Seven weeks ago, the Eagles’ record stood at 2-2, and there were plenty of grumblings about head coach Nick Sirianni and first-year defensive coordinator Vic Fangio about their approaches and decisions in games.

The Birds headed into their bye week with plenty of uncertainty and anxiety surrounding them.

Seven weeks later, that situation certainly seems and feels like a different season.

The Eagles will travel to Los Angeles this weekend riding an impressive six-game winning streak for a primetime Sunday night battle.

This time around, there is plenty of Super Bowl chatter brewing for the Eagles.

Along with Saquon Barkley pacing the offense, Fangio has turned the tide with his defense, which has risen to the elite status of the league.

In this week’s version of my Inside the Huddle column, I’ll take a look at the current state of the Eagles’ defense, as well as some notable past units.

Six-Pack ... Over the past six games, it has been a momentous ride for the Birds’ defense, which has often been overshadowed by the offense.

Through their latest run, here are some numbers: They are first in total points allowed, 68 (11.3 points per game); first in total yards, 1,268 (211.3 ypg.); first in passing yards, 784 (130.7 ypg.); first in rushing yards, 484 (80.6 ypg.); and sixth in takeaways, 11 (sixth in the NFL)

As they head into L.A., they’re first in yards allowed (273.1 ypg.), sixth in points allowed (17.9 ppg/), eighth on third down, seventh in rushing yards (99.9 ypg.), and second in pass defense (173.2 ypg.).

Who Did It? ... The numbers have overwhelmingly swung toward the Eagles, but it’s been their improved cornerbacks that have shaped the numbers.

It’s hard to believe the remarkable play of rookie corners Quinlon Mitchell and Cooper De John, who have Eagles’ fans thinking back to the play of Roynell Young and Eric Allen. Mitchell has shut down many teams’ top receivers, such as Dallas’ CeeDee Lamb, Cleveland’s (now Buffalo’s) Amari Cooper, and Cincinnati’s Javon Chase and others, to two receptions or less.

Connect the Dots ... In press conferences this season, Fangio has reminisced about long-time friend and coaching colleague the late Jim Johnson, who was the Birds’ defensive architect of the late ‘90s and early 2000s.

Fangio - who was an assistant with Johnson - saw their relationship that dated back to their days opposing each other in the USFL as a truly professional and respectful one. Both were grounded and implemented ideas from the other.

Ironically, both of them had major transformations of the Eagles’ defense in their first season.

Johnson took over a unit in 1998 that had gone 3-13 the previous season, and took his lumps the first two seasons.

However, by the end of the first season, Johnson began to make inroads. His unit allowed just 18.8 points in its last five games, a sign of what was to come over the next decade. From 2000 through 2008, the Eagles had six top-five league defenses, which helped carry them to five NFC Championship games and a Super Bowl.

Vangio inherited a unit that was 26th in yards allowed, 30th in points allowed, and 31st in pass defense and third downs under the tandem of Sean Desai and Matt Patricia.

Another uncanny fact between the two was they both had/have another linebacker named Jeremiah Trotter.

Bud’s Boys ... Controversial Eagles’ boss Buddy Ryan often gets credited for having some of the most aggressive defenses. Ryan developed the 1985 Bears, who recorded 64 sacks, 34 interceptions and 24 fumbles. That equates to roughly four sacks, two interceptions and 1.5 fumbles per game.

But people may forget that Bud Carson was in charge of the Birds’ 1991 unit under then-new head coach Rich Kotite.

Carson led his unit to a No. 1 ranking against the run and pass. Reggie White had 15 sacks, Clyde Simmons registered 13, and Jerome Brown recorded nine. Eric Allen and Wes Hopkins each snared five interceptions.

Inspirational leader Seth Joyner had six forced fumbles and scored two touchdowns.

Sadly, they lost Randall Cunningham for the season, and didn’t make the playoffs with a 10-6 mark.

However, it was the defense that basically produced and saved their 10-win season.

Swamp People ... Marion Campbell was known as “The Swamp Fox,” and was well respected.

In 1981, Campbell’s defense allowed a league-low 221 points, and 4,443 yards.

Claude Humphrey led the team with 14.5 sacks, Carl Hariston had nine, and Ken Clarke seven.

Bernard Wilson swiped six passes, and Herman Edwards collected three.

