Eagles Panthers Highlights

Birds Bounce Back

The Eagles played outstanding against Carolina. What a huge difference from Mondays embarrassing defeat. The biggest news, was the return of quarterback Donovan McNabb, and all eyes were glued to him. There were so many things to touch on from this game, that I will just list them off:

Donovan McNabb- Five was very sharp in his first game action since tearing his ACL last November. On the first play of the game, Donovan stepped up in the pocket, and fired a strike to Kevin Curtis for 27 yards. The very next play, McNabb rolled out to his right, stumbled over Todd Herremans foot, maintained his balance, and hit Jason Avant for 16 more yards. This play showed five still had his mobility, and that was great to see. Later in the game, McNabb layed a ball up with perfect touch over the shoulder of tight end Matt Schobel, who caught the ball in stride, and ran to the 4 yard line. A play of 58 yards, that lead to a Tony Hunt 3 yard touchdown run. McNabb is back, and the rest of the league should take notice. It was also great to see Donovan take a hit, and then bounce right back up.

Lito Sheppard- Jumped an out route by Steve Smith, and dazzled the crowd by returning it 40 yards for a touchdown. This electrifying play seems routine for Lito, as he already has three career INTs returns for TDs. Lito is a big time play maker on this defense, and he did not even need practice, to be able to play well.

Brent Celek- The kid looked very good again. He caught 4 balls for 45 yards, and seems to just fit right into the offense. Celek even made some very nice blocks on the two TD runs from Tony Hunt. If the Eagles had to go a few weeks without L.J. Smith, I believe that Celek, and Schobel would be able to fill in nicely.

Tony Hunt- Tony had a much better game than last week. He did not have very many yards, but he did score two touchdowns. More importantly, the Eagles brought Hunt into the game, in their goal line packages. It appears that the Eagles plan to use Hunt in the role of a short yardage/goal line back. This is something that fans have wanted for a long time. A big physical back for these situations.

Juqua Thomas- With Jevon Kearse out of the game, Juqua stepped it up. It was 3rd down, on the Panthers first possession. The Eagles got killed on third down Monday, and Juqua did not let that happen this time. He quickly beat the man in front of him, chased Jake Delhomme to the sidelines, and forced him to throw the ball away. These are the types of plays the Eagles need to have success defensively. Juqua also forced a fumble, by slapping the ball out of Jake Delhomme's hand. He was very impressive.

Brodrick Bunkley- Bunkley managed to make a few plays again. He had a nice tackle for no gain, and he recovered a fumble. This is what the Eagles want from him. At Florida State, he was always around the ball, and so far this pre-season, he is doing the same.

Kevin Curtis- Had 2 nice catches, and looks like an excellent route runner. He also had a step on a CB during a go route, but Donovan overthrew him. I think Curtis is going to surprise a lot of people this year. He has some speed, and a great knowledge of the game. Learning from Issac Bruce, and Torry Holt, is a huge plus for him.

Kevin Kolb- Kolb had a much better game than he did on Monday. He was pretty poised for a rookie, and made smart choices with the football. He seems to be very accurate with his throws, and he had a nice run for a first down. I am starting to see what Andy Reid liked him so much about him. It's still very early, but it is very good to see that he is playing well.

Max Jean-Gilles- Did a decent job filling in for Shawn Andrews. Had some great blocks on both Hunt TDs. He did get pushed back into QB A.J. Feeley, by Kris Jenkins, but Jenkins is one of the better DTs in the league. You can also see that Gilles has worked hard to drop some weight.

Backup Offensive Line- As a group they played terrible. Pat McCoy was brutal, and so was Chris White. Nick Cole was pretty good, and Winston Justice was excellent. I like how Justice has the versatility to play both right, and left tackle. With Runyan, and Thomas getting old, and more injury prone, this is very important to have Justice for depth.

Jason Davis- Despite a bad spot on the 4th, and inches run, Davis did a poor job on that play. He had a lane to the right, and instead of taking it, he ran right into a pile of guys. If he had just taken the lane there, the refs would not get a chance to screw up the spot. His fumble later in the game will probably end up getting him cut. When you are such a long shot to make the team, you can not afford to make those kind of mistakes.

