What are the “experts” saying about Philadelphia’s football team?

It’s time for our weekly roundup of how various media outlets view the Philadelphia Eagles in their NFL power rankings. Always interesting to see how the Birds stack up from an outside perspective.

ESPN

22 - What we got wrong: Carson Wentz’s success down the stretch last season would be a launching point in his career. We’re still awaiting liftoff. Wentz has been one of the worst quarterbacks in the NFL statistically through three games. He is tied for the most interceptions (six), is dead last in QB rating (63.9) and is 29th in completion percentage (59.8) for the 0-2-1 Eagles. Experts see issues in his mechanics and there’s plenty of evidence that Wentz is pressing, leading to some bad decision-making. Coach Doug Pederson intends to simplify the game plan in order to “unclutter” Wentz’s mind moving forward. Perhaps that helps, but so far it’s been ugly. (LW: 22)

Yahoo! Sports

23 - A quick defense of Doug Pederson’s decision to punt late in overtime on Sunday: It’s Week 3, and a half-win could be important in the terrible NFC East. A half-win allowed the Eagles to gain a game on the other three teams in the division, who all lost. Pederson’s options were to go for it on fourth-and-12 at his own 49, try a 64-yard field goal or punt and take a half of a win. If the Eagles turn their season around, they’ll appreciate having that tie instead of taking a low-percentage shot at a win. Just because football culture says it’s wrong to settle for a tie doesn’t mean it was the imprudent move. (LW: 20)

Bleacher Report

23 - It’s a good thing no fans were allowed at Lincoln Financial Field on Sunday. Had the house been packed with Philly fans during Sunday’s dog of a performance against the winless Cincinnati Bengals, the boos would have set a Guinness World Record for noise level in a stadium. Granted, the Eagles have been hit as hard by injuries as any team in the NFL. And while Philadelphia won the NFC East last season, it did so with just nine victories. But still, this Eagles team came into 2020 with aspirations of a deep playoff run. Given how Philadelphia has played this season, that is most assuredly not going to happen. The biggest concern for the Eagles (outside of their record) has to be the play of quarterback Carson Wentz. Against the Bengals, Wentz was 29-of-47 for just 225 yards, one touchdown and a pair of interceptions. That gives Wentz six picks this year, and his passer rating sits at a miserable 63.9. (LW: 20)

Pro Football Network

23 - It has been really tough going for Philadelphia this year. After Dallas Goedert went out early in this game, it became apparent that Zach Ertz was the Eagles only real receiving threat of note. Carson Wentz played better, but there were just too many missed opportunities for the Eagles in this game overall. But hey, at least the Eagles didn’t lose this week. (LW: 21)

NFL.com

23 - Sunday was supposed to be a get-right game for the Eagles. Instead, it ended with Doug Pederson waving a white flag, punting to ensure a tie in overtime against the Bengals. It’s not fair to put all of Philly’s problems on the quarterback, but Carson Wentz has been a major issue. He deserves credit for engineering a touchdown drive at the end of regulation to force OT, but Wentz delivered another sloppy performance that left big plays and points on the field. He’s up to six interceptions in three games — just one less than he had in 16 starts in 2019. On Monday, Pederson wisely dismissed any talk of rookie Jalen Hurts threatening Wentz’s job, but it’s a minor disaster that the coach is even getting that question after Week 3. (LW: 22)

CBS Sports

24 - They have been the league’s biggest disappointment so far. Yet at 0-2-1 they aren’t done yet in a bad division. (LW: 22)

Rick Gosselin

25 - Where’s Nick Foles when the Eagles really need him? Carson Wentz is in a big-time funk with seven turnovers through three weeks. His six interceptions – two and each game – and fumble have contributed to that 0-2-1 start. He also ranks third in the league with 11 sacks. And now the Eagles hit the road for two games against Super Bowl hopefuls, San Francisco and Pittsburgh. (LW: 23)

Pro Football Talk

26 - The luster of a Lombardi apparently lasts less than three years. (LW: 19)

Sporting News

26 - What was that? Carson Wentz put together another clunker at home and the Eagles’ offense looked lost when not running Miles Sanders. Their defense also continues to have major lapses behind their strong pass rush. (LW: 23)

