Which Five Eagles Need To Play Well Against Panthers?

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Jordan Hicks, Inside Linebacker

Jordan Hicks has been the most surprising player this season for the Philadelphia Eagles. Hicks was drafted in the third round of this years draft was expected to ride the bench and learn from the older guys ahead of him. The team already had Mychal Kendricks, Kiko Alonso, and DeMeco Ryans, so Hicks’ role was looking more like a special teams player for this season anyway. As the season unfolded injuries have struck the Philadelphia Eagles inside linebacking corps hard and Hicks has stepped in and been an absolute monster.

It’s unclear whether Mychal Kendricks or DeMeco Ryans will play this coming Sunday because of hamstring injuries, but that just means that Hicks will probably have an even bigger role this Sunday. The rookie or “Simba” as the team likes to call Hicks has 37 tackles, 1 interception, 3 fumble recoveries on the season and has been a rock at the inside linebacker position.

This week the Philadelphia Eagles have the task of trying to keep Panthers QB Cam Newton in check. When the Eagles played the Panthers last season, Mychal Kendricks spied Newton for a big portion of the game and it worked. The team sacked Newton 9 times and blew out the Panthers. This year with Kendricks nursing a hammy, the spy role will likely go to Hicks. Jordan has enough speed and athleticism to get the job done, if he does manage to keep Newton in the pocket and bring the occasional heat, it will greatly benefit the team. Hicks needs to be on his A game versus the scrambling juggernaut that is Cam Newton.

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