2017 Season Grades so Far at Philadelphia Eagles' Bye Week

The Philadelphia Eagles are once again the talk of the league entering their bye week after improving to 8-1, surpassing their win total from a year ago in just nine weeks.

A Week 2 defeat to the Kansas City Chiefs remains the lone blemish on the Eagles' incredible 2017 record, and they have won seven in a row following a 51-23 demolition of the Denver Broncos at home Sunday. That marked Philly's third consecutive win by double digits and their fifth such victory of the season.

This season appeared to be one in which the Eagles could become playoff contenders, but they have taken that up a notch and assumed a firm grip on the NFC East. All three phases of the team have been fantastic, and fans across Philly can't help but keep looking forward to the first weekend of February with every dominating win.

With that said, seven tough games remain once the Eagles emerge from their off week. The schedule down the stretch is daunting, and even an 8-1 Philadelphia team possesses some areas for improvement.

Let's break down every aspect of the team through nine gameweeks, assess their production and hand out grades for each unit.

Rush Offense

Matt Rourke/Associated Press

Entering the season with a by-committee rushing approach surfaced many questions entering 2017, but every one has been answered with conviction.

A season-opening performance of 58 rushing yards against Washington proved to be a huge aberration for a team that has surpassed the 100-yard rushing mark in all eight games that have followed. The Eagles entered Week 9 fourth in the league in rushing and then went out and traded for former Miami Dolphins back Jay Ajayi before the deadline.

LeGarrette Blount leads the group with 109 rushes for 504 yards, running angry and proving to be so much more than the short-yardage back many expected him to be. Wendell Smallwood has been effective despite missing a few games, and undrafted Corey Clement has proved reliable in short-yardage situations. 

It's Ajayi's addition that transforms this unit into an unstoppable one, however. He ripped off a 46-yard touchdown in his first outing against the Broncos en route to eight carries for 77 yards, and it's scary to think about what he will do when he's more acclimated to the offense.

The run game's biggest test came in Week 9 against Denver's second-rated run defense, and they passed with flying colors, racking up over 190 yards on the ground for the third time this season.

Philly's rushing attack isn't even the most impressive aspect of the offense, but it's impossible not to give it a sterling midseason grade.

Grade: A

Pass Offense

Michael Perez/Associated Press

Conventional wisdom suggested an infusion of receiving talent over the offseason would take quarterback Carson Wentz's game to the next level, but his ascension in 2017 is about much more than his targets. 

The second-year signal-caller is emerging as an MVP favorite amid a truly amazing season through nine games, comparing favorably to the second season of almost every legendary quarterback over the past 30 years. He has a league-leading 23 touchdown passes with five picks and has thrown for four scores in three of his past five outings.

With that said, Wentz's receivers' production can't be ignored. Zach Ertz leads tight ends in touchdowns and is second in receptions and yards despite missing Week 9 with injury. Nelson Agholor has been a revelation with over 400 receiving yards and five scores, while Alshon Jeffery is showing his mettle as a No. 1 wideout after a slow start, with 146 yards and three scores in his past two games.

Even with veteran Torrey Smith and impressive rookie Mack Hollins having lesser impacts, this passing offense is on fire behind the heroic play of Wentz and his playmakers.

Grade: A+

Rush Defense

Alex Brandon/Associated Press

The run defense entered 2017 as one unit the Eagles knew they could rely on. As all of the other aspects of the offense and defense shatter preseason expectations, the front seven is dominating the trenches just as anticipated.

Philly led the league in rush defense going into Week 9, conceding just 70.4 yards per game on the ground. Battling against the second-best rush defense on Sunday, the Eagles left no doubt as to which team has the league's premier run-stuffing unit, holding the Broncos to just 35 yards on the ground while Philadelphia scampered for 197.

Only once has the run defense allowed more than 100 yards on the ground, and that came in the Week 2 loss to Kansas City. Fletcher Cox and Timmy Jernigan simply haven't allowed teams to generate any sort of push up front.

It doesn't hurt that most teams have found themselves having to play from behind against the Eagles, reducing the ability to run it. Entering Week 9, Philly had faced just 147 rush attempts, 18 fewer than any other team.

Grade: A

Pass Defense

Chris Szagola/Associated Press

The Eagles secondary didn't only start the season as the biggest weakness on the team. It entered the campaign as a unit perceived to be so weak it could prevent the team from reaching its potential.

It hasn't been outstanding by any means, but to say it has excelled as a unit and blown past those lowly expectations would be an understatement.

The alarm went off in Week 1 when No. 1 cornerback Ronald Darby suffered an ankle injury in his Eagles debut, but an inexperienced group of corners has stepped up in his absence. Jalen Mills has become a reliable No. 1 corner, while rookie Rasul Douglas improves every week in his starting role and Patrick Robinson continually makes plays as the third corner.

Things haven't always been pretty. The Eagles are giving up the sixth-most passing yards and have conceded 13 passing touchdowns. But it's worth noting Philly typically leads in games and that its run-stuffing prowess forces offenses to commit exclusively to the pass game.

The secondary is far from a finished product, with Darby still sidelined and rookie second-round pick Sidney Jones still rehabbing from offseason Achilles surgery. But the unit is still doing a nice job preventing opponents from throwing themselves back into games.

Grade: B-

Special Teams

Chris Szagola/Associated Press

Philadelphia's special teams unit has consistently been one of the best in the league over the past few seasons, but given the ineptitude of other units, that became a small consolation to otherwise disappointing campaigns.

This time around, there's no scoffing at the Eagles special teams group as it complements a team that is dominating in all three phases in 2017.

Kicker Jake Elliott has been the hero, getting signed off the Cincinnati Bengals' practice squad after a Week 1 injury to Caleb Sturgis and effectively stealing his job. Elliott won the Eagles a pivotal early-season game against the New York Giants with a 61-yard game-winning field goal and has made 13 of his 14 field-goal attempts since then.

Even without Darren Sproles, the punt return game has been solid, with Kenjon Barner helping the unit to post the second-highest average of 13.8 yards per return. Punter Donnie Jones has been decent, with his 46.2 yards per punt ranking 14th in the league, but the Eagles aren't having to punt often.

Losing Sproles and Sturgis would be an irrecoverable gut punch for most special teams units. It hasn't fazed the Eagles one bit.

Grade: A-

Coaching

Michael Perez/Associated Press

In the above photo, you'll see Eagles head coach Doug Pederson's likely response to the preseason comments made by The Ringer's Mike Lombardi, who prefaced the season by calling Pederson "less qualified to coach a team than anyone in my 30-plus years in the NFL."

One of these men is the head coach of the best team in the league, and the other's biggest acclaim is one season as general manager of the Cleveland Browns. We'll leave it there.

With that said, Pederson had his fair share of critics entering 2017, but he's shut them up in convincing fashion. He's the architect behind the Eagles' explosive offense, and while Wentz deserves a ton of credit for his playmaking, Pederson is calling the shots with conviction. His commitment to the run game after a torrid start deserves praise.

After a debut season that saw some head-scratching coaching decisions that cost the Eagles games in 2016, Pederson has alleviated all the pressure on his shoulders. Defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz has a firm grip on his unit, dialing up effective blitzes in practically every series and rotating depth at cornerback and defensive end with great success.

Granted, the performances of their players have made the Eagles coaches' jobs much easier. But it's necessary to give credit where it's due, and Pederson deserves a lot of it.

Grade: A