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Week 5 of the 2014 NFL season is over which means it's time for everyone's favorite activity: NFL Power Rankings. With the return of power rankings comes the return of the weekly Philadelphia Eagles power rankings compilation.
Here is a round-up of how various Internet media outlets have ranked the Eagles. Let's see what the 'experts' are saying. As always, we'll start by revisiting mine first.
Bleeding Green Nation
5) Philadelphia Eagles - I was probably a little too harsh by dropping the Eagles from 4 to 9 last week. I've made up for it this week by being a little generous. The Eagles are 4-1 and it hasn't been pretty. The truth is I'm not sure what to make of this team going forward and they still have a lot to prove. For now, 4-1 is 4-1.
Last week: 9
SB Nation
8) In Philly, the Eagles got off to a fast start against the Rams but for the second straight week, faltered late. They allowed St. Louis to creep back into the game before finishing the job. In the end, they're sitting pretty at 4-1.
Last week: 9
Revenge of the Birds
3) The Eagles are facing a schedule that they have the ability to get the best of. Even when they are not at their best, Philly still finds a way to win. Their defense played well this past week forcing three fumbles and creating two touchdowns. Eagles are flying high and have a great chance at winning their division.
Music City Miracles
3) N/A
Last week: 3
Mile High Report
4) Is there another 4-1 team in the league that you trust less than the Philadelphia Eagles? For a little while, they look like the Denver Broncos on offense. Unbeatable. Then they'll go on a stretch that makes you think you are watching the Kansas City Chiefs. Which team is the real one?
Philadelphia Daily News
6) Dave Fipp may get more coach of the year votes than Chip Kelly.
Last week: 7
ESPN
4) Philadelphia tied a season high with 145 rushing yards in RT Lane Johnson's first game back from suspension. Nick Foles was 9-of-12 for 111 yards and a touchdown on play-action passes.
Last week: 6
NFL.com
6) Is it fair to suggest that, just maybe, some of the oomph behind the genius of Chip Kelly's offensive revolution stemmed from a healthy offensive line? LeSean McCoy, who picked up 5.1 yards per carry last season, is sitting on a Trent Richardson-esque average of 2.9 in 2014. All-Pro guard Evan Mathis is currently on IR-recall while he recovers from a sprained MCL. Center Jason Kelce, who suffered an abdomen injury in Week 3, is trying to get back by Week 10. And sixth-man Allen Barbre is done for the season. Brent Celek has been spotted essentially playing the role of right tackle on run plays. Not even Steve Van Buren could run behind this line.
Last week: 6
CBS (Prisco)
6) They are finding ways to win games, but they are not playing well. That has to change this week against the Giants.
Last week: 7
CBS (Kirwan)
5) The Eagles are just about hanging on with all the offensive line injuries and a less-than-stellar LeSean McCoy. The Giants are up next and that should be a very tough test.
Last week: 9
Yahoo!
5) The Eagles tied for the NFL lead with 6.3 yards per play last season. This season they're tied for 17th at 5.4 yards per play. They miss DeSean Jackson stretching the field.
Last week: 5
FOX
6) The Eagles led 34-7 before the floodgates opened up in their secondary and the Rams scored 21 unanswered. LeSean McCoy showed a flash or two of his all-pro self, but for the most part he was bottled up again. The bigger issue on offense was the inconsistent play of Nick Foles, who seemed to chuck-and-duck when the Rams got pressure on him. Chip Kelly has even mentioned some of his footwork issues that need correcting fast.
Last week: 10
Washington Post
8) It stood to reason when the season began that a 4-1 start would have provided the Eagles with an early cushion atop the NFC East. They’ve done their part but, instead, they’re tied with the Cowboys and have the Giants right on their heels. The Eagles have room to improve if they can find a way to get their would-be starting offensive line back on the field and get their running game going. They host the Giants on Sunday night with a chance to re-establish their superiority within the division.
Last week: 12
USA Today
5) Is it starting to feel like their 4-1 start is largely the product of smoke and mirrors as they wait for the O-line to heal?
Last week: 6
Newsday
6) Eagles keep winning, but underlying problems – especially on defense – may catch up to them soon.
Last week: 6
Analysis
The rankings range from as high as 3 to as low as 8. 6 was tied for the most common ranking. 5.33 is the average ranking. That's up nearly 2.5 spots from last week's average ranking of 7.71.
Most experts seemed to be trying to figure out how the Eagles are even 4-1. It's no secret that the Eagles haven't dominated their way to their current record. Then again, they've had to overcome some major injuries in getting this far. The Birds can't be entirely discredited.
Moving forward, everyone can agree Philadelphia needs to play better. There isn't a better time for that to take place than this week when the Eagles take on the New York Giants in a big division game on Sunday Night Football. A Philadelphia victory will cement their status near the top of these rankings. A loss will have some people thinking the Eagles are frauds.