It seems like a long time ago when the Philadelphia Eagles went to their bye week with a 2-2 record, fresh off a blowout loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers that had fans and media members alike calling for the head of coach Nick Sirianni.
Not only did the Eagles look inept in that loss, but Sirianni was 3-8 in his last 11 after that debacle. The Super Bowl appearance of February of 2022 seemed a long time ago.
Now what actually seems like years ago is the catcalls for Sirianni’s job. The Eagles have ripped off eight straight victories, including an impressive 24-19 victory over the Baltimore Ravens on the road Sunday, to stake their claim as one of the NFL’s best teams.
Philadelphia has an MVP candidate in running back Saquon Barkley, running behind the league’s best offensive line, a quarterback who can run it and throw it in Jalen Hurts and a defense that has grown in a big way for star coordinator Vic Fangio.
Add it all up and the heat is off of Sirianni. Whatever he did during that bye week, he should bottle it and sell it to other coaches because it changed the fortunes of this Eagles team. The Eagles are rolling.
They are up to No. 4 in my latest Power Rankings and are proving to be the top contender to the Detroit Lions in the NFC. With a schedule that is far less daunting than what the Lions will face, plus a much-healthier defense, the Eagles could be in line for another Super Bowl appearance. It’s a far cry from the cries for the firing of Sirianni from Week 4.
Barkley has been on a tear the during the eight-game streak, showing his greatness but also showing how the Eagles can beat you down with their run game. They ran it on 12 consecutive plays to the game-clinching touchdown Sunday against the Ravens. That brutish football against a team known to be a bully.
The defense has really come on as well. Since the bye, they are giving up 13.6 points per game. The defensive line, led by Jalen Carter, has been dominant and the secondary has been sticky.
It’s a formula that has the Eagles ready to push for the top seed in the NFC. Their remaining games are home against Carolina and Pittsburgh, then at Washington, before closing with home games against the Cowboys and Giants. The Lions have a much tougher schedule.
The Eagles have put the rest of the league on notice. When you go to Baltimore and bully the bully, the message is loud and clear. The Eagles are legit. (The betting markets are bullish on them as the Eagles have the second-best odds to win the NFC Championship, per FanDuel Sportsbook. Philadelphia also owns the second-best Super Bowl odds at FanDuel, behind only Detroit.)
And Sirianni has to be laughing privately at all those who called for his job in October. You know who you are.
Biggest Movers
|
Rk |
Teams |
Chg |
Rcrd |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
1 |
|
The injuries on defense are starting to add up. That can be a problem down the stretch and this week against the Packers. They’ve lost a lot of good players. | — | 11-1-0 |
2 |
|
They are the AFC East champs, but that isn’t the prize this team wants or needs. It’s bigger than that. Josh Allen is now the MVP favorite. | — | 10-2-0 |
3 |
|
They have struggled to win their games, but they find a way. It’s all about the playoffs for them, and they will be there — so stop worrying. The Chargers will be a challenge this week. | — | 11-1-0 |
4 |
|
They are physical on offense, have an MVP candidate in Saquon Barkley and a defense that is suddenly tough to crack. Oh, they also have a favorable schedule down the stretch. | — | 10-2-0 |
5 |
|
They win a lot of close games, but isn’t that a sign of a good team? You are what your record says you are, so I guess they are pretty good. | — | 10-2-0 |
6 |
|
They have a chance to tighten up the division this week when they face the Lions on the road. That will be a big proving game for them. | 1 | 9-3-0 |
7 |
|
Russell Wilson was outstanding against the Bengals. If he plays like that, they can win it all. | 2 | 9-3-0 |
8 |
|
Winning on the road at Atlanta was a nice way to bounce back after the Ravens loss. Now comes a tough one at Kansas City against the Chiefs. | — | 8-4-0 |
9 |
|
They didn’t do much on offense against the Eagles, which is a concern. So, too, is kicker Justin Tucker. What do you do with him? | 3 | 8-5-0 |
10 |
|
It wasn’t pretty against the Browns, so the bye comes at a good time. The defense made big plays, but they gave up way too many passing yards. That can’t continue. | — | 8-5-0 |
11 |
|
They’ve won two straight to take over first in the NFC West. The defense has made big strides. Now comes a tough one at Arizona. | — | 7-5-0 |
12 |
|
They snapped a three-game losing streak by beating the Titans. The offense came alive and Jayden Daniels looked like himself again. | 1 | 8-5-0 |
13 |
|
They lost another tough one on the road against the Vikings and now face a must-win this week with Seattle. The Seahawks shut the offense down two weeks ago, so they have to be better than that. | 1 | 6-6-0 |
14 |
|
They still don’t look right on offense, so the rest of the season has to be about getting it going for the postseason. C.J. Stroud hasn’t been the same guy. | — | 8-5-0 |
15 |
|
They saved their season by beating the Panthers in overtime. But they have to be better than that going forward to have a real playoff shot. | 1 | 6-6-0 |
16 |
|
Winning at New England keeps them alive in the playoff chase. Anthony Richardson is getting better — which is a good thing. | 3 | 6-7-0 |
17 |
|
Winning at New Orleans keeps them smack dab in the division race. They face a tough challenge this week with the Bills coming to town. | 3 | 6-6-0 |
18 |
|
The loss against the Packers basically ends their playoff chances. They have to get past the cold-weather narrative at some point, too. | 3 | 5-7-0 |
19 |
|
Kirk Cousins just isn’t playing well right now. They have to get it going on that side of the ball in the worst way. It’s too late to play Michael Penix Jr. | 2 | 6-6-0 |
20 |
|
The injuries have crippled this team and now Christian McCaffery is done. They are all but done, too. | 2 | 5-7-0 |
21 |
|
The defense has been terrible, which is why they are done. They are 0-7 against teams with a winning record, giving up an average of 36 points or more in each game. | — | 4-8-0 |
22 |
|
Coach Matt Eberflus is gone, which was the right move. He botched the end of two games and it cost him. Now it’s about getting the right guy for Caleb Williams. | — | 4-8-0 |
23 |
|
They are still alive after beating the Giants on Thanksgiving. I know that’s hard to believe, but it’s true. | 1 | 5-7-0 |
24 |
|
Losing to the Rams could be the death blow to their season. Now they have to focus on finding the right coach. | 1 | 4-8-0 |
25 |
|
Jameis Winston has made this team fun again, but it’s too bad they are stuck with Deshaun Watson. Jerry Jeudy is finally showing off his talents in a big way. | — | 3-9-0 |
26 |
|
Bryce Young has made strides the past two weeks. But now comes a tough prove-it game on the road against the Eagles. | 3 | 3-9-0 |
27 |
|
So much for the momentum they built by beating the Texans. That was a horrible showing against the Commanders. | 1 | 3-9-0 |
28 |
|
Drake Maye is the bright spot, but what has happened to the defense? Wasn’t that where Jerod Mayo made his bones? | 1 | 3-10-0 |
29 |
|
They find new and creative ways to lose games every week. They are such a sloppy team. It’s over. | 1 | 3-9-0 |
30 |
|
It doesn’t matter who plays quarterback. The offense is awful. They need to get a quarterback next year in a big way. | — | 2-10-0 |
31 |
|
Aidan O’Connell did some really good things against the Chiefs, but came up just short. This team is still fighting. | — | 2-10-0 |
32 |
|
Trevor Lawrence should just sit out the rest of the way. What’s the point of him playing anymore? | — | 2-10-0 |
