Philadelphia Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni has openly praised GM Howie Roseman and his staff throughout the 2024 season for building a roster with elite depth.
On Sunday, the Eagles showed why.
With starting quarterback Jalen Hurts ruled out (concussion), and backup Kenny Pickett exiting midway through the third quarter (ribs), the Eagles still managed to hang a 40-burger on the Dallas Cowboys in a galvanizing, 41-7 win at the Linc.
Saquon Barkley topped 2,000 rushing yards for the season behind a monster second half performance, and the Eagles (13-3) clinched the NFC East division title for the second time in three years. They’re locked into the No. 2 seed with one game remaining in the regular season.
MORE: Adam Schefter drops adamant take on whether Eagles let Saquon Barkley play in season finale
An Eagles team several NFL analysts believed was the best in football just weeks ago is suddenly flying a bit under the radar entering Week 18. In the NFC, the national media’s full attention will be on this week’s Sunday Night Football showdown between the Minnesota Vikings (14-2) and Detroit Lions (13-2) at Ford Field. In the AFC, the talk is centering on MVP-favorite Josh Allen and the Buffalo Bills (13-3), the surging Baltimore Ravens (11-5) and, of course, the two-time defending champion Kansas City Chiefs (15-1), who once again will play every playoff game at Arrowhead Stadium.
So where do the Eagles fit among those top Super Bowl contenders entering their regular season finale? Here’s what the experts are saying in Monday morning power rankings for Week 18:
NFL power rankings Week 18: Philadelphia Eagles
Iyer: “The Eagles showed their depth and the strength of their offensive support system with two backup QBs getting the job done with elite receivers. It also helps their defense is well-rounded — and that Saquon Barkley can keep taking over games.”
— No. 1 Kansas City Chiefs, No. 2 Buffalo Bills, No. 3 Detroit Lions, No. 4 Minnesota Vikings
Cluff: “Saquon Barkley is 101 yards away from breaking Eric Dickerson’s single-season rushing record after rushing for 167 yards on Sunday. He’s rushed for 2,005 yards on the season.”
— No. 1 Kansas City Chiefs, No. 2 Buffalo Bills, No. 3 Detroit Lions, No. 4 Minnesota Vikings
Bedinger: “The Philadelphia Eagles need to be hoping that Jalen Hurts can return to the field as quickly as possible because their quarterbacks are dropping like flies these days. Not only is Jalen Hurts down and out, but the Eagles lost Kenny Pickett to a rib injury in Week 17 against the Dallas Cowboys. It didn’t end up mattering because the Eagles just absolutely embarrassed the Cowboys with Saquon Barkley on the ground. Barkley, a free agent acquisition from the rival New York Giants, managed to eclipse the 2,000-yard mark on the ground. Barkley has just been incredible for the Eagles and even though nobody would want a repeat of what we saw with Christian McCaffrey in the playoffs a couple of years ago with the 49ers, you can’t help but wonder if the Eagles would be just fine with Barkley taking every snap. He’s been that good. Tanner McKee actually made a really nice couple of back-shoulder throws to AJ Brown in this game and had a touchdown to DeVonta Smith as well, and the Eagles continue to look like a well-oiled machine heading into the postseason. With things mostly locked up going into Week 18, the Eagles might have a pseudo bye week after all.”
— No. 1 Kansas City Chiefs, No. 2 Buffalo Bills, No. 3 Minnesota Vikings
Johnson: “While the Philadelphia Eagles are dropping a spot in our NFL power rankings, the best NFL teams are truly interchangeable depending on preference. The Eagles’ defense is healthy and its probably the best in the NFL right now. Philadelphia has also been battle-tested with some big wins this year. As long as Jalen Hurts (concussion) is cleared to return before the playoffs, the Eagles have just as strong of a shot at making a Super Bowl run as the top-five teams.”
— No. 1 Kansas City Chiefs, No. 2 Minnesota Vikings, No. 3 Baltimore Ravens, No. 4 Detroit Lions, No. 5 Detroit Lions
Wirth: “Jalen Hurts? Kenny Pickett? Tanner McKee? It doesn’t matter when you have Saquon Barkley, A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith.”
— No. 1 Detroit Lions, No. 2 Kansas City Chiefs, No. 3 Minnesota Vikings, No. 4 Buffalo Bills
Consensus ranking: No. 5
