Key injuries to the Panthers secondary will benefit Carson Wentz
The Philadelphia Eagles will face a banged up Panthers secondary on Thursday.
The Philadelphia Eagles wrapped up their only full practice for this week on Tuesday. As they prepare to take on the Carolina Panthers Thursday night, they are looking for replacements at a few key positions due to injuries. The Eagles aren’t the only ones with injury problems though, it looks like the Panthers may be dealing with some key injuries on the defensive side of things as well.
NFL Insider Adam Caplan got some early news from Panthers practice on Tuesday. Both starting cornerbacks, Daryl Worley and James Bradberry were sidelined with lower body injuries. Their status for Thursday’s game will remain questionable for now. Also starting safety Kurt Coleman has already been ruled out due to a knee injury.
The benefit:
Although the Eagles have their fair share of injuries, they have still taken care of business. There is no guarantee that the Eagles will win, but with an injury-plagued secondary, Carson Wentz and his receivers could have a field day.
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The Panthers defense has been stout against weaker opponents. Still, teams like the New Orleans Saints, Detroit Lions and New England Patriots who have decent offenses had no problem putting up points. Believe it or not, the Eagles fall into the category of a decent offenses this season.
Just last week, Wentz threw four touchdown passes. Each of them was to a different receiver. That proves he can spread the ball around. Wentz’s successful day in the passing game didn’t come against a weak secondary either.
The Arizona Cardinals defensive backfield features some of the leagues best in Patrick Peterson and Tryann Mathieu, both of which praised Wentz for the game that he had last week.
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Minimum turnovers are key:
Considering the fact that the Carolina defense hasn’t been too successful in forcing interceptions, Wentz could have an easier time if he’s careful. Through the first five games, the Panthers defense only forced one interception, which ties them for 27th in the NFL.
The biggest threat to Wentz on Thursday will be the Panthers defensive front. They have 17 sacks on the season. Although Wentz has had elite protection, he’ll be without one of his best lineman, Lane Johnson. They key to his success in the passing game on Thursday will be using a quick release and avoiding pressure. As long as he can avoid sacks and force bad throws, Wentz could have another four-touchdown game on Thursday.