Philadelphia Eagles: 3 Keys to victory versus Carolina Panthers
By Hunter Doyle
Week 5 holds a difficult matchup for the Philadelphia Eagles.
It does not get any easier after this. The 1-3 Philadelphia Eagles are in the midst of a difficult schedule and the 3-1 Carolina Panthers are not an outlier. Last week was an uncharacteristic week for Carolina as they have been clicking on both sides of the ball most of this season.
These two teams aren’t strangers to close games. Who could forget Mark Sanchez’s 2014 win on Monday Night Football and the postgame visit to South Philly for some cheese fries? Or the Eagles’ statement win in Bank of America stadium on the road to the Super Bowl? Carolina has also had their highlights with a close Sunday Night win on the way to the Super Bowl in 2015. They also clawed back from a 17-0 deficit the last time these two teams played in 2018.
With Philadelphia’s backs against the wall early in the season, it’s shaping up to be another nailbiter. Here’s how the Eagles can come out on top and improve to 2-3 before their Thursday night meeting with Tom Brady:
1. Disciplined football needs to be the Philadelphia Eagles’ top priority.
44 penalties are not going to win football games. The Eagles lead the NFL with that mark. The next closest team is Buccaneers at 34. Philly is also fourth in penalty yardage.
On the flip side, the Panthers are 14th in penalties but have the third-fewest penalty yards. It’s a young Eagles team and mistakes are expected but not at this high of a clip. It was a concern in the preseason by beat reporters and rightfully so. It is ultimately a reflection of the coaching staff and they have to get this figured out sooner rather than later. Execution and playcalling have been issues in the red zone but penalties have been the most glaring.