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

3.) DeMeco Ryans is the Glue that Binds Together the Eagles Talented Defense

Oct 25, 2015; Charlotte, NC, USA; Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton (1) scores a touchdown in the second quarter at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports

The Eagles defense likely enjoyed a slice of humble pie following Sunday’s affair. Though they managed to force a handful of turnovers and keep the game within reach until the very end, it took some spectacular plays to keep Carolina from building on their lead. The 2014 version of the Eagles defense likely would have struggled to maintain a manageable margin for the offense against Carolina. Billy Davis’s group certainly deserves some credit for managing to turn over the Panthers three times and keep Cam Newton relatively in check.

The major difference in Sunday night’s performance compared to the better part of most of the 2015 seasons for the Eagles defense was them giving up a handful of big plays and a big game on the ground for the Panthers. Carolina was able to run the ball against the Eagles better than any other team this season. They were able to supplement their rushing attack with several ‘X plays’ to move them into scoring position. It didn’t necessarily feel as if the Panthers were able to move the ball at will in this game. That said, peaking up at the final box score and seeing that 204 of Carolina’s 394 total yards were on the ground is rather disconcerting.

It’s fairly remarkable what a difference the 31-year-old DeMeco Ryans can make for this team. What Sunday’s showing told me was that the defense missed having Ryans on the field to address the opposition’s tendencies and assure the Eagles were in the proper alignment most of the time. While it’s certainly a good thing that Mychal Kendricks returned to the field, he’s not the type of vocal presence on the field that Ryans is. Jordan Hicks is a spectacular rookie, and will likely be able to take on all of Ryans in-game responsibilities before too long. It would be unfair to expect Hicks to be able to do that as of this point in his career. For the first time in a long time, the Eagles looked sloppy and unimpressive.

One of the overlooked elements of the 2014 Eagles 2nd half stumble and eventual downfall was the downturn in the performance by the defense. The 2015 defense has a good bit more talent on the field than last year’s team, but less continuity in terms of year-to-year carryover. Having the steadying presence of Ryans on the field and in the huddle likely takes some of the pressure off the players on the field expected to make impact plays. Carolina was able to exploit a few things that other teams hadn’t up to this point. A lot of the time however, it just looked like the Eagles were out of sorts. Here’s to hoping Ryans can make it back for a stretch run after the bye.