October 20, 2020
Are power rankings completely dumb and meaningless? Yes. Yes, they are. However, personally speaking, whenever I see them, I click. And now that I've sucked you in with promises of many power rankings, you'll read it and like it.
Here's where people around the country have the Eagles ranked after Week 6 of the regular season. Oh, and here's our version of these sellout rankings, too.
Most impactful injury: RT Lane Johnson
There are plenty of injuries to choose from, as the Eagles only had two original members of their starting offense -- Carson Wentz and Jason Kelce -- on the field at the end of Sunday's loss to the Ravens. But Johnson's ankle injury has been a big one. He has missed two games and hasn't been himself when he has played. That has fueled instability along the offensive front and has spelled bad news for Wentz, who has been sacked a league-high 25 times.
#JimmySays: I think that's the right choice. Johnson is the second-most important player on the team. I guess a counter argument is that his replacement, Jack Driscoll, has been OK, while fill-ins elsewhere have been a lot worse.
The Eagles needed the ol' TD/2-pt conversion/defensive stop/TD/2-pt conversion to pull off an incredible comeback against the Ravens. They succeeded in the first four steps, but Matt Judon and L.J. Fort stuffed Carson Wentz for no gain on the 2-point attempt to tie the game, dooming Philadelphia to 1-4-1. And just as DeSean Jackson is ready to rejoin the lineup, the Eagles lose another key member of the offense in tight end Zach Ertz, who will miss multiple weeks after sustaining a high ankle sprain on Sunday. Ertz had not been playing at his usual high level this season, but it's yet another setback for Wentz, who loses a trusted security blanket. Sometimes it just isn't your season -- it certainly feels that way for this Eagles team.
#JimmySays: Well, it's not their season, except that there's a good chance they'll get a home playoff game, meritorious or not.
The Eagles are one of the hardest teams in the league to rank. Carson Wentz does appear to be getting back on track, even though he showed it in losses the last two weeks to the heavily-favored Steelers and Ravens. And of course, getting back on track is not the same as playing as well as his most vocal supporters expected this season. The team suffered even more injuries, now heading into a Thursday night game. Seven wins might be enough to take the division (could six? could five?), but the Eagles have to actually start winning those games now that the schedule gets easier, and they haven’t given fans any reason to think they’ll start playing consistently good football.
#JimmySays: If the Eagles win the next three games (Giants, Cowboys, Giants), obviously not anything close to a great bet, I can't see how they don't win the division.
Despite their growing injuries and QB Carson Wentz's mishaps, beating the lowly Giants on Thursday night will put Philadelphia in first place.
#JimmySays: Carson Wentz's mishaps? It's really hard to watch all the games, but if you haven't watched them, don't guess on what is happening in them. It's been a while since Wentz has been bad.
Also, beating the Giants won't put the Eagles in first place if the Cowboys also win.
The Philadelphia Eagles are an injury-ravaged mess.
Their offensive line sailed past "patchwork" three weeks ago. The wide receivers are a who's who of "who?" Against the Ravens on Sunday, the Eagles lost top tight end Zach Ertz and No. 1 running back Miles Sanders.
That the Eagles were able to stage a late rally is an achievement of sorts—one that head coach Doug Pederson hailed after the game.
"These guys battled their tails off today, and had a chance to win against a healthy, healthy football team," Pederson told reporters. "I'm proud of these guys in the locker room."
Attaboys aside, the NFL is all about results. But as bad as things have been, the Eagles aren't finished just yet.
Their next three games are all inside the NFC (L)East—two matchups with the awful Giants and a home date against the Dak Prescott-less Dallas Cowboys.
#JimmySays: The Eagles do have two moral victories, so that's nice. Not sure where that ranks them among the the rest of the league. Do they get anything for that?
Don’t let the final score fool you. The Eagles were entirely overmatched for three-and-a-half quarters. Maybe that last rally sparks something going forward, but probably not. This is just a bad football team. And yes, four of the bottom five teams in these power rankings come from the same division.
#JimmySays: They had TD drives of 86, 81, 75, and 71 yards. I agree it's a bad football team. I'll disagree that they were "entirely overmatched."
They are 1-4-1, but they showed something in coming back against the Ravens. It's too bad they are so banged up heading into a Thursday night game.
#JimmySays: Well, on the bright side, the Thursday game is at home against a God-awful team, and they'll have a nice rest thereafter.
#JimmySays: I figured it might be fun to track how that changes each week over the course of the season.
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