NFL week 9: Wentz, Eagles flying higher than others

A former NDSU quarterback leads an interesting group to the best record in the NFL

It took nine whole weeks, but one team has finally separated from the rest of the pack in the NFL: The Philadelphia Eagles.

This is not how plenty of teams are bad (which is true) or that there are a bunch of teams that are good but have a big flaw (also true). This is about one team that has finally established themselves as the best team in the NFL, putting themselves ahead of everyone.

This is a strange team because of the characters on this “Top Dog” squad, along with the fact this is the first time in forever that it took nine weeks to find one team that was truly apart from the rest of the pack.

Why The Eagles Are The Team To Beat

The Eagles are fifth in the league in total yards, averaging 377 per game while second in scoring with 31.4 points per game. Quarterback Carson Wentz has looked phenomenal all season, racking up 2,262 yards through the air with 23 touchdowns, completing 60 percent of his passes and 26 passes of 20 yards or more. He is also good at not only running the ball when he needs to, but extending plays, stretching the time the coverage has to stay in place and staying allusive from the pass rush.

While Wentz has performed admirably, their offense is incredibly complete, from having an array of running backs to a diverse group of receivers. With the addition of Jay Ajayi to give the backfield a burst with the big bulldozer in Legarrette Blount. At receiver, they have a great safety net at tight end Zach Ertz, with the stud receiver Alshon Jeffery who pairs nicely with role players in Nelson Agholor, Mack Hollins and Torrey Smith. The entire offense has refused to look broken in any big ways this season, not showing a major crack to date.

On the defense, the eagles have racked up 25 sacks and four forced fumbles from the front and are tied for second in the NFL with 11 interceptions. They are also one of the stoutest defenses in the league, giving up only 19.9 points per game and 315.9 yards per game. The defense has been great, getting the ball to their offense and making sure they preserve leads that Wentz and company create.

Can It Go On?

The rest of the season includes the next four of five on the road: Dallas, Chicago, Seattle, L.A. Rams, and the New York Giants. The Bears will be the only home game. After that, they finish with two home games against Oakland and Dallas. Even if they drop off and play poorly, the Eagles can go 4-3 the rest of the way at worst, which would put them at 12-4 this season. That should be enough to not only grab the NFC East division, but also to secure the No. 1 seed in the NFC Conference.

This team has seen great play on both the offensive and defensive line, and they have a great quarterback and can run the ball effectively with their running backs. These are the things that travel and in the playoffs, when the elements could get nasty and the teams tighten up, it is what wins games.

Can it go on? Absolutely, this team is very well built and rolling over teams. As we have covered already, even teams like New England and Pittsburgh have major flaws. This is maybe the only team that does not have a massive flaw to exploit, which is what makes them the most dangerous.