Taking Stock of Philadelphia Eagles at Halfway Point of Season

The Philadelphia Eagles are the best team in football at the halfway point of the 2017 season. That's not opinion; it's a simple fact.

Sure, you'll find plenty of fans of other teams who would be happy to debate it, and it won't truly be decided until the first weekend of February, of course. But there's no arguing that the Eagles are the only team in the NFL with just one loss on their record.

At 7-1, it's safe to say the Eagles are soaring past even the most optimistic of preseason expectations as they hold a firm grip on the NFC East. While many tough opponents remain on the back half of the schedule and injuries have taken a painful toll on the depth chart, Philly is sitting pretty for a run at the NFC's top seed in the playoffs.

Things haven't been perfect in every category, but the Eagles have proven they can win in a number of fashions. Whether it's knockdown, drag-out games or convincing displays on both sides of the ball, Philly is getting it done.

Let's assess the biggest talking points on the Eagles through Week 8, and what we can take from them moving into the second half of the season.

Revamping the Pass Rush

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The scheme run by defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz is only capable of being one of the best in the league when it features a dominant pass rush. A year ago, interior tackle Fletcher Cox led the team in sacks, which indicated how much they struggled on the outside.

Giving defensive end Brandon Graham some help on the edge became a focal point of the offseason for the front office, which they made clear by selecting Derek Barnett with the 17th overall selection in the draft. They also added veteran leadership in Chris Long and got Vinny Curry healthy after he spent much of 2016 dealing with a nagging knee injury.

The results through eight games in 2017 have been convincing. While they only rank ninth in the league with 22 sacks, the Eagles pass rush has been eating pockets alive and constantly taking over games even when they don't get the quarterback down for an official sack.

Graham already has five sacks, just 0.5 short of his total from a season ago. Cox has racked up 4.5 of his own. Mychal Kendricks, Curry and Long each have two apiece, while Barnett has come alive lately with 2.5 in his last three games.

The biggest help a defense can give to its inexperienced secondary is a ferocious pass rush to take time away from the quarterback, and that's exactly what the Eagles defense has provided.

Improving Carson Wentz's Offensive Weaponry

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Carson Wentz dazzled in his opening action as a rookie, leading the Eagles to an opening 3-0 record before its offensive limitations came to the forefront last season. Having a receiving unit led by Jordan Matthews and Dorial Green-Beckham will do that.

If the Eagles' front office focus on defense centered on the pass rush, there's no doubt that on the offensive side, they prioritized giving Wentz a much-improved arsenal to work with in 2017. They put their money where their mouth is by signing Alshon Jeffery and Torrey Smith in free agency.

However, Jeffery and Smith haven't had to be world-beaters to take this offense to the next level. Their mere presence has opened up passing lanes for Nelson Agholor, who has been a revelation. Agholor is fifth among NFL receivers with five touchdowns, shaking off the cobwebs from his disastrous 2016 campaign.

To Jeffery's credit, he's put together decent numbers despite consistently lining up against No. 1 cornerbacks and acting as a decoy more than anything else. He's up to 416 yards and three scores, with his 53-yard touchdown Sunday against San Francisco an eye-popping indication of what he brings to the offense.

Between Jeffery, Smith, Agholor and rookie Mack Hollins, Wentz has deep options aplenty. Tight end Zach Ertz has been such a monster that he deserves his own stock report. And to put it all together, Wentz has the supreme luxury of leaning on a strong run game that often makes the difference between good quarterbacks and great ones.

Unproven Secondary Is Shattering Expectations

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The two cornerbacks that the Eagles likely want to rely on at full strength haven't been a part of their 7-1 start, but you couldn't tell it by the way the current group is performing.

Second-round pick Sidney Jones remains out as he recovers from Achilles surgery, and preseason trade acquisition Ronald Darby has been sidelined since his ankle injury in Week 1. Thanks to a trio of corners stepping up, a nightmarish situation at cornerback has become anything but.

Jalen Mills has excelled as the No. 1 corner despite lining up against some of the best receivers in the business. Rookie third-round pick Rasul Douglas emerged from a Week 1 inactive into one of the bright spots of the defense. The glue guy has been Patrick Robinson, who has logged heavy snaps and provided veteran leadership.

That trio has combined for seven interceptions, while the defense's nine picks have them sitting at fifth in the league in that category. For a secondary with so many question marks going into the season, the production has been a dream for Eagles coaches.

