Eagles vs. Panthers: Philadelphia Grades, Notes and Quotes
The Philadelphia Eagles failed to win their third game in a row as they fell to the Carolina Panthers 27-16 on Sunday night at Bank of America Stadium.
The Eagles fell to 3-4 on the season, while Carolina continued its sparkling run and earned a 6-0 record for the first time in franchise history. With the loss, Philadelphia fell behind the New York Giants and Washington Redskins in the NFC East.
In fact, Philadelphia's first half started much like their game last week against the Giants.
The Panthers marched right down the field 72 yards on just four plays. Jonathan Stewart broke free on two big runs, and then Cam Newton completed a pass to Corey Brown. Mike Tolbert capped the drive with a two-yard touchdown run.
Philadelphia's offense did not get anything going until almost 10 minutes into the second quarter. Bradford extended the drive by converting on third down with a pass to Zach Ertz. Then Ryan Mathews turned the corner and exploded down the corner for a 22-yard gain.
The Eagles' offense started to gain momentum, but wide receiver Josh Huff dropped a pass, his first of the season, on third down to bring Caleb Sturgis onto the field. The University of Florida product stepped up and nailed the 52-yard field goal.
However, Sturgis made a major mistake as he knuckled the kickoff out of bounds, which gave the Panthers the ball on the 40-yard line. Ted Ginn Jr. then gained 44 yards on a reverse, as the play call fooled Philadelphia's defense. Newton capped the drive off with a two-yard run.
Philadelphia's defense only surrendered one rushing touchdown through the season's first six weeks, but the Panthers hit them with two scores on the ground in the first half.
Malcolm Jenkins continues to make big plays as he came up with an interception with just over one minute remaining in the half. Jenkins made a diving pick near the sideline and then celebrated with Newton's signature Superman pose.
The Eagles were forced to settle for a 29-yard field goal after they missed a few chances to score in the red zone. Bradford hit Jordan Matthews in the end zone, but the receiver could get only one foot down. Then standout cornerback Josh Norman made a diving deflection to deny Zach Ertz. Philadelphia went into halftime trailing 14-6.
The second half started similar to the first as Carolina marched right down the field. Mike Tolbert punched the ball in with a tough two-yard touchdown reception in which he broke three tackles before crossing the line.
Philadelphia struggled throughout the entire game to capitalize on its successful drives as it settled for field goals. Philadelphia's only touchdown of the game came on Ryan Mathews' 63-yard run to help bring the Eagles within eight points.
Both teams added field goals in the second half, but Philadelphia never looked prime for a comeback. Philadelphia hung around with only an eight-point deficit for most of the second half, but its offense failed to get anything going.
Philadelphia's defense came up with a big stop to give the offense the ball at its own 11-yard line with just over three minutes remaining. The Panthers gifted the Eagles a first down with a pass-interference penalty, but then their defense clamped down with a Jared Allen sack. Miles Austin dropped a pass on fourth down that ended the game for Philadelphia.
Carolina added three more points with a field goal to give the Panthers a 27-16 victory. Meanwhile, Philadelphia heads into their bye week with a loss and will face the Dallas Cowboys in Week 9.
Position Grades for Philadelphia
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| Position | Grade |
| QB | C |
| RB | B+ |
| WR/TE | F |
| OL | C+ |
| DE | B- |
| LB | B- |
| DB | B |
| Special Teams | B- |
| Coaching | C+ |
Quarterback
Sam Bradford limited his mistakes against Carolina's defense as he only threw one interception, but he looked largely ineffective throughout the entire game. His one interception came from a pass batted up into the air that Jordan Matthews should have caught.
The quarterback did not make many terrible plays, but he could not jump-start the offense. He often looked shell-shocked in the pocket and settled for sacks or meaningless dump-offs. This game lacked the downfield shots that make the offense dangerous the last few weeks. Bradford finished 24-of-46 for 205 yards with one interception and zero touchdowns.
Running Backs
Philadelphia's biggest play of the game came on Ryan Mathews' career-long 63-yard touchdown run. The tailback turned the corner and dashed downfield as nobody could catch him.
Philadelphia ran the ball 30 times for 177 yards and one touchdown. The tailbacks fought hard for extra yards against Carolina's physical defense. DeMarco Murray and Mathews received most of the work throughout the game.
Wide Receivers/Tight Ends
Sunday night will be a game to forget for all of Philadelphia's wide receivers. Not a single receiver made a major impact on the game, and the entire group ruined drives with drops in key situations.
