Power Rankings Roundup: National media bends the knee, ranks the Philadelphia Eagles as the unanimous No. 1 team in the NFL
Head of the Table: The Philadelphia Eagles completed a clean sweep of the national media’s power rankings after a dominant win against the Tennessee Titans last Sunday in South Philly.
Despite what the statsexuals want to tell you about the Dallas Cowboys, the Philadelphia Eagles continue to prove that they are the NFL’s elite team, even more so after the dismantling the Tennessee Titans last Sunday.
Jalen Hurts and company dominated the Titans while AJ Brown scored twice against his former team and the Eagles’ defense made both Derrick Henry and Ryan Tannehill look like D-3 ball players.
The result? The Philadelphia Eagles are now 11-1 on the season. So let’s check in with all the national media pundits and see where the birds stand in this week’s power rankings.
To Note: Power Rankings are absolutely useless, just like ESPN’s Advanced Analytics, but it’s always nice to keep an eye on what’s happening outside of Philadelphia.
NFL.com
- Last week: 1
- This week: 1 (+0)
“The Eagles continue to prove themselves to be a tier above nearly every team in football. On Sunday, they took the Titans apart at the Linc, outgaining the AFC South leaders by nearly 250 yards in a 35-10 laugher. A.J. Brown went full Jefferson-against-Lincoln High mode in his Titans revenge game, piling up 119 yards and two touchdowns before telling reporters how personal this matchup truly was against his former team. “It’s been personal since the trade,” he said. “I was just trying to keep it down. That’s where I wanted to be. Things just didn’t work out. It was like here, we don’t want you anymore.” Tennessee’s big loss is Philly’s massive gain.”
USA Today
- Last week: 1
- This week: 1 (+0)
“Their 11-1 record remains the league’s best, but Philadelphia must now maintain its pace despite going on the road for the next three weeks – a trip that will conclude in Dallas for perhaps the league’s most-anticipated matchup of the season. QB Jalen Hurts can also further fuel his billowing MVP campaign. Quite surprisingly the NFL’s third-rated passer (108.3), Hurts needs one more rushing TD to become the first quarterback with at least 10 in successive years.”
ESPN
- Last week: 2
- This week: 1 (+1)
“The Eagles are an NFL-best 13-plus in [the turnover department] — a major reason why they have the league’s best record. The defense is top in takeaways with 23 while the offense has turned the ball over just nine times, which ranks second. Quarterback Jalen Hurts deserves much of the credit, having thrown three interceptions to 20 touchdowns on the year.”
Sports Illustrated
- Last week: 2
- This week: 1 (+1)
“One of my favorite parts of the Eagles’ win over the Titans on Sunday was when Miles Sanders blasted Amani Hooker on a Jalen Hurts designed run, which went for a touchdown. It’s the kind of play that only works with complete and total buy-in from every person on the roster and the reason the Eagles are truly successful (beyond all the stars they’ve acquired and the really good coaching staff).”
The Athletic
- Last week: 2
- This week: 1 (+1)
“The stakes at this point for the Eagles are clear: No. 1 seed or bust. They hold a one-game edge over the Vikings with a tiebreaker in hand thanks to their head-to-head victory. The Cowboys loom two games behind, with all eyes on the Dec. 24 showdown in Arlington, Texas. The difference between the prospect of having to win two home games to make the Super Bowl instead of potentially having to win three straight road games is obvious. Win on the road against Dallas and Philadelphia might be in position to really take it easy on its veteran starters down the stretch. Right now, Mock projects the Eagles with a 78.9 percent chance of earning the NFC’s bye.”
Pro Football Network
- Last week: 2
- This week: 1 (+1)
“After last week, detractors wanted to say that the Eagles’ passing attack would be its eventual downfall. So they went out and threw the ball early and often against what, up until recent weeks, had been arguably the best secondary in football.
“And while injuries have robbed the Titans of their coverage efficiency, the Eagles imposed their will. Their talented receivers separated whenever they wanted to, and Jalen Hurts played an outstanding game in a pocket that never really seemed to be congested.
“Philadelphia is showing they can win in more ways than one.”
Sporting News
- Last week: 1
- This week: 1 (+0)
“The Eagles went back to their early-season dominance at home by ripping the Titans with plenty of Jalen Hurts, A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith. They can win offensively in so many ways and adjust week to week, with the defense always being a strong all-around backbone.”
It’s pretty rare that you see the Philadelphia Eagles or any team, pull off a clean sweep in the national media’s power rankings. They are undoubtedly the best team in the NFL but still have plenty of work to do before the end of the year to ensure they earn “the path of least resistance” come playoff time.
It is pretty interesting that after ESPN’s models projected the Cowboys to be the favorite to go to the Super Bowl, they ranked them No. 4 in their power rankings this week.
Honestly, whatever, but if you’re interested in seeing how that shakes out, here’s were Dallas ranks across the same publications.
Dallas Cowboys Power Rankings
- NFL.com: 2
- USA Today: 2
- ESPN: 4
- SI: 2
- Athletic: 5
- PFN: 3
- SN: 3
The Philadelphia Eagles Road Ahead
The Philadelphia Eagles will spend three straight weeks on the road, with stops in New York and Chicago before heading to Dallas on Christmas Eve. They’ll return home on New Year’s Day against the New Orleans Saints before closing out the regular season at The Linc against the New York Giants on January 8th.
