As the Philadelphia Eagles look to continue to soar to their ninth straight win after an impressive 24-19 win at Baltimore when the struggling three-win Carolina Panthers come to Lincoln Financial Field this Sunday, this game has the makings of being a game where the far superior team could overlook an inferior opponent and in turn, possibly losing the game they shouldn’t…hence, a trap game.
Now the Eagles certainly are well coached enough to not allow this to be a game they overlook with the playoffs looming while currently sitting as the #2 seed in the NFC. Nick Sirianni, who has impressed many during this two-month winning streak, said it would be “malpractice by the coaching staff and the players if we overlook Carolina.”
The Panthers can be pesky. A resurgence from former #1 overall draft pick in quarterback Bryce Young has made the Panthers less of a doormat over the last month. Last week, they nearly knocked off Tampa Bay with a last-minute score to force overtime and if it wasn’t for a fumble in Tampa’s territory, they may have pulled out the win. They did post back-to-back wins against the Saints and Giants in Weeks 9 and 10.
So here are five key matchups that can determine the outcome in this game.
Bryce Young vs. Eagles’ Pass Defense
Young, as mentioned, has turned a corner after he was benched earlier in the season for veteran Andy Dalton. First-year head coach Dave Canales opted to go back to the second-year QB and it’s lit a fire under Young who has seemingly started to trust his ability. Since retaking the starting role, Young has thrown for 1,082 yards with six touchdowns and three interceptions while completing 60% of his passes. Young had a rough start to the season, throwing three interceptions and zero touchdowns in two games for just 245 yards leading up to his benching.
It hasn’t been all of Young’s fault. There’s been a lot of drops by his receiving corps during his early career. He will look to keep trending upwards against a tough Eagles’ defense that allows the third-fewest passing yards per game and fifth-lowest completion percentage to opposing quarterbacks.
Eagles’ Red Zone Defense vs. Panthers’ Red Zone Offense
The Eagles’ defense has been one of the best units in the league this year. They enter this week’s matchup tied for the 3rd-fewest red zone touchdowns allowed at 16 which is a 45.9% clip which is 5th-best in the NFL. They will look to keep that success going after holding the Ravens to just two scores in five trips in the red zone last week.
The Panthers don’t pose the same scoring threat in the red zone the Ravens do, finding paydirt just three times in their last 10 trips to the red zone over their last two games. With most offenses struggling against this Philadelphia defense and with nothing to lose on the Panthers’ side, don’t be surprised if Carolina plays it more aggressive in however many red zone trips they are able to muster in this one.
Grant Calcaterra vs. Panthers’ Linebackers
Eagles TE Dallas Goedert will once again miss time due to an injury in a season, suffering a knee injury that will sideline him on a week-to-week basis for the time being. He missed time earlier in the year with a hamstring injury and over his last four seasons, has been unable to play a full regular season. That gives way to Calcaterra who doesn’t see a ton of action when Goedert is healthy and on the field for obvious reasons.
However, this is a chance for the third-year tight end to show the team he can be a reliable factor in the passing games. Calcaterra on the season has 17 catches for 216 yards. In games that Goedert isn’t playing or left due to injury, Calcaterra has amassed 12 catches on 12 targets for 155 yards. Certainly not jaw-dropping numbers, but respectable amidst a tight end landscape where aside from the top tier guys like George Kittle, Mark Andrews and Travis Kelce, production has been down across the league from the position.
The Panthers are middle of the pack in terms of defending tight ends but expect Calcaterra to haul in a few passes as a check down option for Jalen Hurts.
Cooper DeJean vs. Adam Thielen
A rookie, not playing like a rookie in DeJean against longtime veteran Thielen should be a fun matchup. DeJean has been sensational as the Eagles’ slot cornerback and hasn’t had much of an issue against anyone he’s gone up against. He’ll be put to the test with the 11th-year wideout who has returned from injury and coming off his best game of the season last week hauling in eight catches for 99 yards and a touchdown.
Thielen and Young showed they had a connection last season as Thielen posted a 1,000-yard season for the first time in five seasons when he finished back-to-back 1,000-plus yard campaigns in 2017 and 2018 with the Vikings.
If DeJean maintains his status quo in shutting down his opponent, it will be tough sledding for the Panthers to move the ball.
Eagles’ Rush Defense vs. Chuba Hubbard
The Eagles did a nice job limiting Derrick Henry to 82 yards on 19 carries and no scores in their win last week. They will look to continue to be a dominant force in stopping the run against Hubbard who before last week’s tough game, has been one of the bright spots for the Panthers and in the league.
Hubbard comes in ranked sixth in the league with 919 rushing yards on the season while tied for 12th with his seven touchdowns. However, the running back is coming off a tough performance against Tampa Bay and will look to bounce back. Hubbard ran for just 43 yards on 12 carries and fumbled on the Buccaneers’ 29-yard line to thwart a potential game-winning field goal attempt for Carolina. He’s not of the same ilk of Henry, but Hubbard has shown flashes of explosiveness and ability to break off long runs.
The Eagles will look to their 7th-best rush defense, giving up 104.8 yards per game, to keep him in check for a second straight week.
The Eagles host the Panthers Sunday at 1:00 p.m. at Lincoln Financial Field.
Mandatory Credit: Mitch Stringer-Imagn Images
