Five Big-Picture Takeaways from Eagles Week 7 Loss to Panthers

Oct 25, 2015; Charlotte, NC, USA; Carolina Panthers defensive end Jared Allen (69) reacts after sacking Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Sam Bradford (7) (not pictured) in the fourth quarter. The Panthers defeated the Falcons 27-16 at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports

For an Eagles team that could have benefited in a big way by going into the bye week on a winning note, Sunday night’s defeat at the hands of the undefeated Carolina Panthers will undoubtedly leave a sour taste in the mouths of several members of the organization. Coming off back-to-back wins and (relatively) complete efforts in both of them, the ‘Birds’ reverted to a unit much more similar to the team that stumbled to a 1-3 start out of the gate. The Panthers are a strong team and have earned their 6-0 record, make no mistakes. That being said, the Eagles had the game in front of them for the taking and came up short.

Sitting at 3-4 and heading into their bye week, the questions asked about the Eagles will be the same ones that have come up all season. If nothing else, the issues that seem to plague this team do so on a weekly basis. Whether or not this makes them easier to address or more difficult has yet to be determined. Judging by the fact that one could argue that several of their four losses could be attributed to the same issues, it’s tough to envision this team making the necessary corrections. That’s not to say it cannot be done, there’s just no evidence provided to prove that improvements can be made.

The Eagles are by no means out of the picture. Because of the NFC East’s overall struggles, the division is up for grabs and will still be when the schedule resumes week 9 against the Cowboys. It’s tough to find signs that this is a team capable of stringing together the type of stretch necessary to run away with the division, but there’s enough talent on the field to win the requisite games to secure the guaranteed playoff spot. Despite being several weeks into the season, there’s still something to be said for a roster continuing to gel with a handful of new pieces and wondering what a cohesive group with the type of talent on the field is capable of. At this point, trying to picture that is rather difficult.

Here are some of the things that jumped out when it came to projecting this team’s prospects for the remainder of the season.