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

2.) The Offense (Players, Play-Calls, etc.) Appeared Defeated Before the Game was Decided

Oct 25, 2015; Charlotte, NC, USA; Philadelphia Eagles running back DeMarco Murray (29) runs into Carolina Panthers middle linebacker Luke Kuechly (59) during the first quarter at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeremy Brevard-USA TODAY Sports

Despite trailing by one possession with over three minutes on the clock, two timeouts, and the two-minute warning; the Eagles had little chance of tying the Panthers on their final drive before going down by two scores. That’s not to say that titanic odds were stacked against the Eagles. Teams, some led by Kirk Cousins, show the ability to snatch victory away from defeat in the closing moments of the game. Anyone that has watched the Eagles offense this year would realize that likely wasn’t going to happen in Carolina on Sunday.

The Panthers defense did present a challenge for a team trying to come back late in the game on the road. Having said that, the way the Eagles went into the proverbial turtle shell in the waning stages of Sunday’s loss was downright laughable. Running a pass play on 3rd-and-long that does not travel behind the line of scrimmage is a strategy Eagles fans are painfully familiar with. Doing so when an extra couple of yards may make the difference between a made and missed field goal is something new. Failing to feature Ryan Mathews, the player responsible for sparking the offense to life, in some sort of capacity after his 2nd half touchdown was rather unnerving as well.

There’s a certain element missing from the collective of the Eagles offense. Whether one wants to identify its as swagger or confidence, the members of Kelly’s unit do not display it on the field. With the game on the line and a chance to tie, one would hope there would be a stronger sense of intensity. The Eagles bowed out Sunday night because their offense looked as if they knew they couldn’t drive it 90+ yards for a potential game-tying score.

Chip Kelly has harped upon taking ‘what was presented’ in the past. There is something to be said for an offense that is versatile enough to attack teams in multiple ways when one approach isn’t working. However, there’s a point in most NFL games that are close where that type of mindset is insufficient. There’s no way to build confidence within a group if they realize their coach in charge of calling the plays is eliminating an element because it was stopped a few times. Against a good team like Carolina, this can hamstring the offense in a big way when it comes to the final moments on the clock.

The players can only do so much. The healthy Eagles that suited up on the outside Sunday night were enough to make one long for the days of Torrance Small, Charles Johnson, Todd Pinkston, and James Thrash. That being said, there are far too many instances where the Eagles offense is derailed by falling off schedule. There are going to be instances where there isn’t a perfect play call for a 3rd and 15 situation but the team needs a first down. Until their offensive unit (including Chip Kelly) starts to exhibit a bit more trust and confidence, there’s no reason to believe the struggles in converting in such situations won’t persist.