The Eagles and Dolphins are the only remaining undefeated teams through three weeks of the NFL season, making them immediate Super Bowl contenders. In this article, we will take a closer look at both teams to test their legitimacy.

First, it can be telling to look at each team’s YOE (yards over expected) and YAOE (yards allowed over expected).

The Eagles have been near the NFL best in YOE all three weeks, netting over 250 YOE in each matchup.

On the flip side, after some minor struggles against Detroit in Week 1, the Eagles have been absolutely dominant on defense. Allowing less than 150 yards gained over expected in the last two weeks, including a suffocating performance against the Commanders in Week 3, this defense looks ready for any team in the NFL.

The Dolphins have been surprisingly underperforming offensively. Only in Week 2 did they outperform the league average in YOE (they were 1st overall this week), which raises some concerns about this team’s longevity. While they snuck out a win against the Bills in Week 3, Tagovailoa only threw for 183 yards–only 6 times did he connect with his star receivers Hill and Waddle. These numbers must increase if Miami wants to win big games like this down the stretch.

The Dolphins’ defense hasn’t looked much better, although this isn’t as much of a concern, as they went against two high-powered offenses (Ravens and Bills) in their last two matchups. It will be an interesting test to see how they perform against a poor offensive team in the Jets in Week 4.

Next, let’s look at the defensive player grades, to give us an idea of how each team matches up with the rest of their division. The Eagles, unsurprisingly, have the most players (6) in the NFC East performing above the division average. The Cowboys seem to be the biggest threat at the moment to the Eagles taking the division.

The Dolphins match up fairly well against their division defensively, as shown below.

Conclusions

Eagles: Get ready Philly, this team is legit. Their swarming defense and electric offense show early signs of a Super Bowl contender.

Dolphins: Too early to tell. Miami has picked up a couple of great wins against the Ravens and Bills, but still show signs of inconsistency on both sides of the ball. If they can continue to win big games and produce big numbers on both sides of the ball, this team will be a top contender.

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