Eagles vs. Panthers: Birds hold off Panthers; Saquon Barkley breaks Eagles record; injury updates, more
The Eagles improve to 11-2 and keep place with the Lions in the race for the NFC's No. 1 seed.
The Eagles held off the Panthers in an surprisingly tough win.
The win was the Eagles' ninth in a row.
The Eagles keep pace with the Detroit Lions in the race for the NFC's top seed.
Eagles RB Saquon Barkley broke the Eagles' single-season rushing record
A missed facemask call caused LASIK to roast NFL officials
Eagles-Panthers grades
Quarterback: B-
Jalen Hurts was shaky early — again — and actually a few times after that, but he did the job. The quarterback delivered another win and avoided turnovers. He managed the game as has been his habit since the bye. He completed 14 of 21 passes for just 108 yards. but he threw two touchdown passes and ran for 59 yards. Hurts also scored on another Tush Push, giving him a total of 13 touchdowns on the season.
Running back: A
Nick Sirianni’s flat Eagles ignored A.J. Brown and looked terrible behind Jalen Hurts in a trap-game win
The only thing missing was Nick Sirianni taunting the home fans.
It felt like Cleveland all over again. An inferior opponent entered with a toothless team on a great day for football, and the Eagles declined to show up. Only a bobbled touchdown catch by Xavier Legette with 44 seconds to play saved a likely upset from happening. They were 13-point home favorites, but if there was skin on their teeth before the game it’s not there any longer, because that’s how they beat Carolina, 22-16.
As a refresher: Coming off a bye week for Game 5, Sirianni was booed at Lincoln Financial Field against the Browns — also a win — and taunted the fans. The team played poorly and won barely and set to fretting what might be in the future. Such fretting will resume this week, unless the general belief is that the Eagles simply looked past the Panthers toward Pittsburgh’s visit a week hence.
Photos from Eagles vs. Panthers
Jalen Hurts wasn’t great for the Eagles against the Panthers. What will happen in a bigger game and better opponent?
There isn’t a good football term for the kind of quarterback Jalen Hurts is. Game manager is the one that is often used most frequently, but it isn’t really an accurate description of him.
Game manager suggests that a quarterback does what he is asked to do within the confines of his team’s offense — and that what he’s asked to do is neither spectacular nor all that difficult. He’s supposed to make the proper reads, the correct decisions, the necessary throws. Except Hurts spent much of the Eagles’ 22-16 victory over the Carolina Panthers on Sunday not doing those things.
» READ MORE: Jalen Hurts wasn’t great for the Eagles against the Panthers. What will happen in a bigger game and better opponent?
— Mike Sielski
Saquon Barkley breaks the franchise rushing record as the Eagles hold on for an ugly win
When the Carolina Panthers attempted a comeback late in the fourth quarter on Sunday afternoon, Darius Slay called game.
In his return from a concussion that sidelined him last week against the Baltimore Ravens, the 33-year-old outside cornerback broke up a pass from quarterback Bryce Young intended for wide receiver Adam Thielen on fourth-and-9, sealing a 22-16 home victory for the Eagles.
» READ MORE: Saquon Barkley breaks the franchise rushing record as the Eagles hold on for an ugly 22-16 win
— Olivia Reiner
Watch Grant Calcaterra's brother react to his first career TD
Grant Calcaterra's brother, Nick, lives in Portland, Ore., which is home to a Philly sports-themed bar known as Lombard House.
Nick was there again on Sunday, and witnessed his brother catch his first NFL touchdown.
» READ MORE: There’s a Philly bar in Portland where Eagles fans gather to watch the game and feel like they’re back home
— Vaughn Johnson
Saquon Barkley breaks LeSean McCoy’s Eagles record for rushing yards in a season
Saquon Barkley has broken the Eagles’ franchise record for rushing yards in a season, surpassing LeSean McCoy’s previous mark from 2013 during the team’s game against the Carolina Panthers.
Entering Week 14, Barkley needed 109 yards to eclipse the 1,607-yard mark set by McCoy and did so with a 9-yard carry in the fourth quarter. Barkley, who went into halftime with 49 yards, also reeled off runs for 18 and 15 yards in the lead-up to breaking the record.
» READ MORE: Saquon Barkley breaks LeSean McCoy’s Eagles record for rushing yards in a season
— EJ Smith
C.J. Gardner-Johnson returns to the medical tent
C.J. Gardner-Johnson has left the field for the second time Sunday. Gardner-Johnson was lying on the ground for an extended period after appearing to run into Zack Baun, who was tackling Carolina running back Chuba Hubbard.
Gardner-Johnson walked slowly off the field, appearing to be grabbing at his lower back. Earlier in the game, he was evaluated for a concussion.
Avonte Maddox finished the drive in his place, which ended in a Carolina turnover on downs. The Eagles took over with the ball on their own 28-yard line and a 22-16 lead.
— Jeff Neiburg
Grant Calcaterra's first career TD puts the Eagles back in front
The Eagles have the lead back and Saquon Barkley is closing in on LeSean McCoy's single-season rushing record.
