NFL power rankings: Eagles drop, but experts aren't bailing just yet

What a difference a week makes.

After the Eagles' 24-10 loss to Seattle, their first defeat since Week 2, national media outlets have quickly soured on a team many were calling the Super Bowl favorite in the NFC just seven days ago.

USA Today knocked the team all the way down to No. 5 in its weekly NFL power rankings, pointing out that the Eagles have just a single win against teams currently above .500. In fact, not a single outlet still listed the Eagles as the top team this week. And the loss enabled some, such as FS1's Skip Bayless, to deliver childish insults about Carson Wentz.

But even in the reactionary environment of national sports coverage, the opinions about the Eagles were mostly of the "let's wait and see" variety.

Fred Gaudelli, executive producer on NBC's Sunday Night Football, said he thinks the Eagles remain one of the most exciting teams in the league.

"They are the most complete team in the league, and they use virtually their entire roster in every game," Gaudelli said. "A great young quarterback that you can not only root for but who excels at excitement. Their defense embodies the city, tough, hard nosed and full bore.  Nothing remotely boring about this Eagles team. Even when the kicker gets hurt, it gets exciting!"

The same goes for ESPN's Pardon the Interruption host Tony Kornheiser, who said he's still high on the Eagles despite Sunday's loss.

"I don't think the Eagles loss is that big of a deal. They went 3,000 miles, they played a good team, and they lost," Kornheiser said on Monday's show. "I like Philly. I think they're a good team."

Kornheiser echoed my colleague Zach Berman, who wrote, "The sky is not falling. There is no reason to sound an alarm." Berman thinks the Eagles will finish 13-3 and have the first weekend of January off, outcomes not many pundits were predicting going into the season.

Here's how national outlets ranked the Eagles this week (CBS Sports has yet to publish its weekly NFL power rankings):

ESPN (Eagles ranked #2 | Last week's rank: 1)

"First-round pick Derek Barnett has 5.0 sacks this season, but the Eagles are getting big production from rookies they didn't even draft. Undrafted rookie Corey Clement has six touchdowns and Jake Elliott, who was drafted by the Bengals, has gone 19-of-23 on field goals, including a game-winning 61-yarder in Week 3."

NFL.com (Eagles ranked #2 | Last week's rank: 1)

"The first dip in these here rankings since Week 3 for the Eagles — and the first time not in the top spot since Week 8. The Eagles have been perched atop the league's hierarchy because of their balance on offense and defense, as well as the MVP play of the quarterback. All three factions were marginalized by the Seahawks on Sunday night. Russell Wilson reintroduced himself into the MVP race. Seattle's offense paid off drives in the red zone. Most noticeably, though, the Seahawks changed things up defensively more than the Eagles, who got pressure with their front four but didn't dedicate extra numbers to contain Wilson. Interestingly enough, it was this very franchise that made spying a thing. From 1988 through 1990, Randall Cunningham terrorized so many defenses with his legs that the DCs were forced to react. Next up for these Eagles: at Rams. Wow."

Washington Post (Eagles ranked #4 | Last week's rank: 1)

"The Eagles are still a very good team, even after the defeat in Seattle. They still have a chance to secure the No. 1 seed in the NFC playoffs. But they might not be the conference's Super Bowl favorite any longer. The Vikings have, at the very least, achieved co-favorite status."

NBC Sports (Eagles ranked #4 | Last week's rank: 1) 

"Fly, Eagles, fly. Right in to a Wolf Grey window."

Bleacher Report (Eagles ranked #2 | Last week's rank: 2)

"This was the worst Carson Wentz has played all year, and this was the worst the Eagles defense has looked all season. Yet, it was still a seven-point game on the road in Seattle in the fourth quarter. That's how good Philadelphia is.

I'd actually blame a lot of this loss on coaching. The defense was too aggressive and played too much man coverage. It's risky to do that against Wilson because no one is better at buying time and allowing his receivers to win their individual matchups.

Of course, this will be a learning experience for the Eagles if they have to play Seattle in the playoffs. Practice cannot emulate what Wilson does.

The offensive game plan was too conservative, and Wentz was off. Several of his throws were low, and his fumble while in scoring position was a game-changer. That's not like him, and one bad game shouldn't cause Eagles fans to panic.

Philadelphia is still awesome and still the best team in the NFC."

Yahoo! Sports (Eagles ranked #2 | Last week's rank: 1)

"This is how quick the NFL can turn: The Eagles were on top of the world before they kicked off against the Seahawks on Sunday night. In an eight-day stretch, they could go from leading the NFL to needing help over the last three weeks to get a bye. If the Eagles lose to the Rams on Sunday, the Vikings win and the Saints lose (avoiding a three-team tie), Philadelphia would be the No. 3 seed in the NFC after 14 weeks. It would be crushing to start 10-1 and not even end up with a first-round bye."

USA Today (Eagles ranked #5 | Last week's rank: 1)

"They're lucky NFL doesn't use college football playoff system. Philly's resume is highly suspect with just one win against team currently above .500."

SB Nation (Eagles ranked #2 | Last week's rank: 1)