he keeps this up, he is at the least going to be into the conversation. He is doing pretty much everything well. Because the team runs so well, his raw passing numbers aren’t fantastic. But we see that when they do throw it, he is doing it as well as anyone. That throw to Quez Watkins was fantastic.
ESPN- 2 – (Last Week- 2)
“They have the best record in the league at 10-1, an MVP candidate in Jalen Hurts, and a cold-weather-friendly offense that can suck the life out of you on the ground and rip it up through the air when need be. The defense is opportunistic and leads the league in takeaways (23). The Eagles are as deep and well-rounded as any team in football, and have already beaten the conference’s top contenders in the Vikings and Cowboys, though the Cowboys were without Dak Prescott in that Week 6 matchup. The rematch on Christmas Eve in Dallas should be fun.”
Tim McManus makes a great point about this offense being cold-weather friendly. As of now, it looks like the road to the playoffs will come through Philly. And in January, Philly should be nice and cold. The Cowboys and Vikings play indoors, and the 49ers play in California. It’s not a huge advantage, but it is something.
The Athletic- 2 – (Last Week- 2)
“Jalen Hurts and company bounced back from a two-game offensive lull to run roughshod over the Packers’ depleted run defense. Hurts and Miles Sanders both set career highs for rushing yards in a game while the team ran for 363 yards total, the eighth-most for any team in the Super Bowl era. One of the most encouraging things about Philadelphia has been its ability to win in different ways. We’ll see how it handles the Titans’ stout run defense this week.”
There isn’t really a flaw in the Eagles’ offense. The only thing right now is Dallas Goedert’s injury. But he will be back. And once he is, they can throw it pretty much anywhere on the field. They can rip you apart with TE screens. Run all over you. With this O-line, all the talent they have at WR and TE, and Jalen Hurts, this offense is as good as any in the NFL.
Yahoo Sports- 2 -(Last Week- 2)
“The Eagles ran for 363 rushing yards, their most as a team since 1948. That won’t happen every week, but it’s a reminder that the Eagles can beat you in different ways. The defense has to get out of its slump though.”
The term that keeps coming up, they can beat you in different ways. It’s come up on several sites power rankings every single week. If you take a drink every time you hear someone say they beat you in a lot of ways, you won’t be able to get behind the wheel of a car after reading this article.
The Ringer- 1 -(Last Week- 1)
“I considered dropping the Eagles from the top spot last week, but in Week 12 they proved they deserve to remain here. Jalen Hurts, Miles Sanders, and the Philadelphia offensive line bullied a pillow-soft Packers defense en route to 363 rushing yards, 40 points, and a win on Sunday Night Football. Knocking off the Eagles as the NFC’s top Super Bowl contender will require matching their physicality up front and slowing the run game down.”
Games are won in the trenches, and the Eagles are incredibly strong in the trenches. Their o line is arguably the best in the NFL. If your O Line and D Line are winning all game, chances are your team ends up winning. This Eagles team is built the right way.
USA Today- 1 – (Last Week- 1)
“You might not want to bet your mortgage – you shouldn’t – that they’ll win Super Bowl 57, but an uneven stretch of games has also served reminder that Philadelphia can beat you in a lot of ways. Physical, versatile and deep, a week after a second-ranked defense held the fort at Indy, the offense hung 40 points and 500 yards on Green Bay – MVP candidate Jalen Hurts topping 150 yards both through the air and on the ground. But the stretch run won’t be a cakewalk, four of Philly’s final six matchups against teams currently with winning records.”
There it is again, take a drink.
Average Ranking- 1.5
A lot of writers around the NFL seemed down on the Eagles, even when ranking them 1 or 2, last week. But now in week 13, they are all high on them again. Like I said last week, too many of these writers let a single week change their whole perspective. To be fair it is hard coming up with a new thing to say about every single team every week, without repeating yourself. But they could at least show some consistency between acting like the sky is falling after a bad game and prepping them for a Super Bowl after every good win.