Eagles Survive Vs The Panthers To Keep Winning Streak Alive
Sometimes even great teams need to be lucky. The 2017 Eagles team that won it all certainly had a ton of luck go their way. Today, the Eagles needed some luck again.
They were massive favorites vs the Panthers. But what many people, both in this city and around the NFL, predicted would be a rout, turned into a nail-biter that came down to the final plays of the game. One of those plays being the deep pass to Xavier Legette that briefly broke the hearts of Eagles fans before we learned the ball hit the ground. Still, Legette was wide open, and it should have been a go-ahead TD.
That is where luck comes in though. The Eagles did not play like an 11-2 team today, but that is what they are. Hurts had his worst game since the bye week., the defense leaked oil all game long, and Jake Elliott continued to have the worst season of his career. But when the clock read 0:00, the Eagles were victorious. They have 9 straight wins and are in complete control of the NFC East and the 2-seed.
Eagles Not The Only Team That Needed Some Luck
They are not the first great team that needed a little bit of luck this season. On Thanksgiving Day the Lions, the team everyone else is chasing, only won because the Bears inexplicably let the clock expire while they were in FG range and had timeouts. That was lucky for the Lions.
The defense has played better against better teams. How much should we read into them struggling a bit today? They got a little lucky but did get the stop when they needed to, thanks to a PBU by Big Play Slay. Adam Theilen took advantage of Cooper DeJean all game long, but he had played better vs tougher WRs this season.
Hurts struggled, but he did throw for 2 TDs and made some plays with his legs when they needed him to. The late sack and the late delay of game were both inexcusable. But we have also seen him be better than that.
We have seen enough evidence this team is good. They did not look like a Super Bowl team today. But they did when they played the Ravens, Rams, and Commanders. Sometimes you need luck. They got it today and it helped them get to 11-2. As long as they don’t look like this next week, you just have to thank your lucky stars you escaped with the win and move on.
As bad as they looked, we still saw this run game is unstoppable. Saquon Barkley broke the Eagles franchise record and has his eyes set on Eric Dickerson’s record next.
Jake Elliott Is A Problem
The one thing from this game that might be genuinely troubling is Jake Elliott’s continued struggles. He has still yet to hit a single FG of over 50 yards, missing his 5th of the season today. He also missed his 2nd extra point of the season. At the end of the game, Nick Sirianni didn’t even trust him to try another long FG, and decided to take a delay of game and then punt from the Panthers 41-yard line.
Before this year, you would not have hesitated to let Elliott try a 55-yard FG. But with how badly he missed his 51-yarder today, and the 4 other misses from that distance this season, the Eagles simply don’t trust him.
If you don’t trust your kicker, you need to get a new one. Elliott has been one of the best kickers in the game for them over the past several years. But this team is too good to continue with a kicker they don’t trust. If he kicks and makes that FG, it is a 2 score game, and there is no sweating out the final minutes of the game. Instead, they had to eventually settle for a punt when they had it 36 yards from the End Zone.
Up Next
Eagles have the Steelers at home next week. By far the toughest test left on their regular season schedule. The Steelers just beat the Browns to improve to 10-3. They bring one of the tougher defenses in the NFL to town, and an offense that has been far more dangerous since Russell Wilson took over.
It is not a team they would likely survive against if they play like they did today. But the Eagles have earned the benefit of the doubt this season, and until they prove otherwise, we should treat the issues this week more like a blip on the radar.
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What The Eagles Would Look Like If They Could Only Use Local Players
QB- Bryce Young- Philadelphia, PA
(Photo by Mike Carlson/Getty Images)
Go back a decade, and the Eagles would have a couple of great options at QB in either Matt Ryan or Joe Flacco, But Ryan is retired, and Flacco probably should be. Instead, their best option is the guy who just went 1st overall. Young is not having a good rookie season. But to be fair they gave him no weapons and no O-Line. Maybe on a better team, things would be going better for him. He was a Heisman winner in College, and the first overall pick for a reason. It is way too early to give on him, and Young may lead this hypothetical Eagles team places.
WR- Chris Godwin- Middletown, DE
(Photo by Douglas P. DeFelice/Getty Images)
Young has not one to throw to with the Panthers, but he sure would have targets on this team. Starting with Godwin who has been a top WR for a few years now. He is having a down year by his standards. But he reached 1000 yards in 3 of the last 5 seasons and missed 4 games in one of the ones he didn’t get to 1000. Godwin is twice as good as any WR Young is throwing too right now.
WR- DJ Moore- Philadelphia, PA
(Photo by Quinn Harris/Getty Images)
The Panthers traded DJ Moore away to get up and get Bryce Young. Simultaneously dooming Young to the Panthers and taking away the best WR they had. Even on the Bears, Moore has 70 catches for 1,003 yards and 6 TDSs,. Pair him with Godwin, and Rashee Rice in the slot, and the Eagles have a pretty deadly trio at WR.
