December 17, 2024
Colleen Claggett/for PhillyVoice
Jalen Hurts #1 of the Philadelphia Eagles talks to teammates in a huddle during a NFL football game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field on December 15, 2024 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
The Eagles seemingly have silenced all criticism over the last few weeks and are among the top Super Bowl contenders in football. The passing game got you down? How about 290 yards from Jalen Hurts over the high-powered Steelers defense? Beating up on bad teams? What about convincing wins over the Steelers, Ravens, Rams and Commanders — all likely playoff teams.
The best defense in football and best run attack in football should be more than enough to have the Birds considered as favorites. But what do the numbers say?
The Eagles are tied for the most wins in the NFC with the Lions and Vikings — each of whom would win a theoretical tie-breaker for the No. 1 seed in the conference. But each has a much tougher schedule than the Eagles over the next three weeks. The Chiefs are 13-1, but could be missing Patrick Mahomes for a few games.
The Eagles have the 5th best DVOA in the NFL — behind the Ravens, Lions, Packers and Bills (they beat two of these teams head-to-head). On defense, they're fourth, and on offense they're 12th. Not surprisingly their running DVOA (3rd) is a lot more impressive than their passing ranking (17th).
The Eagles are in a group of three elite NFL teams in point differential, trailing Detroit (+177) and Buffalo (+135). Offensively, Philadelphia has scored much less than those two teams, just 369 points in contrast to 459 from the Lions, but they have allowed the fewest points in the entire conference and tied for the fewest of all 32 teams.
In their first four games, the Eagles were -6 in turnovers. Since then, they are +9, and have forced a turnover in seven of their last eight games. They also have not lost a game in that span. Philly trails teams like the Steelers and Bills by a big margin — each are +18. The eight interceptions the Eagles defense has caused is among the lowest totals in the league. The Vikings have 20.
In the top five is right where you want to be, and the Eagles' 186.2 rushing yards per game certainly helps them keep pace as they sport the fifth fewest passing yards in the sport. Jalen Hurts and the Philly offense have attempted the fewest passing attempts in football this season.
From a yardage perspective, the Eagles have the best defense in the entire NFL. They also have allowed the fewest points, just 17.6 per contest. They could be the first team to lead in both categories by season's end since 2021. In nearly every defensive metric, Vic Fangio's defense is near the top.
The Eagles have played the seventh easiest schedule so far. Which might help to explain why they have such elite numbers in many of the categories listed above. And down the stretch, with the Commanders, Cowboys and Giants to end the slate, they have the 9th easiest schedule left to play. They are 5-2 against teams currently at .500 or better (including 4-0 since November 14), and 7-0 against the rest.
According to FanDuel Sportsbook, the Eagles narrowly trail the Bills (+400, fresh off their big win against the Lions) for the best odds to win Super Bowl LIX. The aforementioned Lions are third at +500, the Chiefs at +600 and Ravens at +800.
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