An eight-play, 70-yard drive finished with Jalen Hurts hitting tight end Grant Calcaterra in the middle of the end zone for a four-yard score, Calcaterra's first career NFL touchdown.
Barkley started the drive with runs of 11 and 26 yards. But the play of the drive came after Hurts was sacked on second down. On a third-and-10 from the Carolina 44-yard line, Hurts scrambled for 35 yards and got the Eagles into a goal-to-go situation.
Panthers retake the lead with another methodical drive
Maybe the "trap game" crowd was onto something.
After Jake Elliott's missed field goal gave the Panthers decent field position for their first series of the second half, the Panthers took advantage.
A 12-play, 58-yard drive ended with a one-yard Chuba Hubbard touchdown run. A missed PAT has Carolina ahead, 16-14, with 2 minutes, 49 seconds left in the third quarter.
The Panthers convert on 4th down in wild fashion
Jake Elliott misses another 50-yard field goal attempt
Jake Elliott had seemingly righted the ship after his three-miss night kept the Eagles' win over Washington closer than it needed to be three weeks ago.
The kicker was a perfect 3-for-3 on field goals and 4-for-4 on extra points during a 37-20 win in Los Angeles a week later, then made his only field goal attempt and all three point-after attempts last week in Baltimore.
But on the Eagles' first drive of the second half Sunday, Elliott was tasked with a 52-yard attempt on a fourth-and-4 from the Carolina 34-yard line.It missed right, and Elliott is now 0-for-5 from 50-plus yards this season.
— Jeff Neiburg
Eagles cash in on timely turnover to take the lead
It may be closer than many expected, but the Eagles took a 14-10 lead into halftime behind two touchdown drives and a timely interception from C.J. Gardner-Johnson.
Jalen Hurts found DeVonta Smith in the corner of the end zone near the end of the first half to put the Eagles up. Hurts and Co. will also start with the ball at the beginning of the second half.
The scoring drive was set up by Gardner-Johnson, who picked off second-year Panthers quarterback Bryce Young the drive before. Gardner-Johnson missed time earlier in the game to be evaluated for a concussion, but returned in time to make the pivotal play.
— EJ Smith
DeVonta Smith finds the end zone, gives the Eagles the lead
Welcome back, DeVonta Smith!
— Vaughn Johnson
A.J. Brown doesn't seem thrilled with the Eagles' slow start
Panthers march down the field to take the lead
It took 14 plays, but the Panthers patiently marched 69 yards to regain the lead.
— Vaughn Johnson
Eagles use the Tush Push to get on the board
Yup, it still works.
— Vaughn Johnson
Eagles suffer through another slow start
Slow starts continued to plague the Eagles in the first quarter against the Carolina Panthers.
For the 10th game this year, the Eagles failed to put points on the board. The offense started off sluggish on their first two possessions of the day. They failed to advance beyond their own 34-yard line, amassing just 22 net yards of offense.
Meanwhile, the Panthers offense went up, 3-0, with just over a minute remaining in the quarter on a 38-yard field goal from Eddy Piñeiro.
— Olivia Reiner
C.J. Gardner-Johnson returns to the game
After getting evaluated for a concussion earlier in the game, C.J. Gardner-Johnson was cleared to return in the second quarter.
The safety missed one full series after taking a hit to the head from fellow Eagles defensive back Tristin McCollum. With Reed Blankenship and Sydney Brown both sidelined with injuries heading into the game, the Eagles turned to Avonte Maddox to replace Gardner-Johnson while he was out.
— EJ Smith
Safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson being evaluated for a concussion
The injury bug continues to plague the safety position.
Halfway through the first quarter, C.J. Gardner-Johnson was a victim of friendly fire when he collided with Tristin McCollum while attempting to tackle Carolina Panthers wide receiver Xavier Legette. Gardner-Johnson appeared to get hit in the head.
The 26-year-old safety was down on the field for a minute, but he was able to walk off under his own power and head to the medical tent. He eventually went to the locker room. Avonte Maddox took his place opposite McCollum.
Safety C.J. Gardner sets the tone with a big hit
One week after the Eagles put together a physically-imposing performance against the Baltimore Ravens, C.J. Gardner-Johnson set the tone early against the Carolina Panthers.
On third-and-10 on the Panthers’ opening drive, Gardner-Johnson laid a booming hit on wide receiver Xavier Legette to force and incomplete and send the opposing offense off the field.
Following the hit, Legette went to the medical tent, but he rejoined his teammates on the bench with his helmet shortly afterwards.
— Olivia Reiner
Jalen Hurts' cleats were designed with the help of Children's Hospital of Philadelphia patients
Last week, Jalen Hurts wore cleats that represented his foundation — the Jalen Hurts Foundation — for My Cause My Cleats.
This week, Hurts is wearing cleats designed with the help of Children's Hospital of Philadelphia patients.
— Vaughn Johnson
Reed Blankenship, Sydney Brown, and Britain Covey all out vs. Panthers; DeVonta Smith officially active
The depth in the Eagles secondary will be put to the test against the Carolina Panthers, as safeties Reed Blankenship (concussion) and Sydney Brown (knee) are both inactive for today's game. Also out is wide receiver/punt returner Britain Covey due to a neck injury.
