Going into the season, the Philadelphia Eagles were pegged as one of the top teams in the NFC. They had a healthy Carson Wentz, an explosive offense overall and a seemingly improved defense. What could go wrong?

Well, the Eagles have gotten off to a so-so start, going 1-1 over their first couple of games, first beating the Washington Redskins in Week 1 and then losing to the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday.

But the main concern for Philadelphia is obvious early on: slow starts.

The Eagles fell behind 17-0 against the Redskins in their season opener before staging a thrilling comeback, and on Sunday evening, Philly went down 17-6 against the Falcons. The Birds actually came back and took a 20-17 lead, but Atlanta closed the deal on a 54-yard touchdown pass from Matt Ryan to Julio Jones in the fourth quarter.

This was supposed to be a dynamite offense, so why is it having so much difficulty getting revved up?

To be fair, both DeSean Jackson and Alshon Jeffery left Sunday's game with injuries, so that serves as a bit of an explanation for the Eagles' lackluster aerial attack in Week 2, but it doesn't excuse the slow starts.

Plus, Jackson and Jeffery are known for being injury-prone, so them both dealing with ailments heading into Week 3 should not come as much of a surprise, and that's why the Eagles' contender status is questionable.

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Philadelphia is not only banking on Jackson and Jeffery, but it is also pinning its hopes on Wentz, who has been unable to finish each of the past two seasons due to a torn ACL and a back injury, respectively.

Not only that, but all summer, we heard about the Eagles defense getting better. Over the first two weeks of the regular season, Philly ranks just 22nd in the NFL in yards allowed and 24th in scoring defense.

Small sample size, yes, but for a defense that ranked 23rd in the league in 2018, it's concerning.

Compounding the Eagles' issues is that they play in the same NFC East division as the Dallas Cowboys, who have torn through the competition over the first couple of weeks

Right now, the Los Angeles Rams and the Cowboys look like the class of the conference, as the New Orleans Saints have taken a big hit with Drew Brees' injury.

Where do the Eagles fit in that equation, an equation that also includes the Green Bay Packers, Seattle Seahawks, Chicago Bears and the Falcons? It remains to be seen, but the early returns have not been all that encouraging.