October 04, 2022
Bill Streicher/USA TODAY Sports
Nick Sirianni complains about The Ringer's illogical ranking.
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 have the Birds ranked after Week 4. Oh, and here's our version of these sellout rankings, too.
Adversity came for the Eagles on Sunday, and they turned it away. Playing in rainy conditions and with multiple important players forced out of action with injuries, Philly relied on its ground attack (210 yards rushing) and an opportunistic defense (five turnovers) to hold off a game Jaguars team at the Linc. Quarterback Jalen Hurts looked pedestrian for the first time all season, so Miles Sanders did the heavy lifting, with 134 yards and two scores on 27 carries. The NFL's lone undefeated team, the Eagles should have another favorable matchup this Sunday against the inconsistent Cardinals.
#JimmySays: The Eagles finally have some injuries that they'll have to deal with. On offense, we'll be tracking Jordan Mailata, Isaac Seumalo, Andre Dillard, and Boston Scott. On defense, Darius Slay, Avonte Maddox, Patrick Johnson, and Kyron Johnson.
The biggest issue on defense is ... injuries to the secondary.
Even that's a reach, as corners Darius Slay (forearm) and Avonte Maddox (right ankle) are expected back soon. But there's little to pick apart. The Eagles are first in sacks (16), tied for first in takeaways (10), third in yards allowed (277.3 per game) and 10th in points allowed (17.8). They look really solid from front to back, even with safety Chauncey Gardner-Johnson, formerly of the New Orleans Saints, acclimating to a new position and team.
#JimmySays: There was some legitimate concern after the Eagles allowed 35 points to the Lions Week 1, but the defense has since allowed 7 points to the Vikings, 6 points to the Commanders, and 14 points to the Jaguars.
Oh, and it turns out that the Lions can put points on the board. They're averaging 35.8 points per game.
The undefeated Eagles have proven they can win in a variety of ways. They won an offensive shootout in Week 1 thanks in large part to Jalen Hurts’ scrambling ability. They dominated the Vikings in Week 2 with Hurts’ precision passing and a suddenly aggressive defense. They turned the pressure up in Week 3 with nine sacks, then proved in Week 4 they could take a punch, storming back from a 14-0 deficit against the Jaguars to win 29-21 behind a run-heavy offense that turned the clock back to the second half of last season. Jonathan Gannon was a punching bag for Eagles fans last year and now sports the No. 2 defense in the league by defensive EPA per drive. The offense is No. 8 in EPA per drive and the team is fourth in points per game. There’s a long way to go, but this is the best team in the league so far.
#JimmySays: The Eagles' ability to win with variety reminds me a bit of the 2017 team. They too could win shootouts (Rams, Giants, Patri*ts, for example), ugly weather games (49ers, Raiders), and close games that came down to the wire (Giants, Chargers, Panthers, Falcons, etc.). I don't think we're done seeing the different ways this 2022 team can win.
Week 4 showed us that there is just so much margin for error with this Eagles team. Jalen Hurts was late throwing a crossing route early in the first quarter, and the ball was ultimately intercepted for a pick-six. That mistake contributed to a 14-0 first-quarter hole in the pouring rain at home. But Hurts and the Eagles proved too talented and too well-coached for any early deficit to matter. Miles Sanders rushed for a career-high 134 yards and two touchdowns, and linebacker Haason Reddick recorded two sacks, two forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries in the Eagles’ 29-21 comeback win over Jacksonville. After withstanding a slow start from Hurts and surviving the unforgiving weather against a good Jaguars team, the Eagles look like a team that’s built to last.
#JimmySays: It's not as ridiculous as their placement at 7th a week ago, but still... 4th? Lol. I can see someone liking the Bills or Chiefs more, but in what ways are the Packers better so far this season than the Eagles?
The league's lone undefeated team, arguably the league's best-balanced squad and featuring MVP candidate Jalen Hurts. But if one thing sums up the early season success, then how about this – Philadelphia has the most takeaways in the NFL (10) and the fewest turnovers (2).
#JimmySays: That probably also means they have the best point differential in the NFL. #Math.
There are no 0-4 teams in the NFL. There's only one 4-0 team. When they were behind 14-0 to the Jaguars and rallied to take the lead back before halftime, it said a lot about this Eagles team. They're here to stay this season.
#JimmySays: FiveThirtyEight.com has the Eagles at 94 percent likely to make the playoffs (no surprise there), and 45 percent to earn a first-round bye. The first-round bye percentages in the NFC:
After a slow start, they showed how good they are in rallying to beat the Jaguars. They are the clear top team in the league.
#JimmySays: CBS with the 🔥 analysis, as always.
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