PHILADELPHIA, P.A. — It’s been one body blow after another for the Eagles. Perhaps it will be one too many for them to absorb, and they will be knocked out. Not just on Sunday, when the Panthers visit for a 1 p.m. ET kickoff at Lincoln Financial Field, but for the season.
The team’s injury reports this week have had the length of a CVS receipt: the starting quarterback and the three top running backs are out, the offensive line is young and inexperienced, and the safety position is in disarray thanks to injuries to Marcus Epps and Michael Carter.
That said, here are some keys to determining who wins Sunday's Eagles vs. Panthers showdown and why.
Tanner McKee vs. Panthers defense
It’s not like this Carolina group is the Monsters of the Midway, ranking near the bottom in total defense at No. 29. It’s that the Eagles are starting Tanner McKee, who began the season as the third-string QB and was elevated to the No. 2 last week when Andy Dalton was released.
This will be his third career start in his fourth season and his sixth game overall. His numbers aren’t bad: five touchdowns to one interception and a 61.4% completion rate. There may be more starts ahead depending on the health of Hurts, who was ruled out on Thursday with a superficial blood clot in his calf.
Sidenote: While McKee is the Eagles’ backup, Kenny Pickett is the backup in Carolina. Pickett, of course, is a former Eagles backup QB and won a Super Bowl with them in 2024.
Jaelan Phillips vs. Jordan Mailata/Markel Bell
The former Eagles edge rusher, who played just eight games in Philly after being acquired at the trade deadline from Miami, has played 70% of the defensive snaps for his new team and has collected two sacks, one in each of his last two games.
Because Phillips lines up all over the defense, he will likely face both the Eagles’ tackles, though with this being just the third career start for rookie blocker Markel Bell, he may line up over the right tackle more often than not.
Bryce Young vs. Eagles' defense
The Panthers quarterback Bryce Young is off to one of the best starts of his four-year career. He has the Panthers ranked third in the league in total offense, with a passing offense that is at the top of the NFL heap. He has completed 62% of his throws with nine touchdowns and just two interceptions.
Quinyon Mitchell will likely matchup with Young’s top target, Tetairoa McMillan, who is 10th in the league in receiving yards with 385 and three touchdowns on 26 catches.
Dameon Pierce vs. Panthers' run defense
Dameon Pierce is the Eagles' fourth-string running back and got his first game action last week, but he will get the bulk of the carries against a Panthers run defense that, statistically, is one of the worst in the league, ranked 31st. Pierce had 11 carries for just 14 yards last week.
Eagles vs. a trend
It hasn’t happened often, but a team that plays an international game that meets a team coming off a bye week is 0-4. The Eagles, of course, played in London last week. The Panthers had the weekend off.
Verdict
Panthers 20, Eagles 14
Season record: 5-0
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