WR- Marvin Harrison Jr.- Philadelphia Pa
He has not stepped foot on an NFL field, but he might already be the best WR from Philly. Harrison Jr has more hype than any WR coming out in years. between his great play at Ohio State and his Hall of Fame dad, also from Philly, big things are expected from him. Pairing him with Moore and Godwin, would give the eagles the best WR room in the league most likely.
RB- Saquon Barkley- Bethlehem, PA
Saquon was not born in Philly, but he moved here when he was 4. He grew up in the area and has connections to the area. it is a big reason why he came to Philly this off-season in Free Agency. This is home for him. He also just so happens to be one of the best RBs in the NFL.
RB- Isiah Pacheco- Vineland, NJ
(Photo by David Eulitt/Getty Images)
Eagles fans are all too familiar with how good Pacheco is. He ran all over the Eagles in the Super Bowl and in their game this season. But imagine how much we would love him if he was an Eagle. He is exactly the type of back Philly fans love. Explosive, but also capable of running people over. And pairing him and Swift would give the Eagles one of the best RB rooms in the league in this hypothetical scenario.
TE- Kyle Pitts- Philadelphia, Pa
(Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
When Pitts came into the NFL, he got more hype than any TE in years. He has not lived up to it. Just 4 TDs in 3 seasons so far. But in fairness to him, the QB play in Atlanta has been awful in that time. As has the coaching. When we see them also struggling to find good ways to use Bijan Robinson, you know there is a problem. The talent level here is still super high. And were he on a team with great WR play and a QB with a high ceiling, maybe he would look better.
RT- Brian O'Neill- Wilmington, De
(Photo by Scott Taetsch/Getty Images)
Brian O’Neill is quietly one of the better pass-blocking Tackles in the league. He is second among tackles in pass block win rate (96%). Bryce Young will certainly appreciate having a stout pass protector. Though his RT Taylor Moton is maybe the lone guy he has along his current O-line who actually does a decent job protecting him. But O’Neill still represents an upgrade. This Eagles O-Line won’t be anywhere near as good as what they have now., but O’Neill is a solid start to building an All-Local Line.
RG- Justin Pugh- Holland, Pa
(Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images)
Pugh has managed to stick in the NFL as a starter for a while now, and there is something to be said for that. He is just okay enough to not lose the job. But Pugh has been an issue at times when in the lineup. In this season he has given up 5 sacks over 7 games. Not ideal. Parents in Philly need to start feeding their kids more meat and potatoes so we can have more Offensive Guards coming out of the area. If only this was an All-Time roster, then we could have put Jahari Evans here instead.
C- Jimmy Morrisey- Huntingdon Valley, Pa
(Photo by Steve Marcus/Getty Images)
At least Pugh is a starter. At center the Eagles had to settle for the Texans backup center who has barely played so far in his career and has not looked great when he did get on the field. But the center options were that poor from the area. In fact, from Pro Football Reference, he was literally the only option I could find from either Eastern Pa, South NJ, or Delaware. All the other Center options were closer to Pittsburgh or New York. And for what it is worth, and even they weren’t great options.
LG- Jonah Jackson- Media, Pa
(Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images)
Jonah Jackson has played 7 games for the Lions this year and is credited with just 1 sack in those games. And he is the one guy along this line with a Pro Bowl under his belt. They will be pretty weak at RG and Center. But 3 out of the 5 spots on this line are solid. And with what Bryce Young has gone through this season, I’m sure he would take a solid O-Line.
LT- Mike McGlinchey- Philadelphia, Pa
(Photo by Chris Unger/Getty Images)
You can do a lot worse than McGlinchey at LT. He is usually a RT, but he ends up getting bumped over to the Left here because he was better than their options at LT. And for a while now McGlinchey has been a solid tackle. Not a superstar, but dependable against both the run and the pass. And he would be an upgrade over who Bryce Young has protecting him now.
DE- Haason Reddick- Camden, NJ
(Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)
Now we get to the bets part of this team. The Eagles All-Local D-Line is very good. Starting with a guy who was already on the Eagles, Haason Reddick. Since 2020, Reddick is 3rd among all Pass Rushers in sacks. And we have seen him make big plays against the run too. Reddick is among the best active players to come out of this area. He stayed local to play College ball at Temple. Left for a bit after being drafted, but eventually found his way back.
Now he is in New York. But despite some contract issues, he is one of the best pure pass rushers in the league.
