NFL Power Rankings: Philadelphia Eagles Straying into Andrew Luck Territory

There is no more apologizing for the Philadelphia Eagles.

Yes, the Eagles are talented. Yes, they are headed by one of the best head coaches in recent memory. Alas, these things do not change the fact that the Eagles are a bad team.

The Eagles' loss to the Buffalo Bills on Sunday ran their record to 1-4, which puts them with the Denver Broncos, Arizona Cardinals and the rest of the league's dregs. It's a place they weren't supposed to be, yet there they are.

What's more, this is no accident. For all their talent, the Eagles have two fundamental flaws: they can't play defense and they can't take care of the football. These are shortcomings that no team can overcome, and the Eagles are no exception. That much is self-evident.

When I sat down to update my power rankings after Sunday's action, I figured it was time to stop giving the Eagles the benefit of the doubt. I moved them down to No. 25. Seeing as how I had them at No. 4 to start the season, that's a mighty fall.

I had them right up there with the Green Bay Packers and New England Patriots. I figured the Eagles would be that good, which I suppose is true of us all.

Can the Eagles still turn it around? I guess so. However, judging from what we've seen, I'd say that they are closer to being a contender for the No. 1 overall pick in the 2012 draft than they are to being a contender in the NFC East.

That there is a tricky proposition. Being a contender for the No. 1 overall pick means being a contender for Andrew Luck, which is something that none of us thought the Eagles would be.

The dilemma, of course, is that the Eagles don't need Andrew Luck. They have Michael Vick, who they recently signed to $100 million contract.

However, that's the other dilemma. Right now, Vick and his basket of turnovers aren't looking like a very good investment. Maybe the question for the Eagles should be whether or not they want Andrew Luck.

Will the Eagles actually have to make this decision? Probably not. They're bad, but the St. Louis Rams, Indianapolis Colts and Miami Dolphins are all worse.

You have to admit, it's an interesting scenario to mull over. 

Zachary D. Rymer's Week 6 Power Rankings

Rank	Team	Record
1	Green Bay Packers	5-0
2	New England Patriots	4-1
3	Baltimore Ravens	3-1
4	Detroit Lions	4-0
5	New Orleans Saints	4-1
6	Buffalo Bills	4-1
7	San Diego Chargers	4-1
8	Washington Redskins	3-1
9	Oakland Raiders	3-2
10	San Francisco 49ers	4-1
11	Houston Texans	3-2
12	Pittsburgh Steelers	3-2
13	Chicago Bears	2-2
14	Tennessee Titans	3-2
15	Cincinnati Bengals	3-2
16	Tampa Bay Buccaneers	3-2
17	Dallas Cowboys	2-2
18	New York Giants	3-2
19	Atlanta Falcons	2-3
20	New York Jets	2-3
21	Cleveland Browns	2-2
22	Seattle Seahawks	2-3
23	Carolina Panthers	1-4
24	Kansas City Chiefs	2-3
25	Philadelphia Eagles	1-4
26	Jacksonville Jaguars	1-4
27	Minnesota Vikings	1-4
28	Denver Broncos	1-4
29	Arizona Cardinals	1-4
30	St. Louis Rams	0-4
31	Indianapolis Colts	0-5
32	Miami Dolphins	0-4