Unfortunately, the 10-6 Eagles were upset by the Giants in the wildcard playoffs.

Johnson’s Jewels ... In 2002, Johnson was at the height of his game.

He had a group of All-Pros led by Brian Dawkins, Troy Vincent, Bobby Taylor, and Hugh Douglas that paced them to being second in the league in points allowed, fourth in yards allowed, and first in third-down conversion rate. Douglas had 12.5 sacks.

It had the perfect script to the Super Bowl with the NFC championship against Tampa Bay in the Vet’s final game. But it was the Bucs under Tony Dungy who captured the night.

The Latest ... You can also look at the 2002 Super Bowl run when the Birds also topped the charts in several categories.

They were first in the league in pass defense, first in quarterback sacks, tied for third with 17 takeaways, and tied for sixth allowing just 18.9 points per game.

In the Super Bowl-winning 2017 season, the Eagles were first against the run with a stingy 79.2 yards against the rush, and 17th in the pass with 227.3. Overall, the unit was fourth.

They did have several glowing numbers (Brandon Graham 9.4 sacks, Patrick Robinson four interceptions), but ultimately played as a unit.

Topping Off ... Here are my top five teams:

1. Lions (9-1) - Last week, they looked invincible in their 52-6 blowout over Jacksonville. The Lions lost linebacker Alex Anazlone to injury, but are deep and deemed to make a Super Bowl run

2. Chiefs (9-1) - The Chiefs finally ran out of miracles last week, but are still in an elite class. For their sake, Patrick Mahomes has started slow.

3. Bills (9-2) - Josh Allen’s fourth-down touchdown rumble through the Chiefs last week could be the game-changing moment for the rest of the season. Like the Chiefs, their best is yet to come.

4. Eagles (8-2) - The Birds are soaring to new heights. Their defense (see above) looks like it will be key, and is alleviating the pressure off their offense.

5. Steelers (8-2) - Russell Wilson has had some troubles, but this looks like a Steelers team from the dominant 70s. Their defense is punishing, and Mike Tomlin has to be considered among the top three coaches.

Bottoming Out ... Here are my top five worst teams (overall worst is first):

1. Jaguars (2-9) - Ex-Eagle headman Doug Pederson is on his way out, as he has lost the team. Bill Belichick may ride into Jacksonville to save the franchise.

2a). Titans (2-9) - Head coach Brian Callahan could also be shown the door. Tennessee hasn’t improved, and has plenty of holes.

2b). Browns (2-8) - This is a toss-up with the Titans. They rolled up 443 yards of offense last week and lost 35-14 to the Saints.

2. Giants (2-8) - Can local high school hero Tommy Devito save the day? It will be a cold winter in the Meadowlands.

3. Raiders (2-8) - They have lost six straight, but have shown some life of late. The once-promising Antonio Pierce coaching career appears to be over.

4. Panthers (3-7) - Carolina has turned it back over to Bryce Young to finish the season. It has a challenging schedule ahead beginning with the Chiefs Sunday.

Matriculating Down the Lane ... On Dec. 2, 1983 at the Vet, the Eagles (5-9) broke a seven-game losing streak against the Rams (8-6) with a lackluster 13-9 victory.

Ron Jaworski tossed a winning, fourth-quarter, 29-yard pass to Tony Woodruff (remember him?). However, Jaworski had a miserable day, completing 21 of 39 passes for 221 yards with three interceptions for a 47.1 rating.

Hubie Oliver (another lost Eagle) ran for 28 yards on 16 carries, one for a four-yard touchdown. Philly ran for just 75 yards on the day. Mike Quick caught seven passes for 69 yards.

Rams’ quarterback Vince Ferragamo threw for 232 yards, and Eric Dickerson rumbled for 103 yards on 28 carries, but the Rams couldn’t find the end zone and settled for Mike Lansford’s three field goals. However, the Rams lost two fumbles.

Layin’ It on the Line ... Last week, I was 1-2 in picking games.

This week, I’ll take the Eagles (-2.5) over the Rams, and the Giants (+4) with the points over the Bucs.

Final Thought ... There has been legislation in Congress introduced lately about having the Commanders revert back to the Redskins. With their recent success and a new stadium soon on the way, they should be the Redskins again. Sports and politics are never a good mix.

Your thoughts are always welcome; email them to tnsports@tnonline.com.