NFL Power Rankings Roundup Week 4: Eagles ranked as high as the top 5

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

11 - It sure wasn’t pretty, but the Eagles were able to beat the Giants thanks to a 61-yard field goal from Jake Elliott. Philadelphia was on the bad end of a lot of close games in 2016. Maybe their luck is starting to turn around. (LW: 12)

SB Nation

8 - Beating the Giants wasn’t as smooth sailing for the Eagles as beating the Raiders was for Washington, but Jake Elliott came to the rescue with two field goals in the last minute, including a 61-yarder to win. If you haven’t already, watch Elliott’s parents get to see their son make his first game winner as a professional. (LW: 16)

ESPN

13 - Carson Wentz: 63.7 Total QBR. Wentz is coming through when it matters for the Eagles, posting the fourth-best Total QBR in the second half of games so far this season (74). Wentz has games against the Chargers and Cardinals before getting a chance to shine (or flicker) in a pair of prime-time affairs. (LW: 15)

NFL.com

6 - A few observations from the Eagles' thrilling win at the Linc: A) Jake Elliott's game-winning 61-yard field goal was the most rousing moment of Upset Weekend.B) Sure would like coach Doug Pederson to get LeGarrette Blount (12 carries for 67 yards and a touchdown on Sunday) more involved. C) While we're talking about the backfield, what a brutal development for Darren Sproles. A broken arm and torn ACL on the same play? Jeez. The 34-year-old has considered retirement in the past. If this is it, what a career. D) More people should notice Carson Wentz's mobility. Vastly underrated aspect of his game. E) Not feeling the go-for-it on fourth-and-8 from midfield with the lead. F) The secondary is still paper-thin. G) Sticking by my prediction of Philadelphia being a playoff team. (LW: 14)

CBS Sports

5 - They are 2-1 and their defensive front will be a problem for teams all year long. Carson Wentz is continuing to improve. (LW: 15)

Yahoo! Sports

10 - Darren Sproles blew his ACL and broke his arm on the same play. If this is the end for Sproles’ career, he’ll go down as one of the most exciting players to ever take an NFL field. (LW: 11)

Washington Post

8 - The Eagles just held on against the Giants thanks to the 61-yard FG by rookie kicker Jake Elliott as time expired. That was the good. The bad was the defense crumbling late, and failing on an inexplicable fourth-and-eight gamble by Coach Doug Pederson near midfield in the first half. It was a completely misguided decision that would have been even more glaring in a loss. (LW: 17)

Bleacher Report

13 - The Eagles outplayed the Giants all day long. Other than a brief window where the Giants scored two touchdowns in short order, the game was mostly Philly. The Eagles' defensive line didn't get a chance to disrupt the game because the Giants relied on the short-passing attack. However, the Giants' running game didn't get going, either. Now, there are still major concerns with the Philadelphia secondary. Seeing Sterling Shepard running loose for a long touchdown is a worrisome sight. With Ronald Darby out, there are going to be some struggles going forward. What's encouraging is this was the first game of the year where there wasn't too much pressure on Carson Wentz. The Eagles' running game was effective, which I didn't think it would be against the Giants' defensive line. Wentz was efficient and avoided questionable decisions. This game was close on the scoreboard, but the better team won. Philadelphia is a legit factor in the NFC East this season. (LW: 18)

USA Today

6 - Jake Elliott picked a fine time - at the final gun - to drill a game-winning 61-yard field goal, the longest ever converted by a rookie. (LW: 16)

Reddit

11 - Sources say Jake Elliot's new book, "How to become a legend overnight" hits shelves October 3rd. Despite entering the game injured, and losing several more key players to injury during the game (RIP Sproles), the Eagles were able to put down the Giants and that dog Odell, Old Yeller style. Piss on that. (LW: 15)

Sporting News

10 - Jake Elliott delivered victory from the jaws of defeat to inspire that the Eagles, after their close loss to the Chiefs, are for real. Carson Wentz had an off day, but other things picked up to help him come through in the end. Watch out for Doug Pederson entering the coach of the year race soon. (LW: 15)

Pro Football Talk

13 - Philly’s latest star athlete is nearly as popular as the city’s most famous fictional one. (LW: 16)

Football Outsiders

14 - No explanation (LW: 16)

numberFire

8 - No explanation (LW: 8)

Analysis

The rankings range from as high as 5 to as low as 13. The most common rankings are 8 and 13. The average ranking is 9.7, which is nearly five spots up from last week’s average of 14.6.

This was a weird week for power rankings because there were so many major upsets in this NFL. Take the Jaguars, for example. I had them in the 20’s last week but I felt the need to move them into the top seven due to them demolishing the Ravens. Moves like this have a weird impact on the rest of the order.

The Eagles benefited from some of the upsets by not suffering an upset themselves. Sitting at 2-1, they’re in pretty decent shape heading into Week 4.

A win over the Chargers would further help cement Philadelphia’s status. A loss, however, would likely result in a significant drop.