The Panthers are back and they’re facing what’s left of the shockingly 2-3 Eagles as they return from a game in London just six days ago now. Tomorrow we’ll see if they are awake and healthy enough to contend with a Panthers squad that should be freshly rested from their early bye week.
To see what other storylines and shenanigans we should be on the lookout for this week, I spoke with Brandon Lee Gowton of Bleeding Green Nation to get the inside scoop on the Eagles quarterback, running back, wide
receiver, and edge injuries, among other concerns. It really does sound like only one team is going to walk into this game on two feet and that may surprisingly be the Carolina Panthers. Here’s what Brandon had to say.
With Jalen Hurts out for the game, what’s next for the Eagles at quarterback?
Tanner McKee will start against the Panthers. It’s been a pretty weird run for him dating back to Week 18 of last season.
Prior to that regular season finale, there was optimism about McKee’s outlook. He had previously shined in preseason settings; so much so that the Eagles decided to rest him after their first preseason game last year.
With the Eagles deciding to rest starters in Week 18, McKee got the start and there was hope that he might be able to beat the Washington Commanders. He looked good early on in the game before DeVonta Smith left … but then much less so afterwards.
It seems like this performance shook the team’s confidence in him because they went out and acquired Andy Dalton from your Carolina Panthers. (Great deal by Dan Morgan.) It was originally thought that Dalton was only being brought in to be QB3 behind Jalen Hurts and McKee … but in OTAs it became apparent that there was a real QB2 battle going on.
With neither candidate making a strong case over the other, that battle continued into the lead up of the Eagles’ Week 1 game. Dalton was Hurts’ backup for the first three weeks before his sole passing attempt with the team was intercepted in the end zone during the Eagles’ Week 3 loss.
The Eagles then demoted Dalton to QB3 before cutting him. And that’s how we got to McKee becoming No. 2 again.
It’s hard to predict how much time Hurts is going to miss due to his blood clot. McKee figures to be the starter until Hurts is back, if he even returns this season. Though it would seem like the Eagles could pivot to intriguing rookie Cole Payton at some point if they get knocked out of the playoff picture. Then again, the NFC East is looking so bad that the Eagles might hang around longer than expected.
As for what Panthers fans can expect from McKee, I’m really not sure. He looked the worst I’ve ever seen him play during offseason practices and preseaosn games. He’s also going to be operating behind the Eagles’ patch-work offensive line while missing some key skill players. I can’t say I’m very confident that he’s going to play well. But I don’t want to write him off entirely until we see him in some regular season action because he has shown signs of promise in the past.
UPDATE! As I was answering this question, the Eagles reportedly signed Dallas Cowboys practice squad quarterback Joe Milton to their roster. Guessing he’s the emergency third quarterback this week behind McKee and Payton?
Your running back position looks about as injured as the Panthers’ [insert position here]. With the signing of training camp/practice squad running back Ja’Quinden Jackson, what do you expect the Eagles ground attack to look like on Sunday?
Funny enough, they didn’t even sign Jackson (despite reporting that suggested otherwise after hosting him on a visit)! Not as of me typing this sentence, at least. They added Ian Wheeler to the practice squad instead.
But, yeah, the Eagles are really thin at running back. It looks like their top three options are going to be out: 1) Saquon Barkley, 2) Tank Bigsby (on injured reserve, and 3) Will Shipley.
That leaves the team with Dameon Pierce and Carson Steele, who were both called up from the practice squad last week. They also have Jaydon Blue and the aforementioned Wheeler on the practice squad now.
The Eagles managed to gain just 22 yards on 18 carries in Week 5. Give the Jags’ run defense, which has been stingy this season (fewest yards per carry allowed), for being stout. But it’s hard to expect the Eagles to be awesome on the ground when their offensive line is dealing with a lot of key absences and they’re down to RB4 and RB5.
I’m expecting the ground game to look a little better against the Panthers because … how much worse could it get than Week 5? That was the fewest rushing yards the Eagles have had in a game since Week 2 of the 2015 season. But there’s no good reason to expect it to fully click until we actually see it happen. Perhaps Panthers fans feel differently since Carolina is allowing the most yards per carry in the league.
Speaking of injuries, the Panthers early season has so far been defined by them. Where are the Eagles hurting the most right now, besides running back, and how will that affect their game?
The Eagles have 24 players listed on their injury report this week. Not ideal!
