In a tale of the two halves, the Philadelphia Eagles (3-8) were unable to put together a strong second half that could have led to a potential momentum building run in the struggling NFC East. The Eagles instead added to a losing streak that has reached seven games, after starting the season 3-1. To put it another way, the Philadelphia Phillies, who are not even in season, have more wins than the Eagles do in October. Though the Eagles are not statistically eliminated from Playoff contention, Monday Night’s heartbreaking defeat may as well signal the end of any Playoff hopes for the City of Brotherly Love. Carolina edged a beleaguered Eagles squad by a final score of 30-22 after closing out the game by recovering a special teams fumble. The fumble in question was costly because it could have resulted in the game-tying drive with 5 minutes to go in the fourth quarter.
Meanwhile, the Panthers (3-8) beat the Eagles in what is surely the game that ends any chance of the already grim Playoff hopes. In a matchup of the two worst teams in the NFC this season, the Panthers avoided walking away with a costly loss. Though the record is still miles away from where Carolina could be, it certainly does not mean they belong with the bottom-dwelling teams in the NFL. With the victory, the Panthers may have gotten some momentum to keep their post-season hopes alive in a year in which many Playoff hopeful teams are having streaky and inconsistent performances week to week.
Cam Newton was able to silence his critics early by finding two wide-open receivers up the middle of the field against a non-existent Eagles defensive squad. He was also able to add a pair of scores on the ground from 1-yard out. Newton, who has been unable to match his stellar numbers from his rookie season, rebounded nicely in his game-winning performance in prime time.
Another highlight for Carolina was the improvement in the run-game for a backfield that is making a combined guaranteed $60 million. Between Jonathan Stewart, DeAngelo Williams, and Mike Tolbert, the Panthers expected a more successful rushing attack than they have gotten during their 2012 campaign. One significant threat on the ground was the diamond formation that the Panthers featured with all three backs and Newton running a triple option of sorts to confuse the defensive schemes of their opponent. The increased effectiveness of the run game benefited Cam Newton, who was able to set up plays to his big play receivers in Steve Smith and Brandon LaFell. Though no Carolina back blew away audiences with their performance, it was good enough to get a big win for head coach Ron Rivera. It should be noted that Newton did lead the team in rushing with 50 yards however.
For Eagles fans, a loss is certainly not a surprising sight at their home stadium, but the loss did come at the expense of the health of star wide out DeSean Jackson. Jackson, who went down early in the first half, went to the locker room for x-rays of his collarbone and chest area. While the x-rays did wind up negative, Jackson did not return to action on the night. Jackson is just the latest name on a list of injuries that includes starting QB Michael Vick and Pro Bowl RB LeSean McCoy, who are both dealing with concussion symptoms.
One major reason why the Eagles were unable to win the game was due in part to the ineffectiveness at the quarterback position. Though the game ended closely, the team did it almost entirely without any major contribution from Nick Foles, who was widely regarded as the savior to the Eagle offense by the fan base. Foles, a rookie signal caller from Arizona, has been assigned the tough task of leading a stagnant offensive behind a depleted offensive line in lieu of the injury to Vick.
One bright spot for the Eagles is that rookie RB Bryce Brown was able to single-handedly put the team on his back, despite fumbling twice. Brown ended the day rushing for over 150 yards with two TD’s. The emergence of Brown is good news for Philly in case McCoy is unable to return in the Eagles Week 13 matchup.
If either of these teams wish to continue on into some cold-weather games beyond Week 17, the wins must begin to pile up quickly. Teams have made the Playoffs with 8-8 and lower records, though they are few and far between. The only team to make the Post-season with a sub .500 record came in 2010, when the Seattle Seahawks won the NFC West with a 7-9 record. Seattle did go on to win their first Playoff game against a Drew Brees led New Orleans Saints team that same season. For Carolina, a date with the worst team in football in the Kansas City Chiefs may come at the perfect time to get their season back on track. However, for Philadelphia, the road gets tougher as a contest against division rival Dallas comes on a shortened week.
