The mood in the Eagles’ locker room wasn’t as happy as it should have been, considering they had just won their ninth game in a row and set a franchise rushing record.
DeVonta Smith, the former 1,000-yard receiver, caught a touchdown pass but wasn’t happy with the lack of offense. A.J. Brown, who holds many team receiving records, didn’t have much to say in his frustrated postgame interview, much like how he didn’t have much of an impact on the field when he only had four catches.
This was the attitude of a team still fighting for a top NFC playoff spot?
The good news for the Eagles: Saquon Barkley rushed for 124 yards, breaking the Eagles’ season rushing record, and Jalen Hurts threw two touchdown passes and ran for another in their 22-16 win over the Carolina Panthers.
Despite Barkley’s strong performance, Hurts and the offense struggled again, but the Eagles secured a playoff spot later in the day when Arizona lost to Seattle, along with Atlanta’s earlier loss.
The Eagles (11-2) stayed in second place in the NFC, behind Detroit (12-1), after a sluggish game against the Panthers (3-10).
“Everybody has a reason to want more,” Hurts said.
Hurts’ passing stats were modest: 14 of 21 for 108 yards. Brown had four catches for 43 yards and threw his helmet in frustration after a three-and-out, while Smith had four catches for 37 yards.
What does the team need to improve? “Passing,” Brown said dryly. How tough was it for the receivers to get into a rhythm? “Incredibly tough,” he answered.
Hurts didn’t do enough to involve Smith and Brown, which is one reason the lowly Panthers stayed in the game until the final moments.
Hurts took four sacks, held onto the ball too long, and missed open receivers who were trying to get his attention. “I play my role in how we execute,” Hurts said. “But it’s about what position we put ourselves in. It’s not my choice.”
That comment will likely be a topic of discussion for coach Nick Sirianni and offensive coordinator Kellen Moore this week. “I think that’s fair that the questions are about our pass game right now,” Sirianni said. At least Barkley was there to help.
Barkley achieved another milestone in his MVP push when he ran for 9 yards in the fourth quarter to break LeSean McCoy’s Eagles record of 1,607 rushing yards, set in 2013. Barkley now has 1,623 yards with four games left.
“How cool is it that we have a team rushing record in Week 13?” Sirianni said.
Hurts showed some good moments, like when he connected with Grant Calcaterra for a 4-yard touchdown pass, and Barkley ran in the 2-point conversion to give the Eagles a 22-16 lead early in the fourth.
Bryce Young led the Panthers into Eagles territory on their final drive. He completed a 13-yard pass on fourth down to get to the 38-yard line, and a second-down pass to Xavier Legette gave the Eagles a brief scare when the receiver seemed to have the ball in the end zone.
But he didn’t. Young managed to avoid a pass rush on fourth down, but his last throw was incomplete. He finished 19 of 34 for 191 yards. Panthers coach Dave Canales said Legette “absolutely” had to make the catch.
“That’s a big play we’re counting on. He’d be the first one to tell you he’s got to make that play,” Canales said. “Bryce steps up, makes a beautiful throw in the situation. We had the coverage we wanted, all that. Those are the plays that we’ve just got to find a way to make for us to get back on the winning column.”
The Panthers, 12 1/2-point underdogs, played like a team fighting for playoff positioning.
Chuba Hubbard, who rushed for 92 yards and topped 1,000 on the season, scored a 1-yard touchdown in the third quarter to make it 16-14. Eddy Pineiro had kicked a 38-yard field goal earlier, but he missed the extra point.
Eagles safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson, who was checked for a concussion earlier, changed the game late in the second quarter when he intercepted Young’s deep pass at the Eagles’ 41-yard line. Hurts scrambled for 15 yards on the next drive and finished it with a 4-yard touchdown pass to Smith to give the Eagles a 14-10 lead.
Gardner-Johnson’s pick saved the Eagles from a poor performance.
The Eagles failed to score on their opening drive for the 13th time this season, and the usual offensive bursts never came. Hurts did score on a “tush push” early in the second quarter, his 13th rushing touchdown of the season, to give the Eagles a 7-3 lead.
The Panthers, with nothing to lose, went for it on fourth-and-3, and Young hit Tommy Tremble for a 3-yard touchdown to take a 10-7 lead.
The Eagles did just enough to win. Now, their challenge is improving the receivers’ performance and keeping them happy as they head toward the playoffs.
“Let the dissatisfaction fuel you for more,” Hurts said. “I think that’s always a fair place to be. And so we know there’s more out there for us, and we’re in pursuit of trying to find it.”
