The Philadelphia Eagles are in prime position to end an uncanny streak.
Sunday’s 31-0 romp over the Las Vegas Raiders, combined with the Dallas Cowboys’ 34-26 loss to the Minnesota Vikings, left the Eagles an almost certainty to become the NFC East’s first repeat champion in over 20 years.
The Eagles (9-5) enter next weekend’s action needing just one more win or one more Cowboys (6-7-1) loss in the next three regular-season games to win the division for the second straight year.
That would make them the first team to win back-to-back NFC East titles since the Birds won four in a row in 2001-04 behind coach Andy Reid and quarterback Donovan McNabb.
Winning the division would also guarantee them a playoff berth for the eighth time in the last nine seasons.
The Eagles take on the Washington Commanders (4-10) on Saturday at 5 p.m. at Northwest Field. The Cowboys will play host to the Los Angeles Chargers (10-4) on Sunday at 1 p.m.
The Birds then head to Buffalo for a game against the Bills (10-4) before closing the regular season with a rematch against the Commanders at Lincoln Financial Field.
The Eagles are coming off their most impressive performance of the season. They dominated the Raiders, posting their first shutout since a 24-0 victory over Washington in 2018.
The defense was terrific, limiting the Raiders to a paltry 75 total yards. It was the fewest total yards allowed by an NFL team since Cleveland limited the Chicago Cardinals to 58 yards in 1923.
New/old defensive lineman Brandon Graham led the charge with two sacks. Graham, who came out of retirement a few weeks ago, slid inside from his normal position at defensive end to replace injured Jalen Carter. At 37 years and 255 days, he became the oldest Eagle to register a sack in a game. He surpassed Richard Dent (37 years, 1 day), who had one in 1997.
The offense also got untracked after a series of disappointing efforts. Quarterback Jalen Hurts threw three touchdown passes a week after committing five turnovers against the Chargers, including two TD tosses on shovel passes to tight end Dallas Goedert.
But to be fair, the Eagles beat a Raiders team that bore no resemblance to previous versions of that franchise.
Aside from defensive end Max Crosby, they didn’t put up much of a fight. At times, it appeared as if they couldn’t wait to catch the next flight back to Vegas.
Sunday’s squad is a far cry from the Raiders of the 1960’s and 1970’s, both in terms of talent and attitude.
The Raiders of that era – and their fans – were a reflection of their environment. Home games were played at the Oakland Coliseum, where the field included a dirt infield left over from the Oakland A’s.
Coaches John Madden and Tom Flores presided over tough-minded and aggressive teams that featured legends such as center Jim Otto, defensive end Ben Davidson, safety Jack Tatum, quarterbacks Daryle Lamonica and Ken Stabler, and kicker/quarterback George Blanda.
They won two Super Bowls in that area, including a 27-10 win over the Eagles in New Orleans in the 1980 season.
While Eagles coach Dick Vermeil kept his team ensconced in the team hotel that week, Raiders defensive end John Matusak and several teammates spent their spare time on Bourbon Street.
Over 40 years later, the Raiders are arguably the worst team in the NFL while the Eagles are in the midst of the best era in franchise history.
As impressive as Sunday’s effort was for the Eagles, however, they still have some improving to do if they want to make a deep playoff run.
The NFC is loaded with deep, talented teams such as the Los Angeles Rams (11-3), Seattle Seahawks (11-3), Chicago Bears (10-4), San Francisco 49ers (10-4), and Green Bay Packers (9-4-1). The Packers’ playoff hopes took a hit last week when linebacker Micah Parsons suffered a season-ending knee injury.
If the playoffs began today, the Eagles would be the No. 3 seed in the NFC behind the Rams and Bears and would face the sixth-seeded 49ers in the first round.
At their best, the Eagles are capable of beating anyone, but a first-round exit is also not beyond the realm of possibility.
They are probably not as good as they looked against the Raiders and not as bad as they looked against the New York Giants earlier this season.
It remains to be seen which version shows up come playoff time.
Local NFL update
Jacksonville Jaguars rookie running back LeQuint Allen (Millville) rushed for 11 yards on four carries and had a 5-yard reception in a 48-20 win over the New York Jets.
Dallas Cowboys safety Markquese Bell (Bridgeton) had four tackles, including one for a loss, in the loss to the Vikings.
Green Bay Packers wide receiver/cornerback/kick returner Bo Melton (Cedar Creek) had one carry for zero yards in a 36-24 loss at Denver.
Kansas City Chiefs running back Isiah Pacheco (Vineland) rushed for 21 yards on 11 carries in a 16-13 loss to the Chargers that eliminated the Chiefs from playoff contention.
David is a nationally recognized sports columnist who has covered Philadelphia and local sports for over 40 years. After 35 years with The Press, he has served as a columnist for 973ESPN.com and created his own Facebook page, Dave Weinberg Extra Points. Send comments to weinbergd419@comcast.net.