The Athletic

27 - What we learned: They are a complete mess from top to bottom. Howie Roseman built an old and expensive roster. Doug Pederson, a coach who wrote a book titled “Fearless” after the Eagles won the Super Bowl, played for a tie in overtime against the Bengals. And Carson Wentz looks completely broken. Owner Jeffrey Lurie believes strongly that offensive efficiency is the key to sustaining success in the NFL. The Eagles’ offense right now ranks 28th in EPA per snap. The only question now is whether this was rock bottom or whether more hits are coming for an organization that seems to have lost its way. (LW: 23)

Sports Illustrated

27 - Doug Pederson said that in hindsight, instead of punting on fourth-and-12 with 19 seconds left in overtime, thus playing for a tie against a Bengals team that won two games last season, he maybe would have chosen to go for it. But the fact that he didn’t in that moment hinted at a lack of confidence in Carson Wentz. (LW: 27)

Blogging The Boys

28 - Carson Wentz appears to be a shell of the version of himself that we saw three years ago. (LW: 24)

Reddit

28 - What kind of coward elects to punt on 4th-and-12 from mid-field with 19 seconds left in overtime? The Eagles’ organization is garbage. (LW: 23)

Washington Post

28 - The Eagles, by tying the lowly Bengals, picked up ground Sunday on the rest of the dreadful NFC East. See? Doug Pederson knew what he was doing with that overtime punt. What a division. (LW: 26)

Insider

28 - Carson Wentz and the Eagles offense is a mess. Wentz threw two more interceptions in Week 3, and while he added some offense with his legs, the passing game shows no signs of improvement. He won’t be helped by tight end Dallas Goedert and wide receiver DeSean Jackson potentially missing time with injuries. (LW: 23)

Bleeding Green Nation

29 - This team stinks. Howie Roseman, Carson Wentz, and Doug Pederson — in that order — are failing their city. Roseman built the NFL’s second most expensive roster and has a 0-2-1 record to show for it. Wentz has been atrocious and owns the league’s worst passer rating (63.9) through three games. Pederson isn’t giving the Eagles an edge by coaching scared. With games upcoming against SF, PIT, and BAL, the Eagles could easily drop to 0-5-1. (LW: 29)

The Ringer

29 - Let’s talk about the NFC East for a minute. I’ll start out by saying that the Cowboys are the clear favorites in this division and are almost surely better than their 1-2 record. As for the other three teams, well, they might actually be worse than their records. (Can you get worse than 0-3 after three games? I don’t know, but the Giants are making a case.) Washington’s defense has some talent, but the offense is a mess, and Dwayne Haskins’s prospects as a high-level starter look increasingly poor. And things are somehow even worse in Philly. The Eagles punted from their own 49-yard line with 19 seconds to go in overtime so they could secure a tie. It’s bleak.

Chicago Tribune

29 - Carson Wentz’s 63.9 passer rating is the worst in the league, ranking below Sam Darnold, Daniel Jones, Dwayne Haskins — everyone. That explains why coach Doug Pederson was asked Monday morning on the team’s flagship radio station if he will turn to rookie Jalen Hurts. (LW: 26)

USA Today

29 - Need a silver lining, Philly fans? RB Miles Sanders’ 119 yards from scrimmage per game rank him in top five league-wide. More Miles, Iggles. (LW: 29)

ANALYSIS

The rankings range from as high as 22 to as low as 29. The most common rankings are 23, 28, and 29. The average ranking is 26.2, which is down from last week’s 23.5 mark.

I don’t know how some outlets have the Eagles ranked as high as 22 or 23. There are really 10 or so teams that they’re better than?!

The only teams I trust — no, trust isn’t the right word. I don’t trust this team at all. How could you? The only teams I think this team can beat are both dumpster fire New Jersey squads (the Giants and Jets) and the Denver Broncos, who are now starting former undrafted rookie free agent Brett Rypien at quarterback.

The Eagles have a chance to prove the doubters (myself included) wrong about them with a win over the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday Night Football. Conversely, a big loss on national television will have everyone catching up to just how bad the Birds are.