Panthers remain undefeated, slog past Eagles in a lumpy game
Hey there, old-line NFL fan! Tired of all the theatrics and showboating of today’s athletes? Longing for the days when teams ground out yards by the handful, and anyone who even thought of passing paid a heavy price? Then, friend, the Sunday night game in which the Carolina Panthers beat the Philadelphia Eagles 27-16 was your kind of crusty old football.
Let’s start with the outcomes and work backward. Carolina remains unbeaten and atop the NFC South at 6-0, the first time the Panthers have hit that mark. The Panthers have doubters based on their record and their patchwork roster, but those doubters vanish by the week. Philadelphia, at 3-4 and a game out of the NFC East lead, remains the NFL’s most mystifying team. Are the Eagles a good team that can’t seem to get everyone pulling in the same direction every game, or a bad team that occasionally stumbles into strong performances? You can make solid arguments either way.
Cam Newton wavered between brilliance and insanity, doing what he’s done all year—willing this team to success. Newton threw for one touchdown and rushed for another, but also offered up three interceptions. You can debate how much responsibility Newton bears for those interceptions versus the fidgety hands of his receivers, of course. But the more impressive aspect of the Panthers’ attack came on the ground, where Jonathan Stewart rushed for 125 yards, and the rest of the team combined to put Carolina over 200 yards for the game. The Panthers padded their record on weak teams early on, but now looks like a squad that’s the equal of anyone this side of the Packers and Patriots.
The Eagles? Well … Ryan Matthews (97 yards) and DeMarco Murray (65 yards) seem pretty healthy. And there’s at least a 50-50 chance that Sam Bradford (26 of 45) will complete a pass. That’s … that’s good, right?
Not really. This game was a perfect contrast of a team that can contain its mistakes versus a team that is consumed by them. Newton threw three times as many interceptions as Bradford, yet Bradford couldn’t seem to mount any kind of sustained attack. Blame his receivers, who dropped pass after pass in key situations, leaving Bradford with multiple third-and-long or three-and-out situations. A good passing game, like a good dance, requires both partners to put forth some effort, and this week, Bradford brought far more than his receivers.
Despite their total lack of team identity, the Eagles remain a playoff threat simply because the rest of their division is also stumbling around in the dark. In most other divisions, the Eagles would already be an afterthought. In the NFC East, they’re a single well-timed win from a division lead.
The Eagles get a week off to figure out who they are before playing Dallas in another key divisional game. The Panthers draw the reeling Colts, which means they could and should be undefeated heading into a major matchup of NFC elite against Green Bay. Opportunity still exists for both of these teams, but one looks poised to seize it, while the other is likely to drop it.
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Jay Busbee is a writer for Yahoo Sports. Contact him at [email protected] or find him on Twitter.
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