Here are the key positions to monitor (outside of running back):
WIDE RECEIVER — It sounds like DeVonta Smith might be able to play after being upgraded to limited in Thursday’s practice. But with Dontayvion Wicks being downgraded to not practicing, the Eagles might be without another starter as they’re getting their top target back.
OFFENSIVE LINE — Lane Johnson retired and the Eagles traded Cam Jurgens, who was struggling anyway. The Eagles opened Landon Dickerson’s practice window to return from IR but they don’t seem to be in a rush to activate him. Drew Kendall, who was brought in from the bench to play center after Dickerson got hurt and they moved Jurgens to left guard, returned to practice on Thursday in a limited capacity. If he’s healthy, he’ll probably start at center. If not, look for Jake Majors — who made his NFL regular debut last week after being called up from the practice squad — to get the nod instead. Starting right guard Tyler Steen is banged up but it seems like he might be play. The Eagles’ projected starting offensive line for Sunday: LT Jordan Mailata (pretty good starter), LG Willie Lampkin (fan-favorite undersized blocker who struggled in pass pro making his first regular season start last week), C Jake Majors (fringe roster player), RG Tyler Steen (cromulent starter now playing at less than 100%), and RT Markel Bell (massive player who is playing like a third-round rookie, which he is).
EDGE RUSHER — Starter Jalyx Hunt is out. He leads the Eagles in quarterback hits so far this season. The Eagles’ pass rush has already been lacking, so, missing him isn’t great. The Eagles are hoping Jonathan Greenard, who was limited in practice on Wednesday and Thursday, can return from an ankle injury. Rotational rusher A.J. Epenesa could also miss this week’s game. Arnold Ebiketie is also on the injury report, albeit as a full participant. The only Eagles edge rusher NOT on the injury report this week is Nolan Smith.
There are loud rumbles from columnists and fans alike that the Eagles should consider “punting” on the still young 2026 season. What’s been wrong so far and might the Eagles be eyeing the wounded Panthers as a get-right game?
I think a win here would be a pretty nice feeling for an Eagles team that’s endured a lot of chaos through the first six weeks of the season. Especially after nearly having the Los Angeles Rams beat in Week 4 and the Jacksonville Jaguars beat in Week 5.
But I struggle to give this team the benefit of the doubt. While they’re not far off from being 4-1, they would be one of the worst 4-1 teams in league history. If you look at how they rank by offensive and defensive EPA per play, they’re keeping company with winless teams in the NFL like the Tennessee Titans (whom the Eagles narrowly beat) and the Miami Dolphins.
The offense flat out sucks. It’s terrible. The offensive line is a big problem. First-time play-caller Sean Mannion hasn’t done much to inspire confidence, though it’s hard to truly get a read on him give the Eagles’ personnel turmoil. Nick Sirianni doesn’t seem to have answers to help right the ship on offense. And now Hurts is out for … who knows how long.
The defense hasn’t lived up to lofty expectations of being one of the better units in the league. That said, they have been coming on lately. There’s hope for that unit, especially if Jalen Carter continues to be more like the player we saw in Week 5. Seems like he’s getting healthier.
All told, it just doesn’t feel like it’s the Eagles’ year. And that’s OK! They’ve made the playoffs every season since 2021. They went to two Super Bowls and won one … seven years after previously winning their first-ever Vince Lombardi Trophy. They’re allowed to have a down season. The hope is that they can use this opportunity to prioritize contending in future years as opposed to doubling down on what seems to be like a lost year in 2026.
Not everyone agrees with that mindset and, well, I get it. It’s not fun to wave the white flag on the current season after looking forward to it all offseason long. But it could be what’s best for the team in the long run.
There is a lot at stake for both teams, both narratively and in the standings in this conference game. What is your final score prediction?
The Eagles are 3.5-point underdogs this weekend. They are 0-6 in six games as underdogs during the Nick Sirianni era.
The Eagles are also trying to become the first team to ever win while coming off an international trip against an opponent coming off their bye. Teams in those conditions are 0-4 so far.
Earlier this week, I had a feeling the Eagles might pull off an upset … only to then lose to the Cowboys in Week 7.
But I’m having a hard time giving the Birds the benefit of the doubt right now. Maybe the Eagles can get it going against this Panthers defense. But Bryce Young is playing well and I think he could have some success, though I largely trust the Eagles’ defense to put forth a good effort.
I’ll go with: Eagles 21, Panthers 26.
