Philadelphia Eagles: Prolific Offense Can Overcome Mediocre Defense

After capturing a third victory in as many weeks, the Philadelphia Eagles are quickly establishing themselves as a team to beat.

Despite falling behind early, the Eagles decisively defeated the Jacksonville Jaguars 34-17 in Week 1 of the 2014 NFL season. The Eagles again found themselves behind in Week 2 against the Indianapolis Colts but clawed their way back from a 14-point deficit to win 30-27 on a game-winning field goal by rookie kicker Cody Parkey.

Most recently, the Eagles defeated the Washington Redskins 37-34, despite the best efforts of former Eagles wide receiver DeSean Jackson and quarterback Kirk Cousins. While the Eagles defense remains suspect, Philadelphia maintains more than enough offensive firepower to overcome this weakness and is capable of becoming one of the most dominant teams in the NFL this season.

According to ESPN, the Eagles rank sixth in the NFL in total offense with 1,257 total yards and second in the NFL in points per game with an average of 33.7 through Week 3. The Eagles have recorded 931 passing yards, which ranks second in the NFL only to the Atlanta Falcons. This total amounts to an average of 310 passing yards per game. Other than the Eagles, only the Falcons, Redskins and Colts have averaged more than 300 passing yards per game so far this season.

Despite ranking third in the NFL with 123 passing attempts, quarterback Nick Foles ranks sixth among qualifying quarterbacks with a 7.95 yards-per-attempt average, according to ESPN. His 978 passing yards are also the highest total in the NFL this season.

Given the level of importance placed on a strong aerial attack in today’s NFL, Foles’ ability to gain yardage with relative efficiency through the air allows the Eagles to put up points quickly and in bunches. Correspondingly, Philadelphia is capable of overcoming large deficits created by their defense, as proven in both their Week 1 and Week 2 matchups against the Jaguars and Colts.

The Eagles not only are beneficiaries of one of the top passing attacks in the NFL, but they also maintain a consistent and capable rushing attack. While the team, as a whole, ranks only 19th in total rushing yards with 326 this season, the Eagles' roster includes one of the best running back tandems in the NFL.

2013 rushing leader LeSean McCoy and former New Orleans Saints multipurpose running back Darren Sproles have each proven capable of devastating opposing defenses on the ground this season and in the past.

Though the Eagles' team rushing totals this season suggest otherwise, that is due largely in part to falling behind early in games. This total will almost certainly be near the top of the league by season’s end, as Philadelphia led the NFL in rushing in 2013. According to ESPN, the Eagles amassed 2,566 yards on the ground last season, 259 more than the second-highest rushing-yardage total recorded by the Buffalo Bills last season.

Despite a defense that ranks 26th in yards allowed and 26th in average points per game allowed so far this season, the Eagles have a strong enough offense to compete with any NFL team. As evidenced by their three consecutive victories, Philadelphia does not need their defense to completely shut down opponents to win football games.

The Eagles are too balanced on offense and move down the field too efficiently to be consistently stopped by opposing defenses. Even a subpar defense cannot hinder such a prolific and revolutionary offense from making the Eagles a dominant NFL team in 2014.

Robert Reidell is a contributor to Bleacher Report.

Follow @RobertReidellMN