Game Preview – Panthers

Posted: October 20th, 2018 | Author: | Filed under: Philadelphia Eagles | Comments Off on Game Preview – Panthers

Something has to give.

The Panthers have the #4 rushing offense. The Eagles have the #2 run defense.

Cam Newton has really struggled to throw the ball downfield. The Eagles…well you know.

Who wins those battles?

If this game comes down to the Red Zone, the Eagles have an advantage. They have the best RZ defense in the league. The Panthers are 31st. The Panthers don’t make it easy for you to get down to the RZ, but they are vulnerable if you get there.

I wrote my full preview for PE.com.

I honestly don’t know what to make of the Panthers. They needed a miracle to beat the awful Giants. They lost to the Skins, and at one point trailed 17-0. Carolina’s most impressive win came when they beat Cincy 31-21. The Panthers needed four takeaways to win that game.

At the same time, this team has Cam Newton, Luke Kuechly, Kawann Short, Thomas Davis, Greg Olsen and Christian McCaffrey. Rookie D.J. Moore was terrible last week (two fumbles), but has played well this year and has big time potential.

I think this is a game where the LBs will need to come up big. They must be able to cover McCaffrey. Sometimes Moore. Sometimes Olsen. They must chase Newton around and tackle him in space. That’s quite the challenge.

Jordan Hicks got hurt last year in Game 7. He missed out on the championship run. He’s playing well this year and you know he wants to stay healthy and make plays. Hicks should have lots of chances on Sunday. Carolina doesn’t have dynamic receivers or runners. The ball will be in the short to intermediate area a lot, right where Hicks will be. Hicks did create an INT last week, but doesn’t have a pick of his own this year. Maybe that changes on Sunday.

We’ll see if the Eagles can build on last week’s win. This is a great opportunity, with the team being at home and well-rested. They’re banged up, but most teams are. The Eagles have more than enough weapons to go win this game.

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