Clearly the Philadelphia Eagles are listening to their fans when they sing the famous “Fly Eagles Fly,” because they own the best record in the National Football League (NFL) after eight weeks of football.
The Birds are 7-0 and are the only undefeated team left in football. Their scorching hot start is due to their dominance on both the offensive and defensive sides of the ball. The Eagles are scoring 28 points per game, and allowing just 16.8.
They are particularly good on the ground offensively, averaging 149.5 rushing yards per game so far this season.
Defensively, the Eagles force more turnovers than any defense in the league, forcing 16 total turnovers in seven games. They are also allowing just 298.1 total yards per game.
Only the Buffalo Bills have been as dominant on both sides of the ball as Philadelphia has.
Quarterback Jalen Hurts has been the star of the show for the Birds thus far. He has thrown for 1,799 yards and 10 touchdowns while only being intercepted twice. He has proved a versatile dual-threat weapon for the Eagles as well, adding 303 yards on the ground and half dozen scores.
Hurts and wide receiver A.J. Brown have been a sensational duo since Brown was brought in from the Tennessee Titans during the offseason. Brown has 39 catches for 659 yards and five touchdowns. The pair’s chemistry was highlighted in the team’s most recent game against the Pittsburgh Steelers, where they connected six times for 156 yards and three scores.
That game really showcased how far Hurts has come as a passer in his second season as the starter in the City of Brotherly Love. He was smart and efficient with the football and placed the ball perfectly on all three of his touchdown passes to Brown.
The Eagles offense lives and dies by the success or failure of Jalen Hurts, and so far this year, it has been all life out of the former Oklahoma Sooner.
Philadelphia’s defense has been a nightmare for opposing quarterbacks to deal with. The defensive line has 22 sacks, and the offseason signing of linebacker Hassan Reddick is paying off big time. Reddick leads the Birds in sacks with 5.5 and has forced a team-best three fumbles this season.
The Eagles secondary has also been terrific so far. Defensive backs Darius Slay, James Bradberry and Chauncey Gardner-Johnson have intercepted a combined nine passes and defended an additional 23. The secondary unit has allowed a league best 66.0 passer rating, giving the Eagles a strong argument for being the league’s best secondary.
While there is plenty of season to go and many things that can still happen, you cannot have a better start to a season than the Eagles have had. If they can sustain their momentum throughout their last eight games, they will likely hold home field advantage in the playoffs, which with just the single bye in each conference, would be a huge advantage. It is hard to argue, at this point in time, that there is a bigger Super Bowl favorite in the NFC than the Philadelphia Eagles.
