Week 1 is in the books, and the Philadelphia Eagles are sitting where they wanted to be: in the win column and at the top of the NFC East, at least for now. But the first set of division power rankings after the opener comes with a twist the Eagles probably didn’t expect - the New York Giants are suddenly breathing down their necks.
The Eagles opened 1-0, which keeps them in front of a division where every team already has at least one obvious problem. Still, there’s a real question hanging over Philadelphia’s offense, and it starts with the absence of A.J.
Brown. Without him, the ceiling looks different.
The defense, on the other hand, gives the team a strong floor, which is why Philadelphia remains the division’s team to beat for the moment.
The concern is what happens when the passing game has to carry more of the load. Jalen Hurts is described here as a limited passer, and with Brown missing for the first time since the 2021 season, the worry is that the offense could take a meaningful step back before long.
The biggest surprise in the division rankings is New York at No. 2.
The Giants are 1-0, and Jaxson Dart’s Week 1 performance was enough to make people look twice. He’s being viewed as a legitimate dual-threat quarterback, someone who can hurt defenses with both his arm and his legs.
He ran for nine touchdowns as a rookie and 24 over his 14 games last year, and if he makes a real Year 2 leap, Philadelphia may have to keep an eye over its shoulder.
That doesn’t mean the Giants are a finished product. Their roster still has holes.
But the idea here is simple: a quarterback playing at a high level can hide a lot, and Dart has the kind of talent that can do exactly that. After the way Week 1 unfolded, the Giants can’t be brushed aside.
Dallas comes in at No. 3 after a rough Sunday night. The Cowboys’ defense got picked apart by the Giants, and while there’s still legitimate talent on that side of the ball, the early returns were ugly.
The offseason chatter around Dallas focused heavily on all the changes made to the defense, and Week 1 was a reminder that those moves don’t guarantee instant results. The offense can still be efficient enough to help them rebound, but they’ve already dropped a game in a hurry.
Washington rounds out the division at No. 4 after a loss that never quite got away from them, but still exposed some real issues. The offensive line remains a major concern, and that’s a bad place to be in a league where quality linemen are already hard to find. Jayden Daniels is still an encouraging young quarterback, but the Week 1 result wasn’t much of a surprise, and the Commanders could wind up as the division’s weakest team as the season goes on.
For now, the Eagles are on top. But the first power rankings of the year say they may not be there alone for long.
In Other News...
Eagles Opened With A Win And One Debate Fans Wont Ignore
The Eagles got the season started with a 24-22 win over Washington, and plenty of the attention after the opener landed on the names that usually drive the conversation in Philadelphia. Zack Baun was on the field for every defensive snap and finished with 12 tackles, Dallas Goedert found the end zone twice, and Jalen Hurts turned in a sharp outing with a 122.2 passer rating and 249 total yards.
Even with those contributions, the game still left fans with one familiar debate hanging over it, the kind that tends to follow this team no matter the scoreboard. The player comments and individual performances from the opener only sharpened that conversation, because a win can calm the noise for a night, but it rarely settles the bigger questions in Philadelphia for long. [Read more 🡒]
Eagles Week 1 Win Brought Praise And Criticism Fans Saw Coming
The Eagles opened the season with a 24-22 win over Washington that gave fans a little of everything, from Dallas Goederts two touchdowns to Saquon Barkleys steady work on the ground. Riq Woolen also made a strong impression in his defensive debut, giving the roster a few early signs that some new pieces can fit right in when the games start counting.
Cooper DeJean and Makai Lemon, though, were among the players who drew less flattering reviews from the same outing, which is usually the tradeoff in a Week 1 verdict. For Philadelphia, the broader picture is simple enough: a win is a win, but the first game also offered an early reminder that the Eagles margin for error may depend on how quickly the quieter concerns get cleaned up. [Read more 🡒]
Howie Roseman Looks Better After Ex Eagles Starter's Brutal Debut
Reed Blankenships move to Houston gave him a fresh start after leaving the Eagles, but his first game in Texans colors was a rough reminder of how unforgiving a new landing spot can be. Signed to a three-year contract, the former Philadelphia starter ran into immediate trouble against Buffalo, where the Bills repeatedly found him in coverage and the Texans left the opener with a loss.
For Eagles fans, the debut only adds a little more shine to Howie Rosemans record of knowing when to move on. Blankenship now has to reset quickly with another difficult test coming against the Bengals, and Houston will be hoping the early hiccups are just part of the adjustment. If not, the Eagles decision to let him walk may age even better than it already looks. [Read more 🡒]