Well, that was… unexpected. It looked like we were going to lose this game handily early on, but we somehow managed to pull it out. It initially looked like this would be a difficult game to drum up positives. And then, out of nowhere, the Eagles started going crazy in the second half, especially in the fourth quarter. This game is the definition of doing just enough to win, but that’s good enough for this week (even if it was 45 minutes of torture up until the fourth quarter).
Almost Plays
Devonta Smith Snubbed TD
Called back touchdowns are an Eagles tradition, and not a proud one. Last week, there were four that ended up getting reversed due to penalties. This week, Devonta Smith is the unlucky recipient. Greg Ward was called for a pick play on the goal line, which pushed the Eagles back to the 17.
Group Plays
Sack City
As always, the Eagles defensive line ate well today, racking up 3 sacks, including one from Fletcher Cox and a tackle for loss from Ryan Kerrigan (two guys the Eagles have been waiting to hear from all year). The Eagkes defensive line being dominant is not new, but it is reassuring that we don’t need to rebuild that part of the team.
Individual Plays
Jake Elliot 58-yard field goal
On a day with not many highlights on the offensive side of the ball, at least Elliot is once again showing that 2020 was an anomaly for him (even though special teams isn’t technically offense). It says a lot that Elliot was the only one putting points on the board (sorry, this is supposed to be positive).
Quez Watkins 53-Yard Catch
Talk about a momentum swinger. Seconds after a Darnold interception (one of three on the day), Watkins went for the longest pass of the day, flipping the field in seconds. Anyone who’s been paying attention to this team knows that Watkins is the best receiver on the team behind Smith. Despite his skillset being ‘wide receiver go brrr,’ he does what he’s good at quite well: picking up insane amounts of YAC (in fact, he even leads the league, if memory serves).
Darius Slay Pick #1
Considering the cornerback play that Eagles fans had been subjected to over the past decade, one would think that he would be universally loved due to how well he’s played since arriving. However, some fans are discontent with his lack of interceptions. Well, Slay didn’t disappoint in any facet today, making his presence felt early. The offense, unfortunately, couldn’t capitalize, but that doesn’t change the fact that Slay had an interception within the 15 for a team whose offense struggled through three quarters.
Steven Nelson Pick
There’s no better feeling than a game-sealing turnover icing a game you had no business winning. In this case, the nail in the coffin was Steven Nelson, yet another maligned for his lack of notable contributions. Well, everybody who fans were questioning ended up having a solid game, and Nelson’s pick especially ended up allowing the Eagles to cruise to victory Monday.
Slay Interception #2
This is ahead of his first interception because the offense managed to capitalize. This is ahead of Nelson’s interception because the field position was necessary for orchestrating a comeback (Watkins went for 52 yards a play later). Slay chose a good day to have a good day, as his picks were arguably the biggest contributor to us beating the Panthers in a sort of reverse of fate from our matchup in 2018.
Blocked Punt
I considered putting this over Hurts’ first TD, as this was the catalyst for the second Hurts touchdown that gave the Eagles offense the lead. However, as the earlier Slay interception proved, big plays are only big plays if the offense capitalizes. For the sake of my liver, the Eagles did end up putting 7 at the end of the drive, giving the Eagles a miraculous 21-18 lead.
Hurts So Good
Until this point, the only points put on the board were courtesy of Jake Elliot. If the Eagles were going to get back in this game, it had to be now. On the one in Panthers territory going into the fourth quarter, the Eagles needed some level of momentum. Fortunately, Jalen Hurts is a very difficult man to bring down. Also fortunately, the Eagles realized after the first few weeks that QB sneaks are not only allowed, but actually work.
Hurts A Little Less
Referring back to the blocked punt, Hurts didn’t have a good day through the air. So naturally, Hurts ran the ball himself to put 14 on the board. Also, I’d be remiss if I forgot to mention the 2-point good where Hurts had trouble with a snap, but found his footing and put the ball on a rope to Devonta Smith.
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Dylan Patrowicz is a featured writer at The Birds Blitz. For more from Dylan, check out his archive and read through our Eagles articles for the latest news about the Birds.
Image Caption: CHARLOTTE, NC – OCTOBER 10: Philadelphia Eagles cornerback Darius Slay (2) celebrates his interception during the game between the Carolina Panthers and the Philadelphia Eagles on October 10, 2021 at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, NC. (Photo by Andy Lewis/Icon Sportswire)
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