Aside from two big runs against the Panthers, the Eagles’ defense actually did a pretty decent job.
But those two long runs were huge.
Last Sunday night, the Eagles gave up two 30-plus-yard runs in the same game for the first time since Jan. 3, 2010, against the Cowboys (Marion Barber, Felix Jones).
Ted Ginn Jr.’s 43-yarder on a reverse was the longest rushing play the Eagles had given up since Oct. 28, 2012 (Jacquizz Rodgers). That was the biggest run of the game but Jonathan Stewart also had a 36-yarder.
With those two plays, the Panthers had 204 rushing yards on 33 carries (6.2 yards per attempt). Without them, the Panthers had 125 yards for an average of 4.0 yards per attempt.
“Yeah, but unfortunately, you can't take those two runs out,” Eagles head coach Chip Kelly said. “Those are mistakes that we made. We didn't contain it like we were supposed to on the reverse and have the 'backers come over the top the way they were supposed to on the counter that went for 40-something.”
The one thing the two runs on Sunday night had in common: The threat of Cam Newton's running the ball set them up. Newton ran just four times for 20 yards on Sunday night but his ability to run was something the Eagles respected.
NFL
Let’s take a look:
On the 36-yarder from Stewart in the first quarter, Newton was in shotgun with Stewart lined up to his right on a 2nd-and-1. Off the snap, Newton broke hard to the right, which looked like it might be a designed run, something the Panthers do with their big quarterback on first and second downs. Stewart helped sell it by taking his first step to the right as well.
On this counter play, after Stewart took a step right, he came back left and took the handoff. By that time, rookie LB Jordan Hicks seemed to have diagnosed the play but veteran Mychal Kendricks bit too hard going to his left. By the time Newton handed off the ball to Stewart, all of Kendricks' momentum was heading the wrong way.
This created an enormous hole for Stewart to run through untouched. That big hole allowed him to get a head full of steam and when that happens, he's a very hard running back to bring down.
Safety Chris Maragos found that out on this play. Maragos dove at Stewart's feet 18 yards downfield. That was the first time Stewart was touched on the play. After Maragos' dive, Stewart still picked up another 18 yards.
On the other 30-plus-yard play, the threat of Newton’s running the ball played a role again. This was the 43-yard reverse in the second quarter. Again, it was 2nd-and-1, but this time, the snap came near midfield. Here's a look at the field at the snap.
After the snap, Newton started to run to his right. At that point, the outside linebacker on the far side, Marcus Smith, bit hard and couldn't recover in time.
By the time Newton flipped the ball to Ginn, Smith had already overcommitted. Ginn used his speed to get out wide and turn the corner.
Once Ginn made it around the corner, he turned on the jets.
At the end of the play, Greg Olsen, one of the best pass-catching tight ends in the league, blocked Walter Thurmond to extend the play even more.
The Panthers went on to beat the Eagles, 27-16, and scored touchdowns on each of these two drives.