Eagles - Panthers Preview

By Michael Rushton

There weren't many teams that made larger headlines this offseason than the Philadelphia Eagles. The Carolina Panthers, meanwhile, are ready to remind people just who the defending NFC South champions are.

The Eagles get set to unveil a host of new weapons against a Panthers' club that won all eight of its regular-season home games a season ago when the two franchises clash Sunday at Bank of America Stadium.

Philadelphia (9-6-1) didn't let a run to the NFC Championship game make it complacent, as the franchise parted ways with a host of veteran talent. Included in that departure list are a pair of former Pro Bowl secondary figures in safety Brian Dawkins and cornerback Lito Sheppard, as well as long- tenured offensive lineman Tra Thomas and Jon Runyan.

In addition, after watching the offensively-stocked Arizona Cardinals knock them off by a 32-25 score in the conference championship game, the 2008 Wild Card-winning Eagles brought in number of new toys for returning starting quarterback Donovan McNabb.

They added a pair of playmaking rookies in the first two rounds of the draft in wide receiver Jeremy Maclin and running back LeSean McCoy, threw a veteran fullback into the mix with the signing of Leonard Weaver and beefed up the o- line with a trade for Pro Bowl tackle Jason Peters.

For the defense, though, it is more of a story of who isn't there. In addition to losing Dawkins and Sheppard, the Eagles' unit won't be under the control of respected coordinator Jim Johnson, who passed away this offseason after a long bout with cancer and will be replaced by Sean McDermott.

Still, the biggest name of Philadelphia's offseason haul-in won't even be on the sidelines this Sunday. That would be Michael Vick, the former No. 1 overall draft choice best known for his involvement in a dog fighting operation that landed the once-dynamic quarterback a 20-month stay in a federal prison.

Vick signed a one-year contract with a one-year team option, but won't be eligible to return to the field until Week 3, when his NFL suspension will be officially lifted.

While the Eagles hope a fusion of new and old blood can get them to the Super Bowl for the first time since the 2004 season, the Panthers (12-4) are counting on a repeat of 2008.

Carolina returns 21 of its 22 starters from a season ago, a group that managed to capture the club's first division title since 2003. However, the Panthers' core must also find a way in Week 1 to wash out the taste of a bitter 33-13 loss to Arizona in the NFC Divisional Playoff round that saw quarterback Jake Delhomme turn the ball over six times.

That didn't stop the Panthers from locking up Delhomme and Pro Bowl tackle Jordan Gross to new long-term deals in the spring. Also back is defensive end Julius Peppers, who campaigned to get himself traded before finally signing his franchise tender worth close to $17 million.

Carolina should be glad to begin the 2009 season at home, where it averaged just over 29 points per game in its eight regular-season tests. However, its playoff loss to Arizona did come at Bank of America Stadium. Delhomme threw for 1,629 yards at home to go along with 11 touchdown passes a season ago.

SERIES HISTORY

Philadelphia leads the all-time regular season series with Carolina, 4-1, including a 27-24 home win when the teams last met, in 2006. The Eagles also took a 25-16 decision when they last visited Charlotte, in 2003. The Panthers' lone regular season victory over Philadelphia was a 33-7 affair in Charlotte during the 1999 campaign.

Carolina's 14-3 road win in the 2003 NFC Championship is the only postseason matchup between the clubs all-time.

Eagles head coach Andy Reid is 3-2 against the Panthers in his career, including playoffs, while Carolina's John Fox is 1-3 versus the Eagles.

WHEN THE EAGLES HAVE THE BALL

Even with the addition of Vick, the Eagles remain McNabb's team. The five-time Pro Bowl selection threw for a franchise-record 3,916 yards last year to go along with 23 touchdown passes, but more importantly played in all 16 games and has now missed just two contests over the past two seasons after missing 13 between 2005-06. McCoy will serve as insurance if Brian Westbrook (936 rushing yards, 54 receptions, 14 total TD) continues to show signs of breaking down. The 30-year-old was slowed by injury last year and had ankle surgery in June, but remains one of the best all-purpose backs when healthy. Wideout DeSean Jackson (62 receptions, 2 TD) set a franchise rookie record with 912 receiving yards a year ago and will start opposite of speedster Kevin Curtis (33 receptions, 2 TD). With L.J. Smith leaving as a free agent, Brent Celek (27 receptions, 1 TD) will take over as the regular tight end. The Eagles have the potential to have one of the best tackle tandems in the league in Peters and Shawn Andrews, but the latter must show he has recovered from a back issue that slowed him in preseason. Philadelphia will be without left guard Todd Herremans for the opener because of a foot injury.