However, star wide receiver DeVonta Smith is officially active.
For the Panthers, they will be without edge rusher Jadeveon Clowney.
— Vaughn Johnson
Meet Lincoln, the actual bald eagle that swoops into the Linc before Eagles games
here comes a time when an eagle needs to sit down and really reflect on his career. Was it as fulfilling as he hoped it would be? Could he continue a little longer? Or is it time to hang it up and enjoy retirement? No, we’re not talking about former Eagles center Jason Kelce. We’re talking about a different national treasure: the bald eagle.
After 25 years of traveling coast-to-coast, Challenger, the first bald eagle in U.S. history trained to fly in major sports stadiums and arenas, made his last free-flight appearance in 2018 at Lincoln Financial Field.
Now, with Challenger off enjoying retirement, it’s time for another bird ready to step in — or in this case fly in — and embrace that next-bird-up mentality. Enter Lincoln, the 27-year-old bald eagle that has accepted the challenge and everything that comes with it, from 10-hour car rides to dogs interrupting his training sessions.
» READ MORE: Meet Lincoln, the actual bald eagle that swoops into the Linc before Eagles games
— Ariel Simpson
Eagles place TE Dallas Goedert on IR
The Eagles placed tight end Dallas Goedert on injured reserve Saturday, nearly one week after he injured his knee against the Baltimore Ravens.
Goedert must miss at least four of the five remaining regular-season games. An NFL source told The Inquirer earlier in the week that the injury isn’t considered to be season-ending, so Goedert could potentially return in time to contribute in the playoffs.
This is the second time this season that an injury sidelined Goedert, 29. He missed three games beginning in late October after sustaining a hamstring ailment in Week 6 against the Cleveland Browns.
Eagles WR DeVonta Smith plans to play vs. Panthers
After being sidelined with a hamstring injury for the last two weeks, DeVonta Smith is available to play Sunday against the Carolina Panthers.
The 26-year-old Eagles receiver was listed as a full participant in practice all week starting Wednesday, which was the first time he had that designation since the days leading up to the Dallas Cowboys game on Nov. 10. He was removed from the injury report on Friday, but Smith confirmed earlier that afternoon that he was good to go for Sunday.
“Count me in,” Smith said.
» READ MORE: Eagles receiver DeVonta Smith confirms plan to play against Carolina Panthers: ‘Count me in’
— Olivia Reiner
Predictions: Eagles are heavy favorites vs. Panthers
The Eagles (10-2) are aiming to extend their eight-game winning streak as they host the Carolina Panthers on Sunday. The Birds are looking like a true Super Bowl contender after a statement win over the Baltimore Ravens last Sunday. Meanwhile, the struggling 3-9 Panthers have looked more competitive in their last four games.
The Eagles are currently 12-point favorites over the Panthers, who are coming off a 26-23 overtime loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Panthers quarterback — and former No. 1 overall pick — Bryce Young seems to be finding his rhythm, throwing for over 200 yards in each of his last two games.
The Panthers bring the worst run defense in the NFL into this matchup against the No. 1 rushing offense behind a red-hot Saquon Barkley. Will the Eagles’ streak continue? Or will Young lead the Panthers to a win at Lincoln Financial Field? Here’s what experts in the local and national media are saying:
Watch: Eagles-Panthers pregame show on Gameday Central
The Eagles play Sunday afternoon in Week 14 against the Panthers in South Philly. Join Eagles beat reporters Olivia Reiner and EJ Smith as they dissect the hottest storylines surrounding the team on Gameday Central, live from Lincoln Financial Field, starting 90 minutes before kickoff.
Eagles-Panthers: Start time, how to watch and stream
The Philadelphia Eagles (10-2) face the Carolina (3-9) Sunday afternoon at Lincoln Financial Field.
The game is airing on FOX, and is scheduled to start at 1 p.m.
Calling the game is Adam Amin and former Eagles quarterback Mark Sanchez. Kristina Pink will report from the sideline.
Eagles 2024 schedule
Week 1: Eagles 34, Packers 29
Week 2: Falcons 22, Eagles 21
Week 3: Eagles 15, Saints 12
Week 4: Buccaneers 33, Eagles 16
Week 5: Bye
Week 6: Eagles 20, Browns 16
Week 7: Eagles 28, Giants 3
Week 8: Eagles 37, Bengals 17
Week 9: Eagles 28, Jaguars 23
Week 10: Eagles 34, Cowboys 6
Week 11: Eagles 26, Commanders 18
Week 12: Eagles 37, Rams 20
Week 13: Eagles 24, Ravens 19
Week 14: Panthers at Eagles, Sunday, Dec. 8, 1 p.m. (Fox)
Week 15: Steelers at Eagles, Sunday, Dec. 15, 4:25 p.m. (Fox)
Week 16: Eagles at Commanders, Sunday, Dec. 22, 1 p.m. (Fox)
Week 17: Cowboys at Eagles, Sunday, Dec. 29, 4:25 p.m. (Fox)
Week 18: Giants at Eagles, TBD