Eagles hold on against Panthers and move to 11-2
Drew Hallowell / Philadelphia Eagles
Despite a valiant effort by the 3-win Panthers, the Birds held on and beat them 22-16. This is Philly’s 9th straight win, tying a franchise record that was last set in their 2017 Super Bowl season.
The Eagles’ habit of falling behind early was no different in this game, with their first score not being until the 2nd quarter. However, their ability to bounce back was too much for Carolina.
As expected, Philadelphia utilized the ground game against a weak Panthers’ run defense. Saquon Barkley ran for a game-high 124 yards in 20 carries, notching the most rushing yards in a single season in Eagles history in the process. Barkley’s 1,623 rushing yards in just 13 games is an astonishing stat that has gotten his name in MVP discussions. Barkley also has ran for over 100 yards for the 9th straight game – also a franchise record.
Surprisingly, Philadelphia didn’t throw the ball too often against the Panthers. Jalen Hurts only completed 14 passes on 66.7% completion percentage for 108 yards. A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith were the main targets for Hurts, combining for 8 catches, 80 yards, and a touchdown on the day.
Even with the consistent offense in Sunday’s game, the defensive effort almost cost Philly. The Eagles defense allowed Bryce Young to avoid the sack 6 of the 7 times he was pressured. Young almost drove Carolina 99 yards down the field in the final 4 minutes, but an errant throw knocked away by Darius Slay in the waning seconds caused the eventual Eagles victory. Philadelphia needs to be more consistent defensively in the future if they want to continue to compete with the best teams in the league.
Philadelphia takes on Pittsburgh at home at 4:25 pm on Sunday in a game that will really test how good the Eagles are. Baltimore was the first test, but if the Birds can pull it off against Pittsburgh and extend their winning streak to ten games then it’s hard to imagine Philly not making a deep playoff run.
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Evan Hartenstein
Evan has been a member of the Philly Sports Reports team since March 2023. He is covering the 76ers and wants to pursue a long-lasting career in Sports Journalism.
