Philadelphia Eagles In Great Position In NFC Heading Into Their Bye Week

By Max Zelenko on October 15, 2014

Heading into Week 5 against the New York Giants, the Philadelphia Eagles were 4-1, but in no way was it a “feel good” 4-1. Fast-forward to this past Sunday, and the conclusion of Week 6 of the NFL season — now sitting at 5-1, the sky seems to be the limit for this Eagles team.

Now, with Week 7 about to get underway, Philadelphia is tied atop the NFC, with the rival Dallas Cowboys (own tiebreak over Dallas based on division record). The question is, are the Eagles actually this good?

While Philadelphia clearly has some questions throughout their team, they have made a case they are a top-tier team within the conference. Yes, teams like the Seattle Seahawks, Arizona Cardinals and Cowboys may beat the Eagles on any given Sunday, but in no way can even the most casual of fans be surprised if Philadelphia beats those teams as well.

Nick Foles has had his ups and downs throughout the season, and LeSean McCoy has failed to produce on a consistent basis. However, it has to be assumed — after torching the Giants — that McCoy has finally gotten his groove back. Foles, on the other hand, still has a few question marks, and understandably so.

He played one of his better games of 2014, but Foles continues to make too many mistakes. He threw two awful interceptions on Sunday night, and will need to cut down on those type of mistakes if the Eagles want to make a serious run.

The most surprising part of this team has been the defense. Not only are they finding a way to score defensive touchdowns, but they have suddenly been able to create intense pressure on opposing quarterbacks. During Week 7, Philadelphia sacked the Giants’ quarterbacks eight total times. If you follow the Eagles, you know this has been unheard of since the Jim Johnson era.

If Philadelphia is able to maintain this consistent defensive play, along with continuing to improve on the offensive side of the ball, this team will continue to compete for home-field advantage throughout the NFC playoffs. With the Eagles 7-0 over their past seven regular season home games, it is clearly an advantage the Eagles want to maintain.

Max Zelenko is a Philadelphia Eagles/NFL writer for www.Rantsports.com. Follow him on twitter @maxzelenko, “Like” him on Facebook, or add him to your network on Google.