Are the Eagles likely the best team in football right now? Yes, likely, but that’s not by a wide margin. And again, it’s only week 12. Check back in week 18….
…because there’s still a LOT of football left to be played. The Eagles schedule over the next few weeks is going to be a challenge for them.
- Bills @ Eagles (A measuring stick games for the Bills, so they’ll be hungry, and a tad desperate)
- Niners @ Eagles (These two could easily meet in the playoffs, and the Niners will come into Philly looking for revenge after that ugly playoff loss)
- Eagles @ Cowboys (It’s in Dallas, so this is the Cowboys chance to avenge an early season loss)
- Eagles @ Seahawks (Seahawks will be in desperation, playoff-hope mode, and it’s in Seattle, a tough place to play)
And then they get the Giants 2 out of the last 3 games to end the season, and the Cards, which all "sound" easy on paper. But for the Giants, there will be a bunch of players and coaches playing and coaching for their jobs, so I bet the Giants make the Eagles work in at least one of those final games. Same for the Cards. They’ll be desperate to have a good showing to close the season, as players and coaches will be playing for their jobs as their offseason begins.
So yes, the Eagles are a solid football team, but they’re not dominant (except for their unstoppable Tush Push). Jalen doesn’t look all that great in stretches of most games. They get down a lot in the second half, but have consistently figured out how to come back and win. They’re good, but they’ve also been fortunate. The Eagles are good at not beating themselves, which is worthy of applause by itself. But they did lose to the Jets so…
Thus, for the Cowboys, it’s all in front of them. THEY have an even tougher schedule than the Eagles heading into December, but if they continue to get better, and stack some wins, they could put themselves in position to win the division or host a wildcard playoff game.
And if the Lions or Niners struggle a bit in December too (which could happen since neither of them look dominant either), the Cowboys could be jockeying for the 1 seed by season’s end. Yes, it sounds crazy, but I believe a high playoff seed is still in play given the state of the best NFC teams. And it may come down to which of the top NFC Teams can remain healthiest. And for that Tush Push, I would bring in the absolute heaviest linemen and LBs and when Jalen surges forward, I’d have EVERY defensive linemen and LB land on Jalen’s back and legs in a massive pileup of bodies. You keep stacking 1,000+ pounds on Jalen’s and Kelce’s body and something’s bound to go awry. So I say pile on until the whistle stops, make them FEEL that Tush Push.
So, really, this isn’t about these other teams, it’s about the Cowboys. Can they win some tough games coming up, get better, and stay healthy? And if they can, the next question is can they enter into the playoffs and go on a run, and if necessary, on the road?
We’re going to find out. Let the rollercoaster ride continue…
