Jalen Hurts and the Eagles are on a tear this season

Stand up Philadelphia! Your Philadelphia Eagles are now 5-0 after a 20-17 win over the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday. The Eagles’ hot start as the only undefeated team left in the NFL has left many media pundits and critics in shock after such an impressive start to the season, especially since they opened the season with +4000 preseason betting odds to win the Super Bowl according to (https://www.bettingsuperbowl.com/news/philadelphia-eagles-preseason-super-bowl-betting-guide-08-23-2022).

Their franchise quarterback, Jalen Hurts, has been exceptional this season, throwing for four touchdowns thus far in this season, with a 67.9 completion percentage and 1,349 passing yards through the first five weeks of the season. He currently stands at a 59.3 QBR rating thanks largely in part to improved mechanics in his throwing technique and the weapons around him from the offseason addition of former Pro Bowl receiver A.J. Brown, sophomore DeVonta Smith, and Zach Pascal, just to name a few.

According to https://www.lineups.com/nfl-team-rankings, the Eagles are the fourth highest scoring offense in the league, second in yards, sixth in passing yards, and first in rushing yards and touchdowns in the entire NFL through the first five weeks. They are also third in RedZone touchdowns and eighth in RedZone %.

Now that’s just offensively. On the defensive end of the field, they are just as stout, ranking top ten in categories including points allowed (7th), sacks (4th), turnovers forced (1st), and passing yards (5th). Pro Bowlers such as defensive tackler Javon Hargrave and cornerback Darius Slay, as well as others like Fletcher Cox, Marcus Epps, and more have helped elevate the Eagles' defense into a top ten defensive unit in the league.

Critics would say the Eagles have had arguably the easiest schedule in the league, playing teams such as the Cardinals, Jacksonville Jaguars, Washington Commanders, Detroit Lions, and the Minnesota Vikings throughout Week Five. The Eagles avoid most of the AFC juggernauts such as the Kansas City Chiefs, Baltimore Ravens, Buffalo Bills, and Los Angeles Chargers, who all have electrifying franchise quarterbacks in Patrick Mahomes, Lamar Jackson, Josh Allen, and Justin Herbert, respectively.

While their record is impressive, I’d like to wait and see the Eagles succeed against a true legit Super Bowl contender before I definitively say they can win it all. The Eagles haven’t won the Super Bowl since 2017-18 when backup quarterback Nick Foles led them over Tom Brady and the New England Patriots.

The Eagles are now favored at +650 betting odds to win Super Bowl LVII just behind the Bills (+350) and Chiefs (+650), according to (https://sportsnaut.com/super-bowl-odds-best-value-bets-2022-nfl-season/). Eagles head coach, Nick Sirianni, has done a good job with this team thus far. The question is, can they do it in the postseason against top-tier opponents in their conference such as the San Francisco 49ers or even the Dallas Cowboys, who have been playing inspiring football with Cooper Rush at the helm on account of Dak Prescott being out due to a thumb injury?

It’ll be an interesting dilemma as the season continues to unfold, but one thing is for certain: The Eagles are legit, and they are coming to prove all the doubters wrong.