The Eagles defense held off a frantic effort by Bryce Young and the Carolina Panthers to pull out a 22-16 win over the visitors in front of 69,879 stressed out Eagles fans at the Linc.
The win improves the Birds record to 11-2 and secured a playoff spot with four games remaining on the schedule.
It was also Philadelphia’s franchise-record-tying ninth consecutive victory in a row.
Saquon Barkley rushed for 124 yards on 20 carries. His performance on Sunday established a single-season franchise record with 1,623 rushing yards, breaking the previous mark set by LeSean McCoy in 2013 (1,607).
But several players said it didn’t feel like a win. The Birds passing game was poor. Jalen Hurts was 14 of 21 for just 108 yards. The two-time Pro Bowl signal caller was sacked four times.
Hurts did not turn the ball over. He scored a rushing touchdown and threw for two more.
But Hurts struggled to locate targets down field, in particular AJ. Brown, who had just four catches on four targets.
At his locker after the game, Brown was asked what the offense needs to improve and he said, “passing.” Brown did say everything in the passing game can be fixed.
One of the sacks came at a critical time. Last week against Baltimore, in a tight game, Hurts was outstanding in running a four-minute offense that took just over five of the last six minutes in the fourth quarter.
The drive ended with a field goal that effectively won the game.
Sunday against Carolina, Hurts started a drive with 8:35 left in the fourth quarter. It started off well with an 11-yard completion to Brown, followed by nine-yard run by Barkley.
The next two plays by Hurts and Barkley netted just two yards, but produced a first-and-ten at midfield.
The next play, Hurts took a shotgun snap and rolled to his right. There was no one open. He was clearly out of the pocket. Instead of the ball out of bounds, Hurts slid for a nine-yard sack.
The Eagles did get another first down but the drive stalled at the Panthers 36.
Instead of trying a 55-yard field goal (Jake Elliott missed and earlier try from 52 yards wide right), Nick Sirianni took a delay of game penalty and punted.
It was a great punt that pinned Carolina at their own three-yard line.
A vastly improve Bryce Young led the Panthers on a 14-play drive that featured a third-and-11 conversion from his own two and a fourth-and-seven conversion near midfield.
Young ran out of downs and luck at the Eagles 32-yard-line.
Hurts was asked about he took the loss on the slide.
“I was just assessing protection and, you know, made a mistake,” said Hurts, who rushed eight times for 61 yards including a one-yard touchdown. “I never really make letting the clock run out and then taking the sack. Had our RPO scheme on, so I didn't want to risk the line of being downfield. So I just took the sack instead of throwing the ball away. Just kind of both ends.”
BARKLEY TALKS ABOUT THE WIN AND THE OFFENSE’S PERFORMANCE
Barkley was ask how he felt about the offense’s performance overall?
“Eh, at the end of the day, we got a win,” Barkley said at his locker after the game. “We left some plays out there for sure. But that’s the beauty of football. We’ll go back, watch the film, learn from it and get ready for the Steelers.”
Barkley was asked about breaking McCoy’s record.
“I thought it was cool,” said Barkley, who did not catch a pass Sunday afternoon. “But the most important thing was to get the win. Being a fan of Shady growing up, the things he was able to do when they put the ball in his hands, to have my name next to him definitely means a lot…but I have to give credit to the guys up front.”
Barkley was asked if he was aware of when he broke the record.
“I knew coming into the game but I didn’t know when I set it,” Barley said at his locker after the game. “But I was aware I could do it this game.
When the last drive of game for the offense started, Eagles fans started to chant “MVP,” and got louder after his nine-yard run. The 27-yearf-old was asked about the chants. At first, all Barkley could think about was how the drive ended.
“We’ve got to do a better job during that drive to put the game away,” Barkley said. “And not put our defense in that kind of situation. And that’s all of us. I’m always appreciative of all the love and support of the fans.
“But at that moment, I’m trying to stay locked in and get the job done. But we didn’t do that.”
Barkley gave props to the other two units who had the offense’s back.
“First special teams with a big punt then the defense put us position to win the game,” he said.
Barkley was then asked about keeping pace with the Detroit Lions,
“The focus isn’t maintaining pace with Detroit, “ “It’s coming out here and winning football games…and however way we’ve got to do it. They are a good team. That team’s record does not reflect how well they’ve played as of late. They’ve had some tough games. We wanted to come out with a win…and we got a win.”
JALEN HURTS, NICK SIRANNI ENTERTAIN QUESTIONS ABOUT THE OFFENSE AGAINST CAROLINA
Hurts was asked about how he manages distributing the ball.
"You know, I played my role in how we execute,” Hurts said. “But ultimately, it's about what position we put ourselves in. That's not my choice."
Obviously when only 14 passes are completed for 108 yards and your roster includes two gifted receivers with two of the biggest contracts for their position in the NFL, questions will be asked about what your opponent did to hold the numbers down.
