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When the Carolina Panthers take on the Philadelphia Eagles at 1 p.m. Sunday, it’ll mark a meeting between two teams moving in different directions.
But does that tell the entire story about what will happen Sunday?
The Panthers (2-2) are the ascending team in this scenario. After suffering a multitude of injuries earlier this year, they’re finally starting to get some of those starters back. Right tackle Taylor Moton and defensive lineman Turk Wharton hit the practice field for the first time all season, for instance, and starting kick/punt returner Trevor Etienne will start this week — and may even get some reps at running back. (Moton, Wharton and Etienne have been activated for the contest, too.)
The team is also soaring, simply, because of the explosiveness of NFC Offensive Player of the Week Tetairoa McMillan and the steadiness of quarterback Bryce Young, who heard “MVP! MVP!” chants the last time he was on the gridiron in a home win Oct. 4 vs. Detroit.
The Eagles (2-3), meanwhile, have lost three games in a row and are in a downward spiral. In the last two weeks, they’ve lost two starting offensive linemen — one to retirement, another to a trade. They also have an injury report so long you need to take PTO to read it all. That injury report includes star running back Saquon Barkley, who will miss another week with a hamstring injury, and quarterback Jalen Hurts (blood clot), who won’t play Sunday and will be replaced by backup QB Tanner McKee.
Philadelphia is fresh off a one-point loss in the final seconds and spent their entire trip back from London stewing over it — while the Panthers enjoyed a bye week.
That can tell us a lot. But not everyone thinks Sunday’s game at Lincoln Financial Field will result in a Panthers win.
Here’s your weekly preview.
The game will air on CBS at 1 p.m. Sunday. The play-by-play duties will be handled by Ian Eagle, alongside analyst Ross Tucker and sideline reporter Evan Washburn.
Three different radio stations will broadcast the game, too:
Here’s the Panthers’ final injury report of the week:
Out: RB AJ Dillon (ankle)
Doubtful: OT Monroe Freeling (knee)
Questionable: RB/KR/PR Trevor Etienne (ankle/IR), G Damien Lewis (elbow), OT Taylor Moton (blood clot/NFI), OLB Jaelan Phillips (hamstring), DT Turk Wharton (neck/PUP)
Among those who showed up on the injury report but don’t have a game designation and thus are good to go: TE Tommy Tremble (ribs), TE Darren Waller (toe), WR Jalen Coker (quad), LB Thomas Incoom (ribs), QB Bryce Young (knee)
Here’s the Eagles’ final injury report of the week:
Out: RB Saquon Barkley (hamstring), DB Michael Carter (abdomen), OLB Jalyx Hunt (knee/ankle), QB Jalen Hurts (blood clot in calf), RB Will Shipley (foot)
Doubtful: OLB AJ Epensa (back)
Questionable: CB Jakorian Bennett (knee), TE Grant Calcaterra (back), G Landon Dickerson (knee), C/G Drew Kendall (knee), TE Eli Stowers (quad)
Among those who showed up on the injury report but don’t have a game designation and thus are good to go: LB Zack Baun (shoulder), WR Marquise Brown (ankle), LB Jihaad Campbell (knee/wrist), DT Jalen Carter (wrist), OLB Arnold Ebiketie (shoulder), S Marcus Epps (groin), OLB Jonathan Greenard (ankle), TE EJ Jenkins (toe), T Fred Johnson (knee), S Andrew Mukuba (shoulder), WR DeVonta Smith (hamstring/toe), G Tyler Steen (shoulder), WR Dontayvion Wicks
The Panthers, after starting out the week as a slight underdog, are now 3.5-point favorites over the Eagles, according to FanDuel Sportsbook. The big swing came after the team announced Hurts wouldn’t be playing and that backup QB Tanner McKee would take his place.
The over/under is 38.5 points. Moneylines: Panthers (-180), Eagles (+152).
Alex Zietlow extended his lead over the rest of the panel of predictors after the Panthers’ impressive win on Sunday Night Football in Week 4. He’s now 4-0 on predictions. Langston Wertz and Steve Wiseman are 1-3, with Scott Fowler trailing the field at a lackluster 0-4.
Alex Zietlow: Panthers 20, Eagles 17. The Eagles will be a dangerous team this week. Truly. They’ll have a defense that keeps its opponent guessing, as they always do, and they’ll have a boisterous crowd on their side that might award its backup quarterback Tanner McKee some grace. Still, other factors are too strong for me to ignore: The Eagles are too injured (they might be down to RB4); they’re coming off a trip to London and facing a team fresh off their bye; and Bryce Young is utterly balling. I’ll roll with the Panthers in a close one.
Scott Fowler: Eagles 23, Panthers 18. I made this pick on our podcast early in the week, before the news that Eagles QB Jalen Hurts will miss Sunday’s game. But c’est la vie, as changing picks in midstream feels wrong. And Panthers fans, you should be happy, because so far I’m 0-4 on my picks this season. It looks like 0-5 may be imminent. Still, Philly is a tough place to play and this terrific Eagles defense can just about win a game by itself.
Langston Wertz: Panthers 27, Eagles 23. Carolina is coming in off a bye week and Philly’s coming back after a brutal loss in London. Do you like rested or do you like mad? Give us rested. Why? The Eagles have lost three in a row and struggle to produce yards and points. Yes, Carolina’s defense is far from whole, but it should hold up well enough for a close win.
Steve Wiseman: Panthers 24, Eagles 16. Once again, Carolina enters a road environment where the locals are more than willing to turn on the home team. The Eagles are in freefall having squandered winning performances the past two weeks. Bryce Young is playing as well as any QB in the league. Panthers score early. Philly fans do their thing to the Eagles. Carolina’s defense has just enough.
The Charlotte Observer
Alex Zietlow writes about the Carolina Panthers and the ways in which sports intersect with life for The Charlotte Observer, where he has been a reporter since August 2022. Zietlow’s work has been honored by the Pro Football Writers Association, the N.C. and S.C. Press Associations, as well as the Associated Press Sports Editors (APSE) group. He’s earned six APSE Top 10 distinctions for his coverage on a variety of topics, from billion-dollar stadium renovations to the small moments of triumph that helped a Panthers kicker defy the steepest odds in sports. Zietlow previously wrote for The Herald in Rock Hill (S.C.) from 2019-22. Support my work with a digital subscription
The Charlotte Observer
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