Panthers vs. Eagles: Complete Week 10 Preview for Philadelphia
In terms of the win-loss column, it's been a highly successful season for Chip Kelly and the Philadelphia Eagles. The team is 6-2, currently one-half a game up on the Dallas Cowboys for the division lead. But the record doesn't tell the whole story.
Kelly and his squad have had to battle through a myriad of injuries, the latest being a broken collarbone that took out quarterback Nick Foles and season-ending injuries to inside linebacker DeMeco Ryans and guard Todd Herremans.
With Foles out for at least six weeks, the Eagles will turn to backup quarterback Mark Sanchez, a New York Jets castoff who performed pretty well in limited action last week. Sanchez won’t need to win games by himself: If he can hand the ball to LeSean McCoy, throw an occasional bomb to Jeremy Maclin and minimize his turnovers, he'll be doing his job.
To be honest, the Eagles should beat the Carolina Panthers with ease.
The Panthers have won just once in the last 53 days, a narrow victory over the struggling Chicago Bears. At 3-5-1, Carolina could still win the weak NFC South, but it will need to start Monday night against Philadelphia. The Panthers are just 25th in scoring offense, and their defense is 25th in scoring defense and dead last in the NFL in rushing yards allowed per attempt. That bodes extremely well for Philadelphia.
Here is everything you need to know surrounding this upcoming matchup.
Eagles’ Week 9 Recap
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The Philadelphia Eagles beat the Houston Texans 31-21 in Week 9, but it was a costly win. The team lost Nick Foles, Todd Herremans and DeMeco Ryans to injury.
How the Eagles won the game though was impressive. Backup quarterback Mark Sanchez filled in admirably for Foles, LeSean McCoy and Chris Polk ran the ball extremely well and Jeremy Maclin continued his breakout season.
The defense intercepted Ryan Fitzpatrick once, sacked him four more times and held Houston star running back Arian Foster to just 56 rushing yards on 15 carries. Coupled with the Dallas Cowboys loss to the Arizona Cardinals, the Eagles regained sole possession of first place in the NFC East.
News and Notes
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Were the Eagles Going to Move On from Nick Foles before His Injury?
According to a report from Mark Eckel of NJ.com, the Philadelphia Eagles had apparently "soured" on quarterback Nick Foles even before his injury.
It’s not hard to fathom this; Foles was second in the NFL with 10 interceptions this season, and any magic he had from his remarkable 2013 campaign was long gone. The deep ball that served Foles so well last year seemed to be his biggest obstacle in ’14, and his lack of mobility seemed to constantly hold back what Chip Kelly could do with the offense.
Some seem to think the Eagles will be fine with Mark Sanchez, and obviously the upcoming games will show us.
"I think the eagles will be fine. Need better O line play, but this is the most QB friendly offense I have seen, as long as QB is smart
— Joe Banner (@JoeBanner13) November 3, 2014"
Foles is still signed through the 2015 season, while Sanchez is a free agent once again after this year. It’s no secret Sanchez is playing for his future as an NFL starter, but will it be with the Eagles as a stopgap while the team invests a high draft pick on a new quarterback? Much of that will depend on how Sanchez plays in Foles’ absence, and whether he at all resembles a long-term solution.
Are the Philadelphia Eagles Interested in Terrelle Pryor?
Terrelle Pryor is a special athlete. He’s a 6’4”, 240-pound player who ran a 4.38 back at his pro day in 2011. The Oakland Raiders took Pryor in the third round of that year's supplemental draft, but after struggling as a starter in 2013, he was eventually shipped to Seattle before being released by the Seahawks.
Pryor was recruited by Chip Kelly out of high school, but ultimately said no to joining the Ducks program.
"#Raiders QB Terrelle Pryor said #Eagles head coach Chip Kelly recruited him for Oregon. It was too far away, though.
— Bob Grotz (@BobGrotz) October 30, 2013"
Pryor was said to have worked out for the Eagles recently, but that’s not true.
"Terrelle Pryor apparently said on Facebook he'd work out for the Eagles today. Per league source, he actually worked out for Washington.
