The Carolina Panthers finished off the Philadelphia Eagles in dramatic fashion, 21-17 in Week Seven. As a result, the Panthers move to 4-2 on the season and remain in the NFC playoff picture following the win. Thanks to some late game heroics by Cam Newton and the defense, the Panthers played their best quarter of the season in the 4th quarter of this week’s contest. Here is a recap of the Panthers win.
Carolina Panthers Stun Philadelphia Eagles to Move to 4-2 on Season
Emotions Running High
Before the game even got underway, things got a little heated between the Panthers well-publicized safety Eric Reid and Eagles safety Malcom Jenkins. During the coin toss, the two had to be restrained when Reid walked on the field to confront Jenkins. The argument had to do with Reid’s protests and said after the game that Jenkins was a “sellout.” Also, during the game, Eagles tight end Zach Ertz attempted to take a cheap shot at Reid but the Panthers safety quickly reacted and the two got into a scrum leading to offsetting penalties. Overall, it seemed like Reid was much in the action on the field with his play and his emotions.
Eric Reid on Malcolm Jenkins: “He sold us out.” pic.twitter.com/0iisQGJMiD
— Joe Person (@josephperson) October 21, 2018
Putting the Team on Cam’s Back
At the beginning of the fourth quarter, the Panthers had little to no hope in coming back from their 17-0 deficit. However, the Panthers quarterback had something to say about that. Cam had a near perfect quarterback rating in the fourth quarter and led the Panthers on three straight touchdown drives to leave the Eagles shocked in defeat. Newton played almost flawless in the fourth and gave the Panthers the lead for good on his one-yard touchdown throw to Greg Olsen on third and goal with just over a minute remaining. After struggling to get much of anything going on offense for three quarters, the fourth quarter was night and day for the team. Of course, this was all led by the former MVP himself.
Luke-Ness Monster
Once again, the defense relied heavily on the playmaking and knowledge of star linebacker Luke Kuechly. Kuechly led the way with a season-high 14 tackles and was all over the field once again for the Panthers. As many know, the Panthers are witnessing greatness from Kuechly who is so reliable game in and game out for the team. Included in his 14 tackles were an outstanding four tackles for loss and a sack as he was constantly in the Eagles backfield throughout the game. As always, health has been a key for Kuechly’s success and at this moment he looks fresh and ready for the stretch run with the Panthers.
Scoring Summary
First Quarter:
None
Second Quarter:
- Alshon Jeffery 11-Yd Touchdown Pass from Carson Wentz (7-0 Eagles)
- Jake Elliott 46-Yd Field Goal (10-0 Eagles)
Third Quarter:
- Dallas Goedert 1-Yd Touchdown Pass from Carson Wentz (17-0 Eagles)
Fourth Quarter:
- Curtis Samuel 14-Yd Touchdown Run, Gano missed XP (17-6 Eagles)
- Devin Funchess 18-Yd Touchdown Pass from Cam Newton, 2-Point Try Successful (17-14 Eagles)
- Greg Olsen 1-Yd Touchdown Pass from Cam Newton (21-14 Panthers)
Quick Takeaways
- Largest fourth-quarter comeback in Panthers history (17 Points)
- Graham Gano missed his first field goal of the season.
- The Panthers were 100 percent at converting red zone touchdowns (3 for 3)
- The Panthers outrushed the Eagles 121-58.
- The Eagles won the time of possession battle 35:17-24:43.
Injury Report
Defensive end Mario Addison left the game twice and did not return the second time due to a back injury suffered early in the game. Addison will be reevaluated on Monday.
