NFL power rankings Week 7: Experts grapple with Philadelphia Eagles as top-10 team

Ryan OLeary

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NFL power rankings Week 7: Experts grapple with Philadelphia Eagles as top-10 team image

The Philadelphia Eagles got the win they needed Sunday coming out of their bye week, even if it was about as pretty as a car wreck. 

They failed to score a point in the first quarter for the fifth consecutive game, couldn’t get the run game going, and had another brutal special teams blunder that nearly came back to burn them.

Other than that, the Eagles are 3-2 and on the upswing entering Saquon Barkley’s anticipated return to MetLife Stadium to face the New York Giants in Week 7.

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The Eagles look like a top-10 team in the NFL on paper, but are they passing the eye test as a legit Super Bowl contender through six weeks? NFL analysts grappled with that very question in their latest Monday morning power rankings. 

Here’s what the experts are saying about the Eagles entering Week 7:

NFL Power Rankings Week 7: Philadelphia Eagles

Iyer: “The Eagles got their offense going again with Jalen Hurts rekindling his relationship with top receivers A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith. They also continued to jell better defensively after the bye, but the Browns weren't the best test there.”

Wirth: “It wasn't an offensive explosion by any means, but it's clear how important A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith are to this offense.”

Dewey: “Philly did enough to pick up a win over the Cleveland Browns, but the offense isn't completely clicking just yet. The Eagles actually dropped from +1400 to +1500 in the latest Super Bowl odds.”

Johnson: “There’s the beauty of having an offense with A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith. On a rare off-day for Saquon Barkley (2.6 yards per carry), the Philadelphia Eagles’ star receiver duo combined for 180 yards and 2 touchdowns. Jalen Hurts looked a little better, too. Philadelphia must improve its third-down offense, but this is a positive sign after what happened before the bye week.”

Scataglia: “The Philadelphia Eagles are not a very good football team, but I just had no idea where to rank them here.  They were coming out of their bye week and did notch a close win against the lowly Cleveland Browns.  The game being as close as it was was an indictment on just how iffy the Eagles are.  But I guess a win is a win, as they move to 3-2 on the season and now settle into second place in the NFC East behind the Washington Commanders. Jalen Hurts is still a limited QB and I am not sure Nick Sirianni is a good enough head coach, so with questions at coach and QB, the Eagles won’t go anywhere this season.  I do truly believe something needs to change for the Eagles in the coming months if they hope to get back to the Super Bowl, a place they got to in the 2022 NFL Season.  Perhaps they can beg Shane Steichen to come back.”

Consensus ranking: No. 9 (up 1 spot)

More Philadelphia Eagles news:

Eagles Week 6 snap counts: Cooper DeJean rarely leaves field in win over Browns

NFL writer predicts Eagles troll Giants with ‘Saquon Barkley Show’ on offense in Week 7

Philadelphia's head coach trash talks crowd after Week 6 win vs. Browns

Ryan OLeary

Ryan OLeary Photo

Ryan O'Leary has spent his entire professional career in sports multimedia, working as journalist, editor, podcaster, and in live events as a content manager and show emcee. His career highlights include working as a podcast host and audio editor for USA TODAY Sports Media Group, where he led a series of NFL podcasts for the company’s top-performing NFL sites. A born and raised New Englander, Ryan’s career kicked-off in newspapers after graduating from the University of New Hampshire with a degree in journalism. He developed an affinity for small-town youth, high school and college sports, while also realizing his childhood dream of covering the Patriots in multiple AFC Championship Games. Ryan enjoys kicking it with family and friends, beating his dad and brother in chess, and arguing with anyone crazy enough to insist that Tom Brady isn’t the GOAT.