Sunday Night Football in America 8:30 PM ET – TV: NBC Philadelphia Eagles 3-3 @ Carolina Panthers 5-0 Outside of QB Sam Bradford turning the ball over, the Eagles are starting to gain some needed pluses on the ground with RB DeMarco Murray, who finally ran for 100 yards in the Eagles’ 27-7 win over the Giants on Monday. The isolating and neutralizing concepts of HC Chip Kelly’s up-tempo spread offense needs to be at full strength against a hard-nosed Panthers defense that’s solid up front on the D-line and arguably has the best linebacker tandem in Thomas Davis and Luke Kuechly (two forces of DC Sean McDermott’s unit that can run down ball carries, defend the flats and tight ends running the seams). McDermott also has two stout interior gap clogging defensive tackles in Kawann Short and Star Lotulelei, and Kony Ealy, Jared Allen and Mario Addison setting the edge and able to rush the passer. It’s imperative for the weak spot (guards Allen Barbe and Mat Tobin) on the Eagles’ O-line not to allow the Panthers’ front to get penetration to move Bradford off his spots. Kelly’s system specializes on using fast motion from the backfield, play fakes and quick slants and screens to nullify pass rushes, but going up against a Carolina defense that’s …show more content…
With defenses keying on stuffing Carolina’s ground attack that relies on RB Jonathan Stewart and rawness/unorthodox skills of QB Cam Newton making plays with feet, opposing second and third levels of defenses have bit the dust to spring Newton’s targets free. The Eagles also have a stout defensive front, and if the Panthers are going to keep the Eagles’ beast up front in D-lineman Fletcher Cox from creating havoc, Shula will need to use an extra chipper wherever Eagles’ DC Bill Davis lines him