Analysis: Eagles, 49ers clear front-runners in NFC; AFC is more jumbled

The Eagles and 49ers are the clear front-runners in the NFC while the AFC is jumbled five weeks into the season.

San Francisco made the biggest statement so far with a dominant 42-10 win over Dallas on Sunday night.

The 49ers (5-0) have been the NFL’s most complete team. They can win behind Brock Purdy’s passing, Christian McCaffrey’s running or by leaning on Nick Bosa and a stingy defense.

An offense that’s loaded with Purdy, McCaffrey, Deebo Samuel, George Kittle, Brandon Aiyuk easily handled one of the league’s top defenses. The Cowboys couldn’t do anything to stop San Francisco.

Injuries might be the only thing that can slow down the 49ers. They learned that last season when Purdy, who began the season as the No. 3 quarterback, tore an elbow ligament in the NFC championship game against Philadelphia.

The defending NFC champion Eagles (5-0) are still building their identity, but keep finding ways to win despite playing below the standard they set last season on their way to a Super Bowl appearance.

Similar to San Francisco, the Eagles beat teams multiple ways. They can do it in the air with Jalen Hurts throwing to A.J. Brown or other playmakers or on the ground behind Hurts, D’Andre Swift and a powerful offensive line.

The NFL’s only two undefeated teams seem headed for a rematch in the conference title game with a Week 13 matchup to determine who gets the No. 1 seed. Of course, there’s a long way to go until January.

The 49ers have a challenge on the road against Cleveland this week. The Browns (2-2) are coming off a bye so they’ve had extra time to prepare for San Francisco’s dynamic offense. They’ll need Deshaun Watson to return from a shoulder injury to have a chance.

The Eagles also have a difficult matchup on the road against the New York Jets (2-3).

There’s a gap between Philly, San Francisco and the rest of the NFC, though the Detroit Lions (4-1) are playing up to preseason hype. The Lions haven’t won a playoff game in 31 years, but it’s a new era in Motown. The Cowboys (3-2) can’t be counted out, either.

The AFC still goes through the defending Super Bowl champion Chiefs (4-1). Kansas City only has had one dominant win. The Bills (3-2) went from dropping 48 points in a statement win over Miami to losing to the Jaguars (3-2) in London.

The Dolphins (4-1) have been mostly impressive except for their loss at Buffalo. They have two measuring stick games upcoming at Philadelphia and at Kansas City over the next four weeks.

Cincinnati is the biggest wild card in the AFC. If Joe Burrow is healthy, the Bengals (2-3) can make a run. Jacksonville, Baltimore (3-2) and the Los Angeles Chargers (2-2) also are in the mix.

The Vikings and Giants met in the playoffs last season, but both are off to 1-4 starts and should start looking ahead to next season. New York hasn’t had a chance in the three losses without injured running back Saquon Barkley. Up next is a trip to Buffalo. The Giants are the biggest underdog on the schedule this week so it’ll take a major upset for them to avoid a 1-5 start.

Minnesota has already equaled its loss total from last season and now faces four games without All-Pro wide receiver Justin Jefferson.

With Kirk Cousins eligible for free agency after the season, the Vikings could look to add draft capital by making some trades before the Oct. 31 deadline.

Road teams are 40-36 this season, excluding two international games. That’s the league’s worst home record through five games since 2019, when road teams were 43-34-1 entering Week 6.

Many teams have fan bases that travel well, giving some road teams an edge when they’re inside a visiting stadium. Eagles fans filled the seats in Tampa Bay in Week 3 and in Los Angeles last week. The Philly faithful were so loud inside SoFi Stadium that the noise disrupted the Rams’ snap count a few times.

Allegiant Stadium was filled with Packers fans for Monday night’s game against the Raiders. But they didn’t make a difference in Green Bay’s 17-13 loss.

Colts rookie quarterback Anthony Richardson has already displayed dynamic playmaking skills, but he needs to learn self-preservation in the NFL. Richardson has been knocked out of three games, missed one and is expected to miss another this week because of a shoulder injury. Richardson has had a bruised knee, sore ankle, concussion and now a sprained AC joint.

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