Assessing the Eagles at the bye week

WELL, IT'S A BYE week and, as the old joke goes, we can be certain our beloved Birds won't lose this weekend. That's the good news. But the bye week is a good time to take stock of where the Eagles are and what their chances are going forward. It is also a time to review the successes and disappointments of the year so far.

* Jordan Hicks: Perhaps the best surprise of the year. Injuries on the defense have forced Hicks to be a full-time starter, and the rookie linebacker has performed at an unexpectedly high level. Though he has made some mistakes, his sideline-to-sideline speed and his tackling ability have been nothing short of amazing. His only drawback is his size, which was evident on one play during the Carolina game when Hicks hit Jonathan Stewart with full force, but couldn't bring him down.

* Ryan Mathews: Almost as much of a pleasant surprise as Hicks, based on just how good he has played. Mathews leads the NFL in yards per carry, gaining 6.1 yards each time he carries the ball. Chip Kelly (or assistant Duce Staley, I suppose) simply needs to get him the ball more.

* Malcolm Jenkins: Though Jenkins was certainly solid last season, he is playing like a bona fide Pro Bowler, week in and week out this season. He has patched a clear hole in the slot, and his ability to come up and make tackles at or beyond the line of scrimmage in crucial short-yardage situations has been huge for this defense.

* Fletcher Cox: Like Jenkins, Fletcher Cox has gone from being a good player to one of the most dominant defensive linemen in the NFL. Offenses must account for him on every play, and he causes constant disruption up front.

* Zach Ertz: He has taken a giant step forward this season and has become the Eagles' most reliable receiver. He has good hands (unlike his colleagues) and has the ability to make catches in tight coverage. This is the guy I would go to when the game's on the line.

* Sam Bradford: Although the season isn't over, Kelly sold us a very exaggerated picture of Bradford's ability. He certainly hasn't turned out to be as accurate of a passer as billed, and his habit of throwing interceptions in the red zone is maddening.

DeMarco Murray: I believe Murray can rebound in the second half of the season, but, with his 3.5 yards per carry and his tendency to be thrown for losses, he doesn't resemble the player who was the best running back in the NFL last season.

Jason Kelce: It is absolutely unfathomable how the All-Pro center has been so ordinary this season. His line play has been just OK, and he has been flagged for several crucial penalties at the worst possible times.

Jordan Matthews: He is surely not alone, but the player who last year looked as if he would be a great midrange receiver seems to have developed hands of stone. The drops by Eagles receivers have made it almost impossible for them to sustain drives.

Byron Maxwell: Since the first two games, the free-agent acquisition at cornerback has been much better, but there's still a big disparity between his level of play and the size of his paycheck.

All in all, it is clear, with all those disappointments, why the Eagles are 3-4. With a decent kicker, they might have beaten Atlanta and Washington and be 5-2, but would still be one of the worst 5-2 teams in the league.

Can they still make the playoffs? Yes. But they must beat Dallas in their first game back from the bye, because there is no way they can survive with three division losses. Actually, the next four games - Dallas without Romo, Miami, Tampa Bay and Detroit - are all winnable. Assume the Birds win three of them. Although that would put them at 6-5, they would immediately drop back to .500, as a pounding at the hands of Tom Brady, Rob Gronkowski, et al., in Foxborough, Mass., seems inevitable.

If it plays out this way, the last four games would be decisive. To make the playoffs, the Eagles would have to win three out of those four. Can they accomplish that? Possibly. They should be favored against Buffalo and Washington at home. They have a chance to beat Arizona at Lincoln Financial Field, but that will certainly be a tough game and, assuming for the sake of argument, they don't, they'd enter the final game at the Giants at 8-7. Clearly, they would have to beat the Giants for a second time to have a shot at making the playoffs, which will be no easy feat.

It's still possible, but to make the playoffs, the defense must continue its fine play and the offense must finally find its rhythm.

On defense, the return of Kiko Alonso (knee) - who, with Mychal Kendricks and Hicks, gives the Eagles three linebackers who can fly laterally - certainly bodes well for the linebacking corps. The front three, who have been great (except against Carolina), must continue their stout play, and the secondary (which overall has been a pleasant surprise) must somehow continue its torrid pace of forcing turnovers.

On offense, it's simple. A combination of Mathews and Murray (with Mathews carrying the ball significantly more than he has) will give the Eagles a solid running attack, and the fate of their season will rest on Bradford getting better and his receivers doing what they get paid to do - catch the football. Maybe the return of Nelson Agholor (ankle) will help with that goal, but there a lot of ifs must come true if the Birds are going to make the playoffs.

But until they're truly out of it, for better or worse, as Harry Kalas would say, "We've got high hopes!"

On Twitter: @GovEdRendell

Blog: ph.ly/Eagletarian