The Panthers travel to Philadelphia this weekend for what could be a horrific matchup for the defense.
The Panthers have been on a bit of a streak as of late. They’ve gone 2-2 in their last 4 games, narrowly losing to the Kansas City Chiefs and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at home, both of which are basically locks for the playoffs. Their defense still allowed a ton of points and yardage in each of those games, however we are seeing some form of progress as we go. However, this could be the defense’s toughest matchups yet, as they face a surging Eagles offense in Philadelphia. Let’s dive in.
Try not to break too much against the rushing attack
While the Eagles boast a strong group of pass rushers, their success this season has definitely been due to an explosive rushing attacks, fueled by 2024 acquisition Saquon Barkely. Barkley has 1,499 yards on 246 carries, which averages out to 6.1 yards per carry. He’s scored 11 rushing touchdowns, while QB Jalen Hurts has scored 12 rushing TDs in mostly short yardage situations. The Eagles offense as a whole is averaging 5.1 yards per attempt and has scored 24 TDs on the ground. This is not a good formula for a Carolina defense that continues to get gashed by teams with any semblance of a rushing attack. The Panthers will not be able to stop them forever, but limiting the explosive plays by Saquon, who has taken multiple 70+ yard rushes the distance this season, they can try to stay competitive. I don’t expect this part of the game plan to go well.
Wide receivers at full strength
The Eagles have dealt with their fair share of injuries at the receiver position, as both AJ Brown and Devonta Smith (former 1st round picks) have missed time this season. This week, it appears both are at full strength, as Devonta Smith returned to practice this week and AJ Brown has been on the field recently. They lead the team together as Brown has 793 yards and 4 TDs while Smith has 516 yards and 4 TDs as well. This is a bad matchup for the Panthers secondary, as the Eagles reliance on the rushing game will give the receivers openings for one on one matchups and easy targets. Jaycee Horn, even on his best day, can only contain one of them. I expect Mike Jackson to get challenged frequently this week. Even if he has played above expectations, he might get taken to the woodshed in this game.
Pass rush needs to be there
The Eagles pass play % (per TeamRankings.com) and passes per game % both rank 32nd in the league. This is due to their focus on running the football. However, this is not a team that can’t pass the ball, as their yards per pass rank 6th in the NFL and INTs thrown percentage ranks 9th. They are very reminiscent of the 2015 Panthers in that regard, a power rushing attacks with an effective passing game when needed. They are allowing a sack on just under 10% of their passing plays however, which gives some potential for a Panthers defense to create negative plays. With the Panthers pass rush getting better and healthier in recent weeks, this is truly the place the Panthers can shift the scales and potentially hold off a blowout loss.
What are you looking for this week, Panthers fans?