NFL Power Rankings Roundup Week 10: Eagles gain some ground during the bye

With Week 9 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

11 - Philadelphia Eagles - Perfect bye week for the reigning Super Bowl champions. With Washington and Dallas losing, the Eagles are very much alive in the NFC East. Oh, and the Eagles also have a shiny new weapon in the form of Golden Tate. This team could be ready to make a strong second half push. (LW: 15)

SB Nation

10 - The Eagles didn’t play this week but had a great bye week due to losses from both Washington and Dallas. (LW: 10)

ESPN

9 - For Philly, the Super Bowl hangover was real. Lingering injuries (Alshon Jeffery, Tim Jernigan) from last season mixed with new ones (Rodney McLeod, Mike Wallace, Jay Ajayi) to deplete a championship roster that had little time to heal up because of the long run. The offense switched from Nick Foles to Carson Wentz in Week 3, and it has yet to hit on all cylinders -- perhaps still adjusting to the loss of offensive coordinator Frank Reich and quarterbacks coach John DeFilippo. The Eagles clawed their way to a .500 record at the break, with hopes that the second half of the season will treat them more kindly. (LW: 9)

NFL.com

13 - The Eagles sure as heck improved themselves during their Week 9 bye. Love the Golden Tate trade for this team. While Alshon Jeffery and Nelson Agholor (who has been mostly effective in the slot) add certain elements to the offense, neither bring the kind of running-back-in-a-wideout’s-body impact that Tate does. The former Lions receiver will be far more dangerous, or at least productive, on those bubble screens Jeffery occasionally gets. Tate is more explosive off his first step. Other notes: Tate averaged 93 receptions per year from 2014 to ‘17, and he was on pace for 101 with Detroit this season. While he has a higher drop rate than Agholor this year, in the past, he’s been as reliable as they come. From 2011 to 2013, when Tate was with the Seahawks, he boasted the lowest drop rate in the entire league (a scant 3.4 percent). (LW: 14)

CBS Sports

12 - They come off their bye with a big division game with the Cowboys. They have the look of a team ready to make a big second-half push. (LW: 16)

Pro Football Talk

9 - Philly’s best week arguably came while on a bye, given the implosion of both Washington and Dallas. (LW: 10)

Yahoo! Sports

9 - Considering the Eagles still have road games remaining against the Saints and Rams, they still don’t have a lot of room for error. But seeing the Redskins get blown out and lose some key players in the process (and then seeing the Cowboys fall on their face against the Titans) was a reminder that the NFC East is there for the taking. (LW: 9)

Washington Post

9 - The Redskins’ vulnerability means the NFC East is there for the taking for the Eagles, even with their early-season inconsistencies. But they need to play far better than they did in the first half of the season. They host the Cowboys on Sunday night in what becomes almost a must-win for them, given that their following game is at New Orleans and they still have a December road game against the Rams. (LW: 9)

Bleacher Report

9 - The Philadelphia Eagles got back on track (and back to .500) with a Week 8 win over the Jacksonville Jaguars. But the team wasn’t content to just rest during its off week. Of all the deals made by NFL teams at the trade deadline, Philly’s acquisition of Golden Tate from the Detroit Lions might have the biggest impact on the playoff chase in the NFC. Tate is a proven receiver with over 1,000 yards each of the last two years who is on pace to hit that benchmark a third consecutive season. He should be a fine complement to Alshon Jeffery and provide Carson Wentz with a chain-mover underneath. It was a move that demonstrates the Eagles believe they are still more than capable of making a deep playoff run and defending their Super Bowl championship. Given where our panel ranks the Eagles despite four losses, it appears it agrees. (LW: 11)

Pro Football Weekly

9 - Watching Washington, Dallas flop makes division run easier (LW: 9)

Sporting News

11 - The Eagles will be good in plenty of areas coming out of their bye, starting with their offense. The defense remains the big concern going forward in an offensively loaded NFC. (LW: 11)

USA Today

9 - Do bye weeks get better? Injury bug bit down hard on NFC East-leading Washington. Meanwhile, Philly picked up Golden Tate. Champs are back. (LW: 10)

Reddit

12 - Bye, bye. (LW: 13)

Mile High Report

13 - Lets hope they used their bye week to tweak some things and find their winning ways. (LW: 12)

Sports Illustrated

9 - The Eagles got a nice present with Washington’s loss during their bye week. (And Dallas’s, Green Bay’s and Seattle’s losses, to be honest.) But the division remains the main focus for now. Five of their final eight games come against NFC East opponents, starting with Dallas traveling to Philly on a short week. (LW: 10)

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Analysis

The rankings range from as high as 9 to as low as 13. The most common ranking is 9. The average ranking is 10.3, which is up slightly from last week’s average of 10.9.

The Eagles, as we know, had a very good bye week. It feels like there’s a positive momentum going on with this team. It’s time for them to prove that feeling is real by beating the Cowboys on Sunday night. A big win will cement Philadelphia’s status in the top 10.