The Philadelphia Eagles may have finally found their swagger as they hit the road to face a 5-0 Carolina Panthers team that keeps fighting through the last whistle. These two teams are facing off in primetime for Sunday Night Football, and it has the makings of a great Week 7 matchup.
Eagles vs. Panthers 2015 live stream: Time, TV schedule and how to watch online
This matchup could be a defensive battle through four quarters if the rest of the season is any indication.
Last Monday, the Eagles showed glimpses of dominance on both sides of the ball for the first time this season.
At first, the offense struggled against the New York Giants, with quarterback Sam Bradford throwing an interception, dropping a fumble and going three-and-out more times than the home crowd liked during the first half. The whole team suffered from turnovers and penalties during the whole outing.
Running back DeMarco Murray was able to kickstart the offense in the second half, finishing the day with 22 rushes for 109 yards -- almost half of his 239 yards on the entire season. Receivers Jordan Matthews, Riley Cooper and Miles Austin all had better outings in Week 6. Only tight end Zach Ertz still hasn't been able to find a niche in the offense.
In case anyone's forgotten, tight end Brent Celek is in fact still an Eagle, he's just been so good at blocking they've pigeon-holed him thus far this year. The offensive line gave Bradford plenty of time in in the pocket during the second half, and laid a strong foundation on which to build.
The defense was the real star for the Eagles, finally coming together to force four turnovers, one of which was a pick-six by cornerback Nolan Carroll on a perfect grab en route to the end zone. The secondary wasn't all roses, admittedly. Byron Maxwell was flagged twice, once for defensive pass interference and once for defensive holding. If the unit can shore things up, it can have another big day against a limited Panthers' offense.
Quarterback Cam Newton has done all he can to keep the Panthers undefeated, despite a lack of consistency at the receiver position. Newton rallied his team in the fourth quarter of Week 6 against the Seattle Seahawks to a 27-23 win; the young quarterback threw for 100 yards through the first three quarters, only to add 169 more in the fourth.
Tight end Greg Olsen snagged the game-winning touchdown pass with 32 seconds left in the game. Olsen had his second-best outing of the season against the Seahawks, recording 131 yards. Behind Olsen were receivers Devin Funchess, Eric Dickson and Corey Brown, in addition to lead running back Jonathan Stewart. Stewart had a productive outing last week rushing 20 times for 78 yards and two touchdowns.
The Panthers offense has struggled with dropped passes since the preseason. Devin Funchess and Ted Ginn had a few last week, but that doesn't deter Newton from targeting them and trying to boost their confidence. Carolina is in a good spot so long as Newton stays healthy and under center.
Like the Eagles, the Panthers' defense has been a surprising bright spot this season. Now with linebacker Luke Kuechly back from a concussion, the team has been able to shut down some of the league's toughest offenses. They will make it tough for Bradford and the Eagles offense to find the same rhythm they did against the Giants.
Both the Eagles and Panthers have the offensive talent for a breakaway performance, but if the rest of the season is any indicator, it could come down to the teams’ defenses in the last minutes of the game.
How to watch
When: 8:30 p.m. ET
Where: Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, N.C.
TV: NBC
Announcers: Al Michaels, Cris Collinsworth, Michele Tafoya
Online: NBC Sports

















