If you had asked me after the Chicago game if the Panthers could go into Philadelphia and beat the Eagles, I probably would've laughed. Now? I think they can.
I'm not saying Carolina suddenly has everything figured out because they beat Detroit. I watched the Bears put 59 points on this team in Week 1, and I'm definitely not forgetting that. But I've also watched the Panthers look like a completely different team since then.
Philadelphia isn't exactly rolling right now, either. The Eagles have lost three straight after falling 19-17 to Jacksonville on Sunday, while Carolina got a week off after beating Detroit 32-26. I don't know if the Panthers are suddenly better than Philadelphia, but I'm not looking at this game the same way I was a month ago.
Maybe I'm buying in a little too much. We'll find out Sunday, but here are four predictions I'm willing to put out there.
1. Bryce Young throws for 300 yards again
I'm finally starting to trust Bryce Young, and it's taken me a while to get here. We've done this before with Young. He'll play well, everybody starts talking about how he's turned the corner, and I'm usually sitting there thinking, “OK, show me again.”
I don't think that's unfair after everything we've watched during his first few years in Carolina. Young threw for 329 yards and two touchdowns against Detroit, and he now has 1,268 passing yards and nine touchdowns through four games. He's only thrown two interceptions, and Carolina isn't asking him to just stay out of the way anymore.
They're putting the ball in his hands and letting him go win games.
I expect Philadelphia to come after him on Sunday. I'd also expect the Eagles to make stopping Chuba Hubbard a priority after he ran for 122 yards and two touchdowns against Detroit. If they load up against Hubbard and basically tell Young, “Go beat us,” I'm interested to see what happens.
A month ago, I would've said that's exactly what Philadelphia should do. I'm not so sure anymore.
Prediction: Young throws for 315 yards and two touchdowns.
2. Tetairoa McMillan scores two touchdowns again
OK, this one might get me in trouble. Tetairoa McMillan just caught 14 passes for 192 yards and two touchdowns against Detroit, and now I'm asking him to go into Philadelphia and score twice again.
I'm not predicting another 192 yards because that would be getting a little ridiculous. If he does that again, we're going to have to start having a much different conversation about just how good McMillan already is. But I can't get away from how much Young trusts him.
When Carolina needs a play, everybody watching knows where Young wants to go with the football. The defense knows it too, and lately it hasn't mattered. Philadelphia is obviously going to have a plan for McMillan after watching what he did to Detroit, and I wouldn't be surprised if he sees extra attention, especially around the red zone.
I'm still taking him. Maybe I'm asking for too much here, but McMillan has reached the point where I'm done trying to figure out what his ceiling is every week.
Prediction: McMillan goes over 100 receiving yards and catches two touchdowns.
3. The Panthers force Jalen Hurts into two turnovers
I don't know what to do with this Panthers defense anymore. I just wrote an entire article trying to figure them out, and I'm still not sure I did. They give up too many yards, they don't get nearly enough pressure, and there are drives where I'm sitting there wondering how they're ever going to get off the field.
Then somebody makes a play.
Carolina has eight takeaways through four games. At first, I kept wondering how long that could continue, but we're getting to the point where maybe I need to stop asking that question. Maybe this is just what this defense is.
I'm not predicting Carolina shuts down Jalen Hurts because I don't believe that's happening. Hurts is going to make plays, Philadelphia is going to move the football, and there will probably be a couple of drives where this Panthers defense drives me crazy. But if Carolina can give Young two extra possessions, that could completely change this game.
And I've got a feeling one of them comes late.
Prediction: Hurts turns it over twice, including once in the fourth quarter.
4. The Panthers actually win this game
Yep. I'm doing it.
This was one of those games I looked at before the season and pretty much put in the loss column. Carolina going into Philadelphia and winning? I would've needed to see a whole lot before I was willing to make that pick, and I think I've seen enough.
That doesn't mean I'm sitting here telling you Carolina is better than Philadelphia. I'm not. But the Panthers don't have to be the better team for the entire season. They just have to be better for three hours Sunday, and right now I'm not sure Philadelphia is playing better football than Carolina.
The Eagles have lost three straight, while the Panthers went into the bye after beating a Detroit team that I wasn't sure they were ready to beat. Young is playing the best football we've seen from him, McMillan looks like a legitimate No. 1 receiver, and Hubbard just ran for 122 yards against Detroit. Then there's that defense I still can't figure out, but somehow it keeps getting the ball back.
Maybe this completely blows up in my face. Philadelphia could come out angry after losing three straight, score a couple of quick touchdowns, and have me regretting every word of this by halftime. That's part of making a bold prediction.
A month ago, there's no chance I pick Carolina here.
I'm doing it now.
Panthers 27, Eagles 23.
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