The Eagles will try to end a three-game losing streak Sunday against the Panthers, but they'll have to do it without Jalen Hurts. With Hurts ruled out because of a superficial blood clot, Tanner McKee is preparing to lead an offense that could also be without Saquon Barkley. DeVonta Smith returned to limited participation Thursday, while Barkley remained sidelined.
Philadelphia enters at 2-3 after its loss to Jacksonville in London, while Carolina is 2-2 and coming off its bye. Can McKee help the Eagles avoid a fourth straight loss, or will Bryce Young and the Panthers take a win? Here's who NFL experts are picking in Week 6.
ESPN: Panthers
Eight of 11 ESPN experts are picking Carolina on the road.
CBS Sports: Eagles
Pete Prisco is picking the injury-plagued Eagles to pull off
the upset.
The Panthers are off a bye, while the Eagles are off a trip to London where they lost in brutal fashion to the Jaguars. This is desperation time for the Eagles, but the injuries have piled up. Somehow, though, they will get off the deck to win this behind their defense.
NFL.com: Panthers
All five experts are picking Carolina.
Why Bobby picked the Panthers: Bouncing back from a third consecutive defeat -- especially a heartbreaker like the Eagles experienced, capturing and then surrendering the lead in final 10 seconds of their loss to the Jaguars -- is hard enough. The task is made more difficult by the Birds needing to travel back home from London to host the Panthers, who are well-rested coming off a bye. Oh, and quarterback Jalen Hurts is out due to a superficial blood clot. His absence is the latest blow to a Philadelphia squad that has already been dealt a ton of them: Right tackle Lane Johnson abruptly retired last week, the Eagles traded offensive lineman Cam Jurgens and running backs are dropping like flies. Saquon Barkley is the headliner as he works his way back from a hamstring injury, but Tank Bigsby is on injured reserve and Will Shipley could be sidelined multiple weeks after partially tearing his plantar fascia. That makes it tough to envision the Eagles taking full advantage of Carolina’s 31st-ranked rushing defense, and Philly’s passing offense was already struggling with Hurts to the tune of 170.6 yards per game. Add it all up and Carolina has a considerable edge despite venturing into enemy territory.
This article originally appeared on Eagles Wire: Eagles vs. Panthers: Who are NFL experts picking to win in Week 6?
