If you were told before the season that the Eagles would go into the bye week 8-1, everyone would be over the moon. Yet here we are, 8 weeks in, with the Eagles 8-1, and there is some trepidation. The secondary has been struggling, and people aren’t happy with the playcalling from Brian Johnson. And there are fair reasons to be upset about those two things. But heading into week 10, they are the only 8-1 team.

Are the Eagles flawed? Sure. But what team isn’t flawed this season? The 49ers? They are on a 3-game losing streak and Brock Purdy is getting exposed of late. The Cowboys? They also have 3 losses and the Eagles just beat them. The Chiefs? Outside of Travis Kelce, they have no reliable weapons and it has led to their offense being almost pedestrian. The Bills? They lost their 4th game of the season this past week. The Lions and Seahawks got crushed by the Ravens. And those Ravens may be the closest thing to perfect so far this year, but even they have 2 bad losses through week 9.

So yes, the Eagles have issues, but so does every team. Look around and every winning team could complain about ugly wins. The important thing is the Eagles have the most ugly wins and just one ugly loss.

So why do we get so worried about the Eagles’ flaws and ignore that every team is flawed? It’s natural because we watch the Eagles every week so we notice it more. We aren’t seeing the Chiefs and 49ers as much to pick up on those flaws. But they are there. And so even with the flaws the Eagles have, we can still call them the best team in the league.

But does the National Media agree? Here is where the Eagles fell in the Power Rankings For Week 10:

• ESPN- 1 (Previously 1)

  “Brown has been one of the league’s most impactful players over the first half. He made history by becoming the first to go for 125-plus receiving yards in six consecutive games. He also set a new team mark for quickest player to 1,000 yards receiving (nine games).”

  Brown has a real case for MVP. They won’t give him it, but he should at least be mentioned. He is arguably the best player on what is inarguably the best team in the league so far. Tyreek Hill is the only WR with greater production, but clearly, it hasn’t helped his team quite as much.

  ESPN Power Rankings

• NFL Network- 1 (Previously 1)

  “It felt like Dallas outplayed the Eagles over the course of 60 minutes, but Philly finished more effectively than the Cowboys — an area where the Eagles have been better than Dallas all season. Perhaps that intangible skill is their superpower.”

  This is something we don’t talk about enough. They keep finding ways to win games. Last year the Eagles did not get tested very much. This year they have been tested every week, and keep passing that test. Being able to pull out close wins is a skill. And at least so far, they are better at it than anyone else.

  NFL Network Power Rankings

• The Athletic - 2 (Previously 1)

  “Philadelphia fans are not going to be happy falling a spot after a win over the Cowboys. That’s fair, but the Eagles were outgained 406-292 by Dallas on Sunday, and there are a couple of areas of concern to monitor.”

  Putting the Ravens over the Eagles is fair enough. I don’t agree with it, but I can see the argument. The Ravens have looked better the last couple of weeks. Based solely on recent play, the Ravens are the closest thing to perfect we have in the NFL. Their defense is shutting teams down, and their offense is crushing teams. But go back to that Steelers game, or the Colts game, and they have issues too. Still, they are a fantastic team.

  The Athletic’s Power Rankings

• CBS Sports- 1 (Previously 1)

  “They beat the Cowboys, but they have to be concerned about their defense. It’s having issues stopping teams. Jalen Hurts is also limited by his knee injury.”

  Huirts is clearly hurt. But he is also playing some of the best Football of his career. He isn’t running, but he is money-throwing the ball out of the pocket. If he is going to throw the ball this well, with a 70% completion rate and multiple TDs every week, do they need him to be running the ball like he did last year? If anything this is a reason to be excited for the future. It’s proof he is way more than just a running QB.

  CBS Sports Power Rankings

• USA Today -2 (Previously 1)

  “But with gimpy QB Jalen Hurts still dragging his leg around, the bye week has arrived at a perfect time – not to mention Philly has Kansas City, Buffalo, San Francisco, Dallas and Seattle in succession on the other side of the break. Though perhaps no worry, Hurts matching Manning’s mark (2008-10) with 12 consecutive regular-season wins against opponents with winning records.”

  The good thing about this tough schedule coming up, is the Eagles have put themselves in a position to weather it. They can afford to drop a game or 2, and still stay at the top of the NFC. And other than the Lions their competitors have equally and sometimes harder schedules going forward. The 49ers, Cowboys, and Seahawks actually have a harder schedule based on winning %.

  USA Today Power Rankings

• Pro Football Talk - 1 (Previously 1)

  “After the bye, they’ve got four solid tests.”

  Thanks for your input, Florio. The typical great insight. Should we expect more from the guy who put this tweet out though?

  Pro Football Talk’s Power Rankings 

• Bleacher Report- 1 (Previously 1)

  “While they’re resting over the bye, the Eagles staff also needs to try to shore up the pass defense, which ranks 29th in the league after nine weeks. It hasn’t cost the Eagles yet, but it could down the road—say in the playoffs.”

  The pass defense is absolutlery an issue. One the return of Bradley Roby will hopefully fix, at least a little bit. Once Roby got out there the Secondary looked great and shut down the Rams, who were second in the league in passing yards at that point. The injuries have forced players like Reed Blankenship and Sydney Brown into positions where they are asked to cover guys one-on-one. Not a recipe for success. Stability at the Slot would also help those guys. Brown is out of position at the Nickel Corner. Has he been good? No. But it’s also unfair not to expect him to step into an unnatural position and cover guys like Cee Dee Lamb.

  Bleacher Reports Power Rankings

• Sports Illustrated- 1 (Previously 1)

  “We can get more comfortable with the idea that the Eagles can return to and win a Super Bowl because they are so solid on both lines. That kind of stability negates a lot of the emotional side effects of losing a Super Bowl.”

  This hits the crux of why the Eagles are where they are. Good lines on both sides of the ball will take you are long way. And the Eagles have an elite group on both lines. The Eagles are top 5 in run block win rate, pass block win rate, run stop win rate, and pass rush win rate. And they are the only team that can say that. Just that alone is going to make you a Super Bowl contender. Add in a top 5 QB and elite skill players, and the Eagles look like the best team in the league despite other issues.

  Sports Illustrated Power Rankings 

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