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 5. Oh, and here's our version of these sellout rankings, too.
NFL.com: 2nd
The Eagles keep answering the bell in different ways. Win a shootout? Check. Blow a team off the field? Check. Rally from multiple scores down? Check. Win a close one in a hostile environment? Got that, too. Sunday's 20-17 triumph at Arizona came with a dollop of good fortune: Kyler Murray's premature slide short of the first-down marker set up an ugly miss by a temporary kicker to close the game. But you tend to get these kinds of breaks when things are going good. "Every win isn't easy," Jalen Hurts said. "Personally, I have mixed emotions about the game itself, but we found a way." The Eagles are 5-0 for just the third time in franchise history.
#JimmySays: A few of our power rankers demoted the Eagles from 1st to 2nd, and NFL.com was one of them. That's probably right. The Bills are better.
ESPN: 3rd
As the only remaining undefeated team, the Eagles are in good shape, but the recent rash of injuries to their offensive front is worth monitoring. Tackle Jordan Mailata (right shoulder), center Jason Kelce (left ankle), and guards Landon Dickerson (leg) and Isaac Seumalo (ankle) are all banged up to varying degrees heading into Sunday's divisional game against the 4-1 Cowboys. None of the injuries appears long term at this point, but the Eagles will need it to stay that way to keep their dynamic offense humming.
#JimmySays: Tip of the cap to Jack Driscoll, Sua Opeta and Cam Jurgens, who have all filled in capably so far.
The Athletic: 2nd
Why would a rebuilding team trade away one of the best young pass rushers in the league? Because the Eagles could make it worth their while. Stocked with two 2023 first-round picks, the Eagles might have had those earmarked to make a move for a quarterback. But Jalen Hurts’ ascension makes that less of a concern. We know general manager Howie Roseman will always build his team through the line of scrimmage, so why not offer something like the Eagles’ 2023 first-round pick (keeping the upside of the Saints’ first-rounder in-house) and a 2024 Day 2 pick for the 24-year-old Burns? Burns has 29.5 sacks since entering the league as a first-round pick in 2019, 12th-most in the NFL.
#JimmySays: I theorized on a Brian Burns trade as well this morning. Bo suggests the Eagles should have interest if the cost is the Eagles' 2023 first-round pick, which will almost certainly be outside the top 20, plus a Day 2 pick in 2024. I agree that the Eagles should be interested in that price, but if I'm Carolina, I'm not trading my best player unless that Saints pick is involved. But you never know! The Panthers a crap organization for a reason.
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The Ringer: 3rd
Top six in offensive EPA per drive (0.39) and yards per play allowed on defense (4.7), the Eagles are comfortably the best team in the NFC after five weeks. Even with injuries to cornerback Avonte Maddox, starting left tackle Jordan Mailata, and kicker Jake Elliott, the Eagles pulled off a road win over the Cardinals to remain the NFL’s only undefeated team. Arizona gashed the Eagles for some big plays with tempo and some well-timed Kyler Murray designed runs, but the Eagles proved yet again they can win in multiple ways and continue to show just how much margin for error the team has on both sides of the ball right now.
#JimmySays: The Ringer has acknowledged that the Eagles are the better team right now than the Packers. 🍾
USA Today: 1st
A big reason for their 5-0 start? The ability to sprint out to big leads before putting teams away. Philadelphia's 92 second-quarter points are the most in NFL history through five games and 68 more than their opponents have. Philly has not trailed in the second half all season.
#JimmySays: Yeah, even in the Jaguars game, the sentiment was that the Eagles overcame early adversity to come back and win. But they did it quickly, and even that game was never really in that much danger in the second half. The Cardinals game Week 5 was their biggest scare so far.
Yahoo: 2nd
The Eagles offensive line against the Cowboys front on Sunday night will be one of the best matchups of the season. The Eagles have by far the league's best pass blocking grade on Pro Football Focus through five games. The Cowboys are the top pass-rushing team in PFF's grades. The eye test backs up both of those grades too. It's a fun thing to watch during a great Week 6 matchup.
#JimmySays: The health of Jordan Mailata and Landon Dickerson will be something to watch very closely this week.
CBS: 1st
They didn't play a great game at Arizona, but they found a way. That's the sign of a good team. Now here come the Cowboys.
#JimmySays: CBS with the 🔥 analysis, as always. (In fairness, I didn't write much more about the Eagles in the Hierarchy this week. 🤷♂️)
Average power ranking of the seven media outlets above
- Week 1: 10.9
- Week 2: 8.1
- Week 3: 5.0
- Week 4: 2.6
- Week 5: 1.9
- Week 6: 2.0
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