The way the Carolina Panthers won last night’s game wasn’t all that appealing, but it’s a win and that’s all that matters to them. The Panthers beat the Philadelphia Eagles 27-16 behind the legs of running back Jonathan Stewart (24 carries for 125 yards) and their defense at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, North Carolina.
Stewart had his first 100 yard game of this season and yes, he didn’t score but that’s beside the point. His running enabled the Panthers to take pressure of quarterback Cam Newton. Newton finished 14 of 24 for 197 yards, 1 touchdown pass and 3 interceptions.
The Panthers with this win go to 6-0 and since this was a non-division game, their record in the NFC South record stays at a sparkling 3-0. While the Eagles fall to 3-4 overall (1-2 NFC East).
The Eagles saw their first offensive drive of the game die on 3rd and 11 from the PHI 39, when quarterback Sam Bradford (26 of 46 for 205 yards, no score and 1 interception) drifted back to pass and just like that, Panthers defensive end Mario Addison bear-hugged and then sacked Bradford from behind. That sack forced a 4th and 16 punt from Donnie Jones.
That sack was big for Addison, because he hasn’t had a sack since Week 1 when he had two sacks against the Miami Dolphins. That 5 yard sack of Bradford was Addison’s third of the 2015 season.
Addison’s sack led to an open field 36 yard run to the PHI 27 by Stewart. That run set up a left side 2 yard scoring run by running back Mike Tolbert. That play gave the Panthers a 7-0 lead with 9:24 left in the first quarter.
Finally, and with 5:42 left in the second quarter, the Eagles got on the board. Eagles placekicker Caleb Sturgis came in and booted a 52 yarder through the uprights to cut into the Panthers’ lead at 7-3.
But not too long after that field goal, the Panthers countered with a 44 yard Ted Ginn (5 catches for 59 yards) reverse run down the left sideline to the PHI 8. That play set up a 4 yard zone-read-fake-option touchdown run by Newton that gave Carolina a 14-3 lead with 3:33 left in the second quarter. Newton fought through three defenders in order to extend his body and the ball into the end zone on that play. It was a dangerous play by Newton, but a very gutsy and beneficial play for the Panthers.
Near the end of the first half and on 3rd and 10 from the CAR 11, Panthers cornerback Josh Norman batted away a Bradford pass intended for tight end Zach Ertz (5 catches for 63 yards) in the end zone. But on the next play, Sturgis came in to convert a 29 yard field goal. With four seconds left in the second quarter the score was now 14-6 Eagles.
Early in the third quarter, it was evident that the Panthers had this game in the bag. Because on 2nd and goal from the PHI 2 yard line, Tolbert made one of the better plays that Panthers fans will see this entire year. On the play, Newton took the snap and then play-faked to Stewart, and then the quarterback aimed his pass near the right sideline where he found Tolbert. Tolbert caught the pass at the PHI 3 then took a hit from Eagles free safety Malcolm Jenkins that pushed him back to the PHI 5. Tolbert ran back to the PHI 3 where he side-stepped Eagles cornerback Byron Maxwell, with Tolbert then moving forward to near the end zone where he had to fight through three Eagles defenders just to get into the end zone. That circuitous touchdown grab by Tolbert gave the Panthers a 21-6 lead with 11:50 left in the third quarter.
But just over two minutes later, the Eagles countered with a huge play of their own. On 2nd 7 from the PHI 37, running back Ryan Mathews (6 carries for 97 yards and 1 score) took a Bradford handoff and then used center Travis Kelce’s influence/down block to speed forward for an unscathed 63 yard touchdown run. With 9:32 left in the third quarter the Eagles cut the Panthers lead to 21-13.
That would end up being the last touchdown that the Eagles would score, as all they could muster was a Sturgis 24 yard field later in the third quarter.
The Panthers received two field goals from their own placekicker Graham Gano in the fourth quarter, which pushed the Eagles further away from trying to come back to win the game.