Jordan Matthews shows potential, but he continually fails to make catches in traffic. His missed catch in the first quarter led to an interception. Zach Ertz and Miles Austin led the team in receptions and yards, but they also failed to bring in key receptions.
Offensive Line
Carolina's defensive front made it tough for Philadelphia's offensive line the entire game. The big boys up front fought hard all game long, but they were outmatched in both the running and passing games.
Carolina's interior rushers continually blew up Philadelphia's blocks on running games, making it difficult for the tailbacks. They also allowed five sacks for 33 yards.
Defensive Line
The defensive line is usually one of the strongest parts of Philadelphia's team, but it failed to disrupt plays throughout the game. Carolina's offensive line pushed it back consistently, and Jonathan Stewart ran for 125 yards on the day, which is the first time Philadelphia's defensive line has allowed one player to reach the century mark against it this season.
Carolina gained 204 yards on the ground as a team and also scored two rushing touchdown. However, the defensive line did get some pressure on Newton by collapsing the pocket around him.
Linebackers
Mychal Kendricks made his return to as he played the majority of the game alongside Jordan Hicks in the middle of the field. The athletic linebacker sacked Newton once, but it was Philadelphia's only sack on the day. Philadelphia's pass-rushers such as Brandon Graham and Connor Barwin failed to get pressure on the quarterback.
Kendricks finished second on the team with eight tackles, and Hicks also recorded six tackles on the day. The linebackers made a few big hits, but they allowed Stewart to run rampant all game long.
Defensive Backs
Philadelphia's defensive backs did not shut down Newton, but they forced the quarterback to make several mistakes. Nolan Carroll, Malcolm Jenkins and Byron Maxwell all came away with interceptions. These plays either stopped dangerous drives or gave the ball back to Philadelphia in prime position.
The Carolina Panthers do not have many weapons on offense, but Philadelphia allowed players such as Ted Ginn Jr. to have an impact on the game. Ginn finished with five catches for 59 yards and 43 yards rushing. However, Jenkins and company did limit Greg Olsen's productivity as he finished with only 65 yards.
Special Teams
Chip Kelly showed faith in his kicker by rolling Sturgis out on four different occasions to kick field goals. The kicker responded by making three of his attempts, including a 52-yard thump.
Sturgis also booted the ball out of bounds on the kickoff one time, giving the Panthers great starting field position. Carolina ended up scoring a touchdown on that drive.
Coaching
Philadelphia never looked like they were capable of winning the game against the Panthers. The team seemed flat, and the offense never looked dangerous offensively.
Kelly also made some odd play-calling decisions. The coach decided, out of a timeout, to call a screen pass to Josh Huff on 3rd-and-long that resulted in almost no gain. The Eagles attempted a 50-yard field goal and barely missed.
Kelly abandoned his deep passing game that made the offense successful the last few weeks, and his distribution of carries also made very little sense.
Important Note No. 1: Jason Peters
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Philadelphia suffered a big blow early in the game as Jason Peters left the field on a cart following an injury. The left tackle went down on a play in which Sam Bradford was sacked.
The seven-time Pro Bowl player's injury did not look to come from contact, and he laid on the ground facedown for a long time as the training staff examined him. Both teams showed obvious concern for the respected player, but eventually he left the field on a cart.
Peters did not return to the game, having suffered a lower-back injury, according to the Philadelphia Inquirer's Zach Berman.
In his place, Matt Tobin slid into the left tackle position. The 25-year-old battled all game against the relentless Jared Allen and surrendered only one sack. However, Bradford looked uncomfortable in the pocket throughout the game and more change along the front line will not help that moving forward.
Luckily for Philadelphia, Peters said he "will be ready" to play against the Cowboys "in two weeks," according to CSNPhilly.com's Reuben Frank.
Peters' health will be closely monitored moving forward as his combination of talent, size and athleticism allows the Eagles to do many different things whether it be in the rushing attack or on screen plays.
Important Note No. 2: Running Backs
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Philadelphia did not abandon the run game on Sunday night, despite trailing for the entire game. The Eagles ran the ball 30 times for 177 yards and a touchdown on the game, but one player emerged as the most dangerous threat.
Ryan Mathews only carried the ball six times against the Panthers, but he gained 97 yards total and averaged 16.2 yards per attempt. The tailback also made several big plays, including a career-long 63-yard touchdown run. But Mathews only received after he broke off the biggest play of the game with almost 10 minutes remaining in the third quarter.
