Week 11 NFL power rankings roundup: Eagles take top spot at ESPN but fall elsewhere despite win

The Eagles escaped Lambeau Field on Monday night with a 10-7 victory, their fourth straight over the Green Bay Packers. As the Birds prepare to take on the Detroit Lions on Sunday night in yet another prime-time matchup, they have made considerable gains in several national power rankings — in some cases, rising all the way to the top.

But not everyone had the Eagles on the rise in Week 11. One outlet even dropped them four spots despite their win. Here’s a look at where the Birds landed in the latest batch of NFL power rankings …

The Eagles moved up one place to take the No. 1 spot on ESPN’s list. The Buffalo Bills, who ranked No. 1 last week, fell six spots following a 17-point loss to the 3-7 Miami Dolphins. The outlet praised the contributions of Eagles wideout DeVonta Smith.

“[Smith] leads all Eagles skill players with 48 catches, 657 receiving yards, and catches of 20-plus yards (nine), which speaks to his big-play ability and quarterback Jalen Hurts’ trust in him downfield,” Tim McManus wrote. “Smith was on pace for a career high in receiving yards (1,250) entering Monday.”

» READ MORE: Eagles open as slim favorites over the Lions in Week 11; updated Super Bowl and MVP odds

Philadelphia was in the top spot last week, and a win over a top NFC North contender wasn’t going to change that. On a night when the Eagles offense struggled, Yahoo! Sports was impressed by the defense’s ability to dominate the game.

“The Eagles nearly shut out the Packers at Lambeau Field to get a win. There will be a lot said about Philly’s offense after it struggled all night, but the defense having a huge night might be a massive step toward repeating as champs,” Frank Schwab wrote.

The Athletic ranked the Eagles in the No. 1 spot last week and didn’t find any reasons not to put them there again. The outlet praised the strong play of second-year cornerback Cooper DeJean.

“[DeJean] has already topped last year’s tackle total with 57. He didn’t have a big game Monday night, but he has been a steady force for a secondary that needed one,” Josh Kendall and Chad Graff wrote. “Holding the Packers to seven points counts as a good night for this defense.”

» READ MORE: Jaelan Phillips’ ‘new path, new destiny’ has Eagles defense looking like its 2024 self in domination of Packers

The Eagles moved up a spot on at The Ringer, which praised the schematic wits of defensive coordinator Vic Fangio.

“It’s hard to imagine Eagles defensive coordinator Vic Fangio ever having a unit better than his 2018 Chicago Bears that forced 36 turnovers and scored six defensive touchdowns. But I’d argue that Fangio is a significantly better defensive play caller now than he was then. He’s added layers to his scheme in Philadelphia that made Monday night’s masterpiece against the Packers possible,” wrote Diante Lee. “Philadelphia blitzes as effectively as any team in the league, ranking in the top three in defensive success rate when Fangio sends extra rushers in spite of ranking in the bottom 10 in blitz usage.”

The Eagles made a modest one-spot gain on NFL.com’s list, but still finished behind the Indianapolis Colts, Los Angeles Rams, and Seattle Seahawks.

“Style points don’t apply to this team, which has figured out the formula for this type of victory, even if Nick Sirianni sure did his best to make things interesting late,” Ed Edholm wrote. “Things were looking a little dicey when Lane Johnson limped off in the first half with injury, but Philly forged through with a few big drives spurred by just enough explosive plays to get over the finish line in Green Bay.”

The criticism of Sirianni is in reference to his decision to keep the offensive unit on the field for a fourth-and-8 play with 30 seconds left in the game. Rather than punt, the Eagles went for it and failed, giving the Packers the ball at their 35-yard line following an unsuccessful deep ball intended for A.J. Brown. Green Bay was able to attempt a 64-yard game-tying field goal, but Temple alum Brandon McManus’ kick was not close.

» READ MORE: Do the Eagles need more from their offense than they got against the Packers? Not necessarily.

The Eagles moved up two spots, but CBS Sports shared some concern about the performance of Kevin Patullo’s offense.

“The defense came up big against the Packers, but the offense has to get it going,” Pete Prisco wrote. “But winning on the road against good teams is tough to do.”

Despite ranking as the NFC’s No. 1 seed, the Eagles are 12th leaguewide in points per game, 25th in passing yards per game, and 21st in rushing yards per game.

The Eagles were jumped by the New England Patriots, who earned USA Today’s third spot after their third straight win. Like many other outlets, USA Today dinged the Eagles for their offensive struggles.

“It wasn’t pretty, but Monday night’s win at Green Bay pushed them back atop the projected NFC playoff field,” Nate Davis wrote. “This offense clearly still isn’t hitting on all cylinders.”

» READ MORE: The Eagles didn’t pour on the points, but they frustrated Micah Parsons

In stark contrast to other lists, Sports Illustrated moved the Eagles down four spots following Monday night’s win. Five teams who also came out on top this week leapfrogged Philadelphia: the Rams, Colts, Patriots, Lions, and Denver Broncos.

And yet, Sports Illustrated remained bullish on the Eagles and praised the contributions of newcomer Jaelan Phillips.

“The Eagles somehow jumped the snap on the road against the Packers to hammer Josh Jacobs and force a fumble at the game’s most critical juncture last night,” Connor Orr wrote. “Oh, and of course Jaelan Phillips was excellent on Monday — did you expect anything less?”

In his Eagles debut, Phillips fit right in, registering six tackles and two QB hits, and he was in on the hit that led to the Packers’ fumble on fourth-and-1 in the final minutes.