NFL Week 14 Power Rankings: Eagles soaring since bye; Vikings crack top five; Ravens drop after tough loss

It seems like a long time ago when the Philadelphia Eagles went to their bye week with a 2-2 record, fresh off a blowout loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers that had fans and media members alike calling for the head of coach Nick Sirianni.

Not only did the Eagles look inept in that loss, but Sirianni was 3-8 in his last 11 after that debacle. The Super Bowl appearance of February of 2022 seemed a long time ago.

Now what actually seems like years ago is the catcalls for Sirianni’s job. The Eagles have ripped off eight straight victories, including an impressive 24-19 victory over the Baltimore Ravens on the road Sunday, to stake their claim as one of the NFL’s best teams.

Philadelphia has an MVP candidate in running back Saquon Barkley, running behind the league’s best offensive line, a quarterback who can run it and throw it in Jalen Hurts and a defense that has grown in a big way for star coordinator Vic Fangio.

Add it all up and the heat is off of Sirianni. Whatever he did during that bye week, he should bottle it and sell it to other coaches because it changed the fortunes of this Eagles team. The Eagles are rolling.

They are up to No. 4 in my latest Power Rankings and are proving to be the top contender to the Detroit Lions in the NFC. With a schedule that is far less daunting than what the Lions will face, plus a much-healthier defense, the Eagles could be in line for another Super Bowl appearance. It’s a far cry from the cries for the firing of Sirianni from Week 4.

Barkley has been on a tear the during the eight-game streak, showing his greatness but also showing how the Eagles can beat you down with their run game. They ran it on 12 consecutive plays to the game-clinching touchdown Sunday against the Ravens. That brutish football against a team known to be a bully.

The defense has really come on as well. Since the bye, they are giving up 13.6 points per game. The defensive line, led by Jalen Carter, has been dominant  and the secondary has been sticky.

It’s a formula that has the Eagles ready to push for the top seed in the NFC. Their remaining games are home against Carolina and Pittsburgh, then at Washington, before closing with home games against the Cowboys and Giants. The Lions have a much tougher schedule.

The Eagles have put the rest of the league on notice. When you go to Baltimore and bully the bully, the message is loud and clear. The Eagles are legit. (The betting markets are bullish on them as the Eagles have the second-best odds to win the NFC Championship, per FanDuel Sportsbook. Philadelphia also owns the second-best Super Bowl odds at FanDuel, behind only Detroit.)

And Sirianni has to be laughing privately at all those who called for his job in October. You know who you are.