Eagles at Panthers Wrap-Up
The Philadelphia Eagles came into Charlotte with a chip on their defensive shoulders. The Carolina Panthers couldn’t recover from mishaps and miscues. Jake Delhomme was lost. Steve Smith couldn’t shake the Philly defensive backs. The mathematical equation for this game: Eagles defense – Panthers offense = Loss
Final Score: Eagles 38, Panthers 10
This is what I predicted would happen in today’s game:
"Philadelphia Eagles come to Charlotte for the home opener. Yes, Michael Vick is apart of the Eagles team however, he will not be able to play until Week 3. So, Vick will not be a factor in this game. Donovan McNabb will have a solid game just like he usually does the first game of the year, but it will not be enough to stop the legs of DeAngelo Williams. The Panther defense will be a little slow getting into rhythm, but by the second half all defensive woes will be eased. The Panthers had a solid home game showing last year and this first game will be no different. Final Score: Eagles 20, Panthers 24 (Panthers 1-0) Win"
Well, the Panthers defense was solid. No one can blame the defense for today’s loss. McNabb had a good game. DeAngelo Williams ran the ball well. Jonathan Stewart even looked terrific for not playing at all in the preseason. The biggest problem today was our offensive captain Jake Delhomme. He looked lost, confused and disoriented. He couldn’t get the ball to the receivers successfully. When he did throw the ball he threw it right into the hands of the Eagles defenders. Should a veteran QB be this bad? You would think that after years of reading coverages that Jake would know when to throw the ball away. I guess not.
Our special teams play has to improve. The pursuit completely broke down when the Eagles DeSean Jackson returned the ball for a touchdown. The Panthers offensive coordinator has to address getting the ball to Steve Smith. If the whole season goes like today, Smith will become the most under-utilized receiver in the NFL. Come on guys; get the ball to Smitty!!
The news just broke as I was typing this update that Donovan McNabb suffered a broken rib. Looks like the Eagles owner just got the biggest deal of the year with Michael Vick. Next week Kolb will play in place of McNabb then enter Michael “The Price Is Right” Vick. Eagles fans just got an upgrade.
Overall, I was not impressed by the Panthers quarterback performance today on the field. The majority of the blame will be placed on Jake with 4 interceptions before John Fox pulled him out of the game. Face it Jake, you left a bad taste in our mouth last year and it doesn’t look like you brought the mouthwash for 2009!