September 29, 2021
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 heading into Week 4 of the 2021 regular season. Oh, and here's our version of these sellout rankings, too.
Team QBR: 56.0
QBR rank: 17th
Jalen Hurts was lights out in Week 1 and cooled considerably in Week 2, and the numbers landed him right in the middle heading into Monday night. He has been extremely effective with his legs (144 rushing yards and a TD) while getting the ball out quicker and with better accuracy in the passing game. And he didn't turn the ball over in the first two games, before throwing two interceptions on Monday. If he can play more like he did the first two tilts, the Eagles will end up in a much better place than most predicted at the start of the season. Greater consistency as a passer will be the key to Hurts' success.
#JimmySays: It felt like all of the biggest concerns surrounding Hurts' game materialized on Monday night. He was inaccurate, he held onto the ball too long, and too quick to bail from the pocket.
The Eagles will not enjoy watching film of a dispiriting 41-21 beatdown at the hands of the Cowboys on Monday night. The Philadelphia offense never got in gear, the defense gave up too many big plays, and a general air of sloppiness permeated the air for an Eagles team that was flagged 13 times for 86 yards. A defensive touchdown early and garbage-time score late made the final tally slightly more respectable, but the Eagles need to get better on both sides of the ball if they want to stay in the NFC East race. The road ahead is foreboding: Over the next four weeks, Philly gets last season's Super Bowl teams (the Chiefs and Bucs) and two undefeated squads (Panthers and Raiders). Buckle up.
#JimmySays: The Eagles are on pace for 198 penalties which would shatter the previous record of 163 by the Raiders in 2011.
Philadelphia belongs in the group of teams that, on the right day, with the right plan, can topple better opponents. I’d place the Eagles near—and have, here—the Bengals, Steelers and Patriots, a cut below the true playoff contenders, unless something changes dramatically, soon. Dallas exposed Philly’s defensive weaknesses on Monday night. I like Jalen Hurts. But not enough to overcome their myriad deficiencies. I don’t see them competing with Dallas in the NFC East, a division that was pretty much decided in a blowout on Monday night. Up next: Chiefs, Panthers, Bucs, Raiders—gulp!
#JimmySays: Yeah, the Eagles will be underdogs in all of those games. Break out the masks!
(The Eagles are part of the "Muddled Middle" bucket along with the Seahawks, Bengals, Patriots, Vikings, Steelers, Football Team, Dolphins, Bears, and Falcons.)
#JimmySays: I would not have the Eagles in the same tier with the Seahawks or Vikings. Otherwise, that looks about right.
Jalen Hurts jerseys have been flying off the shelves recently, but you still have to wonder if they're good long-term investments – especially in Philadelphia.
#JimmySays: I'm not sure what "especially in Philadelphia" is supposed to mean.
We may have overestimated the Philadelphia Eagles.
Back in Week 1, the Eagles blew out the Atlanta Falcons. As we have come to see, that is not an especially difficult thing to do in 2021—unless you are the Giants.
Too soon?
In Week 2, the Eagles fell in a low-scoring, hard-fought affair with the San Francisco 49ers.
In Week 3, Philly got their doors blown off in Dallas.
The stats don't truly tell the story of how lopsided this loss was. The 380 yards the Eagles allowed would have been much higher had the Cowboys not been milking a late lead. Whether it was on the ground with Ezekiel Elliott and Tony Pollard or through the air via Dak Prescott's arm, the Cowboys did what they wanted offensively. A limited Eagles offense couldn't keep up.
That last part may be the larger issue. With Philadelphia running simplified passing routes, the team isn't equipped to hang with more prolific offenses like Dallas.
And with an angry Chiefs team coming to Lincoln Financial Field, that's a problem.
#JimmySays: All the good vibes from this team coming out of training camp and after Week 1 are gone.
That Monday night loss was ugly. The defense had played well before meeting the Cowboys, and they were shredded. There has to be a worry that Jalen Hurts can't find any consistency. There's nothing to be optimistic about after that blowout loss.
#JimmySays: "Nothing to be optimistic about" sounds a little harsh, buuuut it's maybe not wrong, at least in terms of this season.
With two straight losses, they are reeling now. The showing against the Cowboys was awful. They couldn't stop Dallas and they couldn't move the ball. They got abused.
#JimmySays: CBS crushing it with the killer analysis as always.
Follow Jimmy & PhillyVoice on Twitter: @JimmyKempski | thePhillyVoice
Like us on Facebook: PhillyVoice Sports
Add Jimmy's RSS feed to your feed reader
