Philadelphia Eagles vs. Carolina Panthers: Full Philadelphia Game Preview
The Philadelphia Eagles sit in pole position in the NFC East following their win over the New York Giants last week, and now they have another prime-time clash as they take on the Carolina Panthers Sunday night in Charlotte.
The Eagles defeated the Giants Monday night, 27-7, as they won their second game in a row. New York started well, but then Philadelphia settled in and scored 27 unanswered points. Neither offense played particularly well, as both teams combined to commit seven turnovers, but Philadelphia's defense outperformed the opposition's.
Following the win, Philadelphia is now at the top of the NFC East, with a 3-3 record and a 1-2 divisional record. After starting the season with two losses, Chip Kelly and the Eagles are working to salvage their season in a struggling division.
New York also boasts a 3-3 record, while Dallas has one fewer win following their bye week. The Washington Redskins sit at the bottom of the division, but not too far behind, with a 2-4 record.
Meanwhile, the Carolina Panthers are firing on all cylinders with a 5-0 record. The Panthers remained undefeated with a late 27-23 victory over the Seattle Seahawks. Carolina trailed by three points late in the game, but a blown coverage left Greg Olsen wide-open in the end zone to reel in a 26-yard pass for the go-ahead score.
Carolina is in elite company, as only five teams remain undefeated through six weeks of the 2015 regular season. The Panthers will try to avoid a letdown following their big win, as the Atlanta Falcons are right behind them in the NFC South with a 5-1 record.
Here is all the info you need for Philadelphia's big test against Carolina on Sunday night.
Location: Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, North Carolina
Date: Sunday
Time: 8:30 p.m. ET
TV: NBC
Week 6 Results and Recap
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The Philadelphia Eagles won their second-straight game as they defeated the New York Giants 27-7 in a sloppy contest on Monday night at Lincoln Financial Field.
The Giants looked primed for an offensive explosion as they marched down the field 80 yards to score a touchdown from an Eli Manning-to-Odell Beckham Jr. connection. Philadelphia also sent off warning signals—the Eagles gave the ball right back following a three-and-out.
However, the entire momentum of the game shifted on New York’s next possession, when DeMeco Ryans ripped the ball away from Larry Donnell for the interception. On the ensuing drive, Philadelphia scored its first points of the game on a 32-yard touchdown reception as the receiver hauled in a contested pass.
Starting with that touchdown, the Eagles scored unanswered points, and the Giants looked like a completely different team offensively. In the second quarter, Philadelphia’s defense began to establish their dominance, starting with Nolan Carroll’s interception for a touchdown.
Philadelphia added another field goal at the end of the first half and then put the game out of reach in the third quarter. The Eagles wore down New York’s defense with a mix of run and pass plays on their way to am 11-play drive that covered 85 yards. DeMarco Murray capped off the drive as he glided into the end zone on a 12-yard run.
Chip Kelly leaned on his running attack down the stretch as he utilized all three tailbacks to run down the clock, and Caleb Sturgis added a 39-yard field goal to give the Eagles a 20-point victory.
Besides the final score, the story of the game was the turnovers. Both teams combined committed seven turnovers on Monday night. Sam Bradford threw three interceptions and finished 24-for-38 with 280 yards in a less-than-convincing performance. On the other side of the ball, Billy Davis’ defense intercepted Manning twice and forced a Rashad Jennings fumble.
The Eagles did not play to their full potential but managed to secure a victory at the expense of their division rivals last week. This week, the Eagles will need to take care of the football and rely on their defense once again to beat the Carolina Panthers.
Latest Injury News
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| Name | Position | Injury |
| Nelson Agholor | WR | Ankle |
| Kiko Alonso | LB | Knee |
| Brandon Bair | DE | Groin |
| Riley Cooper | WR | Knee |
| Josh Huff | WR | Knee |
| Mychal Kendricks | LB | Hamstring |
| DeMeco Ryans | LB | Hamstring |
Philadelphia's starting 11 on both offense and defense seems different every week as injuries continue to pile up. This week's injury update brings good and bad news for the linebackers and wide receivers.
Mychal Kendricks and Kiko Alonso sat out last week's game against the Giants, but both players participated in practice Wednesday, according to NJ.com's Mark Eckel. However, the Eagles will likely progress cautiously and ease the linebackers back into action.
"We'll test the waters with Kiko and Mychal (Wednesday) and we'll see," Davis said, per Eckel. "I don't anticipate...well their day to day. Hopefully, I'll be surprised.''
Meanwhile, DeMeco Ryans did not partake in Wednesday's practice after he missed the second half against New York with a hamstring injury, according to the team's website. Najee Goode stepped up and filled Ryans' spot in the second half.
On the offensive side of the ball, Nelson Agholor did not play last week due to an ankle injury, and Riley Cooper and Josh Huff missed time during the game after suffering knee injuries. This forced Darren Sproles into the slot position at times, as Jordan Matthews and Miles Austin were the only healthy true receivers.
Both Agholor and Cooper did not participate in practice on Wednesday, while Josh Huff worked with the team fully, according to the team's injury report. As Chip Kelly likes to spread the field and stretch the defense, Philadelphia will need some good news about the health of the wide receivers before taking on the Panthers Sunday night.
Key Matchup
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The Philadelphia Eagles signed DeMarco Murray this offseason after the tailback helped rivals Dallas Cowboys win the NFC East last season. However, the superstar tailback struggled to adjust to his new offense until this past weekend.
