NFL Week 7: Carolina Panthers vs. Philadelphia Eagles

Keith Allison via Flickr

NFL

The Carolina Defense Travels To Philadelphia To Take On Wentz and Co.

Carolina will look to avoid back-to-back losses at the hand of the NFC East this Sunday. The 3-2 Panthers suffered a 17-23 loss to Washington last week and now have to face the 3-3 Philadelphia Eagles in Week 7. Philadelphia rose back to .500 after defeating their division rival, the New York Giants.

Injury Report

The Carolina Panthers have avoided any major injury this season and will come into Sunday’s contest with a full roster. Linebacker Andre Smith is the only player currently ruled out for the game.

Most of Carolina’s injured players were able to take the practice field fully participating on Thursday. Tight end Greg Olsen was one of those players full participating while defensive end Julius Peppers has struggled throughout the week.

The Philadelphia Eagles continue to suffer from injuries this season. Six players on the team have not been able to participate in practice this week: LB DJ Alexander (quadricep), CB Rasul Douglas (not injury related), LB Nathan Gerry (ankle, knee), S Corey Graham (hamstring), CB Sidney Jones (hamstring), and RB Darren Sproles (hamstring).

CB Jalen Mills (hamstring), OT Lane Johnson (ankle), and DT Haloti Ngata (calf) were still limited in participation on Thursday. QB Carson Wentz was limited in participation on Wednesday due to his back but participated fully on Thursday in practice.

The Eagles’ struggling secondary and offensive line will potently feel some of these absences.

Keys To The Game

The Eagles lead the series with the Panthers 7-4. They’re also 4-2 against Carolina at home.

Carolina’s Ground Game

Carolina’s offense has lacked a balance they have been trying to achieve for the past several years. This year, however, the Panthers have also seemed to lose their explosiveness. The Panthers are only averaging 318 yards a game while the Eagles in comparison have been averaging 415 yards.

Most of Carolina’s yards on offense have come from their ground game which is fourth in the league. QB Cam Newton and RB Christian McCaffrey have become one of the deadliest backfield duos in the league. McCaffrey and Newton have run for 349 yards and 208 yards with three touchdowns respectively behind the second ranked offensive line.

The Eagles have the second-best run defense in the NFL only allowing 79 rushing yards a game. The best backfield Philadelphia has faced this year was the New York Giants and Saquon Barkley back in Week 6. Barkley ran for 130 yards in the game including a breakout 50-yard run. Carolina will pose an equally difficult threat to the Eagles.

Last year, the Eagles’ defense didn’t seem to have an answer for Newton and the offense. While Newton has underperformed in the role of a passer this season, his ability to extend players with his leagues could be deadly for the Birds. On the contrary, if Philadelphia can contain Carolina’s backfield to 70-80 yards, Newton will be forced to throw the ball.

Carson Wentz’ Efficiency

Last year the Panthers kept Wentz scrambling in their Thursday Night matchup. Both Carolina’s pass rush and tight secondary coverage made for a long night for Philadelphia. These problems may be only amplified this week.

Philadelphia’s offensive line has allowed 47 QB hits after just six weeks of football. Panthers’ DE Mario Addison will specifically be taking advantage of those holes in the O-line. Due to a problematic line and an injured depth chart, the Eagles also have struggled some weeks to develop a consistent run game. They’re currently averaging 110 yards a game on the ground with Corey Clement, Wendell Smallwood and occasionally Josh Adams.

Carolina’s run defense is perfectly average, and Philadelphia has a chance to exploit that depending on the Eagles’ play-calling. Last week the Eagles threw the ball 36 times and ran it 31 times, the most balanced game of the year for them.

When the Eagles have taken their offensive attack to the air, Wentz has struggled to find open receivers that he would like to throw the ball to. His tendency to hold onto the ball and the lack of receivers have only exacerbated the problems in the offensive line.

The Eagles will need to commit to their run game to lessen the pocket pressure on Wentz and turning the ball over downfield. If Carolina can keep the Eagles scrambling in the backfield as Tennessee did, the game could take a negative turn.

Fantasy Implications

Running back Corey Clement has the potential to put up a number of fantasy points. The Eagles’ offense has growingly become more balanced towards the run and Clement is currently the RB1. Against an average run defense, Clement could have a breakout game.

Panthers’ TE Greg Olsen has been cleared for Sunday’s game and is one of Newton’s favorite targets. Wide receiver Devin Funchess has become Newton’s most productive target with 312 yards this year. Funchess will make a strong starting WR against an injured secondary who has a tendency to allow big plays.

Photo Credit

Featured Image courtesy of Keith Allison

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