Week 18 NFL power rankings roundup: Eagles move up in some ratings, fall three spots in another

The Eagles escaped Highmark Stadium with a 13-12 win over the Buffalo Bills, extending their winning streak as they head into the last game of the regular season.

After the win, the Birds have moved up in some of the national power rankings and have fallen three spots in another. As they prepare to host the Washington Commanders, here’s where they stand in the latest batch ...

The Eagles remain in the sixth spot in The Ringer’s power rankings. The outlet praised the Birds’ physicality but raised one big concern coming out of Sunday: “Can this team stop turtling in big games?”

“The Eagles were clearly the more physical and better-prepared team in Sunday’s game against Buffalo, and were crushing the Bills late in the first half,” Diante Lee wrote. “If this team really was returning to its dominant 2024 form, the second half of that game would’ve been a perfect time to show it.

“Instead, the Eagles sat on their 13-point lead, made predictable calls and hoped its offensive line would bully its way to a win — something that hasn’t happened all season — and Philadelphia only managed to escape with a one-point win because Josh Allen missed an open receiver on a two-point conversion attempt. Head coach Nick Sirianni says he needs to be ‘more involved’ in important moments, and I’m wondering why he would ever take his eye off the offense in the first place."

The Eagles rank behind the No. 5 New England Patriots and No. 4 Jacksonville Jaguars. The Seattle Seahawks and Denver Broncos remain at Nos. 1 and 2, respectively.

The Eagles have moved up in ESPN’s power rankings — jumping up three spots from last week’s No. 10 ranking. As the regular season comes to an end, ESPN has learned “the Eagles have a Super Bowl-caliber defense, again.”

“Defensive coordinator Vic Fangio has been downright dominant since being hired by the Eagles in 2024,” Tim McManus wrote. “He orchestrated the No. 1 defense in football last season en route to Philadelphia’s second Lombardi Trophy and will deserve much of the credit should it snag a third this season. The unit ranks third in points allowed (18.8 per game) and ninth against the pass (193.4 yards per game). The Eagles showed against the Bills that they’re capable of quieting the best quarterbacks in the business.”

The Eagles sit behind the No. 6 Jaguars, the No. 5 Los Angeles Rams, and the No. 4 San Francisco 49ers. The Seahawks remain in the top spot. Meanwhile, the New England Patriots have moved up two spots to the No. 2 ranking.

Despite the win over the Bills, the Eagles have fallen in Yahoo! Sports’ power rankings. A poor offensive showing from the Birds in the second half was enough for the NFC East champs to fall three spots from last week’s No. 6 ranking.

“In the second half at Buffalo, the Eagles did not complete a pass and had just 16 yards,” Frank Schwab wrote. “Maybe Philly shouldn’t move down three spots after a win at Buffalo, but the problems with its offense aren’t going away. The Eagles might be getting worse. Their defense was fantastic, keeping Buffalo off the scoreboard for the Bills’ first eight drives (not counting kneel downs) but it’s hard to go on a playoff run when you can’t crack 20 yards of offense in a half of football.”

The Eagles trail the No. 8 Houston Texans and the No. 7 Chicago Bears. Meanwhile, the Seahawks remain at the No. 1 spot and the Broncos moved up to No. 2.

The Eagles haven’t moved in CBS Sports’ power rankings, remaining at the No. 10 spot. The team sits below the No. 9 Bills, a team it just defeated, and the No. 8 Texans.

“The defense is great. The offense isn’t,” Pete Prisco wrote. “Can they turn that offense around come playoff time?”

Similar to last week, the Seahawks (No. 1) and the Patriots (No. 2) top the list.

The Eagles moved up two spots from last week’s No. 11 ranking, trailing the No. 8 Bears and the No. 7 Texans. Despite their offensive inconsistencies, The Athletic praised Sirianni.

“Philadelphia had 17 yards of offense in the second half Sunday and still won,” Josh Kendall and Chad Graff wrote. “It feels like something only Nick Sirianni could pull off. The Eagles’ sometimes embattled head coach has a .702 winning percentage in nearly five seasons at the helm, the highest in the league among active head coaches. He may have to retool his entire offensive staff in the offseason, but Sirianni probably will be coaching this team (and aggravating Eagles fans) for another decade.”