PHILADELPHIA — For a few seconds, the Philadelphia Eagles felt their mortality. C.J. Gardner-Johnson cringed at the memory. The safety misjudged a last-minute heave. He’d tried to jump for an interception. Instead, the pass sailed over his head. Gardner-Johnson had watched helplessly, breathlessly as his opponent lunged for the football and tumbled into the end zone.
Incomplete. The ball touched the turf. “Shoutout to the ref,” Gardner-Johnson said. Xavier Legette’s failure to cradle that catch prevented the rebuilding Carolina Panthers from upsetting the playoff-bound Eagles on their home field. Darius Slay batted down Bryce Young’s fourth-down attempt two plays later, securing the ninth-straight victory for an 11-2 team that just got a sneak preview of how its promising season can end.
There was no postgame music blaring from inside the Eagles locker room this time. This was a half-relieved, half-solemn bunch who knew a 22-16 victory nearly went the other way. They could not even adequately celebrate the run in which Saquon Barkley surpassed LeSean McCoy’s franchise record for single-season rushing yards. Barkley broke the 11-year record on a 9-yard run in the fourth quarter. The crowd began to chant “M-V-P.” But Barkley waved his hands asking for quiet. Philadelphia’s six-point lead was precarious, especially the way its offense was playing.
The moment history was made.
The Eagles single-season rushing yards record belongs to Saquon Barkley. @saquon | #FlyEaglesFly pic.twitter.com/3DDRTLlB2x— Philadelphia Eagles (@Eagles) December 8, 2024
Especially the way Jake Elliott was kicking. Eight plays later, Eagles coach Nick Sirianni chose to forego a 55-yard field goal attempt that would’ve made it a two-score game. Instead, he absorbed a delay of game penalty and sent out the punt team. Sirianni later said the wind influenced his decision. He also believed in a punt unit that pinned the Baltimore Ravens within their own 5 twice in last week’s victory. He also believed in a defense that had also made the Ravens pay. But he left unsaid any lack of faith in Elliott, who, after missing a 52-yard attempt two possessions before, is now 0-for-5 this season on attempts of 50-plus yards.
Especially the way the Eagles were passing. Jalen Hurts finished with under 200 yards passing for the third straight game. He’s made up for his lack of production by delivering key passes or key scrambles in certain critical moments, and the passing game’s shortcomings have been mitigated by Barkley’s dominance. The Panthers proved how this is an untenable pattern. It’s at the root of the offense’s slow starts at the beginnings of games. It paralyzes the team’s game plan when the running game is no longer an option.
After Lane Johnson was flagged for holding on the opening play of the game, Hurts settled for a first-and-20 checkdown when A.J. Brown appeared open deep downfield. Hurts took a sack two plays later, threw two incomplete passes and the Eagles punted. Hurts failed to gain first-down yardage on two QB runs on a second drive that became a three-and-out. Up 7-3 in the second quarter, Hurts had ample time against a third-and-7, six-man rush but overthrew Johnny Wilson for yet another three-and-out. Brown slammed his helmet on the sideline as the Eagles punted again.
The Eagles know their offense can’t devolve into a frustrating mess for a second straight season. They know emotional outbursts are only the symptoms of problems that perpetually go unsolved. They know they have the talent to seize early leads against their opponents — especially the Panthers. They know the passing game’s problems can’t be prolonged.
But they’re short on answers. Brown was terse and tense at his locker. When asked what needed to improve offensively, he answered, “Passing.” When asked how it could be fixed, he said, “I don’t know.” Hurts said the passing game has a “lack of synchronization.” Asked if there were specific takeaways, he said, “not right now.” DeVonta Smith had simply said, “We’re just not on the same page.” It was an alarming statement for a team entering the final stretch of its season. Hurts definitively said, “no,” they should not be trying to get on the same page 13 games into the season. But why is that the case?
“I’ll just say no,” Hurts said.
Sirianni has repeatedly defended Hurts in 2024. In Baltimore, after Hurts threw for 118 yards, Sirianni denounced the notion that Hurts is a game-manager as “bulls—.” Sirianni has championed Hurts as a “winner” and has said Hurts should be considered in the MVP conversation. The former is not a ludicrous claim. Even against Carolina, just before halftime, Hurts evaded heavy pressure on a 15-yard scramble into the Panthers red zone. He completed three straight passes, including a 4-yard touchdown to Smith that required some touch toward the left pylon. On their go-ahead drive in the fourth quarter, Hurts salvaged a third-and-10 situation by scrambling for a 35-yard gain. He later hit tight end Grant Calcaterra for a 4-yard touchdown on a throw the quarterback confirmed was deeper into his progression.
But Hurts hasn’t been reliable on a passer in critical scenarios. His 0.11 EPA per attempt on third downs ranks 21st among quarterbacks (min. 100 attempts), per TruMedia. His 15 percent sack percentage on third downs is the seventh-highest amongst quarterbacks, yet his 3.49 average seconds to throw is the most time any of the quarterbacks have in the pocket. A delay of game penalty complicated Philadelphia’s final offensive drive against Carolina, but it placed them into a second-and-13 situation Hurts did not overcome with his arm.
Instead, Sirianni was yet again betting on his defense. Eagles punter Braden Mann pinned the Panthers on their 3 with 2:58 left in the game. Young completed 5-of-10 passes for 63 yards on that final drive, and, were it not for Legette’s drop, the 2023 No. 1 pick might’ve delivered his biggest comeback victory yet. That the Panthers came that close revealed the limitations of an Eagles defense that isn’t infallible. Though no opponent has scored more than 23 points on the Eagles during their win streak, they cannot count on strong-arming another NFC power like the Detroit Lions in the postseason by playing good defense alone.
“We’ve got to do a better job in that drive of putting the game away, not putting the defense in that situation,” Barkley said. “That’s all of us.”
The Panthers unearthed a pathway to victory more formidable opponents may later follow. They slogged out an advantage on time of possession (33:33 to 26:27). They took a 10-7 lead on a 7-minute, 48-second drive in which Chuba Hubbard churned a large portion of his 92 total rushing yards on 26 carries. Young escaped Philadelphia’s four-man pressures and continued drives by striking receivers who’d found their way open by beating man coverage with well-designed crossing patterns.
Young often targeted 11-year veteran Adam Thielen against rookie nickel safety Cooper DeJean. Thielen shook DeJean near the sideline on Carolina’s third drive, turning up the sideline for a 19-yard gain that yielded an eventual field goal. On the next drive, Thielen beat DeJean on a third-and-8 situation on an 11-yard crosser. DeJean called it a “good challenge” against Thielen, who finished with nine catches for 102 yards. But the Eagles eventually made the Panthers pay for this tendency.
Just before halftime, Young motioned Thielen until he was certain the receiver was matched up against DeJean in the slot. Thielen sprinted past DeJean. Young hurled the ball deep. But the Eagles were playing man coverage, and DeJean knew Gardner-Johnson was behind him to assist. The safety swooped in and easily intercepted the ball in Panthers territory. On an up-tempo drive with less than two minutes remaining, Hurts led a 7-play, 44-yard drive in which he scrambled for 15 yards and was 5-of-5 passing for 28 yards and his touchdown pass to Smith.
Hurts finished an opportunity in which the Eagles offense was handed a significant advantage.
If these Eagles are to deliver Philadelphia a second Super Bowl, Hurts and the passing game must embody a significant advantage itself.
