December 20, 2022
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 15. Oh, and here's our version of these sellout rankings, too.
Sometimes it's just about taking care of business. The Bears put up more of a fight than expected but were still no match for a Philadelphia team that made the big plays when necessary in a 25-20 win at Soldier Field. Jalen Hurts threw two interceptions in a game for the first time this season, but otherwise kept his MVP credentials legitimate with three rushing touchdowns -- moving within one ground score of Cam Newton's single-season NFL record for QBs. On Monday, it was learned that Hurts suffered a shoulder sprain that could keep him out of the lineup for the Week 16 showdown with the Cowboys. Philly is now tasked with managing Hurts' health while attempting to lock up the top seed in the NFC. A delicate dance, for sure.
#JimmySays: Hurts has 13 rushing TDs. As noted above, he's within one of Newton, who had 14 in 2011. The fate of the Eagles' season might not be affected by Hurts' injury, but it's those other little things (like potentially breaking that record, and others) that will.
Pleasant surprise: RB Miles Sanders
There was no doubt Sanders was gifted and capable of a big season, but the production -- north of 1,000 rushing yards already with double-digit touchdowns -- has been a big bonus for this offense, especially after he was kept out of the end zone for the entire 2022 season. He's matured as a runner and has run more physical through contact. That, plus good health, has allowed him to thrive behind one of the best offensive lines in football and alongside Jalen Hurts.
#JimmySays: ESPN named a "pleasant surprise" for each team. I had actually planned on listing something like the Eagles' top 5 big biggest surprises this season, because they have had so many. I think the easy, but boring answer is Hurts. Brandon Graham's highly productive season coming off an Achilles tear has to be up there, too.
Well, well, well. Just as it seemed the Eagles were about to waltz to the No. 1 seed in the NFC and a potential three-week mini-vacation ahead of the divisional round, all of a sudden the season has some drama. Which, underneath the anxiety over Jalen Hurts’ shoulder sprain, is probably what makes Eagles fans more comfortable anyway. We’re talking about an injury to the quarterback’s throwing shoulder, so nothing is guaranteed, even if Hurts completed 6 of 9 passes for 102 yards, including a 68-yarder to A.J. Brown, in the fourth quarter of the win over the Bears after he suffered the injury. But with just one win needed (or one loss by each of the Cowboys, Vikings and Niners) for the top seed, Gardner Minshew has a chance to play hero while also auditioning for a role elsewhere as a pending free agent.
#JimmySays: Certainly Eagles fans would rather Hurts just not be injured, but at the same time it really is so true that this city seems to enjoy the heightened drama sometimes.
The Eagles won their 13th game of the season Sunday, but it may have come at a cost. Jalen Hurts’s upcoming availability is in doubt after he reportedly suffered a sprained right shoulder against the Bears. Initial reporting described this as a short-term injury, but as of this writing, it is unclear whether he’ll be able to play against Dallas this week. The home Cowboys opened as a 1.5-point favorite but the line shifted on Monday to -6 after news of Hurts’s injury. The Eagles are still the favorites to win the NFC (+160) and need only one more win in the next three weeks to secure the top seed in the conference and a first-round bye. As long as Hurts is healthy enough to start when the postseason comes, the Eagles will remain atop this list.
#JimmySays: Eagles (+6) seems crazy to me. Whether the quarterback is Jalen Hurts or Gardner Minshew, Dallas has not shown that they are a touchdown better than the Eagles this season.
One more win, and they'll lock up the NFC East plus the conference's first-round bye and home-field advantage. If that happens Saturday at Dallas, Philadelphia could have an awfully challenging month trying to manage player health while remaining sharp enough so as not to fall flat when the divisional round rolls around.
#JimmySays: If by "awfully challenging" they mean "the envy of the league," then yeah.
We'll assume for now Jalen Hurts will be back for the playoffs from a shoulder injury. Philadelphia isn't in real danger of losing the No. 1 seed, considering they have a three-game lead over the Cowboys and a two-game lead over Minnesota with the head-to-head tiebreaker in hand. That would give Hurts four weeks off before the Eagles' first playoff game, if it's needed. Even if we assume Hurts will be healthy, going nearly five full weeks between games and then being thrown into the playoffs isn't ideal. We'll see where it goes, but it's not good news for Philadelphia's Super Bowl hopes.
#JimmySays: If the Eagles need to rely on the run a little bit early on in their first playoff game, they can do that, because, well, the offense can do anything. But that aside, Hurts won't forget how to play. He'll be fine.
It wasn't pretty against the Bears, but they found a way. The Jalen Hurts shoulder injury puts a damper on that victory as they ready to play the Cowboys.
#JimmySays: CBS with the 🔥 analysis, as always.
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