NFL Power Rankings: 'Perfect' Jalen Hurts Has Philadelphia Eagles At No. 1?
Through five games, there have been no signs of slowing down for the Philadelphia Eagles.
The Eagles (5-0) remained unbeaten with a 23-14 win over the Los Angeles Rams (2-3) on Sunday at SoFi Stadium. Jalen Hurts did it all for Philadelphia's offense, completing 25 of 38 passes for 308 yards, one touchdown and one interception. He also ran for 72 yards and a score.
Whether it was breaking tackles to get first downs or using his legs to extend plays before finding A.J. Brown down the field, it was a vintage Hurts performance.
With Hurts' success and Philadelphia's defense putting together another solid game, the Eagles were ranked No. 2 in Sports Illustrated's Power Rankings and only trail the San Francisco 49ers (5-0), who are the only other unbeaten team in the NFL after coming off of a 42-10 shellacking of the Dallas Cowboys (3-2).
Jalen Hurts breaking a tackle and running for a first down.
© Gary A. Vasquez, USA TODAY
"I’ve decided that Jalen Hurts is the perfect mobile quarterback," SI writes. "You would think Anthony Richardson or Cam Newton or Josh Allen if you were to try and construct something in a laboratory, but Hurts has such a good command of his body, and his build is so much more conducive to taking strategic hits. The Eagles are like the complete, fulfilled promise of what the Ravens set out to be four years ago."
Jalen Carter continued his push toward the Defensive Rookie of the Year with his performance against the Rams. He had two sacks and two tackles for loss. He has 3.5 sacks, four tackles for loss, four quarterback hits and two forced fumbles this season.
Haason Reddick also had two sacks against Los Angeles, as both came on back-to-back plays at a crucial point late in the fourth quarter.
The Eagles and 49ers are clearly the class of the NFC, and no other team appears to be that close. With both teams off to 5-0 starts, they appear on a collision course to meet in the NFC Championship game for a second straight season. Their meeting in Week 13 on Dec. 3 at Lincoln Financial Field will likely decide who hosts the game between the NFC behemoths with a Super Bowl berth on the line.