"I think they did a good job. I think we did a bad job,” Hurts said at his postgame press conference. “That starts with me, how I execute, and ultimately, you yearn, and I yearn for better synchronization amongst that, for a more complimentary style of ball, in a sense.
“You know, some things don't get you until it gets you. And there's definitely been some urgency there, trying to figure it out. And got to keep climbing and trying to progress."
So, does Hurts have an idea about what is holding him back:
“Just the lack of synchronization there," he said.
Hurts was asked how the team can start on offense faster:
“Yeah, well, it's nothing new,” he said. “You know, that's kind of what we've done. And we’ve got to figure it out at some point.”
Hurts was asked whether he worries that their slow starts will eventually come to haunt them:
“We’re worried about, you think about both right, like you are where you are, but you also know what you've been through,” Hurts said. “We know what we've been doing; we've experienced and are trying to address some things so we can be better.
“We all have big goals and want to be able to be the last team standing. But you also know that it takes us. It takes what it takes in that, too. So we just want to continue to pursue our best self in that, and hopefully we can find it.”
Sirianni was asked to address his offense since for second week in a row, the passing game has had results that one would think would be better given the talent on the Eagles roster.
“Yeah, we did the things that we needed to do to win today,” Sirianni said. “We'll look at the tape. It's hard to say off just watching it, but everyone is going to have a part of that when you don't pass it the way you want to.
“Again, I'll have to go watch everything. We're definitely capable of playing better and coaching better in the pass game.”
EAGLES DEFENSE CHIMES IN HIDING PLAYS ABOUT THE NEW AND IMPROVED BRYCE YOUNG
Tristin McCollum filled in several times in for C.J, Gardner-Johnson, who left the game twice for injuries, talked about being ready.
“The coaches do a great job of getting us all prepared,” the second-year safety out of Sam Houston State said at his locker after the game. “And it always be ready for the moment. It's my third year in the league, first year on the '53.' I've been sitting on the sidelines, sitting in the meetings. Watching the older guys do it. At this point, I was ready for the moment. The coaches did a great job of preparing me for it.”
McCollum was asked to talk about Young and how he has improved since last year.
“I think he's just getting comfortable in the pocket,” said McCollum, who finished with four tackles (three solo) and a defended pass. “He's holding in there a little bit more.
“He's trusting his arm. He's going through his progression. It's good to see a guy like get better. He struggled a little bit earlier, last year and the beginning of this year. He's really starting to come around and trust his arm, his teammates and the (Carolina) system.”
Teams hold some of their favorite plays on offense and defense for when they need to make something happen in crunch time.
Did McCollum see that the Panthers were springing plays on them in the fouth quarter?
Carolina converted three third downs and a fourth-and-seven in the fourth quarter.
“One hundred percent,” McCollum said. “Offenses are always have a couple of plays they pull out on a critical third down or a two-point play or on a two-minute drive. They have those plays in reserve...and we've just got to react in those situations.”
Wide receiver Adam Thielen, now in his eleventh season, the first nine with some successful Minnesota Vikings teams, talked in the Panthers locker room after the game on how the team’s trust in Young keeps getting stronger.
“When it's fourth down, no one's trotting off the field,” said Thielen, who recorded nine catches for 102 yards against the Eagles Sunday. “We're not kicking a field goal, we're ready, let's go.
"And I think it's just the confidence all around. The coaches, the players have confidence in Bryce to let us go out there and make the right play and to be clutch. We've got to get those fourth downs, keep our defense off the field and scoring more points.”
Eagles 2023 late first round draft pick Nolan Smith, now in his second year in Philadelphia, was also asked about Young’s improvement. The former first overall pick out of Alabama agreed Young has progressed.
“He's playing free,” Smith said. “He's playing like the Bryce Young we know...getting the ball out quick, making quick reads and scrambling when he's got to. He did a great job today. We've just got to do a little better on defense.”
Smith was asked how he and the defense prepare for teams knowing they hold great plays they like until the fourth quarter in crunch time.
“We've just got to prepare during the week,” said Smith, who assisted on a tackle and recorded a quarterback hit. “Guys got to watch film and we've got to talk and communicate. Everybody's got to fly to the ball like we always do. We had good hustle today but...they just had some good play calls, that's all I can say...we had some good play calls too. Coach Vic (Fangio) does a good job of mixing things up and getting us right.”
Wide receiver Adam Thielen, now in his eleventh season, the first nine with some successful Minnesota Vikings teams, talked in the Panthers locker room after the game on how the team’s trust in Young keeps getting stronger.
“When it's fourth down, no one's trotting off the field,” Thielen said. “We're not kicking a field goal, we're ready, let's go. And I think it's just the confidence all around. The coaches, the players have confidence in Bryce to let us go out there and make the right play and to be clutch. We've got to get those fourth downs, keep our defense off the field and scoring more points.” *
Email Al Thompson at al.thompson@footballstories.com
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