November 20, 2018
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. (Oh, and don't forget to check out our version of these meaningless rankings here.)
Here's where people around the country have the Birds ranked after the 11th week of the 2018 NFL season:
Thankful for: A Super Bowl in the bank. There's no such thing as a grace period in Philly -- the city is piping-hot following a 48-7 shellacking in New Orleans that dropped the Eagles to 4-6 -- but fans can break-glass-in-case-of-emergency to coddle their shiny new Lombardi Trophy. Upper management can find perspective there, too, which is good news for a coaching staff that might otherwise be in trouble given the maddening breakdowns in the operation.
#JimmySays: Switch this year with last year and firing everybody would be a pretty easy decision.
To put it as eloquently as possible, the Eagles sucked on Sunday. That was a terrible showing at New Orleans, the worst by the team in Doug Pederson's 2.5 years running the operation. Carson Wentz played poorly (19 of 33 for 156 yards, zero TDs, three picks and a 31.9 passer rating). The defense was dominated so thoroughly that the Saints seemed to be taking group photos on every offensive series. Oh, wait -- maybe that was their defense. The sorriest Philadelphia performance your friendly writer had ever seen before last week came on the final day of the 1983 season, when the Eagles were down 31-0 to the St. Louis Cardinals in the fourth quarter at a snow-filled Busch Stadium, closing out Marion Campbell's initial season with a whimper. Yes, Sunday's loss was worse than meeting defeat at the hands of Neil Lomax. Oy.
#JimmySays: I'm 41, and I personally cannot remember the Eagles taking a beatdown that bad ever (albeit from a great team), and I've seen my share of crappy Eagles teams.
The Eagles suffered the biggest beatdown of any defending Super Bowl champion ever. Is Week 11 too late to be considered a hangover?
#JimmySays: 15?!? Fifteenth?!? Really? The Eagles are better than most of the teams in the league? I don't think so, Sports Illustrated.
The Super Bowl hangover is real. They are still alive, but that was an awful showing in New Orleans.
#JimmySays: The Super Bowl hangover is NOT real. There's almost no historical precedent that the winner of the Super Bowl mysteriously sucks the next season. The loser of the Super Bowl? Sure, but not the winner. What the Eagles are doing this season is nearly unprecedented.
It can’t be possible that losing Frank Reich, last season’s offensive coordinator who left to coach the Colts, was that big of a factor. The Super Bowl hangover is real, and that has affected Philadelphia. Some injuries have been an issue, but a lot of teams deal with injuries. Even if you could see the potential of a dip after an amazing Super Bowl season, the Eagles’ struggles are startling. And hard to explain.
#JimmySays: Ugh, again with the "Super Bowl hangover." And yes, I do believe that the loss of Reich (and John DeFilippo) is greatly affecting this team.
The Eagles had been playing scrappy and competitive despite all their issues, but it all came crashing down with a listless performance in New Orleans. The division is within reach, but a Super Bowl repeat is not.
#JimmySays: Scrappy and competitive? What the hell? On what planet? They've underachieved to an insane degree this season. That comment just blew my mind.
All seems lost, especially given 41-point blowout worst ever suffered by reigning champ. BUT next three vs. NFC East, so opportunity knocks.
#JimmySays: "All seems lost" is absolutely right. The Eagles look like the worst team in the division right now, if we're being objective. Maybe they can turn it around, you know, as the city has already been waiting to see for three months.
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