PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Tanner McKee still had a chance in the fourth quarter to win a game for the Eagles. Despite a series of failed screen and swing passes and a stagnant running game, McKee had his first game-winning drive in sight on Sunday in his first start this season for the injured Jalen Hurts.
McKee had hit DeVonta Smith for a 19-yard touchdown pass that cut Philadelphia's deficit to five points. The defense did its part, holding Bryce Young
and Carolina to a three-and-out that gave the Eagles the ball at their 48-yard line with 9:32 left.
McKee, a sixth-round pick who spent four seasons backing up Hurts, so badly wanted to meet the moment.
Not this season, which is quickly falling apart for the Eagles.
Philadelphia had a botched snap on first down and McKee fell on the ball for a 12-yard loss. McKee’s third-down pass was deflected and fell incomplete.
Braden Mann’s punt was blocked, and the Panthers got the ball at midfield.
Young threw his second touchdown pass of the game, the final blow in the Eagles' fourth straight loss, 25-14 to the Panthers.
“It’s really hard to win in the NFL,” McKee said, “only putting up 14 points.”
The Eagles (2-4) have lost four consecutive games for the first time since 2020. Coach Nick Sirianni took over the following season.
McKee finished 26 of 45 for 215 yards and a touchdown. Hurts attempted 40 passes only once this season and three times never got above 27 attempts.
“I am so much better, and I’m looking forward to learning everything and becoming the player that I know I am, the player that I can prove that I am,” McKee said.
The Eagles only had 222 yards of offense. McKee was sacked three times. Philadelphia punted on five straight possessions to start the game.
“You’ve got to score points, and we’re not doing that right now,” Sirianni said.
McKee was sacked for an 11-yard loss on the Eagles’ first play from scrimmage and he nearly had a pass intercepted on second down. The 26-year-old’s outing never got much better, and it’s easy to wonder just how the Eagles can salvage their season.
“Everything’s on the table,” Sirianni said.
Hurts will miss at least three more games after he was placed on injured reserve Saturday, two days after the Eagles revealed he has a blood clot in his calf.
Hurts hadn’t missed more than two games in a season since becoming the full-time starter in 2021. He’s led the Eagles to five straight playoff appearances, three NFC East titles, two Super Bowl appearances and one title.
The Eagles will need to go 7-4 to have a sixth straight winning season under Sirianni.
“There’s always an urgency,” Sirianni said. “You can be calm when there’s an urgency.”
Sirianni might not want to turn on Philadelphia sports radio or scan social media comments. Calm is not an option.
In the first meaningful start of his NFL career, McKee didn't turn the ball over and never let the game get out of reach until the fourth quarter. He should have time to improve and get comfortable with more practice reps as the No. 1 QB.
“I think we can mold it to my strengths and mold it to what we do well as an offense,” McKee said. “We have a lot of really good playmakers. And so I think it’s just whatever our offense will do best this week versus whoever we’re playing.”
Hurts is one of a handful of sidelined starters for the Eagles.
Saquon Barkley, a 2,000-yard rusher during their Super Bowl championship season, missed his second straight game with a hamstring injury. Will Shipley and Tank Bigsby, his two backups, were also sidelined by injuries. Carson Steele, who was signed off the practice squad last week, left early with a shoulder injury.
Dameon Pierce was the only Eagles running back to get a carry against a Panthers defense that came in having allowed the 30th-most yards rushing per game. He rushed for 35 yards and scored on a 2-yard run to cut Carolina’s lead to 10-7 at halftime.
One silver lining for the rest of the Eagles' season: They play in the worst division in football.
Last week, all four NFC East teams played, including two against each other, and none of them won. The New York Giants lead the division at 3-2-1 after losing 34-27 to the New Orleans Saints on Sunday.
The Eagles host Dallas on Monday, Oct. 26.
“I'd like to think I'm an optimist,” offensive tackle Jordan Mailata said. “The message this week was pretty simple. Maybe I need to change it: Where there's adversity, there's an opportunity. We need to take that and run with that.”
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