The Punter Dual- Sav Rocca Boomed some big punts again. He pinned a ball inside the five yard line, and averaged 50 yards per punt. Daid Akers did make a FG when Rocca was the holder, but he failed the spin the laces out. That can be worked on in practice. Dirk Johnson also did a solid job, and it could be tough for him to lose his place on the team, due to his experience. Did anybody notice Carolina's punter Jason Baker? He had 8 punts for an average of 51.9 yards per punt. He was actually an Eagle in 2002, and has really become a very good punter.

Kick Coverage- This was dreadful. I don't have the stats in front of me, but every time the Eagles kicked off, the Panthers returned the ball to the 30-35 yard line. They need to do a much better job in this department. This was also a major problem last year, and there is only a few weeks to get this right.

Matt McCoy- Looked really bad in pass coverage. He lucked out big time when the Carolina Tight End dropped a ball, that he easily could have ran for another 5-10 yards. McCoy was about 5 steps behind him, and had no chance of making any play on the ball, or even making a tackle.

Rashad Barksdale- He got his first interception, on a poorly thrown ball, and returned it 35 yards. You can see that he is a very talented athlete, and with some more coaching could be a very productive pro. He did miss a tackle earlier in the game, but overall all did a good job.

Missed Tackles- I heard that the Eagles had one of the toughest, most physical camps in the league. If this is true, then I can not figure out why there continues to be so many missed tackles. It seems like guys are more worried about laying a big hit, or stripping the ball, then just wrapping up, and taking the ball carrier down.

Hank Baskett- Hank had a good game. He made a sweet over the shoulder catch, and seems to make those look easy. He also had a really nice catch, and run over the middle. If you took your eyes out of focus a little, Baskett almost looked like T.O. out there. He is big, physical, and is quickly learning how to use his size to his advantage. He also has been a very good blocker.

Jeremy Bloom- Was average on returns. Did not make any major mistakes, but did not break anything off big. He did make 2 nice grabs, including taking a nice hit from CB Chris Gamble. Bloom has definitely earned himself a roster spot.

Stewart Bradley- I think it is very interesting, that the Eagles continue to have him lineup at MLB. I wonder if he is in the future plans at that position? They seem to be very high on Chris Gocong at the SAM spot, and if he does well there, then where else would Bradley fit in?

David Akers- Boomed two 50 yard field goals, with two different holders. One even had the laces out. Great job from Akers.

I know I missed some things, but this is becoming a ridiculously long post. So I will just cut it short here. Overall the Eagles did a great job, and it's great to see number five play so well. Let's hope they can keep this going throughout the regular season.

Eagles vs Panthers

Last Time They Met

December 4, 2006; Eagles 27, Panthers 24

In a game that would turn the tide of the squad's 2006 season, the Eagles overcame a seven-point deficit entering the fourth quarter and escaped Lincoln Financial Field with a narrow victory. Starting his second game, quarterback Jeff Garcia shined, completing 21 of 39 passes for 312 yards and three touchdowns. Cornerback Lito Sheppard sealed the win with a fine interception in the Eagles end zone in coverage against Keyshawn Johnson. The win was the first of five consecutive victories to end the 2006 regular season.

2006 Season Review

It was a season of streaks for the Panthers, who looked great at times and completely inept at others during a disappointing 8-8 season. Carolina lost its first two games of the season, only to win the next four and appear back on track. The Panthers were 6-4 going into Week 12, only to lose their next four games and drop out of the playoff race. The Carolina defense was strong, finishing seventh in the league in overall defense, but was offset by an inconsistent offense. The Panthers attack finished 24th in the league in total offense and 27th in scoring.

Who's In?