Meanwhile, Kelly decided to allocate the majority of the workload to DeMarco Murray. The 27-year-old gained 65 yards on 18 carries against Carolina. Murray produced a few good runs, but he failed to consistently churn consistent yards for Philadelphia.
There comes a point when Kelly needs to ride the hot player and give Mathews a larger role in the offense. The former San Diego Charger runs with a rare combination of speed and power. The tailback is decisive in hitting the hole and then always seems to carry a defender with him for a few more yards.
In the second quarter, Mathews broke off a 22-yard run as he turned the corner and then exploded downfield. The running back also remained in bounds and fought for extra yards. However, the Eagles decided to roll Murray out on the next possession, and he gained only four yards on two carries as the offense went three-and-out.
Kelly and the Eagles need to put Murray's past accomplishments behind them and utilize the running back who is performing the best for the team.
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Quote No. 1: Malcolm Jenkins
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"Hopefully, this lights a fire under some people," said Malcolm Jenkins, per CSNPhilly.com's Reuben Frank.
Malcolm Jenkins politely called out his teammates following their loss the Carolina Panthers, as the Eagles now fall to 3-4 on the season.
The safety is one of the leaders on the defense, and his play, as well as his words, shows what the rest of the team should play like. Jenkins continues to lead by example as he fights to stop running backs at the line of scrimmage, cover nickel receivers on third down or provide help on covering difficult tight ends like Greg Olsen.
Jenkins finished with only two tackles on the day, but he led the team in that category coming into the game. Instead, the safety made bigger plays in the passing game, including his diving interception at the end of the first half to put his team in position to kick a field goal.
Although most of the defense is following Jenkins' lead and exceeding expectations, there are still a few players who need to step up. One of those players is Byron Maxwell.
The big-money signing came up with a big play as he returned his first interception of the season 25 yards, but he failed to bring consistent intensity.
At the start of the second half, the Panthers marched down the field with ease and scored a touchdown on Mike Tolbert's two-yard reception. On that play Jenkins knocked Tolbert back with a big hit, but Maxwell came up with no conviction and missed the tackle. The tailback broke another tackle and worked his way into the end zone.
That scoring play shows the letdown Philadelphia's defense occasionally allows to happen. The Eagles improved greatly on the defensive side of the ball this year, but there is still room for growth.
Quote No. 2: Jordan Matthews
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“It’s something that needs to be fixed. It’s embarrassing. I’m number one on that list of guys who will take the responsibility," said Jordan Matthews, per the Philadelphia Inquirer's Zach Berman.
Philadelphia's receivers did very little to help their quarterback on Sunday night against the Panthers. Although Bradford did not have a perfect game, his targets made life even more difficult with a string of drops.
Jordan Matthews, in particular, continues to frustrate as he shows the potential to be a great receiver, but he makes too many bad plays. Although he's explosive with the balls in his hands, Matthews had two key drops on Sunday.
On Philadelphia's second possession, Bradford threw the ball slightly behind Matthews, and the receiver batted the ball up in the air. Carolina came away with the interception. Once again, Bradford is far from perfect, but receivers are expected to make catches when the ball hits them directly in their hands.
In the third quarter, Philadelphia started with great field possession following Byron Maxwell's interception and return. The Eagles moved the ball down the field and eventually got into a goal-line situation on Carolina's 6-yard line. On 3rd-and-goal Bradford found Matthews with a perfect pass in the back of the end zone, but the receiver failed to get both feet in bounds on the catch. Although not an easy play, top receivers are expected to make catches in similar tight windows every week.
Matthews was not the only culprit of drops on the day, as Miles Austin, Josh Huff, Darren Sproles and Zach Ertz all let their quarterback down. However, Ertz came up with several big plays on the day as he finished with five catches for 63 yards.
The tight end led the team in both receptions and receiving yards on Sunday night. Ertz not only provides a unique matchup due to his size and athleticism, but he also has the skill set to make phenomenal catches. The tight end positions his body well and also utilizes a big catch radius due to his ability to jump or dive and still bring in the pass.
Bradford does not have a reliable target in the passing game to this point; the Eagles need somebody to step up and become an impact player. Matthews shows the potential to be great, but he lacks consistency. Ertz may emerge as Bradford's go-to guy as the tight end continues to make himself available in big moments.
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