October 09, 2024
Colleen Claggett/for PhillyVoice
A.J. Brown #11 of the Philadelphia Eagles looks on prior to a NFL football game between the Atlanta Falcons and the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field on September 16, 2024 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
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 5 of the regular season. Oh, and here's our version of these sellout rankings, too.
Even with the last-minute home loss to the Falcons, I think it would have been fair to say that the Eagles showed more good than bad through three games. Four games in? Not so much. Then again, the Week 4 Eagles were missing several key components, especially on offense, so it's hard to put too much stock into that one 33-16 defeat at Tampa. Yet there also has been a troubling trend of self-inflicted mistakes, especially sloppy penalties and maddening turnovers, holding Philadelphia back significantly. Throw in Saquon Barkley's drop against Atlanta, the squandered points in multiple games and the six sacks of Jalen Hurts against the Bucs, too. The stagnant pass rush falls under a different category, but it remains a big worry. The NFC East might not be out of reach, but the Cowboys suddenly are back in business and the Commanders don't appear to be going anywhere. There's plenty of work to be done.
#JimmySays: The best the Eagles have looked this season was in Week 1 against the Packers, and I don't think it's a coincidence that Week 1 was the only game that A.J. Brown played in.
Fantasy surprise: QB Jalen Hurts
Hurts scored the fifth-most fantasy points in 2023 (357) and was ranked second among quarterbacks behind Josh Allen. It has been a different story this season. Hurts is currently QB12 in average points per game (16.9). He has six total touchdowns and seven turnovers -- the second-most giveaways in the NFL entering Week 5. His tally of two rushing scores is a byproduct of the turnovers and of the high impact of running back Saquon Barkley (five total touchdowns). Hurts' overall numbers should climb with star receiver A.J. Brown (hamstring) expected back in the lineup for the first time since Week 1.
#JimmySays: It's no surprise that Hurts' numbers are down when his receivers have been Jahan Dotson, Johnny Wilson, and Parris Campbell. It's more alarming that his turnovers are up.
They should be rested out of the bye, WRs A.J. Brown (hamstring) and DeVonta Smith (concussion) due back Sunday. And for a team that also figuratively needs to get healthy, a date with Cleveland is made to order.
#JimmySays: The Browns are truly an awful football team right now, and Deshaun Watson has been dreadful. It'll be interesting to see if the Browns' dumb owner lets the head coach bench him.
Philly’s next four games are vs. Browns, at Giants, at Bengals, vs. Jaguars. No NFL games are easy, but those are all winnable. If the Eagles, presumably more healthy off of the bye, struggle over the next four weeks then we’ll know something is wrong.
#JimmySays: The quarterback is being careless with the football, there's virtually no edge rush, and the schemes on both sides of the ball have been boring. The question isn't whether things are wrong or not. They are. It's more a matter of whether they get them fixed.
For what it's worth, ESPN "Matchup Predictor" gives the Eagles the following chances of beating those four teams:• Browns: 69.5%They come off their bye in need of victory in the worst way to cool the heat on Nick Sirianni. Jalen Hurts needs to be better.
#JimmySays: CBS with the fire🔥analysis as always.
Some winnable games are coming up. Now, they just need to win them.
#JimmySays: 🔥🔥🔥
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