Mark Sanchez stars for Eagles in rout of Panthers
Philadelphia Eagles 45, Carolina Panthers 21
PHILADELPHIA – A quick snapshot of the Eagles' romp against the Panthers on Monday night:
Why the Eagles won: Inspired football. Mark Sanchez was the man of the hour, stepping in for his first Eagles start for the injured Nick Foles and looking rather efficient in Chip Kelly's offense. He also had plenty of co-stars. He found a go-to target in rookie Jordan Matthews (7 catches, 138 yards, 2 TDs), Darren Sproles popped a 65-yard punt-return TD, Bradley Fletcher scored on a 34-yard pick-six and the defense had itself a sackfest. It won't always be this easy for Sanchez, but it was a good way to start.
Why the Panthers lost: No life. No blocking for Cam Newton. An awful night from Newton. Turnovers. A huge special teams breakdown. Poor coverage. Bad tackling. No pressure on Sanchez. You name it, the Panthers were bad with it. Whatever happened to the spirited team that won the NFC South in 2013? That was last year. This year, it's blowout city. Carolina has lost 37-19 (Pittsburgh), 38-17 (Green Bay), 38-10 (Baltimore), 28-10 (New Orleans)…and now this latest debacle.
Turning point: When DeAngelo Williams fumbled on the game's second snap, it was an omen forecasting the tidal wave to come. The Eagles converted the fumble into a field goal, then Cary Williams' pick of Cam Newton on the next snap led to a touchdown. It took about 3 ½ minutes for the Eagles to get a double-digit lead.
Key player: Mark Sanchez. In his first start as the sub for the injured Nick Foles, Sanchez demonstrated that Chip Kelly's high-flying offense can indeed work with the next quarterback. Sanchez (20 of 37, 332 yards, 2 TDs) put up a 300-yard game and didn't commit a turnover – and can still play better. But what an opening act, complete with the soundtrack of the fight song, "Fly, Eagles fly" that they played after every touchdown to entertain the raucous crowd at The Linc.
Stat that tells the story: Four catches, 73 yards, 1 TD. That was second-round rookie receiver Jordan Matthews output on a 91-yard drive early in the second quarter. Jump-started by a crucial 23-yard grab on third-and-14, with Sanchez throwing from his own end zone, Matthews' big drive highlighted his first NFL 100-yard game. In fact the drive was so big that the 73 yards Matthews tallied on the drive were more than he produced in any previous game this season.
Next for the Panthers: A home date against the Falcons, a division foe that has had an even tougher season. Although Carolina fell to 3-6-1, there's still a bit of hope. The Panthers are just 1 ½ games behind the first-place Saints (4-5) -- one of the perks of residing this season in the NFC South.
Next for the Eagles: A much tougher test. Philadelphia (7-2) travels to Green Bay, where Aaron Rodgers awaits. The Packers are undefeated this season (4-0) at Lambeau Field, where Rodgers has passed for 15 TDs, without a pick. And just around the corner will be two games in three weeks against the Dallas Cowboys, which could essentially determine who wins the NFC East title.