NFL
By: Mark T. Wilson
The Philadelphia Eagles will take on the Carolina Panthers in Week 14. The Eagles are coming off another impressive win against the Baltimore Ravens and the Panthers are dealing with another defeat in a close game at the hands of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Records aside, this could be a hard-fought game.
For the Eagles, it’s about staying the course. Can they keep the mental edge that has them riding an 8-game winning streak and has them on the heels of the Detroit Lions for top honors in the NFC? The Panthers are playing for pride with a QB playing to save his job in Carolina. Two teams with two different objectives are heading into this matchup. Who will come out on top?
Here are 3 keys to victory for the Philadelphia Eagles against the Carolina Panthers.
Stay Focused
The Philadelphia Eagles cannot afford to get caught up in a “trap game.” Last week, they went against the Baltimore Ravens who are in the playoff hunt in the AFC, they won that contest. Next week they have the Pittsburgh Steelers, a team that is leading the AFC Noth, and sprinkled in-between are the Panthers sitting at 3-9 on the season. This is the perfect game for any team to lose a bit of focus. This is what’s called a “trap game.” Nick Sirianni has to make sure his team is focused on a week-to-week basis and not looking ahead or back.
The Panthers have been playing great ball lately following heartbreaking losses to the Kansas City Chiefs and then the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. They are due for a big win. With the Eagles just a game behind the Detroit Lions for the No. 1 seed in the NFC, they must stay the course and not let a game they should win slip through their hands. Most importantly, a loss here would start the whispers of what happened last season.
Take Your Shots
Having Saquon Barkley in the backfield has transformed this Eagles’ offense and made them one of the most dangerous teams in the the NFL. However, the Eagles cannot forget they have weapons on the outside. AJ Brown and DeVonta Smith are still one of the best pass-catching duos but they have been forgotten with all the Barkley hype. At some point, Kellen Moore has to call their numbers and let them eat. As long as a team is winning, it’s all good, right?
Over the last 3 weeks, Brown has caught 16 passes for 240 yards and 1 TD. Smith, due to an injury has missed the last 2 games and will need to be included in the game plan. The Panthers rank 24th in Pass Defense and Hurts needs to take his shots down the field. Both receivers can beat you in the short game and the long game. Hurts has the arm to get the ball downfield and this should be the game where they remind the rest of the league exactly what they are capable of.
Blitz As Much As You Can
Vic Fangio is not known as a blitzing coordinator. However, he’s going against a young QB in Bryce Young who tends to make bad reads. This is the time when the Eagles’ defense should come after him with everything. What bodes well for the Eagles’ defense is that they know, understand, and trust one another on that side of the ball. Zack Baun and Nolan Smith Jr should blitz early and often to rattle Yoing. Yes, this will lead the Corners in one-on-one coverage but these young guys can handle it.
The Panther will look to run with Chuba Hubbard and if so, the blitz will still get the job done. The Eagles are arguably the best-tackling team in the NFL so once again, it’s not leaving the defense but able to big plays. The Panthers have allowed just 14 sacks on Young in his 9 games this season and this Eagles front seven has found their groove with 30+ sacks during their 8-game winning streak. Force Young to make quick decisions.
