NFL Power Rankings Final Eagles Roundup

Today we conclude 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 we’ll start by revisiting mine.

Bleeding Green Nation

10 - Malcolm Jenkins said it best: “We ain’t sneaking in [the playoffs], we kicking the motherf***ing door down!” It was a mistake to let Nick Foles and the reigning Super Bowl champions into the playoffs. (LW: 12)

ESPN

12 - New Year’s resolution: Make the most of their second chance. The Eagles rallied late and got a little help to break into the playoffs. The defending champs have a shot to defend their title, and they plan to make the most of it. (LW: 15)

NFL.com

12 - The Eagles punched their playoff ticket Sunday ... with aplomb. What part of the 24-zip win over Washington convinced you? You knew Philly was all business when, up by that very score late in the fourth quarter, Fletcher Cox tore through his assigned blocker and pancaked a poor Josh Johnson for a sack. The concern now rests with Nick Foles (who left the game with bruised ribs) getting ample rest before the wild-card matchup vs. the Bears, with no break coming against perhaps the most talented front seven in the NFC, if not the NFL. If the Eagles’ defense can play like it did Sunday at FedEx, it might not matter. Against defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz’s unit, the Redskins gained 89 yards. Total. (LW: 15)

CBS Sports

12 - Nick Foles has this team back in the playoffs. Can he do it again and get them into the Super Bowl? It won’t be easy, that’s for sure. (LW: 14)

Yahoo! Sports

12 - Doug Pederson did a great job down the stretch, after all seemed lost. On a day with so many firings, many pointed out that of the seven coaches hired in 2016, only Pederson remains. (LW: 15)

Bleacher Report

12 - Well, the Eagles did it. Despite a roller-coaster season of wildly inconsistent play, Philadelphia’s blowout win over the Redskins (coupled with Minnesota’s splatfest against the Bears) means the Eagles won’t become the first defending champion since the 2012 Ravens to miss the postseason the following year. The question now is whether the Eagles will be in any kind of shape to make noise in the postseason. The Eagles have peeled off five wins in six games and three victories in a row—the latter with Nick Foles in at quarterback. But in Sunday’s win, Foles spent part of the second half watching the game after taking a shot to the ribs. The injury didn’t just give fans of the team heartburn ahead of next week’s trip to Chicago. As NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported, Foles would have received a $1 million bonus had he played in 361 snaps for the Eagles this season. Thanks to that injury, he finished with 357. Oof. (LW: 16)

USA Today

12 - Gotta feel for Carson Wentz as he watches another playoff push from sideline while Nick Foles is once again hailed as Philly’s savior. (LW: 14)

Sporting News

10 - Nick Foles is ready to navigate his team against the odds through the postseason once again, and he has experience after successfully doing so last season. (LW: 15)

Pro Football Weekly

12 - Will Nick Foles’ strange magic work at Soldier Field? (LW: 15)

Talk of Fame Network

13 - The Eagles are now 9-2 over the last two seasons with Nick Foles filling in for the injured Carson Wentz at quarterback. He posted a 5-1 record in leading the Eagles to their first Lombardi Trophy in 2017 and has won four of his five starts this season. He defeated two division champions in December, the Rams and Texans. He threw for 471 yards and four touchdowns in the victory over Houston. (LW: 15)

Sports Illustrated

9 - No explanation (LW: 11)

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ANALYSIS

The rankings range from as high as 9 to as low as 13. The most common ranking is 12. The average ranking is 11.5, which is up several spots from last week’s average of 14.1.

The rankings show that there’s a belief the Eagles are the worst team in the playoffs. It’s up to the underdogs to prove everyone wrong once again.