PHILADELPHIA, P.A. – The Tanner McKee era got off to an uneven start. The backup quarterback, pressed into action for at least the next four games after Jalen Hurts landed on injured reserve for the first time in his career with a blood clot in his calf, did some good, but mixed in just enough bad to keep the Eagles winless in their last four games after a 25-14 loss to the Panthers at Lincoln Financial Field in Week 6.

Now, 2-4, the Eagles will prepare for a visit from the Cowboys on Monday Night Football next week.

The game was there to be won, with the Panthers hurting themselves with penalties and the Eagles' defense playing well enough for as long as it could, but the offense just couldn’t quite make it happen.

They made it interesting when McKee hit DeVonta Smith with a touchdown pass (h/t NFL) from 19 yards with 10:47 to play in the fourth quarter that brought Philly to within 19-14, but the momentum left when Jake Majors's bad snap went for a 12-yard loss after the Eagles got the ball at the 48 midway through the fourth, needing a touchdown to take its first lead.

Tanner McKee throws DeVonta Smith a perfect ball for the touchdown

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McKee probably did enough to earn a second start – really, what other options do the Eagles have?

He sprayed the ball high and wide on many of his 45 throws, but other times, when he got the ball out quickly, he was able to find a rhythm and lead a pair of TD drives. The first ended with a two-yard touchdown run by Dameon Pierce to pull the Eagles to within 10-7, a score that stood at halftime. The other was the nice throw to Smith.

McKee was sacked three times, and while his numbers will look decent, some of it was after the Panthers went up 11 points in the final quarter. He finished 26-for-45 with 215 yards, a TD, and no interceptions.

The play-calling was suspect, however. Rather than try to run the ball early, the Eagles dialed up six straight passes, which led to three-and-outs on their first two possessions of the game. They had five of them in the game.

The Panthers (3-2) were called for 10 penalties totaling 114 yards, all in the first half, which ended in Carolina’s favor, 10-7.

Not even the addition of McKee could help the Eagles find a way to score points in both the first and third quarters. They were shut out in both quarters again and have just three points in each of them this season.

Winners & Losers From Week 6 Loss

WINNERS

DeVonta Smith: His return was most welcome, if not nearly enough to secure a win. He was targeted 14 times and finished with seven catches for 75 yards and a TD.

Jalen Carter: The defensive tackle rarely came off the field. He had two passes batted at the line of scrimmage and three tackles while seemingly playing most of the game.

Dallas Goedert: The tight end had six catches on eight targets for 61 yards.

LOSERS

Jake Majors: With momentum on their side, the Eagles' center had a bad, low snap that lost 12 yards. The Eagles had just gotten a three-and-out stop and took over at the 48-yard line. The Eagles couldn’t overcome the gaffe and punted with 8:30 left.

Special teams: The Eagles had a punt partially blocked after going three-and-out after Majors’s gaffe, giving Carolina good field position. It’s the second straight week the special teams have had a breakdown. Last week it was the kickoff return with eight seconds left that led to defeat. This one allowed the Panthers to open their lead to 11 points.

Running game: Dameon Pierce had his moments. His two-yard touchdown run to cut Carolina’s lead to 10-7 in the second quarter was his first TD since Jan. 5, 2025, while with Houston. He had two in that 2024 season. Still, the Panthers’ defense was next-to-last in the league at stopping the run.

Yet the Eagles managed just 35 yards on the ground, though they rarely tried to run. Pierce had 12 runs, and McKee scrambled for another rush. Carolina entered allowing 168 per game.

Moro Ojomo: The defensive tackle was called for encroachment early in the fourth quarter with the Panthers inside the five and lining up to go for it on fourth down. It was the second time this season Ojomo had a five-yard penalty on a team lining up to go for it on fourth down. The Panthers scored two plays later to open a 19-7 lead with 13:34 to play.

Cooper DeJean: The defensive back is not having the same kind of season he did last year. He committed an illegal contact penalty that gave Carolina a third down, and his inexcusable personal foul with seven minutes to play pushed Carolina deeper into Eagles territory at the 20. Carolina put the game away from there with a touchdown with 6:32 to play.

INJURIES

• Nolan Smith left in the first half with a concussion, leaving more snaps for rookie Keyshawn James-Newby. Smith collected his third sack of the season before he left, which ties him for the team lead with Jalen Carter.

• Already severely short-handed at running back, Carson Steele left briefly with a shoulder injury after catching a pass but eventually returned. He did his best to play through it but was eventually ruled out early in the fourth quarter.