QB David Carr, CB Curtis Deloatch, DT Chad LavalaisCarr is the big name newcomer in Carolina. Even though he is currently slotted behind Jake Delhomme, some fans have become dissatisfied with Delhomme's inability to consistently compile victories. The 28-year-old Carr has thrown more interceptions than touchdowns in his five NFL seasons and carries with him a career QB rating of 75.5. Still, some believe that with a better supporting cast the former first-overall pick can be a winner.

Who's Out?

WR Keyshawn Johnson, S Mike Minter, LB Chris Draft, TE Kris MagnumJohnson, Minter and Magnum all retired (Johnson after being released). Minter might be missed the most by the Panthers. Minter spent all ten of his NFL season with the Panthers, finishing the franchise's all-time leader in total tackles with 807

When The Eagles Have The Ball

All eyes will naturally gravitate towards Donovan McNabb should he play. The quarterback is slated to make his debut on Friday, and there's little doubt the Eagles will do whatever they can this early in the preseason to ensure he doesn't get hit, and that could include running the ball or max protect packages. More than McNabb, the Eagles need to show they can move the ball consistently after a poor showing against Baltimore in which the offense produced only 183 total yards. The offensive line failed to hold up against the Ravens' blitz packages, and will need to do a better job against Carolina.

When The Eagles Are On Defense

Once again, the Eagles are looking to improve on Monday's outing. The first-team defense settled down in their second series against Baltimore, but prolonged drives such as the Ravens' first one cannot happen. In particular, the defense needs to do better in third down situations. The Ravens were three-for-three in third down situations on the first drive, and the Eagles defense needs to make a play and get off the field. It's likely the Eagles will be tested in the running game against the likes of DeShaun Foster and DeAngelo Williams, and it will be interesting to see how the new-look defense responds.

Key Matchups

Panthers QB David Carr vs. Panthers QB Jake Delhomme

Though these players are on the same team, there is an interesting competition between the two. Delhomme is coming off a season in which he threw for 2,805 yards, 17 touchdowns and 11 interceptions in just 13 games. Despite that decent season, Delhomme hasn't won as expected since leading Carolina to a Super Bowl appearance in 2003. Enter Carr, who was jettisoned from Houston, where many feel he never truly had a chance to succeed. Carr went 6-for-8 for 83 yards and a touchdown in the Panthers' preseason opening 24-21 win over the Giants. Delhomme is the likely guy here to start the season, but a strong preseason from Carr and/or early Carolina struggles will lead to speculation.

Panthers DE Julius Peppers vs. T Jon Runyan

Runyan has fought his fair share of battles against elite defensive linemen in the past, the most notable of which being Michael Strahan. He'll see another one of the game's best on Friday in Julius Peppers. With Donovan McNabb likely making his return, there will be an added amount of pressure on Runyan to keep the former second-overall pick at bay. Peppers had a career best 13 sacks last year, but none of those came in the Panthers one meeting with Runyan and the Eagles.

Players To Watch

QB Donovan McNabb

The Eagles franchise quarterback is expected to make his return the field following a torn right ACL suffered in Week 11 last season. McNabb returned to practice in the June OTAs, and participated in nearly all of training camp. It's unclear how much McNabb will play or if there will be any rust, but more important than stats from this game will be how well McNabb is able to move and how comfortable the recovering quarterback looks.

TE Brent Celek

The Eagles tight end was by far the most productive player in an otherwise dim effort against the Ravens on Monday. Celek's four receptions and 59 receiving yards were both team highs. Inconsistency is common for rookies, so it will be interesting to see if Celek build on that production in this game. The Eagles need production from the back up tight ends to take pressure off L.J. Smith, and if Celek can continue his fine summer with a good performance is this game, the Eagles really might have a player on their hands.

Carolina WR Steve Smith

One of the most dangerous wide receivers in the league, Smith is coming off another stellar season in which he caught 83 balls for 1,166 yards and eight touchdowns. Smith can stretch the field or take the short pass and accumulate yards after the catch, and the Panthers almost always find ways to get him the ball. Smith will test the Eagles corners, especially if Lito Sheppard is once again absent, and keep the defense as a whole honest against the run.

>>Home Page