Eagles Best and Worst at the Bye Week

The Eagles are just past the halfway point of the marathon that is the NFL regular season.

The nine game slate as provided plenty of ups and downs, leaving the Eagles 5-4 at their bye week with seven games remaining. Even with some low moments, injuries and off-the-field drama, the Eagles are still firmly in the middle of the NFC playoff picture.

With the bye week here, let’s hand out some awards:

Most Valuable Player

Carson Wentz. Honestly, there really isn't another candidate in my eyes, the biggest question is, where would the Eagles be without Wentz?  While he isn't having the MVP-type of season he was having in 2017, he has still been very good, and you can make an argument that drops have prevented him from being great.

His 2,060 yards, 15 touchdowns and four interceptions are very good, but could even be better.  He is on pace to throw for 3,662 yards, 26 touchdowns and just seven interception on the season.

In the Eagles Week 9 win over the Bears, Wentz threw a 25-yard TD pass to Zach Ertz in the second quarter marked his 12th consecutive game with a passing TD, which is tied with Russell Wilson for the longest active streak in the NFL, not bad company.

Best Rookie

Andre Dillard.  While Sanders won the awards for biggest surprise, and could earn this category too, we're going to go with the first-round pick, who was throw to the wolves and shown he belongs. With Jason Peters hurt, Dillard has shown he belongs and is making a case to stay on the field, even when Peters is ready to return.

Biggest Surprise

Miles Sanders. While Sanders isn't a surprise as a second-round pick, its how they have used him that has been the biggest surprise. With injuries and inconsistent play at the wide receiver position, Sanders has become a big-play back out-of-the-backfield. Sanders has 22 catches for 305 yards and one touchdown. With DeSean Jackson out for the season, Sanders owns a a team-leading 13.9 yards per reception.

Sanders is the first NFL running back to accumulate 500 or more yards and more than 250 return yards through eight games since Adrian Peterson back in 2007.

Disappointment Player

Nelson Agholor. Moving back to the slot was supposed to help Agholor become closer to the 2017 version what made a ton of big-plays for the Super Bowl champs.  But this season he has been extremely inconsistent, with drops and even two fumbles.  His 32 catches for just 282 yards puts him on pace for 56 catches for just 501 yards, his lowest output since the 2016 season.

Biggest Remaining Game

Home vs Dallas.  The Eagles need to gain ground on Dallas, and beat them in their upcoming head-to-head matchup on Dec 22. The game should have major NFC East implications, and might decided, not only who wins the east, but who advances to the playoffs. Currently, the Cowboys have that early head-to-head tiebreaker over the Eagles, and a season sweep would be a crushing blow. Currently, the loser of the NFC East race seems to be on the outside of the Wild Card picture, but winning the east could come down to the result of Dec 22.

Standout Stat

Home Sweet Home for the Eagle.  The Eagles continue to be one of the best home teams in the NFL with a 3-1 mark this season.  Including the playoffs, the have the second-best home record in the NFL since 2016 (22-7), winning 10 of their last 14 home games.

Why is this a telling stat?

The Eagles play four of their remaining seven games at Lincoln Financial Field.

Biggest Question To Be Answered

Are the Eagles a legit contender in the NFC? So many questions need to be answered, but the overall question remains, are the Eagles a legit team this season, or just a mediocre one?

If they can take care of business at home, that gets them to nine wins.  If they can win a game or two on the road, they could get to 10 or 11 wins.  My guess is they win three-of-four home games and steal two-of-three roads games.