The only problem facing the Eagles secondary is a good one, and that's the question of what to do with personnel once Darby and Jones return to 100 percent. Until then, the Eagles will be fine rolling with their current unit.

Zach Ertz Evolving into a Superstar

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Following two straight seasons with at least 75 receptions and 800 yards, the Eagles knew they had a budding star in tight end Zach Ertz. In 2017, Eagles fans are seeing what he's capable of within a dynamic offense.

In a league that's become dominated by athletic tight ends, Ertz has become one of the very best in his fifth season. He's on pace for his first 1,000-yard season, with more than 85 catches, and he already has a career-high six touchdowns on the year.

While most of the bright spots during Philly's 7-1 start have centered on newfound strengths and surprise performers, Ertz is the constant presence who has gotten it done for the Eagles over the last few seasons. But that's not to say he hasn't taken a massive step forward. He's become an unstoppable red-zone threat and a reliable security blanket for Wentz that defenses have yet to find an answer for.

Notable star tight ends like Rob Gronkowski and Travis Kelce have remained at the top of their games in 2017, but Ertz has deservedly put his name in the conversation of the league's best at the position. 

Injuries Taking a Serious Toll

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A slew of serious injuries have yet to take their toll on the Eagles' win-loss record, but there's no doubting the shadow they have cast on a number of key positions across the roster.

The injury bug cropped up immediately in Week 1 with Darby's ankle injury, and it's gotten significantly worse as the season has progressed. The Eagles got good news with Darby, who is nearing his return, but the same can't be said for some of the Eagles' most important players.

Eagles fans had to swallow the loss of Darren Sproles for the season in Week 3, and personnel losses in recent weeks have been even more crushing. Philly lost star linebacker Jordan Hicks for the year to an Achilles injury, and left tackle Jason Peters to a torn ACL in short succession during a Week 7 win over the Redskins.

New starting left tackle Halapoulivaati Vaitai did well in his first outing against the 49ers, but he's only one missed block away from putting Wentz's blind side in danger. The loss of Hicks has caused huge issues at linebacker, where fleeting depth is forcing the Eagles to rely on Najee Goode and Joe Walker.

Left tackle and middle linebacker are unquestionably two of the most important positions on their respective sides of the ball, and the Eagles lost star talent at both. It will be a huge test of the team's depth and resolve as they aim to replace Peters and Hicks.

Committee Backfield Paying Dividends

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The Eagles didn't have much of a run game to speak of in 2016 and lost leading rusher Ryan Mathews over the offseason. Through two games in 2017, they ranked near the bottom of the league in rushing.

Then, things suddenly clicked.

LeGarrette Blount and Wendell Smallwood got going in Week 3 to lead the Eagles to 193 rushing yards as a team, and they haven't looked back. Through eight weeks, the Eagles are fourth in rushing yards and ninth in average yards per carry.

Undrafted rookie Corey Clement has been a workhorse in short-yardage situations, keeping Blount fresh to rip off 10-yard gains with frequency. Kenjon Barner has even contributed after getting signed as a return specialist in the wake of Sproles' injury. The Eagles lost Sproles for the season and Smallwood for two games, but they didn't skip a beat.

To add onto the rushing success, Wentz is even getting in on the action. His 203 yards on the ground rank third among quarterbacks. 

Wentz's MVP-Caliber Season Has Eagles Thinking Super Bowl

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There's no doubt that the Eagles are 7-1 in large part because of complementary and dominating performances across both sides of the ball. But it's still a quarterback's league, and you need a great one to win championships.

The 2017 Eagles have the best one the franchise has had in quite some time, and he's only in his second season.

We're eight games through 2017, which means it's no longer too early to begin the MVP talk. Wentz has to be right up there with the front-runners. He's second in pass yards (2,063) and tied for first in touchdown passes (19), and his passer rating of 101.6 is second-highest in the league among quarterbacks who have attempted at least 250 passes, trailing only Tom Brady. That success no doubt helps to free things up for the running game too.

Oh, and he leads the NFL in wins, if you haven't caught on by now.

You need a suffocating defense to win a Super Bowl; the Eagles have that. You need a well-oiled offense with play-makers all across it to win a Super Bowl; the Eagles have that. 

But perhaps most importantly, you need a star quarterback who can take over games, rise to the occasion and provide the "it" factor to make game-changing plays when they're needed.

The Eagles most certainly have that in Carson Wentz.