PHILADEPHIA, PA - Most of the time, when you put up 30 points in a game, you emerge victoriously. For the Philadelphia Eagles last Sunday, they came up 12 points short against the potent Kansas City Chiefs offense. The Eagles surrendered five touchdown passes to Patrick Mahomes, 200 total rushing yards, and failed to force a single punt. That kind of defense is not good enough to win games, especially against top-class opponents like Kansas City.
Eagles Vs. Panthers Predictions
The bright side for Philly last week was the play from their offense. Quarterback Jalen Hurts had an excellent day, while first-round receiver DeVonta Smith had his first career 100-yard game. They look to carry that momentum forward into this week's matchup against the Carolina Panthers.
Carolina jumped out to a 3-0 start this season but are coming off a loss against the Dallas Cowboys. This shouldn't raise the alarm for them -- Dallas is a very strong team, and they only lost by 8 points. Carolina will look to bounce back with a tenacious defense that added two quality cornerbacks in as many weeks: C.J. Henderson and former Defensive Player of the Year Stephon Gilmore. They will certainly challenge the Eagles’ receivers and make it hard for them to get open. I expect Jalen Hurts to target his tight ends and running backs a lot, as they represent mismatches against Carolina's linebackers.
Defensively, the Eagles' best bet is trying to pressure quarterback Sam Darnold. The Panther receivers have the deep speed, and as shown last week against Tyreek Hill, speed is a nightmare for the Eagles' secondary. The front seven has to try and get pressure and force the Panthers to run and go for shorter passes. Long-developing plays are a huge threat for the Birds secondary.
I think that Carolina is a solid team and will prove a big challenge for Philly. I think the Eagles will drop to 1-4 but will put up a strong effort, as they have in all their games this season. Final score: Eagles, 17. Panthers, 20.
