5 Week 4 NFL Storylines: How Will the Rookie Quarterbacks Fare?
Will the Philadelphia Eagles Remain Undefeated?
The Philadelphia Eagles have yet to play four quarters of great football, but they've emerged from each of their first three games with a victory. Contests against Washington, Indianapolis and Jacksonville are hardly tough tests though, so a date with the 49ers this week should being a better measuring stick for one of the NFL's few undefeated teams, right?
Maybe not. San Francisco has a middle-of-the-road offense so far this season, and our ninth-worst defense according to the NEP data. They're missing key players due to injury and suspension in their defensive front seven, which was the key to their impressive performance last year.
So the Eagles will stand a good chance of unleashing their seventh-best offense and putting up points against a questionable San Francisco secondary, but they showed weaknesses in their run blocking in Week 3 that may haunt them when they try to run against the 49ers.
The true test for the Eagles will be when they're on defense, as they pit their average-ranked unit against the Niners average offense. If they can contain Colin Kaepernick and avoid giving up big plays as they did against Washington, they should be well on their way to 4-0. Our power rankings agree, as they rank the Eagles 6th and the Niners 13th.