— ProFootballTalk (@ProFootballTalk) November 4, 2014"
Pryor does fit the mold of what a prototypical Kelly quarterback looks like, but he was out of the NFL for a reason, and it’s doubtful he has a future unless he changes positions.
The Offensive Line Is Nearly Back
What a turnover the Philadelphia Eagles have had with this year’s offensive line. In fact, All-Pro left tackle Jason Peters has been the lone constant, and thankfully the team has had him, because he’s been arguably their most valuable player in 2014.
All-Pro left guard Evan Mathis will be back for Monday night’s contest against the Carolina Panthers, and top center Jason Kelce returned last week.
To make room for Mathis, veteran Todd Herremans was placed on injured reserve. Fortunately, backup Matt Tobin does have starting experience. Right tackle Lane Johnson has been a terrific player since being returning from a four-game suspension.
Injury Report
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Just when the Philadelphia Eagles appeared to be getting healthier, the injury bug struck again. Nick Foles suffered a crack in his clavicle, while both Todd Herremans and DeMeco Ryans were lost to season-ending injuries.
"Let's recap: Broken clavicle for Nick Foles. Torn Achilles for DeMeco Ryans. Possible season-ending surgery for Todd Herremans. #Eagles
— Bryn Swartz (@eaglescentral) November 2, 2014
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Aside from these new injuries, the old injuries are healing up. Jason Kelce played last week and Evan Mathis will play this week. Darren Sproles is back. Nate Allen should be back too. Per Pro Football Reference, the Eagles injury report is fairly sparse.
| Position | Injury |
Nick Foles | QB | Collarbone (Out) |
Brad Smith | WR | Groin (Questionable) |
LeSean McCoy | RB | Illness (Probable) |
Nate Allen | S | Hamstring (Probable) |
Evan Mathis | G | Knee (Probable) |
The only surprise on the injury list is LeSean McCoy, who is probable due to an illness. He won’t miss this game, though.
"#Eagles RB LeSean McCoy doesn't have his helmet on at the start of practice. Probably just a health day.
— Jeff McLane (@Jeff_McLane) November 5, 2014
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Key Matchups/X-Factors to Watch
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Earlier this week, I highlighted the major matchups to watch in this week’s contest against the Carolina Panthers. In addition to those, here are three more worth watching, plus a potential X-factor for the game.
CB Cary Williams vs. WR Kelvin Benjamin
Cary Williams is an oft-burned cornerback who won’t be back in Philadelphia in 2015 given his soon-to-be $8.1 million cap hit. But when Williams does turn in a good game, as was the case last week against Houston's Andre Johnson, he doesn’t seem to get enough credit.
In truth, Williams took Johnson out of the game. The Houston Texans targeted Johnson three times with Williams in coverage; just one of those was completed, and it was a simple three-yard gain.
Per Pro Football Focus Gold (subscription required), Carolina's Kelvin Benjamin normally plays left wide receiver; meanwhile, Williams almost always lines up as the right cornerback. That means Williams will get a heavy dose of the 6’5” rookie.
Williams has a tendency to get beat for the big plays; PFF has charted him with allowing 436 yards and three touchdowns this season without recording a single interception. Then again, Williams has been better as of late; he’s allowed just 87 receiving yards the last three weeks.
On this acrobatic grab, Benjamin got the better of Seattle All-Pro defensive backs Richard Sherman and Earl Thomas two weeks ago, so he has a clear advantage over Williams. Having a receiver like Benjamin who can simply go up and get a jump ball is a huge advantage for Cam Newton.
ILB Mychal Kendricks vs. TE Greg Olsen
Surprisingly, the Philadelphia Eagles rank No. 1 among all NFL teams in fewest fantasy points allowed to opposing tight ends. It's perhaps a deceiving stat; the Eagles haven't faced the best group of tight ends this season, and opposing wide receivers have certainly had their way with this secondary.
Carolina's Greg Olsen is an underrated pass-catcher who perhaps doesn't quite get the recognition he deserves as one of the game's better tight ends. Olsen is second among TEs with 539 receiving yards, and at 6'5", 254 pounds, he presents a mismatch because of his size and athleticism.
