Tuesday, Sep 20, 2022 - 10:26 PM

NFL Power Rankings: No. 6 Eagles looking legit

written by Joe Lago, Bally Sports

Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts (1) celebrates with teammates after scoring on a 26-yard touchdown run during the first half of an NFL football game against the Minnesota Vikings, Monday, Sept. 19, 2022, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)

One game is way too early to make statements. Even two weeks into a new season, one must pump the brakes on any hyperbole (except for the Bills — they’re really good).

But if you tuned into the Monday Night Football doubleheader, your eyes weren’t deceiving you while watching the utter domination in Philadelphia. The Eagles looked that good in mauling the Vikings 24-7 to improve to 2-0.

For the second straight week, Jalen Hurts did damage on the ground and through the air, rushing for 57 yards and two touchdowns and throwing for 333 yards and another TD with one interception. Darius Slay limited Justin Jefferson to 48 receiving yards (136 fewer than the Minnesota star’s Week 1 explosion) and made two of Philly’s three interceptions against Vikings QB Kirk Cousins.

The sample size remains small, but the Eagles’ emergence cannot be minimized. They’ve performed like the best team in the NFC East, and while they have a long way to go to prove they’re on the same level as the defending Super Bowl champion Rams and perennial contender Buccaneers, perhaps Nick Sirianni’s team will have something to say in the NFC race by season’s end.

But, again, it’s early.

The easiest Week 2 conclusion is determining who’s struggling. The Bengals are the biggest disappointment among the 0-2 strugglers, but the Raiders and Titans aren’t far behind. And the bottom two of our rankings are pretty clear with the winless Colts and Panthers.

Let’s run down the rankings, from No. 1 to No. 32.

1. Buffalo Bills (2-0, Last week: 1): They are averaging 40 points a game and have allowed just one touchdown in each of their blowout wins. Very Super Bowl favorite-like.

2. Kansas City Chiefs (2-0, LW: 2): The AFC West, with all of its skill-position superstars, will require toughness to win it. The Chiefs demonstrated that necessary physicality in beating the Chargers last Thursday.

3. Los Angeles Chargers (1-1, LW: 3): They had so many opportunities against the Chiefs, including dropped INTs that Asante Samuel Jr. won’t be forgetting any time soon.

4. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2-0, LW: 4): The offense needs plenty of work if Tom Brady is already erupting in tablet-throwing sideline tantrums.

5. Los Angeles Rams (1-1, LW: 5): Matthew Stafford has thrown more interceptions (an NFL-worst five) than TD passes (four) after getting picked off twice in a near-collapse against Atlanta.

6. Philadelphia Eagles (2-0, LW: 10): They’re arguably the NFC’s most complete team right now. Let’s see how they handle their NFC East opener at Washington.

7. Miami Dolphins (2-0, LW: 9): The legend of their miraculous comeback against Baltimore will always begin with the story of Mike McDaniel saying “F--- it” and having Tua Tagovailoa throw deep to Tyreek Hil l en route to an epic six-TD day.

8. San Francisco 49ers (1-1, LW: 11): Trey Lance’s season-ending injury was gruesome and unfortunate, but in the brutal world of pro football, it just might put the Niners back on the Super Bowl track with old friend Jimmy Garoppolo.

9. Baltimore Ravens (1-1, LW: 7): Last season, they had the league’s worst pass defense (278.9 yards per game). After two games, they still have the league’s worst pass defense (379.0).

10. Minnesota Vikings (1-1, LW: 8): Yes, Kirk Cousins had another Monday nightmare. The Vikings' defense struggled in Philly, too, allowing 486 yards — 347 in the first half.

11. Green Bay Packers (1-1, LW: 14): The Packers’ receiving by committee has led to running backs A.J. Dillon and Aaron Jones sharing the team lead in catches (six) with wideouts Sammy Watkins and Romeo Doubs. Aaron Rodgers will somehow make it all work.

