Weapon X Mailbag: How would you rank the Eagles among NFC teams?

MAIL TIME!

If you want to ask a question for a future mailbag, you can tweet at me or send an email to bleedinggreeninfo (at) gmail (dot) com.

@Playing_Opossum: Can you rank the other teams in the conference with the Eagles? Like the scale: Better, same, or worse?

I’ll compare the Birds to teams still mathematically alive in the playoff race to make things a bit simpler.

Here’s how the NFC playoff picture shakes out right now:

1. NFC North: Packers (12-3)

2. NFC North: Cowboys (11-4)

3. NFC West: Rams (11-4)

4. NFC South: Buccaneers (11-4)

5. Wild Card #1: Cardinals (10-4)

6. Wild Card #2: 49ers (8-7)

7. Wild Card #3: EAGLES (8-7)

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8. Vikings (7-8)

9. Falcons (7-8)

10. Saints (7-8)

11. Washington (6-9)

Here are the teams that are for sure better than the Birds: Packers, Cowboys, Rams, Buccaneers

Here are the teams that I’d put in the same bucket as the Eagles: Cardinals, 49ers

Here are the teams that are worse: Vikings, Falcons, Saints, Washington

The spiciest take there is the teams I’m putting down as the same as the Eagles.

Arizona does not scare me at all. If they’re able to come back and win the NFC West and the Eagles can head out there for a game Wild Card Weekend, watch out!

The 49ers did beat the Eagles back in Week 2, but that might as well be 20 years ago for the Birds. Their offensive system is NOTHING like the one Eagles fans saw in that 17-11 loss at Lincoln Financial Field. The Birds had just 19 running back carries that game. The Eagles are averaging more than 30 running back carries per game since Week 8. They went from trying to play a 22nd-century style of football to one ripped from Northeast collegiate football from the late-19th century. People may not be sold on Jalen Hurts, but I’m not sure the 49ers’ quarterback situation is any more stable.

Brandon Lee Gowton (via text): How worried are you about the nightmare Cowboys-Colts super bowl scenario?

The Colts are currently the fifth seed in the AFC playoffs. To win the AFC South, they’d need to win their final two games of the season over the Raiders and Jaguars AND would need the Titans to lose their last two games to Dolphins and Texans. I don’t see that happening. In that case, I just can’t imagine Carson Wentz winning three playoff games on the road to make the Super Bowl.

Can Dallas make the Super Bowl? For sure. I’ll be sick, but it’s way more possible than Indianapolis making it.

If they, SOMEHOW, SOMEWAY, face off in the Super Bowl, you pretty easily have to root for the Colts and hope that Jonathan Taylor rushes for 250-plus yards and Wentz throws, like, just nine passes so he can’t get too much credit for the win.

@jawnes12: Is wearing green on green the key to the playoffs this year?

WE NEED GREEN-ON-GREEN UNIFORMS. This is a whacky season. The Eagles have already unveiled a new uniform combination with white jerseys and black pants. It’s time to turn back the clocks and break out green-on-green for the Eagles Week 18 game at home against Dallas.

LET’S GET WEIRD.

If the Eagles don’t want to go green-on-green, how about permanently using black pants the rest of the season regardless of the jersey color they use? The Eagles have never worn green jerseys with black pants before. Try that out! The Eagles are 4-0 while wearing black pants this season. Keep the buzz going and ride those vibes!

@nzect24: If the Birds are able to clinch a playoff spot next week, what’s the game plan for Dallas? Rest starters and vanilla game plan since Dallas could be your opponent, or play to win and try to improve your seeding if possible?

I don’t like going vanilla.

I’ll give you two examples:

In 2009, the Eagles went down to Dallas in Week 17. Whoever won that game would win the NFC East. The loser would still grab a Wild Card spot and the teams would face off again the following week in the playoffs. The Eagles were down 17-0 in the first half of that game and it felt like Andy Reid rolled over and played things close to the chest and let Dallas win 24-0. Instead of having a playoff game at home, the Birds found themselves in Dallas again to open up the postseason and lost 34-14. That was terrible energy, made even worse by Donovan McNabb’s infamous “air guitar” entrance.

In 2013, the Eagles were fighting for the NFC East title with Dallas once again. They had a Sunday Night Football matchup with the Bears in Week 16. Going into that day, a Dallas win coupled with an Eagles win would give the Birds the division. The Cowboys beat Washington earlier in the afternoon, rendering the Eagles’ game effectively meaningless. Due to some tiebreakers, it didn’t matter if the Eagles beat Chicago, as that head-to-head game with the Cowboys would decide it all.

What did the Eagles have to play for? Nothing but pride. The Birds still kicked the shit out of Chicago, winning 54-11. The Eagles used that momentum and pulled off a win in Dallas seven days later to win the NFC East.

Hey, it’s always good to beat Dallas. Make sure the Eagles win the season series 2-1 against them.

@EaglesLiker: Would you trade a first-round pick for Kirk Cousins this off-season?

(I know the answer, but want to give you a Nick Pivetta fastball down the middle)

My take:

@i_am_yac: Jalen Hurts, Joe Burrow, Justin Herbert. Rank them in order of QBs you’d want to have for the next 4 years.

I can’t tell if this is a troll question. I’m a top-tier Hurts supporter around the internet, but come on. It’s pretty easy to go with both Justin Herbert and Joe Burrow over Hurts in a nanosecond. I’d take Herbert over every non-Patrick Mahomes player in the league if I was starting a franchise from scratch.

@danmcgukin_: Am I the only one feeling a wild card round upset?

BREAK OUT THE DOG MASKS, BABY.