This isn't exactly where most people expected the Carolina Panthers to be heading into Week 6.
Carolina is 2-2, coming off a bye and heading to Philadelphia with a chance to put itself right in the middle of the early NFC playoff conversation. The Eagles are only 2-3 and have lost three straight, so this game looks a whole lot different than it did when the schedule came out.
Then Thursday changed things even more.
Jalen Hurts was ruled out with a superficial blood clot, meaning Tanner McKee will get the start for Philadelphia. That obviously helps Carolina, but I'm not ready to act like this suddenly becomes an easy road win.
The Eagles still have plenty of talent, and Carolina hasn't exactly reached the point where we should expect them to walk into Philadelphia and win. If the Panthers are going to come home 3-2, these are the three matchups I think will have the biggest say in whether it happens.
Bryce Young vs. Philadelphia's defense
Let's start with Young because, at this point, how could we not?
He's playing the best football of his career, throwing for 1,268 yards and nine touchdowns through four games. He hasn't thrown for fewer than 287 yards in a game this season, and Carolina is averaging more than 30 points per game.
I've spent the last few weeks trying to figure out what's really changed for Young this season. Whatever the answer is, he looks more comfortable in this offense than he has at any point since Carolina drafted him.
Philadelphia should give us another pretty good idea of where Young is right now. According to the Panthers' preview of the Eagles, Philadelphia has allowed 222 passing yards per game. The Eagles don't blitz a ton, but they've still been able to generate pressure with four rushers on 32% of their opponents' dropbacks.
That's the part I'll be watching.
Young has looked comfortable in this offense and has done a much better job of taking care of the football. But if Philadelphia can get pressure without having to send extra guys, things could get a little tougher.
If Young gets time, though, I like Carolina's chances of moving the football. Tetairoa McMillan is coming off a 192-yard game, Jalen Coker is back, and Darren Waller can't be overlooked.
That's a lot more for a defense to worry about than Carolina had around Young earlier in his career.
Carolina's offensive line vs. Jalen Carter
If there's one guy on Philadelphia's defense who worries me, it's Jalen Carter.
Carter already has three sacks through five games, matching his total from all of last season. He also had two strip-sacks against Jacksonville last week, and he's one of those guys who can completely screw up what an offense wants to do if you let him get going.
Carolina can't let that happen.
That's easier said than done when Young has already been pressured on nearly half of his dropbacks this season. He's handled it better than anyone could've expected, but asking him to keep surviving that kind of pressure every week probably isn't the best plan.
There is some good news up front. Taylor Moton was a full participant in Thursday's practice as he works his way back, although rookie right tackle Monroe Freeling remained out with a knee injury.
Carter is still going to put plenty of pressure on the middle of Carolina's offensive line. This is where Robert Hunt and the rest of that group have to make sure Young isn't spending the afternoon with Carter in his face.
It matters for Chuba Hubbard, too.
Hubbard finally got going against Detroit with 122 yards and two touchdowns. If Carolina can keep Carter out of the backfield, it gives Hubbard a chance to build on that game and keeps the Panthers from putting everything on Young.
Nobody is going to completely erase Carter for four quarters. Carolina just can't let him take over the game.
Panthers defense vs. Tanner McKee
This matchup became a whole lot more interesting Thursday afternoon.
The Panthers spent most of the week preparing for Hurts before learning that McKee will start Sunday. He hasn't played this season, but this isn't his first time on an NFL field. McKee has appeared in six games with two starts, throwing for 597 yards, five touchdowns and only one interception.
So no, I'm not looking at this like Carolina automatically gets a win because Hurts isn't playing.
What the Panthers need to do is make McKee beat them. Saquon Barkley has been dealing with a hamstring injury and missed practice Wednesday and Thursday. If he plays, Carolina can't let Philadelphia lean on him all afternoon and make life easy on its backup quarterback.
I'd much rather see McKee staring at third-and-8 than third-and-2.
That's where Derrick Brown and Carolina's defensive front come into this. Philadelphia has gone through plenty of changes up front, and the Panthers have a chance to make McKee uncomfortable if they can slow down the running game and put the Eagles in obvious passing situations.
Carolina's defense has been hard to figure out all season. I recently wrote about how this defense somehow makes absolutely no sense, but we've also seen this group come up with stops when it absolutely had to.
McKee might play well. He's done enough in limited opportunities that Carolina has to respect him, but there's a difference between respecting a backup quarterback and letting him settle into the game.
Make him uncomfortable and see what happens.
This is a pretty big opportunity for Carolina
I'm not calling a Week 6 game a must-win because that's going way too far. But let's not pretend this isn't a pretty big opportunity for the Panthers.
Before the bye, I wondered whether Carolina's 2-2 record might be lying to us. Philadelphia was the game I wanted to see before deciding just how seriously we should take this team, and I still feel that way.
The Panthers are coming off a bye, Philadelphia has lost three straight and the Eagles will be without their starting quarterback. Carolina has spent the first month of the season making people look at this team a little differently, and going into Philadelphia and winning would only add to that.
It probably comes down to the same things most games do. Protect Young, don't let Philadelphia's best players wreck the afternoon and make the backup quarterback uncomfortable.
Do those three things, and 3-2 would look pretty good heading back to Carolina.
Add us as a preferred source on Google