Eagles opposing player to stop, Week 6 edition
· Yahoo Sports
The Eagles are an explicit mess right now. They have had 24 players on the injury report this week. Stars Jalen Hurts, out with a serious, though treatable issue with a superficial blood clot, and Saquon Barkley will not play Sunday against the visiting Carolina Panthers. Dontayvion Wicks, Jalyx Hunt, Michael Carter II, Will Shipley, and A.J. Epenesa are questionable, along with offensive threat DeVonta Smith, Drew Kendall, Landon Dickerson, Tyler Steen, Marquise Brown, Jonathan Greenard, Grant Calcaterra, Eli Stowers, Jakorian Bennett, and E.J. Jenkins.
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What is certain is that the rising 2-2 Panthers will have Bryce Young, who has thrown for 1,268 passing yards in Carolina’s first four games, the second-most yardage thrown by a Panthers’ quarterback through four games since Cam Newton’s rookie season.
Young is beginning to turn into the player everyone envisioned him to be when he was taken No. 1 overall out of Alabama in the 2023 NFL Draft. Young has thrown nine touchdown passes against two interceptions this season and averaging an NFL-high 317 yards passing a game, up considerably from 188.2 yards passing a game last season.
“The quarterback has really progressed,” said Eagles’ defensive coordinator Vic Fangio about Young, when asked this week about what impressed him about the Panthers. “I think I coached against him when he was a rookie, and to see the progress that he’s made from then to now, kudos to him and their coaching staff. He really good processor, makes quick decisions, knows where to go with the ball. He’s elusive, he’s a scrambler, really good anticipation. Very, very impressed by him.”
The Eagles will start Tanner McKee in place of Hurts this Sunday, further complicating a scrambled offensive that is not working under first-year offensive coordinator Sean Mannion. The Eagles are the worst second-half team in the NFL under Hurts, who single-handedly won their first two games, and walked off the field with a 17-16 lead against Jacksonville last week. Now they have McKee there, who has not looked good at all, in fact, he’s regressed since his rookie season.
McKee inherits an offense that has converted 10 of 38 third downs in the second half. They have gone 18-straight possessions over the last six quarters in the second half without scoring a touchdown, and are last in scoring in the NFL, averaging 6.4 points in the second half. The Eagles are last in the NFL in the second half in yards per play (3.6), passing yards per play (60.6), and tied for 31st in red-zone efficiency (33.3%).
In their five games this season in the second half, they scored 10 points and 149 yards against Washington, 10 points and 125 against Tennessee, 0 points and 54 yards against Chicago, 0 points and 66 yards against the Los Angeles Rams and 3 points and 84 yards against Jacksonville, which averages out to 95.6 yards and an NFL-low 4.6 points a game in the second half.
Under Young, Carolina is No. 6 in the NFL in second-half scoring, averaging 14.5 points a game, up from 10.6 last year. Young has completed 101 of 162 passes (62.3%). His stature, generously listed at 5-foot-10, 204 pounds, was thought to be a hindrance. The Eagles will definitely have to play with hands up in his face, but Young moves well and throws well on the run. The Eagles may not have a chance to get hands in his face, considering that they are ranked No. 28 in team sacks with 6. The Eagles are a pulsating cesspool right now. Facing an improving Bryce Young and depending on a sinking Tanner McKee does not seem to be a cure.