Three Matchups That Matter
Fletcher Cox vs. Ryan Kalil/Trai Turner
Fletcher Cox had a huge impact in the Panthers/Eagles 2017 matchup, pushing the pocket so far into Cam Newton on one play that it affected his throwing motion enough to force the interception – while defensive tackles don’t often get the accolades of a defensive end or a pass-rushing linebacker, Cox is one of the most disruptive forces in the NFL; Kalil and Turner will likely be unable to keep Cox at bay completely, but if they can counteract his ability to take up space in the middle even by half, that will be a win. Just because you don’t hear Cox’s name on Sunday doesn’t mean he’s not making a difference in the middle of the field – simply by forcing double teams, he allows openings and easier matchups for his counterparts along the defensive line and a clean lane for the linebackers to do their jobs.
With Haloti Ngata dealing with a calf injury, the Panthers may be seeing a lot of Cox – the Eagles may go into Sunday’s matchup with only two healthy defensive tackles in Cox and Treyvon Hester.
Lane Johnson/Jason Peters vs. Panthers Defensive Ends
With both tackles ailing for the Eagles but expected to play – Peters is trying to play through a torn bicep and Lane Johnson has been dealing with a high-ankle sprain since last week, the Panthers are hopeful they can build off the pass rushing success they had in the second half of last week’s game against the Redskins in which Julius Peppers picked up his first sack of the season and forced a fumble; Mario Addison was able to pick up a sack as well. If the Panthers are to get Carson Wentz off his spot, they’ll need to not only collapse the pocket with their defensive ends, but force Wentz to scramble with their defensive tackles. The defensive line has been disappointing thus far this season – a big performance against the Eagles will go a long way towards making up for it.
Ron Rivera vs. Doug Pederson
While some of the recent decisions of Rivera have been maligned, he has still led the Panthers to the playoffs four of the past five seasons and is a two-time Coach of the Year winner – things that have been a tenant of the Rivera Era like running the ball effectively, scoring in end-of-half situations and avoiding penalties and turnovers haven’t happened the past two games; they’ll need to be at their best against Doug Pederson and the Eagles. The Eagles have the third-best third-down defense in the league and are the best in the NFL when opponents are in the red zone – Cam Newton leads the NFL with a 115.7 passer rating inside the opponents 20 to go with eight total touchdowns. Rock, meet hard place.
Two Reasons The Panthers Will Lose
They Turn The Ball Over
It’s the most obvious thing in the world – we get it. But the Panthers are 37-2-1 when winning the turnover battle since 2013; we don’t have to tell you that they’ve turned the ball over five times in the past two weeks.
The Eagles Limit The Explosions
The Eagles have allowed the most plays of 45 yards or more in the NFL thus far this season – the Panthers have had only two such plays this season and only four last season. The Panthers will need big plays to beat the Eagles, a team that averaged 28.6 points per game in 2017.
One Reason The Panthers Will Win
Cameron J. Newton
Cam Newton’s nine passing touchdowns is the most he’s had through five games in his entire career and the 65.9% completion percentage is the second-highest. After throwing three interceptions in two games, Newton will undoubtedly want to bounce back to back up his claims this week that the Panthers have nothing to worry about in terms of the Panthers deep passing game and prospects for the season.
“We good. We are good. I don’t know if these questions are just kind of rubbing me the wrong way, but look, we are good.”
If the Panthers are truly good, it will start with #1.
