Things certainly have changed regarding the national perception of the Eagles.
After spending nearly all off-season and most of the beginning of the season viewed as one of the worst teams in the league, the Eagles are now graded the 7th-best team in the entire NFL, according to ProFootball Focus.
The overall grade comes from a combination of offense, defense and special teams.
The only six teams ahead of the Eagles in overall grade are the Patriots, Rams, Cowboys, Buccaneers, Browns and 49ers — three of which the Eagles played and lost to this season.
The Eagles currently rank well ahead of the teams coming up on their schedule, as the Giants (28th), Jets (30th) and Washington (21st) all are near the bottom of the league. The Cowboys, as mentioned above, are the only team remaining on the Eagles schedule currently graded higher then them — and there is a chance the Cowboys won’t even be playing their starters in Week 18.
So why did the Eagles grade out as one of the best teams in the league?
There is no question it starts with their offensive line, which is currently grade as the 4th-best pass blocking offensive line, and 7th-best run blocking offensive line. The only other team in the entire NFL with a line ranked in the top seven of both categories is Washington. The Eagles’ line has been dominant the last month of the season, leading the way for the running game to total 870 yards on the ground.
As a result, Pro Football Focus ranks the Eagles as having the fifth-best offense in the league, a major improvement from where they were earlier in the year. The Eagles’ defense still has some work to do, as they come in 20th overall.
Whether the Eagles are actually the 7th-best team in the NFL is certainly up for debate. They almost certainly aren’t in the top 10 of most power rankings right now from analysts that cover the league.
Pro Football Focus having them graded out this high, however, is certainly noteworthy — and confirmation that if you remove your bias about the how team started the season, there is no question they are playing an impressive, winning style of football right now.
You can reach Eliot Shorr-Parks on Twitter at @EliotShorrParks or email him at esp@94wip.com!