We made it. Regular season NFL football is here. We're less than one week away from the Eagles' 2022 debut in Detroit against a suspect Lions team, which means we should be less than one week away from a 1-0 start to the season.
It's the best time of the year for football fans. It's all hope and no worries. Nothing but potential. And if the power rankings I've seen ahead of Week 1 are any indication, football experts think the Eagles have a LOT of potential.
Let's scour seven different national outlets to find out what they're saying about the Birds ahead of the Week 1 madness:
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NFL.com
Last week: 15
This week: 15 (+0)
"Can anyone put a dent in the offensive line? Eagles GM Howie Roseman has built a deep and promising roster that should put quarterback Jalen Hurts in the best possible position to thrive in Year 3. But Roseman outdid himself up front, where the starting five of LT Jordan Mailata, LG Landon Dickerson, C Jason Kelce, RG Isaac Seumalo and RT Lane Johnson stand above any blocking group in football. Mailata has been the greatest revelation of all, a product of the International Pathway Program who went from spot starter to one of the most dominant blockers in the game seemingly overnight."
NFL
USA Today
Last week: 10
This week: 11 (-1)
"Jalen Hurts has all sorts of offensive talent to rely on in 2022. The defense is solid. Hurts feels a lot like Tua Tagovailoa in Miami with somewhat fewer questions. The Eagles should win anywhere between 10-11 games and take the NFC East."
ESPN
Last week: 16
This week: 15 (+1)
"When is the quarterback seat in Philly not hot? Hurts led the Eagles to a postseason appearance in his first year as a full-time starter and has shown signs of improvement this summer. But the Eagles will soon have a decision to make when it comes to the long-term direction of the franchise. Hurts is eligible for a contract extension after the season. Philadelphia, meanwhile, holds two first-round picks in what is expected to be a quarterback-rich draft next April. Hurts' performance this season will help inform management's decision on how to proceed."
Sports Illustrated
Last week: 15
This week: 11 (+4)
"The Eagles have done a great job building a roster around Jalen Hurts, and he’s been given everything he needs to succeed in Year 3."
Pro Football Focus
Last week: 13
This week: 13 (+0)
"I’m not sure any franchise had a better offseason than the Eagles when all is considered. Trading for A.J. Brown gives them the No. 1 receiver they have been searching for, and it also allows DeVonta Smith to concentrate on doing what he does well as the No. 2. Adding Haason Reddick and Jordan Davis reinforces a defensive front that was eroding from its peak, and grabbing James Bradberry late in the day is a really shrewd signing that could make a real difference. Georgia linebacker Nakobe Dean could also prove to be one of the biggest steals of the draft if he’s the same player in the NFL that he was in college."
Walter Football
Last week: 8
This week: 8 (+0)
"The Eagles may have the best tandem of cornerbacks in the NFL, while Brandon Graham will be back from injury. With A.J. Brown around to help Jalen Hurts, the Eagles are a legitimate dark-horse Super Bowl contender."
Sporting News
Last week: 13
This week: 12 (+1)
"Speaking of those Eagles, they really need Jalen Hurts to take the next step as a passer with game-changer A.J. Brown now in the mix to help DeVonta Smith and Dallas Goedert. The offensive line rocks and the defense still has familiar pop. Regardless if they take back the East from the Cowboys, the Eagles should be set for playoff return."
Folks, the hype train is officially rolling! Between Aug. 10 and this week the Eagles managed to move up nearly a whole spot in the collective rankings. Their average ranking before the preseason began was 12.86; it's now 12.14.
Was the trade for Chauncey Gardner-Johnson - Ceedy Duce - that much of a needle-mover? Or is it just the collective excitement from national writers and talking heads all over the football world?
I can feel heat radiating off this Eagles squad right now. They're hot. They've got Chris Simms picking them to be the top seed in the NFC. It's a whole new world out there.
And now we actually get to watch them play. As the great Russell Wilson would say, let's ride.
I'll be tracking the Eagles' average power rankings across these seven outlets all season long at the bottom of these posts.
Season-long tracker
Pre-Preseason: 12.86
Post-Preseason: 12.14