5 keys to victory for the Carolina Panthers vs. Eagles in Week 5
By Noah Bryce
Carolina Panthers must take advantage of a banged-up OL
Coming off of a startlingly bad performance in Week 4 there is no doubt that the Carolina Panthers’ defensive front is aching to make a statement and reassert themselves as the cream of the crop we know them to be.
The Philadelphia Eagles provide a prime opportunity for this.
Guard Issac Seumalo went on IR, right tackle Lane Johnson has been absent due to personal reasons, guard Brandon Brooks was injured again, and left tackle Jordan Mailata is fighting through a knee injury that has had him limited at practice this week.
Even if Mailata is good to go on Sunday, with limited reps in practice and residual soreness the former rugby player will be just that little bit slower on the edge and that’s a recipe for pain against the speed rush of Brian Burns.
On the other side, if Johnson is not back with the team by then it opens up an even bigger hole as second-year player Jack Driscoll will likely take over. Even though the fourth-rounder has performed well in those opportunities there is a distinct lack of experience going against a veteran like Hasson Reddick.
Then flanking the center the Eagles have the duo of rookie Landon Dickerson and undrafted third-year player Nate Herbig who have both shown to be vulnerable to power rushes.
Having those two along the middle will mean that Jason Kelce will be less focused on his assignment and more worried about giving them a little bit of support. Meaning that either Derrick Brown or DaQuon Jones will have a one-on-one matchup on the inside.
Along with that weakness is the fact that Jalen Hurts is very much a run-first quarterback and doesn’t like to sit in a muddy pocket for very long without movement, which can lead to sacks or bad throws.
This is a prime opportunity for the Panthers front to get pressure and you can guarantee that they are angry after being drug through the mud by the media and the fanbase alike this week. So look for them to play with a substantial chip on their shoulder come Sunday and bust through that line at every opportunity and make Hurts get skittish.