November 19, 2019
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 Birds ranked after the 11th week of the 2019 regular season:
Most underrated player: Jalen Mills, CB
He isn't the fastest or flashiest corner out there, but there's no denying the value Mills brings to the Eagles' secondary. The defense has looked much different since he returned to the lineup Week 7 following a lengthy absence due to a foot injury. Over the past three games, opposing quarterbacks have managed only two passing touchdowns while averaging 170 passing yards per game. That's quite a shift from earlier in the season, when the Eagles were among the most giving pass defenses in the NFL. Mills' swagger and steady, physical style have been a big part of the turnaround.
#JimmySays: It is pretty remarkable the difference Mills' return to the lineup has made for the Eagles' defense.
Watching this Eagles offense is like watching a team on a 120-yard field going uphill both ways. But how did it get to this point? A serious dearth of playmakers at wide receiver is one significant reason. Without DeSean Jackson (abdomen) and Alshon Jeffery (ankle), Carson Wentz targeted the following would-be wideouts in a listless 17-10 loss to the Pats on Sunday: Nelson Agholor, J.J. Arcega-Whiteside, Jordan Matthews and Mack Hollins. Jordan Matthews was targeted six times in a game in 2019. You won't be surprised to learn Matthews finished with one catch for 6 yards. It's on Wentz to find a way to make it work, but the ask was too big against the Patriots. The quarterback will have to raise his game to an elite level to carry the Iggles back to the postseason. A soft schedule in the coming weeks should help.
#JimmySays: Yep, 120-yard uphill field is a good way of putting it.
It wasn’t ideal to lose a game in the standings to the Cowboys, but let’s take a step back. Losing to the Patriots, even at home, was expected. The Eagles still have the easier schedule than Dallas. If the Eagles win the games they should, they should be in position to win the NFC East with a home win over Dallas in Week 16. Next week’s home game against Seattle is crucial though.
#JimmySays: I think that this was a good way of looking at the Patriots game heading into that matchup, but after the Eagles squandered so many opportunities in a very winnable game, it's hard to view it in this context after the fact.
They are so banged up and now their season is on the line this week against Seattle. It's a tough way to try and save it.
#JimmySays: As always, CBS just looks at who is next on the schedule, and says nothing.
They really need more production from their wideouts, Alshon Jeffery and Nelson Agholor combining for fewer than 77 yards per game.
#JimmySays: It's not even the lack of production that's the problem. It's the fact that the receivers are actively ruining the Eagles' season with drops, the inability to track balls, and a lack of respect generated from opposing secondaries, who camp out close to the line of scrimmage because of the Eagles' receivers' complete lack of speed.
The Eagles' offense was without both Alshon Jeffery and Jordan Howard against the Patriots, leaving the tight ends as the only real help for Carson Wentz. The defense has done well to tighten the screws, but they simply aren't capable of scoring enough anymore.
#JimmySays: My read is that they'll get Howard back this week. I'm not so confident about Jeffery.
Don’t forget that the Eagles’ best moments and biggest wins the previous two seasons came with Nick Foles, not Carson Wentz, at QB. Foles now is in Jacksonville, and his offseason exit from the Eagles is not working out particularly well for either side.
#JimmySays: The Washington Post is channeling its inner WIP caller.
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