The Philadelphia Eagles handcuffed the Carolina Panthers offense, and used an efficient performance from second string quarterback Mark Sanchez to bludgeon the Panthers 45-21 at Lincoln Financial Field.
Tonight’s Eagles win was the fourth blowout victory of the Week 10 NFL schedule: the Denver Broncos (41-17 ), Seattle Seahawks (38-17), and the Green Bay Packers (55-14) blew out the Oakland Raiders, New York Giants, and the Chicago Bears respectively this November 9-10 NFL weekend.
Sanchez who took over the starting job for the Eagles (7-2) when starter Nick Foles went down versus Houston last week due to a broken collarbone, had one of the better games of his career. Sanchez spread his 20 completions among eight different offensive weapons with the leader being rookie wide receiver Jordan Matthews (7 catches for 138 yards and 2 scores), who is on his way to becoming one of the biggest hits of the 2014 NFL Draft.
Sanchez’s (20 of 37 for 332 yards, 2 touchdown passes and no interceptions) performance tonight gives head coach Chip Kelly something extra to think about as far as the quarterback situation. Foles is a Pro Bowl quarterback but the NFL is a cold business, and there is a chance if Sanchez performs like he did tonight on a consistent basis that Foles may not get his job back when he does indeed return.
As for Carolina’s (3-6-1) quarterback Cam Newton, he was harassed like the LAPD was during the 1992 Los Angeles Riots. Newton threw for 306 yards on 25 of 40 efficiency tonight and 2 touchdown passes, but he was sacked nine times and was intercepted three times.
Meanwhile, this was a night in which the Eagles didn’t need LeSean McCoy to beat an opponent. If there was one thing the Panthers did right, it was cut off the edge game (his strength) which is toss sweeps and simple sweeps and/or cutback runs off the backside of left and right tackles. McCoy carried 12 times for just 19 yards tonight and one score.
One offensive drive after rookie kicker Cody Parkey booted a successful 39 yard field goal, the Eagles went to work on their second scoring drive. This current drive was set up by an alert interception over the middle by cornerback Cary Williams who intercepted the ball at the CAR 42 but was pushed back to the CAR 43 by Panthers guard Andrew Norwell.
That theft gave the Eagles a short field and drive, which was culminated by an off left tackle 8 yard touchdown run by running back Darren Sproles. That play gave the Eagles a 10-0 lead with 11:25 left in the first quarter.
The Panthers got as close as they would get for the rest of the game as far as the scoreboard was concerned, when often injured running back Jonathan Stewart followed center Ryan Kalil’s drive block into the end zone. It was 10-7 with 6:02 left in the first quarter.
Then Sproles showed the Eagles and the football world again, why he was signed to a three-year $10.50 million contract this past offseason. Late in the first quarter and from his own 35, he took a Brad Nortman punt up the middle and to his right for a 65 yard touchdown and a 17-7 Eagles lead with 3:29 remaining in the quarter. That was Sproles’ second punt return for a touchdown in 2014 and the fifth of his 10-year career.
Matthews who was the seventh wide receiver taken in the 2014 NFL Draft, scored his fourth touchdown of the season when he beat a late reacting Thomas DeCoud for a 13 yard touchdown reception from Sanchez. That play made the score 24-7 with 11:33 left in the second quarter.
Then just one play and 35 seconds into the Panthers’ third drive of the second quarter, the Eagles scored again. This time it was on a Bradley Fletcher 34 yard interception return for a touchdown down the left side. That was Fletcher’s first interception return for a touchdown in his six-year career, as well as his first interception of any kind since November 3, 2013 versus the Oakland Raiders. That pick six gave the Eagles a 31-7 lead with 2:13 left in the first half.
The Eagles came into this game with just four interceptions on defense, which was tied for 27th in the entire NFL with three other teams (Kansas City, San Diego, and St. Louis). And three of those interceptions were by one guy, free safety Malcolm Jenkins.
By the end of the first half of tonight’s game, the Eagle defense collected three interceptions from the right arm of Newton. This interception total includes a first half-ending Hail Mary pass thrown by Newton that was intercepted by strong safety Nate Allen near the right sideline.
McCoy scored his only touchdown of the game with an easy 1 yard touchdown run up the middle, that was set up by a tight end Brent Celek (5 catches for 116 yards and no score) 29 yard reception to the CAR 1 yard line. It was now 38-7 Philadelphia with 7:40 still to play in the third quarter.
The Eagles’ next scoring drive was keyed by a Sanchez 37 yard completion to Celek to the CAR 18. On the play, it was really an accomplishment how Sanchez was able to make the completion, as Carolina inside linebacker Luke Kuechly shot through the middle towards the quarterback like a guided missile.
That reception by Celek set up Sanchez’s second touchdown pass of the game which was to a wide open Matthews who took the pass 18 yards down the right sideline and into the end zone for a 45-7 Eagles lead with under twelve minutes left in the game.
The Panthers finally scored after more than 33 minutes of game clock time, when Newton threw a 21 yard touchdown pass to rookie wide receiver Kelvin Benjamin (3 catches for 70 yards and 2 scores) who brokle three lazy and half-hearted tackles by Eagle defenders en route to the end zone. It was 45-14 Philadelphia with 9:05 left in the game.
Benjamin collected his second touchdown of the game 4:35 of game clock later, when he streaked down the left sideline and then caught Newton’s 40 yard touchdown pass in the end zone in double coverage versus Williams and backup strong safety Chris Maragos. It was now 45-21 Eagles with 5:30 left in the contest.
The eagles defense kept the Panthers out of the end zone on the latter’s last offensive drive of the game, and the Eagles own offense had one three and out and some kneel downs by third quarterback Matt Barkley to end the game.
