The Philadelphia Eagles were tentatively placed in the upper echelon of most NFL power rankings. But going into Week 2, Eagles fans like myself needed more proof that they deserved to be right behind the elite. Yet after beating the elite Baltimore Ravens on Sept. 16, Philadelphia has a more secure place on top of my own NFL power rankings after Week 2 - if only because others slipped up as well.
It helps that the Eagles are 2-0 while the likes of the Ravens and New England Patriots fell to 1-1 - the same as the Green Bay Packers, Pittsburgh Steelers and New York Giants. Many so-called elite teams have already suffered upset defeats, yet Philadelphia has stayed unbeaten despite its constant close calls and turnovers.
Still, the Eagles have to remain behind a couple of 2-0 and 1-1 clubs in the post Week 2 power rankings. The most impressive unbeaten team so far has been the San Francisco 49ers, who moved up to No. 1 after the Patriots gave up the top spot. But despite being 1-1, both the Packers and the Patriots have to remain at No. 2 and No. 3, with the belief that they are just warming up.
The Eagles did manage to get into the top five, even though they are two fewer points away from being closer to the bottom five. Meanwhile, the second highest ranked 2-0 team is the Houston Texans, who have had a much easier time with a much easier schedule thus far.
The Atlanta Falcons, San Diego Chargers and Arizona Cardinals are also mixed in with a bunch of 1-1 squads despite being unbeaten. Yet the Cardinals made the biggest leap by far after shocking the Patriots. However, Arizona will get to show how legitimate it is against Philadelphia in Week 3, just as the Eagles showed their legitimacy against the Ravens in Week 2.
With 20 1-1 clubs, six 2-0 teams and six 0-2 squads, the NFL power rankings after Week 2 are pretty cluttered. Considering how the Ravens, Patriots, Dallas Cowboys, Denver Broncos and Chicago Bears fell apart after convincing Week 1 wins, there stands to be some wild mood swings for a while. But maybe by this time next month, things will get more clear and stable.
The Eagles will certainly have a better idea of themselves by then, with their upcoming games against the Cardinals, Steelers, Giants, Detroit Lions and Falcons. Perhaps their top five place in these NFL power rankings will look more like a mirage by next month - but that's all the more reason to enjoy it now. The rest of my standings are listed below.
1. San Francisco 49ers: 2-0
2. Green Bay Packers: 1-1
3. New England Patriots: 1-1
4. Houston Texans: 2-0
5. Philadelphia Eagles: 2-0
6. Baltimore Ravens: 1-1
7. Atlanta Falcons: 2-0
8. Pittsburgh Steelers: 1-1
9. New York Giants: 1-1
10. Denver Broncos: 1-1
11. San Diego Chargers: 2-0
12. Arizona Cardinals: 2-0
13. Dallas Cowboys: 1-1
14. Detroit Lions: 1-1
15. Chicago Bears: 1-1
16. Cincinnati Bengals: 1-1
17. Washington Redskins: 1-1
18. Carolina Panthers: 1-1
19. Seattle Seahawks: 1-1
20. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: 1-1
21. New Orleans Saints: 0-2
22. New York Jets: 1-1
23. Buffalo Bills: 1-1
24. Miami Dolphins: 1-1
25. St. Louis Rams: 1-1
26. Indianapolis Colts: 1-1
27. Minnesota Vikings: 1-1
28. Tennessee Titans: 0-2
29. Oakland Raiders: 0-2
30. Kansas City Chiefs: 0-2
31. Jacksonville Jaguars: 0-2
32. Cleveland Browns: 0-2
Robert Dougherty is a life-long Philadelphia resident who has followed the Eagles since he was eight years old.
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