Good morning, Philadelphia. This is a quick reminder that not all heroes wear capes. In…
Week 10 Power Rankings Roundup: NFL has a new No. 1 team, and it’s not the Eagles or Chiefs
The Eagles narrowly defeated their division rivals on Sunday, improving to 8-1 ahead of a much-needed bye week.
Jalen Hurts gutted out a strong performance despite his injury and the defense bent late (and boy, did they bend), but Philadelphia remains the NFL’s lone one-loss team.
Would that be enough to keep them on top of the latest Power Rankings? Let’s check it out.
1. Ravens: Baltimore? Tops in the league? Consider – no team is allowing fewer points per game (13.8); the +115 point differential is 35 clear of the next-closest club; and the Ravens have blown out two NFC divisional leaders (Detroit, Seattle) by a collective 75-9 in their past two home games, outgaining the Seahawks by nearly 400 yards.
And when WR Odell Beckham Jr. scoring his first TD since Super Bowl 56 and rookie RB Keaton Mitchell rushing for 138 yards with his first NFL touches are mere gravy? Look out, meaning Cleveland and Cincinnati, teams headed to Charm City in the next two weeks.
2. Eagles: The league’s only 8-1 team, and the first to replicate such a start in consecutive seasons since Peyton Manning’s Indianapolis heyday in 2006. But with gimpy QB Jalen Hurts still dragging his leg around, the bye week has arrived at a perfect time – not to mention Philly has Kansas City, Buffalo, San Francisco, Dallas and Seattle in succession on the other side of the break.
Last Week: 1
This Week: 1
Philadelphia remains the class of the NFC — and, for now, the league. Sunday’s nail-biter win might have paved the road to the No. 1 seed in the conference and the bye that comes with it, but it also highlighted the luck factor.
Dak Prescott sliced up the Eagles’ embattled secondary. Luke Schoonmaker‘s fourth-down catch in the fourth quarter was inches from being a touchdown. Dallas scored on the subsequent drive, but Prescott’s foot was out of bounds by about the same distance on a two-point conversion attempt. Philly fumbled three times and recovered the ball each time, including when D’Andre Swift coughed it up with a minute left.
It felt like Dallas outplayed the Eagles over the course of 60 minutes, but Philly finished more effectively than the Cowboys — an area where the Eagles have been better than Dallas all season. Perhaps that intangible skill is the their superpower.
Last Week: 1
This Week: 1
Non-QB MVP: WR A.J. Brown
AJ Brown has been one of the league’s most impactful players over the first half. He made history by becoming the first to go for 125-plus receiving yards in six consecutive games. He also set a new team mark for quickest player to 1,000 yards receiving (nine games).
“He’s on an unbelievable historic tear right now,” said offensive coordinator Brian Johnson, “and it’s a testament to him, who he is as a person, to how serious he is about perfecting his craft and making the most of his opportunities.”
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Last Week: 1
This Week: 1
They beat the Cowboys, but they have to be concerned about their defense. It’s having issues stopping teams. Jalen Hurts is also limited by his knee injury.
The Philadelphia Eagles are the NFL’s lone eight-win team. After outlasting the rival Cowboys on Sunday, they have established a stranglehold on both the NFC East and the top of these power rankings. But there could be trouble brewing in Philly.
Jalen Hurts played well against the Cowboys, passing for two touchdowns and rushing for another. But he did so battling through a sore knee — a knee he took a shot to during the game.
Philly’s bye week couldn’t have come at a better time, because while the Eagles are absolutely deserving of being called the NFL’s best team right now, Hurts going down for any length of time is the one injury the Eagles can’t afford.
While they’re resting over the bye, the Eagles staff also needs to try to shore up the pass defense, which ranks 29th in the league after nine weeks. It hasn’t cost the Eagles yet, but it could down the road — say in the playoffs.
Yes, the Eagles melted down late and had to hold on to beat the Cowboys in Week 9. But when I look at Philadelphia, I see a team that can win in multiple ways on offense, a trustworthy head coach and quarterback, strong veteran leadership on both sides of the ball, and the most unstoppable play in football in short-yardage situations.
The Eagles aren’t perfect, but they belong here at the top.
Last Week: 1
This Week: 1
After the bye, they’ve got four solid tests.
JALEN HURTS TO DEVONTA SMITH 👀
— NFL (@NFL) November 5, 2023
📺: #DALvsPHI on FOX
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