Last week against the Giants, Murray carried the ball 22 times for 109 yards and a touchdown. The running back looked the best he has in an Eagles uniform, as he deployed powerful stiff arms and ran with his silky stride that fans are accustomed to seeing.
Although last week was Murray's first 100-yard rushing game for his new team, the Oklahoma product also saw similar success against New Orleans. In the victory against the Saints, Murray clocked up 83 yards on 20 carries.
Philadelphia won each of the last two weeks against the Giants and Saints, and its ability to run the ball throughout the game played a major part. The Eagles average 154.7 yards on the ground in their three wins this season and only 52.3 yards when they lose. Their ability to remain balanced and dictate the tempo late in games is a major factor.
Murray is just one piece of this backfield, as Ryan Mathews is also having similar success but on fewer carries. Against the Giants, Mathews carried the ball only nine times but gained 40 yards as he acted as a battering ram against a tired Giants defense. The 28-year-old tailback was even more efficient against the Saints, as he ran for a touchdown and 73 yards on just eight carries.
In the past few weeks, Mathews served as the secondary back, but he has proved he can handle a heavy workload as well. The tailback shouldered responsibility in Week 2 as Murray missed the game due to a hamstring injury. Mathews proved his worth, shining in the spotlight as he gained 108 yards on 24 rushing attempts.
On the other side, Carolina's defense boasts talented playmakers like Luke Kuechly. The Panthers are stout defensively, as they allow only 96.6 yards per game on the ground. The NFC South leaders will try to maintain this pace and force Philadelphia to become one-dimensional.
In order to earn a victory Sunday night, Philadelphia needs to run the ball effectively to keep Carolina's defense honest. A balanced attack would make the play-action pass a reliable option and also take pressure off Bradford following his three-interception performance.
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Matchup X-Factor
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One of the main causes of Philadelphia’s poor 0-2 start came from the offense's inability to move the ball. In the past two games, the Eagles, although not perfect, looked dangerous when they had possession.
This change stems from a few different factors, including their increased variety in the passing game. In the first two games of the season, the Eagles exclusively ran short patterns, and every throw seemed to be a checkdown.
That all changed when Philadelphia started to get some production from its ground game. The threat of DeMarco Murray and Ryan Mathews keeps defense honest and opens space up for the wide receivers.
Following the shift, Riley Cooper emerged as a deep threat in the passing attack. Cooper may not be on the top of the list of dangerous players on Philadelphia’s roster, but he made a big impact in the last few games.
Cooper changed the outlook of the game last week against the New York Giants with his 43-yard touchdown catch. The receiver made a difficult catch in traffic to get the Eagles on the board and tie the game. The big play came from a deceptive play-action pass in a two-tight-end set.
In Week 4, Cooper made a similar impact as he hauled in a 72-yard bomb from Sam Bradford. The touchdown reception was one of only two catches on the day as he finishes with 72 yards against the Washington Redskins.
The University of Florida alumnus only has eight catches on the year and certainly does not lead the team in receptions or targets. However, Cooper is one of only three Eagles with over 200 yards receiving so far this season. And when he does catch a pass, it is usually for a decent gain—he averages 18.6 yards per catch.
If the Eagles can establish a successful running attack against the Panthers this weekend, Cooper may be able to slip out the back for a large gain this Sunday night.
Prediction: Panthers 24, Eagles 17
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Philadelphia climbed back from an 0-2 start this season to sit at the top of the NFC East with three wins through six weeks, but the Eagles will face a tough test this weekend against Panthers.
Carolina comes into the game as the top team in the NFC South, with a 5-0 record. The Panthers staged a late comeback against the Seahawks last week to take down the defending NFC champs.
Cam Newton is building a case to be the NFL's MVP as he succeeds with very few weapons around him. The former Heisman winner did not have a perfect day against Seattle, as he threw two interceptions, but he led his team down the field when he needed to.
The quarterback continues to utilize both his arm and his legs, throwing for 1078 yards and rushing for 225 yards through five games. Newton already has eight passing touchdowns and three rushing scores.
Meanwhile, Greg Olsen is proving to be a handful as the best weapon at Newton's disposal. Newton found the tight end for a 26-yard touchdown with under a minute remaining last week to secure the win. Olsen finished with seven catches for 131 yards and the touchdown last week.
Olsen's playmaking abilities in the passing game could be a major issue for Philadelphia this week with its injuries at the linebacker position. The Giants targeted DeMeco Ryans and Jordan Hicks in the passing on the first drive of the game last week as they marched down the field to score a touchdown.
In order to slow down Olsen and Carolina's offense, Billy Davis will need his pass-rushers to get to Newton. Philadelphia's defense sacked Eli Manning three times last week and enforced consistent pressure all game to limit his ability to throw the ball downfield. And the week before against the Saints, Fletcher Cox had a career day with three sacks against Drew Brees.
However, Philadelphia will be facing a completely different kind of quarterback this weekend. When the Eagles got pressure against Manning and Brees, they were sitting ducks, but Newton will not be so easy to bring down. The 245-pound quarterback can shed ensuing tacklers and extend plays in ways other quarterbacks cannot.
Philadelphia is much improved from its form in the opening week, but Chip Kelly's team is still far from unstoppable. On the other side, the Carolina Panthers are undefeated and playing solid all-around football. This weekend, the Eagles will fall just short of earning their third victory in a row.
Prediction: Panthers 24, Eagles 17
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