Eagles Trounce Carolina on MNF in Sanchez’ Starting Debut

By Dave Spadaro, Eagles.com

They rose, all at once, as the Eagles trotted off the field at halftime with a 24-point lead, a prime-time show if there ever was one for the fans at Lincoln Financial Field on Monday night. A team that wins in every way did it again in convincing fashion, 45-21, against the overwhelmed Carolina Panthers.

In moving to 7-2 on the season, the Eagles showed the versatility that has marked this 2014 campaign. The first tests for an offense operating with Mark Sanchez at quarterback and a defense minus heart-and-soul leaderDeMeco Ryans ran smoothly enough as all corners of the roster chipped in to blow away Carolina.

Sanchez completed 20 of 37 passes for 332 yards and a pair of touchdowns, compiling a passer rating of 102.5. He didn’t turn the ball over. Neither did the offense. The Eagles’ defense forced turnovers on the opening two Carolina possessions — the Eagles had 5 takeaways in all — leading to 10 Philadelphia points, and thenDarren Sproles returned a punt 65 yards for a score (his second of the night), and the swarming defense added an interception return for a touchdown by cornerback Bradley Fletcher to make it a full-on rout after two quarters.

“The defense and special teams put them on their heels early and got the momentum going our way,” said left guard Evan Mathis, who returned to the lineup after missing eight weeks (including the bye week) with a knee injury. “We played a total team game. This team beats you in a lot of ways and when you’re clicking in all three phases of the game, it’s tough to beat a team.”

So what did we really learn on a speed-bump kind of night, one that kept the Eagles atop the NFC East and sets up a delicious matchup on Sunday at what is supposed to be a frigid Lambeau Field against the red-hot and very good Green Bay Packers? Let’s examine …

• Sanchez was fine. He didn’t turn the ball over and he threw the ball down the field with accuracy and zip. A couple of dropped passes didn’t help Sanchez’s numbers – he completed 10 of 21 passes for 182 yards and a beautiful 13-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Jordan Matthews in the first half – but for the most part Sanchez played well. The tempo was great. His composure was obvious. Carolina was intent on stopping the run game and limited the Eagles to 21 yards on 10 attempts in the first half and 37 yards on 23 attempts for the game, so Sanchez hooked up with Matthews five times for 106 yards in the first half and seven times for 138 yards and a pair of scores overall, tight end Brent Celek five times for 116 yards in the game and wide receiver Jeremy Maclin grabbed three passes for 38 yards. On the early touchdown pass, Sanchez showed his mobility and rolled left and threw to Matthews for the score. Sanchez worked the pocket very nicely, stepping up when he had to do so, getting rid of the football when the Panthers applied pressure and keeping the offense moving. The offense was perfect on four trips to the red zone and Sanchez has converted on all seven attempts inside the opponents’ 20-yard line in two games.
• The defense came out smoking and didn’t stop. On the second play from scrimmage, linebackerCasey Matthews – starting for Ryans alongside Mychal Kendricks – forced the football from running back DeAngelo Williams and Cedric Thornton recovered it at the Carolina 22-yard line. The offense turned that takeaway into three points. On the first play of Carolina’s next possession, quarterback Cam Newton threw in the direction of wide receiver Kelvin Benjamin, but cornerback Cary Williams and Matthews had the route covered, and Williams stepped in for an interception, the first for an Eagles cornerback in 2014. Five plays later, on a second-and-goal from the 8-yard line, Sproles got the edge on the left side and scooted in for a touchdown.

It was only the beginning of a rip-roaring first half and a night to remember.

Carolina drove 80 yards on its ensuing possession and scored a touchdown to cut the deficit to 10-7 and after the teams exchanged the football, Carolina made the mistake of punting to Sproles. The Eagles blocked it perfectly and Sproles did the rest. He burst up the middle of the field and then worked his way to the near sideline and went into the end zone for a 65-yard score, his second punt return for a touchdown this season to tie a franchise record (with Brian Westbrook and DeSean Jackson).

The rout was on in a big way. Sanchez was terrific on a 91-yard drive early in the second quarter, converting a third-and-14 play by completing a 23-yard pass to Matthews, then finding Matthews for another 17 yards, going down the middle to Celek for 20 yards, converting a third-and-10 on a 20-yard completion to Matthews and finishing off the drive with the touchdown pass to Matthews.

The 31-7 lead increased to 38-7 with the help of a ferocious pass rush that sacked Newton and forced a fumble – Barwin and Brandon Graham shared the duties – and set up the Eagles’ offense for another touchdown, this time a LeSean McCoy 1-yard run.

More on the lessons of the night, though …

• Celek has re-emerged in the passing game after helping a lot as a blocker for an injury-plagued offensive line. Celek had 11 catches in the previous four games and then added five receptions for 116 yards on Monday night. He is very much a threat for this offense whether he’s blocking or catching the football. “It doesn’t matter to me, but it was nice to deliver when my number was called,” Celek said. “We have a lot of options. When you get your chance, you make the most of it.”
• The Panthers loaded up to take away the run and did so, but the Eagles’ offense made Carolina pay with a lot of quick passes and the use of Matthews and Celek down the middle of the field. The Eagles weren’t particularly proficient offensively, and that’s something the coaches will work to improve during the week.
• Barwin led the way on defense with a monster performance, recording 3 1/2 sacks along with eight tackles, three of them for losses in yards and four quarterback hurries. He’s having an All-Pro season in every way. Barwin’s presence has keyed a revitalized Eagles’ pass rush. Barwin has 10 1/2 sacks in the last six games and the defense has 25 in that span of games. “It’s the entire defense that is coming together,” Barwin said. “We’re all on the same page and communicating and that’s the key. The pressure is there. It makes a lot of difference for us.”
• Carolina wasn’t a stern test for the defense; that comes on Sunday in Green Bay. The Eagles rotated Matthews and Emmanuel Acho and used cornerback Nolan Carroll II as a quasi-linebacker when the team went into its dime (six defensive backs) personnel. This is going to be a chess match as the Eagles mix and match their defensive rotation and counter what offenses try to do. Let’s see how things go against the explosive Packers offense. That will be a telling 60 minutes.
• No surprise, but the special teams are not going to slow down. Sproles is an electric player and the coverage teams are outstanding. The Eagles think Chris Prosinski, added to the roster during the week and a key player on the Sproles punt return, can really add to the group. Brad Smith was active and is now healthy. The Eagles can win games, as we know, with their offense, and their defense and their special teams.

It was a magical night, a fifth-straight win at Lincoln Financial Field this season and a great way to get ready for Green Bay and a chance to battle one of the NFL’s best teams.