They have the best record in football with the No. 3 offense and No. 2 defense. According to the FiveThirtyEight, they have a 74% chance of being ranked No. 1 in the NFC and the best chance among all teams in the NFL to win the Super Bowl. They are 4-1 against winning teams, 5-0 on the road and 5-0 in one possession games.
Some good references.
With this kind of season, you’d think the Eagles would have half a dozen Pro Bowl locks, but that’s really not the case. The Eagles have a ton of guys who could make the NFC Pro Bowl team, but only two real dunks.
As fan voting continues, we thought we’d take a look at the odds of a number of Eagles who are in the mix. (And the players on IR whose names were ridiculously removed from the ballot I listed where they deserve to be listed, regardless of stupid NFL rules.)
Teams and coaches vote a week from Friday, and rosters for the revamped Pro Bowl — the Pro Bowl Games — will be announced sometime the following week.
And remember, the Pro Bowl itself doesn’t matter, but making sure the team does.
Locks
Jalen hurts: An MVP candidate from the team with the best record in football is as much of a lock as it gets. Geno Smith (108.7) and Hurts (108.3) have the highest passer ratings among NFC quarterbacks, and the injured Jimmy Garoppolo is the only other at over 100. The 29 touchdowns in total Hurts are by far the most quarterbacks in the NFC.
Jason Kelce: Kelce is at the point in his career where he will make the Pro Bowl team no matter what. It doesn’t hurt that at 34 and in his 12th season, he is playing as well as ever. This will be Kelce’s sixth Pro Bowl, and it’s a crime he didn’t commit in his 2017 and 2018 all-pro seasons.
Good luck
A.J. Brown: Brown is close to a lock. He’s second to Justin Jefferson among NFC wide receivers with 950 yards and leads the conference with nine TD catches. Brown made a Pro Bowl two years ago, which always improves a player’s chances. Maybe not a lock as there are several other NFC receivers in its range – Terry McLaurin, CeeDee Lamb, Chris Olave, Tyler Lockett – but I’d be shocked if it wasn’t chosen.
Chauncey Gardner Johnson: Gardner-Johnson was a lock before his injury, but going on IR meant his name was taken off the ballot, which could unfairly disqualify him from being selected. But he deserves it: Although he missed most of the Packers’ game and the Titans won, he’s still tied for the NFL’s steals lead with six. Among NFC safeties, only Harrison Smith (5) and Talanoa Hufanga (4) have more than three. He also has eight knockdowns, four tackles for loss and two QB hits.
Javon Hargrave: Hargrave made his first Pro Bowl a year ago and has been better this season. Sacks are only a small part of what an inside lineman does, but his 8.0 sacks are 10th most in the entire NFL and second among all inside linemen in the NFC, behind only Daron. Payne of Washington, who has 8 ½. He was solid all around and it would be a surprise if he didn’t get another nod.
Lane Johnson: If it were based on the field game, Johnson would be a unanimous choice. He’s having another monster year — Pro Football Focus ranks him 4th in left tackles in the league — and he hasn’t allowed a sack or a hit quarterback all year. But for some reason, Pro Bowl voters like to snub Johnson. He was a Pro Bowler from 2017 to 2019 but hasn’t made it since, despite still playing at an elite level. He deserves it more than ever this year.
Darius Slay: Slay has been great all year, but he hasn’t had an interception in his last six games, and that could hurt him. But he has the 5th highest opposing passer rating among NFC cornerbacks (58.2), he’s already a four-time Pro Bowler, and he’s highly respected by opposing receivers (who vote), so he’s got a good shot.
decent luck
James Bradberry: He doesn’t have Slay’s name recognition, but Bradberry was outstanding in his first (and likely only) year with the Eagles. Opposing QBs have a passer rating of 40.0 when targeting him – the lowest in the league. That’s 30 completions on 68 attempts for 238 yards and a TD. It’s the elite. Bradberry went to his only Pro Bowl in 2020 with the Giants.
Dallas Goedert: Like Gardner-Johnson, Goedert is a victim of the league’s unnecessary policy of removing IR players from the ballot – even if they are among the league leaders. Despite missing 3½ games with a shoulder injury, Goedert is still second among NFC tight ends with 544 yards, which tells you how good he was before the injury. . Goedert won’t be back until next week but despite only playing 8½ games he clearly deserves it.
Hason Reddick: In his first year with the Eagles, Reddick was exceptional and ranks fourth among NFC top rushers with nine sacks in 12 games. He also has three forced fumbles, four quarterback hits and six tackles for loss. Very good numbers. Reddick didn’t make a Pro Bowl despite back-to-back double-digit seasons.
Miles Sanders: Sanders has a career-high 924 rushing yards and trails only former teammate Saquon Barkley (1,055) and Dalvin Cook (927) among NFC running backs. His nine rushing touchdowns are second in the conference and his 4.9 average is third. It’s pretty solid work, and Sanders really deserves to be one of the NFC three backs.
Possible
Fletcher Cox: Cox looks rejuvenated in recent weeks and has been playing his best football in a long time lately. One huge thing he has going for him is a loaded resume with six Pro Bowls already — each from 2015 through 2020. Cox has five sacks this year, which puts him fifth among NFC interior linemen.
Jordan Mailata: Mailata hasn’t been as consistent as he would have liked, and the fact that his worst game — against the Texans — was on national television won’t help. Mailata was more deserving last year, when PFF ranked him the No. 3 offensive tackle in the entire NFL and his omission from the NFC team seemed like a real snub. He’s No. 22 this year, which isn’t bad at all, but he probably wasn’t good enough to make his first Pro Bowl.
Rick Lovato: The Middletown South graduate has been remarkably consistent since joining the Eagles midway through the 2016 season. Lovato and Kelce are the only Eagles to play all 100 games since 2017. Lovato made the Pro Bowl a long snapper in 2019, which makes him a contender every year.
Josh Sweat: Sweat had the best season of his five-year career, and while 5½ sacks in 12 games doesn’t put him among the league leaders, opposing offensive linemen — who vote for rushers — definitely respect Sweat. . It doesn’t hurt that he made the Pro Bowl last year.