DT- Christian Barmore- Philadelphia, Pa
(Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)
It took Barmore a bit to get going, but in year 3 he is living up to his potential. It is going under the radar, because he plays for an awful Patriots team. But after an injury riddled 2nd season, he has broken out this season. 4 sacks, and 4 run stuffs are just the tip of the iceberg for how well he has played this season. He has grown into a true 3-down defender, and putting him in between Reddick and Parsons would make for a very effective D-Line.
DT- Sebastian Joseph Day- Stroudsburg, Pa
(Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
Is Sebastian Joseph-Day a star? No, But he has grown into a Solid DT. Good against the run, solid as a pass rusher. And when he is playing with 3 guys who have star power on the rest of the line, you can get by with solid.
DE- Micah Parsons, Harrisburg, Pa
(Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
I can already see some gripes about counting Harrisburg as Philly. But the rules stated are you go to what team’s city you are closer to. So while it may be 106 miles from Harrisburg to Philly, it is 203 miles to get to Pittsburgh. So Parsons is an Eagle. We may hate him because he is a Cowboy, but Parsons has a case for being the best defender, and one of the best players period in the NFL. And pairing him with Reddick will give the Eagles the most dangerous pass rush in the league.
LB- Alex Anzalone- Wyomissing, Pa
(Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)
Funny enough, if Eagles only had local players, Linebacker would go from their weakest spot, to one of their best. The Eagles have spent years stubbornly refusing to address line backer. But Alex Anzalone would be way better than any guy they have this year. He is in the midst of a career year with the Lions. He is solid across all aspects of the the game for an Off-Ball Linebacker.
LB- Zaire Franklin- Philadelphia, Pa
(Photo by Justin Casterline/Getty Images)
Franklin just has a nose for the Football. 130 tackles already this season, with 5 games to go. Nearly twice as many as any Eagles linebacker has. Having these two linebackers behind that D-Line, is going to go a long way to stopping the run, and getting after the QB. Which is good. Because as we are about to see, this team will have some issues in the secondary.
CB- Eli Apple- Philadelphia, Pa
(Photo by Timothy T Ludwig/Getty Images)
Someone recently said to me that Eli Apple has been bad for more teams than anyone in NFL history. And it feels so true. Every year he is on a new team, and somehow disappointing people. But he keeps getting starting jobs. Unfortunately, he is one of the Eagles 3 best options at CB. So here we are. The Eagles are one of those teams giving Eli Apple another chance for some reason.
CB- Bryce Hall- Harrisburg, Pa
(Photo by Dustin Satloff/Getty Images)
Apple isn’t good. Hall has potential though. Go back to week 6 when both of the Jets starting corners were out, and we were so sure the Eagles would pass all over them. That did not happen. In part because Bryce Hall stepped up and had a great game. He picked off Hurts, and helped shut down a great Eagles duo at WR. Hall doesn’t start because he is behind Sauce Gardner and DJ Reed. But he has the making of a solid to great starter at Corner.
CB- Daryl Worley- Philadelphia Pa
(Photo by Scott Taetsch/Getty Images)
Worley was actually and Eagles for about a month. But he never got to even play a snap for them after he was arrested for a DUI shortly after the trade and was promptly cut. Since he has bounced around from team to team, before settling down with the Ravens. When he has actually gotten on the field, he has been solid at times. Worley has also been used at Safety, but the Eagles needs for him are at corner. This year he has been solid in Baltimore. But having him and Eli Apple is not an inspiring CB combination. Hall is the only glimmer of hope at the position.
S- Kevin Byard- Philadelphia, Pa
(Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images)
Another local guy who has already played for the Eagles. Byard at one point had a case for being among the best Safeties in the league. That was not the guy they got in a trade last season. But pickings are slim at Safety, and despite his regression, Byard is still one of the best options at Safety for the Eagles.
S- Duron Harmon- Dover Delaware
(Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images)
Another guy on the older end for Safeties. But Duron Harmon helped the Patriots win 3 safeties as a part of their defense. He was never a star, but he was solid and dependable. And solid and dependable could get the job done with with the Eagles D-Line. An aging Byard and Harmon is not the best group at Safety. But it is also not the worst.
K- Brandon McManus- Philadelphia, Pa
(Photo by Courtney Culbreath/Getty Images)
McManus was the Broncos kicker for a decade. But then he had one down year, and they moved on. But he has bounced back with the Jaguars. The Eagles other option at kicker was Matt Amendola, but we have still not seen him prove he can be an NFL level kicker. McManus has the track record of a reliable kicker. He is not as good as Elliott, but few are.
P- Ryan Winslow- Maple Glen, Pa
(Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images)
The punter situation was desperate. They wound up having to pull a guy out of retirement because there were just no good options. Winslow played just two seasons, with a year off in between. He netted 39.3 yards. Hopefully the Eagles don’t have to punt that often. But they made it to the Super Bowl last season with the worst punter in the league.
