Denver at Philadelphia, 11 a.m., Sunday, KCNC-4
For the record: The Eagles own the NFL’s best record at 7-1 and are coming off a 33-10 demolition of San Francisco on Sunday. Philadelphia has an MVP candidate at quarterback and Carson Wentz, who is backed by the league’s best rushing defense (70.4) yards per game.
Who’s hot. Wentz. Scorching may be a better word. The second-year quarterback out of North Dakota State is first in the NFL in touchdown passes (19, tied with Deshaun Watson), third in yards (2,063) and seventh in overall rating (101.6). During Philadelphia’s active six-game winning streak, Wentz has thrown 15 touchdown passes with only three interceptions.
Who’s not. Health. About the only thing that hasn’t gone right for the Eagles recently is the injury report. Philadelphia lost left tackle Jason Peters and linebacker Jordan Hicks to significant injuries during their victory over Washington two weeks ago. Wentz is tied for fifth in the NFL with 22 sacks taken, so the loss of Peters hurts.
Key stat: 43. The number of catches this season for Philadelphia’s leading receiver, tight end . Those catches, six of which have gone for touchdowns, have added up to a team-leading 528 yards. He presents another tall task for a Broncos team that has struggled to cover tight ends.
FYI: The Eagles made a splash ahead of the trade deadline Tuesday, acquiring Dolphins running back for a fourth-round pick. Ajayi, a selection in 2016 after rushing for 1,272 yards, will join a backfield led by LaGarrette Blount.
Streaking: The Eagles have scored at least 26 points in each of their last six wins. In its past three victories — over the Panthers, Redskins and 49ers — Philadelphia has averaged 31.6 points. Wentz, meanwhile, has thrown for more than 210 yards in all but one game this season.
Playerspeak: “Being 7-1, we like that. Itap a good place to be. We just have to keep building.” — Wentz
