The Carolina Panthers are coming off of a heartbreaking loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. This is something head coach Dave Canales' men will look to rectify during their testing trip to the Philadelphia Eagles.
Bryce Young had another great game in Week 13. The rejuvenated quarterback looks more comfortable as the signal caller with every passing contest, earning massive respect within the franchise and across the media. He’s giving the Panthers' organization affirmation that he was the right choice at No. 1 overall in the 2023 NFL Draft.
The Panthers will head to Philadelphia for a tough Week 14 matchup. The Eagles have been playing good football as of late and find themselves on an eight-game winning streak. Couple this with the intimidating atmosphere Lincoln Financial Field provides, and it's not hard to see why this is a daunting challenge for Carolina.
Canales' squad has been putting a respectable brand of football on display over the last few weeks. Here’s what Carolina will have to do to earn a win versus the Eagles.
Reasons the Carolina Panthers will beat the Eagles in Week 14
Carolina Panthers offense will finish off their drives with touchdowns
The Carolina Panthers played very close games against the Kansas City Chiefs and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. If the offense had been able to convert their red zone trips into touchdowns, the team most likely would have been 2-0 over that stretch rather than 0-2.
They have the sixth-worst red zone touchdown percentage with 38.46 percent over the last three weeks. The Panthers have committed costly penalties, which is causing complications at the business end of the field. If they can play clean football and eliminate self-inflicted wounds, this statistic should increase mightily moving forward.
The Panthers also had a red zone touchdown taken away from them against the Buccaneers as Bryce Young found Adam Thielen in the end zone. The referees decided they could not overturn the call, even though it was fairly obvious it was a catch after the review.
With Young gaining confidence, fans can expect the team to have more success in the red zone. The return of rookie running back Jonathon Brooks should also be a factor in this statistic improving for the Panthers.
If the Panthers can finish off their offensive drives with touchdowns instead of field goals, their chances of leaving Philadelphia with a win increase tremendously.
Carolina Panthers will win the turnover battle
Bryce Young has been doing a great job the last three games of playing clean football and not turning the ball over. He’s looked super confident and in control of the offense since the Carolina Panthers' game against the New York Giants in Germany. He needs to continue that trend in Philadelphia as the Eagles are a team that has been hot lately.
The Eagles' defense does a good job of holding opposing offenses to low completion percentage rates. They are the top defense in limiting quarterbacks on yards per pass attempt with only 6.2 while giving up the third least passing yards so far in 2024.
To make things more complicated for the Panthers, the Eagles defense is tied for the sixth most quarterback sacks so far with 36.
Needless to say, Young and the Panthers offense have their work cut out for them. It will not be as easy to throw the ball around the field as they have been.
The good news for the Panthers' defense is that they forced two turnovers with interceptions in last week's game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers courtesy of safety Xavier Woods and rookie cornerback Chau Smith-Wade. If Ejiro Evero's unit can force the Eagles' offense into some turnovers, Carolina would be in a good position to pick up a win.
The Eagles' defense does a great job against the run as well. They are leading the league in rush fumbles and ball security will be massive for the Panthers in this matchup. Chuba Hubbard needs to put last weekend's fumble at the back of his mind and return to the accomplished production fans have been accustomed to seeing from the Oklahoma State product.
If the Panthers can win the turnover battle against the Eagles, it will be a big step in the right direction to take home a win.
Carolina Panthers defense will limit Saquon Barkley
This sounds like a long shot with how poorly the Carolina Panthers defense has performed against the run so far in 2024. But it's something they must accomplish to stand any chance of keeping this game competitive.
Carolina gave up 152 rushing yards to Tampa Bay Buccaneers running back Bucky Irving last time out. The Panthers conceded a whopping 236 total rushing yards in the overtime loss, which cemented their status as the league's worst run defense.
The Panthers' defense has given up the most rushing yards in the NFL this season with 2,002. It just so happens that Saquon Barkley, the NFL's rushing leader, is in their path this weekend.
Barkley has dominated this season so far after leaving the New York Giants for their NFC East division rival. He is in consideration for the NFL MVP award and could break the league's single-season rushing record with a strong end to the campaign.
Barkley has totaled 1,499 rushing yards, 267 receiving yards, and 13 total touchdowns this season. The Eagles will most likely try to expose the Panthers' run defense with their most dangerous weapon. It's a challenge Ejiro Evero's group must meet with force.
Evero knows that the Eagles will attempt to gash his defense in the run game. It will be interesting to see what he dials up for his defense to counteract this threat.
Needless to say, it will be an uphill battle for the Panthers' defense regardless of the preparation.
Interior defensive linemen such as Shy Tuttle and A'Shawn Robinson, along with outside linebacker D.J. Wonnum, will face a challenge in limiting Barkley’s success. All three must dig deep in the face of stern opposition.
If the Panthers' defense can keep Barkley under 125 total yards at Lincoln Financial Field, the chances of the Panthers winning will rise exponentially. However, this is easier said than done.