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After 21-17 win vs. Eagles, will expectations change for Panthers?

By Glenn Shorkey

PHILADELPHIA, PA - OCTOBER 21: Quarterback Carson Wentz #11 of the Philadelphia Eagles is sacked by linebacker Luke Kuechly #59 of the Carolina Panthers during the fourth quarter at Lincoln Financial Field on October 21, 2018 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The play was reviewed. The Carolina Panthers won 21-17. (Photo by Brett Carlsen/Getty Images)
PHILADELPHIA, PA - OCTOBER 21: Quarterback Carson Wentz #11 of the Philadelphia Eagles is sacked by linebacker Luke Kuechly #59 of the Carolina Panthers during the fourth quarter at Lincoln Financial Field on October 21, 2018 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The play was reviewed. The Carolina Panthers won 21-17. (Photo by Brett Carlsen/Getty Images) /
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Are  the expectations the same for the Panthers now?

As a team the Panthers said all the right things this week, it really wasn’t the end of the world to be 3-2, and yes, there were some whispered concerns about ‘The Ghost of Sub-.500 Years Past.’  With an unforeseeable fourth quarter rally that turned around three quarters of offensive misery- Cam Newton was 8/15 for 59 yards- into a 21-17 road victory, there’s still a question about whether expectations for the Panthers should be revised.

What probably bothered Panthers fans the most this last week was the possibility that- except for Graham Gano’s impressive 63-yarder to snatch victory from the Giants grasp- last week’s loss to Washington and playing the reigning NFL champion Philadelphia Eagles this week could have looked like a three-game losing streak.

While the defense has consistently kept opposing rushers in check after Tevin Coleman (ATL) got 107 yards in a Week 2 loss (Adrian Peterson (WASH) had a 17/97 yard day last week), concerns about a defense that allowed Andy Dalton of Cincinnati to throw for 352 yards, and NY Giants QB Eli Manning to remain upright most of the game while getting 326 were very real. Naysayers worried that if Carolina couldn’t manufacture considerably more pressure- especially against the Steelers Ben Roethlisberger– being as low as 4-5 just past the half way point of the season was a possibility.

For those who wondered when both sides of the ball would show up in the same game and demanded more sacks and big plays, the defense registered four against the Eagles, but the offense- with Cam Newton’s 17/24 for 210 yards and 2 TDs in the fourth quarter- was the story. Newton also had a 7/49 yard day running the ball, and Panthers has 121 on the ground. Detroit leads the league with 21 sacks, the Panthers now have 16.

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Curtis Samuel’s 14-yard rush to cap an 11 play, 80-yard drive began the comeback, then an 18-yard TD to Devin Funchess (6/62 yards, TD) plus a two-pt. conversion got them close. After the defense caused a Philadelphia punt, a 35-yard catch-and-run on fourth down by Newton as he was being hit proved Torrey Smith (4/61 yards, TD) still has the speed the Panthers had expectations of when they signed him in free agency to upgrade the receiving corps. A one-yard toss to Olsen with 1:22 to go put them up by four, but the Panthers defense still needed to make another stand. Despite a long– and game-saving pass interference penalty– got Philadelphia to the Panthers 22, the defense held, registering two ‘could have been’ INTs by Reid and Adams, before finishing the game with a Peppers strip-sack of Wentz.

Yesterday was only the second comeback from a half-time deficit for the Panthers since 2015, so there’s no denying this victory was a major gut check. While there was some minor panic after a sub-par outing in Washington, (almost) all of that is water under the bridge on a brilliant Monday morning.

While Eagles QB Carson Wentz went 30/37 for 310 yards and a pair of TDs, they controlled the ball over nine minutes on two drives (35:17-24:43 edge overall), they only had 58 yards rushing, lost one of three fumbles, and the Panthers had four sacks. THAT is closer to Panther fans expectations regarding the D, but whether it’s enough to make them true believers about a long playoff run, everyone and the NFL experts will have opinions. There are still ten games to go, with home games vs. the Baltimore Ravens and Tampa Bay Buccaneers before the Pittsburgh—and the Panthers have never won in Pittsburgh—showdown.

Is it a less attractive team, nationally-speaking, without CMC busting out all over? Well, yeah, but football is above all a team sport. Some wondered if Newton would fall in love with check down passes and letting CMC pile up yardage, or when someone besides McCaffrey (6 catches/51 yards, 7 rushes/29 yards) would raise the Turner offense a couple notches. A 34-yard reverse to Jarius Wright (plus a pair of catches for 37 yards) near the end of the first half, Smith’s ability to get the corner and turn upfield, and the neat TD by Samuel might not meet all expectations, but it beats the alternatives.

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