Philly Leader

The Philadelphia Eagles secured their ninth consecutive victory in a home game against the Carolina Panthers, following a two-game road stint. The Eagles were strengthened by the return of wide receiver DeVonta Smith and cornerback Darius Slay from injuries.

Saquon Barkley made headlines by breaking the Eagles' single-season rushing record with a 9-yard rush on his 17th carry. "I think it's pretty cool, the most important thing was getting a win, and we got the win," Barkley stated post-game. He also credited his teammates for making his job easier.

However, the Eagles faced challenges as tight end Dallas Goedert was placed on Injured Reserve due to a knee injury. E.J. Jenkins joined Grant Calcaterra and C.J. Uzomah in filling the gap left by Goedert's absence. Safeties Reed Blankenship and Sydney Brown were also out, leading to Andre Sam's elevation for his NFL debut.

The Panthers came into the game with a 3-9 record after an overtime loss to the Buccaneers. They started strong with an early field goal but were overtaken by Jalen Hurts' touchdown run for the Eagles. Despite their efforts, including a touchdown pass from Bryce Young to Tommy Tremble, they could not maintain their lead.

C.J. Gardner-Johnson had a notable interception for the Eagles and emphasized that it was crucial not to underestimate opponents like Bryce Young and Adam Thielen. Meanwhile, Hurts connected with Smith for another touchdown just before halftime.

In the third quarter, Hubbard scored for Carolina, but Pineiro missed an extra point attempt which left them trailing slightly behind at 16-14. Hurts then threw a touchdown pass to Calcaterra in the fourth quarter, marking Calcaterra's first career NFL touchdown.

Gardner-Johnson returned after another brief injury scare and highlighted his determination to play hard despite any physical setbacks. The game concluded with Slay breaking up Young's final pass attempt, sealing the Eagles' victory at 22-16.

Key statistics included passing leaders Bryce Young (19/34 for 191 yards) and Jalen Hurts (14/21 for 108 yards), rushing leader Saquon Barkley (20 carries for 124 yards), and receiving leader Adam Thielen (9 catches for 102 yards).