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It’s time for our weekly roundup of how various media outlets view the Philadelphia Eagles in their NFL power rankings. It’s always interesting to see how the Birds stack up from an outside perspective, even when they didn’t actually have a game to play.
MMQB
9 - With the Cowboys falling to Minnesota on Sunday night and the Rams folding against the Steelers, the NFC playoff picture continues to condense in front of the Eagles. But a vengeful Tom Brady, even at the Linc, is a stiff test for this bunch. (LW: 13)
Washington Post
10 - The Eagles’ bye weekend was productive: They moved into a first-place tie in the NFC East, thanks to the Cowboys’ loss. Now it’s up to the Eagles to take care of their own business. That’s not easy this Sunday, with the Patriots visiting Lincoln Financial Field. (LW: 11)
Bleacher Report
10 - Will the real Philadelphia Eagles please stand up? When last we saw the Eagles in action, Philly was rattling off an impressive win over the Chicago Bears that wasn’t as close as the final score would indicate (22-14). In that game, the Eagles allowed just 164 total yards and 10 first downs. The Eagles looked the part of a playoff contender. The week before, Philly looked that much more impressive in dismantling the Bills in Buffalo. The problem is that in the game before that, Philadelphia got shelled in Dallas, surrendering over 400 yards of total offense and committing four turnovers in a 37-10 loss. Whether it’s been in the passing game on offense or in the secondary on defense, the Eagles have lacked consistency in 2019. One week they look like the best team in the NFC East. The next they look like paper tigers. With home dates coming up against the New England Patriots and Seattle Seahawks after the bye, the Eagles better find some consistency quickly. (LW: 13)
The Big Lead
10 - A bye week for the Eagles put them in pole position for the NFC East, so it’s a win overall. (LW: 11)
NFL.com
11 - One of the biggest surprises of the first half of the season? Scoring points is hard work for the Eagles. Carson Wentz was a buzzy MVP pick entering 2019 (I bow my head in shame), but almost nothing about this offense has been award-worthy so far. Entering Week 10, Philly ranked 14th in points per game, 18th in yards per game, 21st in passing yards per game and 12th in rushing yards per game. The Iggles are the textbook definition of a middling offense, and the numbers back that up. Don’t sleep on how much DeSean Jackson’s season-wrecking abdominal injury hurt this offense -- he was a playmaker who could keep defenses honest with his home-run ability. One undeniable bright spot? Second-round running back Miles Sanders, who has 641 scrimmage yards through nine weeks. Only Raiders standout Josh Jacobs -- the Offensive Rookie of the Year favorite -- has more among first-year pros. (LW: 12)
CBS Sports
11 - They come off the bye hoping their momentum carries over. It won’t be easy to keep it going with a tough home game against the Patriots. (LW: 16)
Sporting News
11 - The Eagles had to be thrilled to see the Cowboys fall to the Vikings to put them back in a virtual tie in the division despite their ugly loss in Dallas. Philadelphia needs to have something special prepared to take down New England in Week 11. (LW: 12)
USA Today
11 - Backing the Brinks truck up for a guard often a questionable move ... but giving Brandon Brooks a $54 million extension could be a bargain. (LW: 13)
11 - The Eagles had a bye week in advance of hosting New England next Sunday. (LW: 14)
Detroit Free Press
11 - The toughest games left on their schedule, against the Patriots and Seahawks, are at home. (LW: 15)
Bleeding Green Nation
12 - The Eagles have a real chance to make a run in the final seven games since they have one of the easiest remaining schedules in the NFL. Combined record of their remaining opponents: 27-38. (LW: 14)
Blogging The Boys
12 - Obviously the Eagles were on a bye. (LW: 11)
Pride Of Detroit
12 - The Eagles got a week off ahead of a huge game against the Patriots next week. It will be the team’s first meetings against each other since the 2018 Super Bowl. (LW: 12)
Scout
12 - Our projection recommends not betting on them to win it all. Their 1.2% chance is #12 in the league. Current Odds are 25/1, 3.8%. They are projected to win 9 games and come in under their pre-season futures line of 10. Their average wins per simulation puts them at #6 in the NFC. Based on money line odds their expected record at this point of the season is 5.2-3.8. At 5-4 they are in line with these expectations. Their championship based ranking is much better than their #16 ranking based on our neutral field simulations. (LW: 12)
Denver Post
12 - The Eagles gained ground during the bye and enter the final seven games tied with Dallas atop the NFC East. (LW: 13)
Chicago Tribune
12 - How desperate are the Eagles at wide receiver? They’ve brought back journeyman Jordan Matthews for a third tour with the team. That’s the latest response to the loss of DeSean Jackson for the season. Combine Jackson’s health issues with the struggles of Alshon Jeffery and Nelson Agholor, and the passing game has struggled at times. Maybe the Eagles will have some new concepts coming off their open date. They host the Patriots in a Super Bowl LIII rematch. (LW: 13)
Pro Football Talk
12 - The table is set to topple the Cowboys in the NFC East. (LW: 13)
Yahoo! Sports
12 - That cheer you heard on Sunday night? It came from Philadelphia when the Cowboys dropped a home game against the Vikings. Given Dallas’ schedule and the fact that the Cowboys have to come to Philly for the rematch against the Eagles, the road is wide open for the Eagles to rally in the second half and win the NFC East. (LW: 13)
ESPN
12 - The Eagles and Cowboys are tied atop the NFC East at 5-4, and there’s a real possibility this game will decide the division. The Cowboys currently have the advantage in the head-to-head and divisional-record tiebreakers, making it all the more important that Philadelphia takes care of business at home against the Cowboys. (LW: 14)
Mile High Report
12 - The NFC East is going to wind up as the most interesting division race to finish the season. (LW: 14)
Houston Chronicle
13 - The Eagles are in a first-place tie with Dallas in the NFC East. The Cowboys visit Detroit while Philadelphia hosts New England. (LW: 13)
The Athletic
13 - Let’s hope the Eagles got plenty of rest and relaxation over their bye week, because their Week 11 game could define their season. Philly has been rising and falling all over these rankings, but next week we’ll have a chance to see if they’ll really be in playoff contention in a crowded NFC with a much-anticipated Super Bowl LII rematch against the Patriots. (LW: 14)
NJ.com
13 - The Philly crowd will be energized, to say the least, for this one. (LW: 15)
Rick Gosselin
13 - The Eagles are a playoff contender with their 5-4 record and a share of first place in the NFC East. They’ll have the chance to establish themselves as a Super Bowl contender in the next two weeks with home games against New England and Seattle. Win those games and the Eagles will realize there is no one on their schedule they cannot beat. (LW: 15)
Business Insider
15 - Coming off the bye, the Eagles will look to make a playoff push. They’re tied for the best record in the NFC East, but with games against the Patriots and Seahawks over the next two weeks, they have little margin for error. (LW: 15)
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ANALYSIS
The rankings range from as high as 9 to as low as 15. The most common ranking is 12. The average ranking is 11.7, which is up a bit from last week’s average of 13.1.
As you can see, the Eagles gained some ground despite being on their bye. Losses suffered by the Cowboys, Panthers, and Rams all helped Philly’s playoff chances.
Considering that 12 teams make the playoffs each year, the Eagles’ current ranking accurately depicts them as a fringe playoff team. They’ll have a chance to prove they’re better (or worse) than that starting this week against the New England Patriots.
A win over one of the best opponents in the league should cement the Eagles’ status as a top 10 team. A loss will do nothing to quell Philadelphia’s obvious concerns.
Which will it be?