Lily Gebbia, Staff Writer

PHILADELPHIA – The Eagles’ Sunday afternoon victory was a massive one against the Baltimore Ravens, a highly anticipated matchup this season. The Eagles won by a mere five points, 24-19, but that score doesn’t tell the tale. Going into the game, fans knew that it would be a rushing frenzy, and that’s exactly what happened. 

Eagles running back Saquon Barkley, who just passed Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson in MVP contention, had 117 yards of offense and one touchdown, a lot of this offense coming in the second half with the score at 14-12 in the Eagles favor. This is Barkley’s third game in a row with over 100 yards and has achieved this mark seven out of 11 games for the birds. He is a major reason this team is so hot right now and arguably the best team in the league. 

So, with the Eagles winning their last eight in a row, achieving a record of 10-2, why aren’t they in the talks as Super Bowl contenders? They are the fifth most likely team to win the Super Bowl behind the Chiefs, Ravens, Bills and Lions, according to analysts across the league. However, they are number one in their division and number two in their conference by only one game. They have a superb defense that only allows 18.2 ppg, an electric offense with 38 touchdowns and over 4,700 yards over the course of the on-going season. With all that being said, why are they still not seen as true contenders?

The one issue that comes to mind is quarterback Jalen Hurts. Even with over 2,400 yards, 14 touchdowns and the eighth best quarterback rating (64.6), he is still a liability to many. Despite the on-going season, Hurts is underperforming in comparison to his 2022 Super Bowl season. In 2022, he had a better QBR and more touchdowns and yards than he is projected to get this season. Additionally, he is not throwing as much and running a lot more than last season, which is what makes people so weary considering his past injuries. 

Despite these factors, he is making smarter plays and has stayed healthy throughout this year. With the addition of superstar Saquon Barkley, it is understandable that Hurts’ stats wouldn’t be extraordinary. This sheer underperformance from Hurts shouldn’t take away the credit the Eagles deserve. The Eagles are first in rushing, first in defense, and fourth in overall offense, but still remain an afterthought in contention across the league.