12. Denver Broncos (1-1, LW: 13): The defense, ranked third in the NFL in both yards (243.5 per game) and points (13.0) allowed, will dominate. Still, Nathaniel Hackett and Russell Wilson need to produce more than their 16-point average on offense.

13. Arizona Cardinals (1-1, LW: 16): They looked absolutely lifeless down 20-0 at halftime in Las Vegas. Twenty-nine points and one miracle comeback later, Kyler Murray and crew are completely energized.

14. New York Giants (2-0, LW: 18): They’re operating close to a top-10 defense, and Saquon Barkley (236 yards) leads the NFL in rushing. That’ll be a winning combination for Brian Daboll if Big Blue can sustain it.

15. Dallas Cowboys (1-1, LW: 23): Maybe the season can be saved after all with a Micah Parsons-led defense and backup QB Cooper Rush’s game managing.

16. Cincinnati Bengals (0-2, LW: 6): So far, the revamped offensive line is failing to protect Joe Burrow (league-high 13 sacks).

17. Chicago Bears (1-1, LW: 19): Justin Fields can’t develop as a passer if he’s not throwing the ball (league-low 28 attempts). It’s time to let it rip, Bears brain trust.

18. Las Vegas Raiders (0-2, LW: 12): They had a shot to beat the Chargers and blew a big lead against Arizona. Josh McDaniels says his team needs to learn how to win, but he does as well — he’s 11-19 as an NFL head coach.

19. New England Patriots (1-1, LW: 22): Mac Jones made enough plays to secure win No. 1, while the fourth-ranked defense (275.0 yards allowed per game) did the heavy lifting against Pittsburgh.

20. New Orleans Saints (1-1, LW: 20): Their season could be painful to watch with Alvin Kamara (ribs) already missing one game and Jameis Winston (spine fractures) playing hurt.

21. Detroit Lions (1-1, LW: 30): It’s early, but Dan Campbell’s Lions have shown they can score in bunches (tied for second with K.C. at 35.5 points per game) and rack up sacks in bunches (top pick Aidan Hutchinson had three against Washington).

22. Washington Commanders (1-1, LW: 21): At least the problem against Detroit wasn’t Carson Wentz, who shares the league lead in TD passes (seven) and ranks second in passing yards (650).

23. Tennessee Titans (0-2, LW: 15): Fans got what they wanted — rookie Malik Willis to replace Ryan Tannehill — during a forgettable Monday night in Orchard Park.

24. Pittsburgh Steelers (1-1, LW: 24): Their playmaking receivers are already complaining about not being able to make plays (yes, they’re talking about YOU, Mitch Trubisky).

25. Seattle Seahawks (1-1, LW: 25): Predictably, Geno Smith and the Seahawks crashed back down to earth after their emotional victory against Russell Wilson and the Broncos.

26. New York Jets (1-1, LW: 32): Rookie wideout Garrett Wilson looks like a keeper, in reality and in fantasy.

27. Cleveland Browns (1-1, LW: 26): After the Jets completed their miracle comeback in Cleveland, a fan allegedly threw a bottle at Browns owner Jimmy Haslam.

28. Jacksonville Jaguars (1-1, LW: 31): The investment in Christian Kirk (two TDs vs. Indy) is paying dividends for the AFC South leaders.

29. Houston Texans (0-1-1, LW: 27): Believe it or not, they’ve entered the fourth quarter with the lead in both games.

30. Atlanta Falcons (0-2, LW: 29): Third-round pick Desmond Ridder replacing Marcus Mariota at quarterback might come sooner than later.

31. Indianapolis Colts (0-1-1, LW: 17): Frank Reich may have met his match as a quarterback whisperer with 37-year-old Matt Ryan.

32. Carolina Panthers (0-2, LW: 28): Christian McCaffrey has played two games without getting hurt. Hey, you have to focus on the positive when you’ve lost nine straight games dating back to last season.