Week 4 NFL power rankings roundup: Eagles climb back to unanimous No. 1 ... almost

After a comeback win over the Los Angeles Rams that saw the Eagles erase a 19-point, third-quarter deficit — and block the potential game-winning field goal — to continue their undefeated streak, things can only be looking up. The Birds are just one of six 3-0 teams in the NFL.

Naturally, they’ll play one of the other five undefeated teams, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, on Sunday.

After Sunday’s win — even if it was a slog for much of the first half — the Eagles have found themselves moving back up the national power rankings, closer to the unanimous No. 1 spot where they were at the start of the season. The team started to slide out of some outlets’ top spots after their less than convincing wins over the Dallas Cowboys and Kansas City Chiefs. But now they’re back — for the most part.

As the Eagles prepare to take on the Bucs in Week 4, here’s where they stand across the latest power rankings …

ESPN moved the Eagles back into the top spot for the first time since preseason power rankings. Since their Week 1 performance against the Cowboys, they have been at the No. 2 spot with the Buffalo Bills at No. 1. Now, the roles have been reversed.

» READ MORE: What we know (and don’t) about the Eagles entering Week 4 vs. the Bucs

“The Eagles are last in the league with a 45.1% success rate against the run this season,” Tim McManus wrote. “They are yielding a first down or a touchdown on over 34% of the opponent’s attempts, which also is a league low, and they are 25th in rushing yards allowed (133.3 per game). Philadelphia has a quality interior front led by defensive tackles Jordan Davis and Jalen Carter. It also has two good linebackers in Zack Baun and rookie Jihaad Campbell, who is developing on the job. So, this seems like a fixable problem for defensive coordinator Vic Fangio.”

The Detroit Lions and the Los Angeles Chargers made big leaps in the power rankings, moving up to the No. 3 and No. 4 spots, respectively. Meanwhile, the Green Bay Packers fell two spots to No. 5 following their loss to the Cleveland Browns.

The Eagles’ second-half performance was enough for Yahoo! Sports to move them from the No. 3 spot, their lowest ranking of the season at any outlet, up to No. 2, one behind the top-ranked Bills.

“Maybe the Eagles figured something out during their comeback, especially on offense after an absolutely miserable first half,” Frank Schwab wrote. “Go figure: Getting A.J. Brown involved is smart. But just because they won, the horrendous first two-plus quarters shouldn’t be ignored. It wasn’t pretty on either side.”

Both the Bills and Eagles climbed one spot this week as the Packers dropped to fourth. The Chargers follow the Eagles at the No. 3 spot, jumping up three spots after their 23-20 win over the Denver Broncos.

» READ MORE: Eagles open as favorites vs. Bucs, reclaim top NFC spot in Super Bowl odds

The Ringer has kept the Eagles at No. 1 each week, but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t see potential cracks, like the offense playing “scared” in the first half and finishing those 30 minutes with just over 30 yards of offense.

“This group can’t be contained by soft coverages or two deep safeties, nor are there any corners who can consistently cover the combination of A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith,” Diante Lee wrote. “The offense played scared until a three-possession deficit forced them to find some courage, and then they turned right back into an unstoppable force. No one should ever accept anything less from the Eagles.”

The Bills and the Lions follow the Eagles at Nos. 2 and 3, respectively.

It seems like all Jalen Hurts does is win. And because of that, The Athletic has moved the Eagles back into its top spot, up from last week’s No. 2 placement.

“As 336-pound Jordan Davis rumbled his way into the end zone on the game’s final play and the Eagles sideline bounced with excitement, Jalen Hurts watched without reaction,” Chad Graff and Josh Kendall wrote. “If you didn’t know any better, you might’ve thought the Eagles just lost in painful fashion. But Hurts is now 17-0 in the last 17 games he started and finished. The guy just wins.”

The Eagles rank above the No. 2 Bills, the No. 3 Chargers, and the No. 4 San Francisco 49ers.

» READ MORE: The NFL’s next dynasty? Jalen Hurts a top 5 QB? The Eagles’ biggest threats? Here’s what they’re saying.

The Eagles remain at the No. 1 spot for USA Today, followed by the Bills and the popular Chargers, who were again a big mover, climbing three spots from last week’s No. 6 ranking.

“They’re not blowing anyone’s doors off. Not yet, anyway,” Nate Davis wrote. “But one surefire sign of a champion, one that’s won 12 in a row at home and 19 of 20 overall going back to last season, is the ability to win in multiple ways — and Philly finally broke the seal on its passing game and leveraged timely special teams plays to overcome a 19-point deficit against a legit Rams squad Sunday. Also, doesn’t hurt to have a 336-pound defensive lineman who can rev to nearly 20 mph. Next up? The Kryptonite Bucs, who have beaten Philly in six of their past seven meetings."

After dropping them out of the top spot a week ago, Sports Illustrated moved the Eagles back up to the No. 1 spot after their win over the Rams. And SI’s Conor Orr believes fans shouldn’t worry about Saquon Barkley’s slow start to the season.

“As I wrote this weekend, I don’t think the Eagles fundamentally altered their season or reinvested in the pass,” Orr wrote. “They simply found a team that would counter their big and fast wideouts with thin and slow cornerbacks. Worried that Saquon Barkley is going to fall by the wayside? Don’t be!”

The Bills and the Lions follow the Eagles at Nos. 2 and 3, respectively.