Dissecting Key Matchups in Philadelphia Eagles' Week 10 Matchup Against Carolina

The Philadelphia Eagles survived last week's contest against the Houston Texans, but it wasn't without a price.

Quarterback Nick Foles suffered a crack in his clavicle, an injury that will likely sideline him through the remainder of the regular season.

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#Eagles coach Chip Kelly tells reporters there is a “crack in the clavicle” of Nick Foles. He had an MRI about an hour ago.

— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) November 3, 2014"

Veteran inside linebacker DeMeco Ryans, a two-time Pro Bowler and team captain, sustained a torn Achilles tendon. Meanwhile, starting guard and longest-tenured offensive player Todd Herremans will have season-ending surgery to his right biceps.

Fortunately for the Eagles, the rest of the NFC East continues to lose. The New York Giants and Washington Redskins both lost in Week 9, which should all but drop them out of the playoff hunt.

Meanwhile, the previously unstoppable Dallas Cowboys are without quarterback Tony Romo, and the result was a loss that moved Philadelphia into sole possession of first place in the division.

The Eagles get the Carolina Panthers next Monday night, and this is a team that has been in complete disarray over the last six weeks. Since a 2-0 start, the Panthers are 1-5-1, and they're in the bottom eight in the NFL in both total defense and scoring defense.

Even with backup quarterback Mark Sanchez under center, this is a very winnable game for Philadelphia.

Aside from the quarterback position, these are the three biggest matchups to watch.

RB LeSean McCoy vs. MLB Luke Kuechly

Remember LeSean McCoy, the All-Pro running back from 2013?

He’s back.

In fact, as awful as the season seems to have been for McCoy, he’s still on pace for nearly 1,250 rushing yards. He gets offensive lineman Evan Mathis back this week, and he’s already got Jason Kelce back. Meanwhile, Jason Peters and Lane Johnson are as dynamic a duo of run-blockers as there are in this league.

Matt Rourke/Associated Press

McCoy also gets the Carolina Panthers, a defense that rates 32nd in rushing yards allowed per attempt.

The Panthers have a handful of talented defenders—namely Luke Kuechly, the reigning Defensive Player of the Year—but that hasn’t been enough to improve the defense's statistics.

Kuechly is having another tremendous season. Per Pro Football Focus, he rates as the NFL’s second-best inside linebacker, picking up a ridiculous 75 tackles in just eight games.

The Eagles will need to find ways to run away from Kuechly, a player who possesses elite sideline-to-sideline speed. This will be a good test for McCoy.

With his offensive line almost at full strength, expect another 100-yard performance from Shady.

WR Jeremy Maclin vs. CB Antoine Cason

Right now, no one can cover Jeremy Maclin.

Patrick Peterson certainly couldn't, and Houston Texans backup cornerback Andre Hal certainly couldn't.

So don't expect the Carolina Panthers, rated 25th in scoring defense, to slow Maclin down either.

Rick Scuteri/Associated Press

Remember how good DeSean Jackson was a year ago? Maclin is on pace to top all those numbers.

Name	Receptions	Yards	Avg	TD
DeSean Jackson	82	1,332	16.2	9
Jeremy Maclin (projected)	90	1,580	17.6	16

Last week, Maclin caught six passes for 158 yards and two touchdowns. The week before, he finished with 12 grabs for 187 yards and two scores. He’s caught a touchdown in six of the Eagles’ eight games this season.

Maclin doesn’t quite have Jackson’s breakaway speed, but he’s pretty close. He can run all the routes, too. He’s been targeted 80 times this season, and he hasn’t dropped a single pass.

Per Pro Football Focus Gold (subscription required), Cason typically plays left cornerback, while Maclin lines up at right wide receiver. Expect a good head-to-head matchup between the two.

It’s not unreasonable to expect another 120-yard game from Maclin, plus a touchdown. In fact, anything less would probably be a disappointment.

C Jason Kelce vs. DT Star Lotulelei

Jason Kelce's return from injury worked wonders for the team's running game. McCoy quietly turned in a 100-yard day. Darren Sproles ran for 17 yards on three carries. Meanwhile, Chris Polk battered his way to 50 yards and a score on just eight rushing attempts.

With Kelce back, the Eagles have their most athletic offensive lineman, and there's a chance they may get Evan Mathis back as well.

Bob Leverone/Associated Press

Kelce will have himself a difficult matchup, though, as he squares off against massive defensive tackle Star Lotulelei. Lotulelei was a 2013 first-round pick, and he’s played well since being taken 14th overall in the NFL draft.

Checking in at 320 pounds, which puts him at least 30 pounds heavier than the undersized Kelce, Lotulelei isn’t having quite the season he had in 2013. However, he still has the ability to make life difficult for the center.

The Panthers will assuredly line Lotulelei up at multiple spots on the line, whether it’s the 3-technique tackle spot over right guard, left guard or straight up as the 0-technique nose tackle over Kelce.

Here’s an image of Lotulelei playing the St. Louis Rams last year. Lotulelei lined up over right guard Harvey Dahl:

NFL Game Rewind

Upon the snap, Lotulelei disengages from Dahl and slides inside to get to ball-carrier Zac Stacy. 

NFL Game Rewind

It’s that initial burst of quickness that allows Lotulelei to tackle Stacy for a one-yard loss.

NFL Game Rewind

Players of Lotulelei’s size and speed don’t come around that often. He has a chance to be to the Panthers what Dontari Poe is to the Kansas City Chiefs. Keeping him away from Mark Sanchez will be a key for the Eagles.