5 key observations from Sam Darnold’s horror show vs. the Eagles

What were some key observations from Carolina Panthers quarterback Sam Darnold’s performance against the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 5?

After another largely positive performance from Sam Darnold in Week 4, the Carolina Panthers quarterback faced another stiff test of his credentials against the Philadelphia Eagles. This was a good opportunity for the USC product to prove he could lead this team to victory without Christian McCaffrey, who wasn’t risked for the contest despite an encouraging few days of practice.

Few would argue that Darnold hasn’t shown tremendous promise since joining the Panthers. But those occupying positions in front of him posed some real concerns in pass protection over the first four weeks.

As it turned out, things went from bad to worse in Week 5. Darnold and the Panthers fell to their second consecutive loss after a complete capitulation on offense which the quarterback was front and center of.

With this in mind, here are five key observations from Darnold’s performance against the Eagles.

Observation No. 1

Sam Darnold got picked early

Things looked bleak for Darnold and the Carolina Panthers when the signal-caller threw an interception into double-coverage on the opening drive. This came after a rocky beginning to the contest where his receivers weren’t getting open and he just didn’t look comfortable for some unbeknown reason.

The Eagles only managed to get a field goal out of it following an illegal screen in the end-zone. However, this was a wake-up call for Darnold and something he needed to respond from quickly in pursuit of avoiding further complications.

There was a long way to go and it didn’t end up mattering that much in the grand scheme of things, which was a blessing for Carolina and its signal-caller.