Perfection isn’t always an acknowledgment of success and as the 5-0 Eagles prepare for the Cowboys in Week 6, there seems to be some confusion among the national media.
The Birds are the NFL’s only undefeated team.
Yet, they landed behind Kansas City and Buffalo in multiple power rankings, with the 3-2 Buccaneers hovering right below Philadelphia in some listings.
With Jalen Hurts and the Eagles set for a return to the NovaCare Complex on Wednesday, here’s a look at the Week 6 NFL power rankings.
USA Today -- 1
USA Today has Philadelphia at No. 1 again after a hard-fought victory.
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.
Bleacher Report --- 1
Bleacher Report has Philadelphia ahead of the Chiefs.
Sunday’s win in Arizona wasn’t the most attractive or emphatic victory the team has logged this season. After jumping out to a 14-0 first-half lead, Philly’s offense stalled for most of the rest of the game. But just as they have all season long, the Eagles made plays when they needed to and received a little good fortune when Cardinals kicker Matt Ammendola’s late field-goal attempt sailed wide.
The Athletic -- 2
The Athletic has Philadelphia at No. 2 on the list despite the team being undefeated.
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.
Pro Football Talk -- 1
Pro Football Talk has Philadelphia at No. 1.
The best teams avoid trap games. The Eagles barely did.
CBS Sports -- 1
CBS Sports rightfully has the Eagles at No. 1.
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.
NFL.com -- 2
NFL.com has the Birds at No. 2 behind Buffalo.
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.
Sports Illustrated -- 3
Sports Illustrated appears to bored this week, listing the Eagles behind the Chiefs and Bills like Philadelphia is Appalachian State.
While mind-boggling throws are the norm now, it’s worth looking back at Jalen Hurts’s game against the Cardinals and see the fluidity with which he’s escaping pressure and finding open receivers with expert ball placement. The latter part sometimes makes balls seem like they’re just lame-ducked in the air, when, in reality, they’re down and away on purpose: the only place where a good pass catcher can find it.
The Ringer -- 3
The Ringer has Philadelphia at No. 3.
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.
