NFL Power Rankings Roundup Week 7: Eagles ranked as high as the top overall spot

Today we continue our weekly roundup of how various media outlets have ranked the Philadelphia Eagles in their NFL power rankings. It’s always interesting to see how the Birds stack up from an outside perspective. But first, let's start by revisiting mine.

Bleeding Green Nation

1 - Philadelphia Eagles - Surprised? You shouldn’t be. The Eagles have a strong case as the best team in the NFL. They’re the league’s hottest team with four wins in a row. Carson Wentz is an MVP candidate. Philly’s offense can put up points and their run defense ranks No. 1 in the league. Yes, the Eagles lost to the Chiefs earlier this season. But how could I not move KC down given how they struggled in Week 6? With their next three games all being played at home, the Eagles have a big opportunity to secure their lead and remain on top. (LW: 3)

SB Nation

1 - After a loss to the Chiefs, the Eagles rattled off wins over the Giants, Chargers, and Cardinals. But none of those were as impressive as the 28-23 win over the Panthers Thursday. Carson Wentz has been playing extremely well and Philadelphia is rolling. With Aaron Rodgers out with a broken collarbone, the Eagles are the unopposed frontrunners for now in the NFC. (LW: 2)

ESPN

2 - The 5-1 start to the Eagles' season is bolstered by the fact they've won three on the road. Now they get to play their next three at home, where they're 2-0 this season and 8-2 over the past two years. (LW: 4)

NFL.com

2 - As I wrote in the intro, this team is not moving. (And if you are one of those who skipped the intro to go straight to the Eagles blurb ... quit skipping the intro. P.S.: I love you.) Admittedly, I was not able to watch as much of Philly's Thursday night win over Carolina as I would've liked. I got locked out of my house and had to drive over to my ex-girlfriend's place to get my spare key. So I listened to much of the second half on the radio. The broadcast focused on Philly's big plays, particularly the six-play, 75-yard drive that bridged the late-third and early-fourth quarter and really decided the game, 14 game minutes before this deal officially ended. Two things I like: Leggie Blount getting 14 carries. Keep working him. Also, Nelson Agholor contributing big plays, including the touchdown reception to cap that second-half drive. There's another story in there somewhere. (LW: 2)

CBS Sports

2 - They are on a roll and showed at Carolina that they are one of the best teams right now. The defensive front is nasty. (LW: 2)

Yahoo! Sports

2 - A good argument can be made for them being No. 1. However, they played the No. 1 team and lost. It was a competitive game in Kansas City, but it’s still part of the resumes. (LW: 4)

Washington Post

1 - Will the Eagles be the NFL’s best team at season’s end? Probably not. But they are making progress and they have earned the top spot after an impressive triumph Thursday night at Carolina. Second-year QB Carson Wentz is getting better all the time while utilizing the help he has around him on a bolstered offense. The defense is pretty solid. Another major test looms Monday night with the Redskins coming to Lincoln Financial Field. (LW: 3)

Bleacher Report

2 - Plain and simple, the Eagles are one of the best teams in football. They're definitely one of the top teams in the NFC. We know about quarterback Carson Wentz and his playmaking ability. Now that the Eagles have added a strong downhill running game, the offense is a more balanced and dangerous unit. It would behoove Philadelphia to run the ball even more, but Wentz is a superstar—one of the five best quarterbacks in the game—and this offense is a quality unit. Philadelphia's defensive front seven goes from really good to special when Fletcher Cox is in the lineup. As we saw against the Panthers, Cox can take over a game. There are still questions about the secondary, but when the defensive front plays like it did in Carolina, some of the deficiencies can be masked. The Eagles are a tough, physical team on both sides of the ball. They don't beat themselves on defense, and they have a balanced offense that can control the tempo and the clock. The Eagles are going to be a factor all season long. (LW: 6)

USA Today

2 - Fletcher Cox leads front four that anchors league's best run defense and consistently jeopardizes quarterbacks without much blitz help. (LW: 5)

Reddit

2 - The Eagles are 5-1 after a huge road win against the Carolina Panthers and Pete Morelli's officiating crew. Perched high above the rest of the NFC East, the Eagles look poised to cement their playoff hopes early with a strong 3-game home stand.

Sporting News

2 - Carson Wentz is slowly building his MVP case, but the biggest strength of this team is premier play on both the offensive and defensive lines. They are a legitimate threat to finish atop the NFC in the end. (LW: 4)

Pro Football Talk

2 - Carson Wentz needs to avoid contact, or the Eagles won’t be able to avoid having to play multiple games without him. (LW: 2)

Pro Football Focus

3 - One of the most impressive teams of the weekend played last Thursday in Charlotte. With Carson Wentz improving on his downfield passes (sixth with a 108.1 passer rating on such throws), the Eagles have been able to move the ball both through the air and on the ground. Couple that with the return of Fletcher Cox (six pressures Thursday) to go along with Brandon Graham (10), and the Eagles have the makings of a team that might be atop this list sooner rather than later. (LW: 6)

Sports Illustrated

2) No explanation (LW: 5)

Football Outsiders

2) No explanation (LW: 5)

numberFire

3) No explanation (LW: 6)

Analysis

The rankings range from as high as 1 to as low as 3. The most common ranking is 2. The average ranking is 1.9, which is up over two spots from last week’s average of 4.2.

There’s a legitimate case to be made the Eagles are the best team in the NFL right now. Despite their home loss to the Steelers, however, a number of power rankers weren’t willing to drop the Chiefs below Philly.

Maybe the Eagles can change some minds with a win over the Washington Redskins this week. It’s another big game for the Birds. A win over Washington would make it very easy for the Birds to win the NFC East. A loss wouldn’t entirely doom the Eagles’ season but it would be a hard pill to swallow.

As for the Chiefs, who are mostly ahead of the Eagles, they play in Oakland this week. Kansas City will be able to hold on to their first spot with a win over a reeling Raiders team. A loss, however, opens the door for the Eagles to move up as the undisputed No. 1 in the NFL.