Last week against the Houston Texans, the Eagles used second-year safety Earl Wolff to cover Garrett Graham, but Graham was targeted just once. For a Pro Bowl-caliber tight end like Olsen, the Eagles will go with their fastest linebacker, Mychal Kendricks, in coverage.
ROLB Trent Cole vs. LT Byron Bell
Last week, the Carolina Panthers were without starting left tackle Byron Bell. That thrust backup David Foucault into action, and he was horrendous, allowing two sacks, a quarterback hit and a ridiculous six pressures, according to Pro Football Focus (subscription required).
Fortunately for the Panthers, Bell will be back.
"LT Byron Bell and LG Amini Silatolu returned to practice today. Both said they are feeling good and expect to play this week.
— Max Henson (@PanthersMax) November 5, 2014"
The problem is that Bell isn’t much better. He’s had his share of problems this season, and PFF rates him 72nd among 74 qualifying offensive tackles. He’s surrendered four sacks and 23 hurries, and now he’s going to be playing at less-than-full strength against a dynamic pass-rusher in Trent Cole.
Cole is lining up at right outside linebacker in defensive coordinator Billy Davis' 3-4 alignment, as opposed to the defensive end position he played in past years when the Philadelphia Eagles ran a 4-3 system. Still, he’s been just as effective as ever in 2014. Last week, Cole didn’t get a sack against Pro Bowl left tackle Duane Brown, but he had three pressures, two tackles and a stop in the running game.
If Cole abuses Bell too badly, the Panthers may make a switch and go with Foucault. Either way, though, that bodes extremely well for Cole. The Eagles registered four sacks and seven tackles for loss last week against the Arizona Cardinals. For the season, Philadelphia is tied for ninth with 23 sacks and tied for third with 12 forced fumbles.
This matchup won’t make it any easier for Cam Newton, who has to be missing former left tackle Jordan Gross like crazy.
X-Factor: Chris Polk
You know that two-headed Philadelphia Eagles backfield of LeSean McCoy and Darren Sproles? It just got a third player with the emergence of Chris Polk last week.
Polk ran the ball eight times for 50 yards and a touchdown. He averaged 6.3 yards per carry, which keeps his career mark (although a small sample size) at a nifty 7.3 yards per rush. The fact that Chip Kelly elected to give Polk the ball on a key fourth down late in the game speaks volumes about his confidence in the third-year back.
Polk is a 225-pound bruiser who could see action against the Carolina Panthers; after all, he seems to quietly make plays every time he touches the football. He has a kick return touchdown to his name, and he’s scored five times in 34 all-purpose touches.
Prediction
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Two years ago, the Philadelphia Eagles faced the Carolina Panthers on Monday Night Football. Cam Newton turned in a historic performance in that game.
Newton was just the fifth quarterback in league history to throw for at least 300 yards and two touchdowns, while also rushing for at least 50 yards and two touchdowns in the same game. He led the Panthers to a 30-22 win.
Newton won’t have it quite as easy this time around. The Eagles have a pretty underrated pass rush and the Panthers QB hasn’t been the same runner in 2014 that he was in ’12.
All of Newton’s passing numbers are down: He’s posting the lowest completion percentage, touchdown percentage, yards per attempt and passer rating of his four-year NFL career. He hasn’t led a single fourth-quarter comeback yet, and he hasn’t thrown a touchdown in his last two games.
To make matters worse for Newton, the Carolina defense has been atrocious. The Panthers are in the bottom eight in both scoring offense and scoring defense. They’re dead last in rushing yards allowed per attempt. They’re without Pro Bowl defensive end Greg Hardy, and the secondary is depleted.
LeSean McCoy should have a banner day on the prime-time stage. Quarterback Mark Sanchez is smart enough to know he won’t have to do much to win it. And the Eagles' defensive front seven gets an offensive line that Pro Football Focus rates as the worst pass-blocking unit in the league (subscription required).
Prediction: Eagles 37, Panthers 20
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