The Panthers were pedestrian on defense in 2008, ranking 20th against the run and 16th versus the pass. While Carolina returns every starter from 2008 expect corner Ken Lucas, the club may be without defensive leader Jon Beason (138 tackles, 3 INT) on Sunday. The Panthers' starting middle linebacker each of the last two seasons, Beason is questionable because of a sprained left MCL, though he has been practicing this week. Untested sophomore Dan Connor, who missed most of his rookie season due to a knee injury, would start in his place. Even without Beason, the Panthers still boast a solid linebacking group with Thomas Davis (114 tackles, 3.5 sacks) and Na'il Diggs (54 tackles). Things should be easier in the secondary for Carolina if Peppers (51 tackles) can duplicate the 14 1/2-sack season he notched in 2008. Tyler Brayton (40 tackles, 4.5 sacks) starts opposite of Peppers, while Nick Hayden will now start in the middle next to Damione Lewis (43 tackles, 3.5 sacks) with Maake Kemoeatu suffering a season-ending injury in camp. Richard Marshall (75 tackles) replaces Lucas as the starting corner alongside Chris Gamble (93 tackles, 3 INT), who is the club's shutdown player. Chris Harris (70 tackles) starts at strong safety and is the heavy hitter.

WHEN THE PANTHERS HAVE THE BALL

With the two-back system becoming more and more popular in the NFL, not too many players utilized the roles better in 2008 than the Panthers' DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart. Williams led the NFL with 20 touchdowns and set a franchise record with 1,515 rushing yards. Stewart, meanwhile, totaled 836 yards on the ground as a rookie and scored 10 times, helping the Panthers to the third-best rushing offense in the league. Stewart, though, has been sidelined from most of preseason with a sore Achilles, meaning rookie Mike Goodson would be the No. 2 back if he can't go. No Stewart, who did return to practice on Wednesday, might mean more pressure on Delhomme (3,288 passing yards, 15 TD, 12 INT), who threw five interceptions and fumbled once in last year's playoff loss to the Cardinals. The 34-year-old is another season removed from Tommy John surgery he underwent in 2007, though, and played in all 16 regular-season games last year. Behind the Gross-anchored line, Delhomme was sacked only 20 times in '08. Steve Smith (78 receptions, 6 TD) returns to his role as Carolina's top receiver, with the fiery wideout having gone over 1,000 yards receiving in each of the last four years. His presence opens up the field for veteran Muhsin Muhammad (65 receptions, 5 TD), while youngster Dwayne Jarrett gets his first shot at holding the No. 3 wide receiver spot for himself.

For the first time since making him a second-round pick in 1996, the Eagles will take the field without Dawkins, who has been the undisputed heart and soul of the defense at the free safety spot. The loss of both Dawkins and Johnson could make the defense less aggressive, as the two always combined to give opposing offensive coordinators headaches. Philadelphia's young linebacking group also suffered a big blow when middle man Stewart Bradley (108 tackles) suffered a season-ending knee injury in camp. Omar Gaither will instead start in that spot. However, Philly still has a solid secondary, one that ranked third against the pass last year. That group is led by corner Asante Samuel, a 2008 free-agent signing who notched four interceptions and 22 passes defensed last year. Sheldon Brown (51 receptions, 1 INT) starts at right corner, while former Patriot Ellis Hobbs (47 tackles, 3 INT) was brought in for depth. Strong safety Quentin Mikell (93 tackles, 3 INT) returns and will have a new starting partner in rookie Victor "Macho" Harris (Virginia Tech). The Eagles ranked fourth against the rush last year thanks to starting tackles Brodrick Bunkley (47 tackles) and Mike Patterson (42 tackles), while Trent Cole (77 tackles) and his nine sacks are the main threat to bring down the quarterback from the end spot.

FANTASY FOCUS

The Eagles' defense faces a stiff test in Williams, who sees his fantasy value increase if Stewart is unable to go. Delhomme might be a risky start given Philadelphia's secondary and his performance in last year's playoffs, but Steve Smith should see plenty of passes come his way. Westbrook owners need to monitor his injury status, but the aging back will likely cede some carries to McCoy regardless. McNabb is a capable starting fantasy QB and Jackson put up some points last year, but the Eagles tend to spread the ball around in the passing game. Celek, though, is viewed as a sleeper starter in the tight end spot.

OVERALL ANALYSIS

Though coming off a 12-win season, the Panthers seem like a team that might take a step back in 2009. The club is razor-thin at several positions and kicks off one of the toughest schedules in the league with this game. That makes getting off to a good start important for Carolina, but the team faces a defense that will be playing with heavy hearts and will want to do its former mentor Johnson proud. Philadelphia's offense might also be too much to handle for a Panthers defense that might be without Beason. Look for Philadelphia to try and jump out to an early lead to take Williams and the Panthers' running game out of the contest.

Predicted Outcome: Eagles 27, Panthers 17