NFL Power Rankings Roundup Week 11: The Eagles are mediocre

With Week 10 of the NFL season in the books, it’s time look at how various media outlets have ranked the reigning Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles in their NFL power rankings. It’s always interesting to see how the Eagles stack up from an outside perspective. But first, let’s start by revisiting mine.

Bleeding Green Nation

18 - Philadelphia Eagles - The Eagles came out flat in a game where their season was essentially on the line. Embarrassing. Hard to say the Eagles’ coaching staff is doing a great job this season. Injury issues aren’t helping, either. (LW: 11)

SB Nation

16 - The Eagles have offered up some small glimpses of hope this year, but then they do things like lose to the Cowboys at home on primetime television. Philly hasn’t had a convincing win this season; their biggest victory was defeating the 2-7 Giants by 24. Other than that, they’ve won two games by six points and one game by four points. Consider us unimpressed by the defending Super Bowl champs. (LW: 10)

ESPN

13 - Defining stat: 7. That’s the total number of takeaways they’ve generated, which is tied for 27th in the NFL with the Giants, Raiders and Ravens. Jim Schwartz’s unit has been able to limit scoring -- the Eagles rank sixth in opponent points per game (20.3) -- but the inability to force turnovers has Philly running at a minus-6 in the takeaway/giveaway department. (LW: 9)

NFL.com

19 - The season is not over in Philadelphia, although the Eagles really needed a win on Sunday night. The defense just couldn’t force a stop in the second half, failing to corral Cowboys RB Ezekiel Elliott at every turn. The Eagles made up for it by not covering. It’s a wonder how Philly’s defense ranked so well in scoring defense entering the game, because it sure hasn’t played like that brand of unit in several games. There was “Fitzmagic the Gathering” in Tampa in Week 2, the fourth-down disasters at Tennessee in Week 4, the myriad stumbles at home against the Vikings the following week and the three fourth-quarter touchdown marches by the Panthers in Week 7. Finally, there was letting the offensively stunted Cowboys move the ball at will in the second half the other night. Maybe if Carson Wentz doesn’t throw that fourth-down pass behind Zach Ertz, all that wouldn’t have mattered. But he did, and it does. (LW: 13)

CBS Sports

17 - They hardly look like the Super team from last year. They have to pick it up after losing to Dallas, but will be challenged on the road against the Saints to do that. (LW: 12)

Pro Football Talk

15 - Just when we thought they were in, they pushed themselves back out. (LW: 9)

Yahoo! Sports

15 - The Eagles haven’t looked right all season. The cluster injuries at cornerback are a concern, and I’m not sure how they overcome that this Sunday at the Saints. They probably need to pull some upsets if they’re going to make the playoffs. (LW: 9)

Washington Post

16 - So much for the notion that the Eagles were about to go on a second-half run to take control of the NFC East. The performance against the Cowboys wasn’t good at all. The offense simply can’t score enough points, and WR Golden Tate made little impact in his first game with the team. The Eagles play Sunday at New Orleans, not exactly a great place to try to get their issues worked out. (LW: 9)

Bleacher Report

14 - The Philadelphia Eagles—and their title defense—are officially in big trouble. It’s not solely a matter of the team’s seven-point home loss to the Cowboys, although that’s a big problem in and of itself. The Eagles have already lost two more games than all of last season, and Philly finds itself two games back of the Redskins in the NFC East. There are even bigger issues. The pass defense has become a serious liability, with top corner Ronald Darby going down against the Cowboys. The running game has all but been abandoned for a simple enough reason: The Eagles can’t run the ball with any consistency. Then there’s the schedule. My oh my, the schedule. Of the seven games the Eagles have left, five come against teams that are currently in first place, including two meetings with Washington and trips to L.A. and New Orleans to face the Rams and Saints. At this point, it looks like a long shot for Philly to even make the playoffs. (LW: 9)

Sporting News

15 - The Eagles are not running the ball well, having major defensive lapses and not winning at home. The only way they somewhat resemble the Super Bowl 52 champs is the play of Carson Wentz and Zach Ertz. (LW: 11)

Pro Football Weekly

12 - Worst nine-game start for defending champ in a decade. (LW: 9)

Reddit

16 - It’s time for Philadelphia to admit that this isn’t a good football team. Call it “Super Bowl Hangover” or “Offensive and Defensive Ineptitude”, the story is the same: 4-5, third place in the division, and 2 games behind the division-leading Redskins. The Eagles’ projected chance to make the playoffs plummeted below 30% following the humiliating loss...at home...to Dallas...on SNF.. (LW: 12)

Mile High Report

17 - Look, I get it, it’s a divisional game and the Cowboys play you tough. Its why you wouldn’t be dinged too harshly for barely winning AT HOME, but you didn’t. You lost! And not just the game, you lost your best CB for the year. Sorry Philly, this is likely as high as you get the rest of the year. (LW: 13)

Sports Illustrated

10 - No explanation (LW: 9)

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Analysis

The rankings range from as high as 10 to as low as 19. The most common rankings are 15 and 16. The average ranking is 15.1, which is down nearly five spots from last week’s average of 10.3.

The Eagles are a mediocre football team. It’s that simple.