FOUR WINS IN A ROW!

The Philadelphia Eagles defeated the Carolina Panthers on Thursday at Bank of America Stadium by a final score of 28 to 23. The Eagles advanced to 5-1 on the 2017 NFL regular season. Read on for a recap and observations from the game. Up next for Philadelphia is a Monday Night Football game against the Washington Redskins. Watch the BGN Radio postgame show LIVE in the video below (click here if you can’t see it).

FIRST QUARTER

Panthers win the coin toss and defer. Eagles up on offense first.

Stefen Wsiniewski gets the start at left guard. Doug Pederson had said he’ll be getting more snaps. The Eagles run LeGarrette Blount on first down and it goes nowhere. Then they go tempo to a quick play for Torrey Smith. Third down, Wentz hits Nelson Agholor over the middle for a big gain. Then an 11-yard run by Blount. Then Julius Peppers hits Wentz from behind to force a fumble. Halapoulivaati Vaitai got beat on the play. Panthers recover. Welp. The loss of Lane Johnson already being felt early. In fairness, Wentz probably has to get rid of the ball sooner.

Thankfully for the Eagles, the Panthers went three-and-out. Nigel Bradham broke up a pass intended for Kelvin Benjamin on third down. Great play in coverage. Panthers punt.

Agholor dropped a pass that was a little behind him on first down. Wentz right back to him to set up 3rd-and-3. Wentz hits Trey Burton for a first down. Then the quarterback gets sacked again on a corner blitz. Not feeling pressure well early. Wentz ran for a first down ... but it was cancelled out by a very tacky “block in the back” penalty on Alshon Jeffery. Wentz threw a dime to Marcus Johnson along the sideline for the first. Wentz overthrew Agholor on third down to force the Eagles into a 50-yard field goal. Jake Elliott nails the kick. Yawn. Nine in a row. Great job by Donnie Jones to save a Rick Lovato long snap that was a little high/wide in order to get it down in time for Elliott. Eagles lead, 3-0.

Jalen Mills got called for an absolutely BS pass interference penalty on the Panthers’ next drive. So that’s two bad calls now. Cool. Nigel Bradham made a great tackle for loss to set the Panthers back. Hot start to the game for him. Jordan Hicks stuffed the Panthers on 3rd-and-2. Carolina settles for a 39-yard field goal from Graham Gano. Game tied, 3-3.

Wentz hit Jeffery for a first down. Then Wentz got hit after Blount did a poor job in pass protection. Wentz overthrew and open Jeffery on third down. Then Blount got called for unnecessary roughness after the play. And then the Eagles had a special teams penalty. Four Eagles penalties to zero Panthers penalties so far.

(Broadcast note: Tony Romo joked that Rick Lovato is Demi Lovato’s husband. Lol.)

SECOND QUARTER

The Panthers went three-and-out. Great job by the Eagles’ defense. Carolina punted and they almost got the ball back because Kenjon Barner muffed! Thankfully Patrick Robinson jumped on it before the Panthers could get it. Yikes.

Wentz threw high to Torrey Smith on second down. Every pass is high. Gotta stop that. Then Wentz converts to Zach Ertz for a first ... but the play is wiped out by a timeout?! What the hell. How did the officials not stop that play before it got off? Doug Pederson took the timeout to prevent a delay of game, for the record. Wentz sacked on third down. This sucks. And this looks painful:

Brandon Graham got held on a first down to Ed Dickson. No call. The Panthers moved into the red zone and Cam Newton scored on a 16-yard touchdown run. Rasul Douglas got totally fooled by his juke. This sucks. Panthers lead, 10-3.

Kenjon Barner ran into an offensive lineman (instead of the open space) for no gain on first down. Corey Clement ran for a loss. Wentz stood in and found Jeffery for a first down. Then he ran a quick play so that the Panthers couldn’t challenge. Good job by the QB, but it looked like a catch anyway. Barner dropped a shovel pass that would’ve been a first down. Sucks too because Wentz did a nice job of escaping pressure. Then Barner got trucked in pass protection on third down and Wentz threw high again with pressure in his face. Disastrous game so far for Kenjon. Three sacks and six hits already on Wentz. Eagles punt.

Tim Jernigan got hurt on the next Panthers drive. Then Fletcher Cox hit Cam Newton as he threw and Douglas picked off the ball that sailed high! HUGE PLAY! Great to have that No. 91 guy back, huh?

Eagles take over in the red zone. Blount gets thrown down after the play on second down. No flag. Blount gets the Eagles to 4th-and-1. Then Wentz converts on the sneak. Wentz tries to punch it in himself after his receivers are covered on second down. Unsuccessful, but Wentz showed great toughness to run at a defender straight on. Now never do that again.

3rd-and-goal ... Wentz hits Ertz for the score! Let’s go. Tie game, 10-10.

Jernigan back on the field. The Panthers move into field goal range, but then Brandon Graham and Cox sack Newton to move Carolina back. Then a great job by Bradham to tackle Newton inbounds after his scramble to keep the clock running. Corey Graham breaks up a “Hail Mary attempt” pass to end the first half. I put Hail Mary in quotes because the design way to throw way short of the end zone.

Tie game at the half.

By the way, it looked like the Eagles should have had a chance to attempt a Hail Mary of their own. Peep two seconds left on the clock and the ball incomplete on the ground.

Refs really doing a bad job in this one.

THIRD QUARTER

Panthers ball to start the second half. Jordan Hicks out of the game with an ankle injury. Uh, that’s not good! Joe Walker in for him. Vinny Curry immediately logs a tackle for loss. Then Newton throws a screen pass on 3-and-12, the Panthers running back bobbles it, and Patrick Robinson catches it! Wow, what a pick!

Wentz has a pass tipped and he wisely bats it down so it’s incomplete. Then he throws a STRIKE to Ertz for an EAGLES TOUCHDOWN. Boom! Those two are really clicking. The Panthers get penalized on the Eagles’ extra point attempt. Instead of taking the five extra yards on the kickoff, the Eagles elect to go for a two-point conversion from the 1-yard line. Blount punches it in! Love that aggressive call by Doug Pederson. It’s only a yard and you have one of the best short-yardage backs in the league. Eagles lead, 18-10.

A Rodney McLeod interception on an awful deep pass from Newton gets wiped out by a Mills pass interference penalty. It was another tacky call. These refs, man. Carolina moves into the red zone. Bradham makes a HUGE solo tackle to stop Christian McCaffrey short of the goal line on 3rd-and-goal. Panthers settle for a field goal. Eagles lead, 18-13.

Eagles get a big run from Blount. Wentz connects with Mack Holllins, who is literally unstoppable, for a big gain over the middle. Eagles get into field goal range. Wentz’s third down scramble is stopped a yard short of the marker. Elliott drills a 48-yard field goal. 10 in a row. I would’ve gone for it, but three points ain’t bad. Eagles lead, 21-13.

Philly’s run defense stops the Panthers on first and second down. Then Bradham comes up with a huge hit to stop Carolina short of the sticks. But he’s immediately hurt. Not good. He’s been having a great game and Hicks is already out. The Eagles are suddenly thin at linebacker. At least the Panthers had to punt. Carolina injury update: Luke Kuechly ruled out for the game after getting mauled by Brandon Brooks.

Big opportunity for the Eagles here to make a statement with this drive. Jeffery can’t come up with a low pass on first down. Wentz throws wide of Ertz on second down. Wentz airs it out to Jeffery on third down and it’s a good pass. Just goes through the receiver’s hands. Gotta catch that. Also: James Bradberry was holding one of Jeffery’s arms. No call, though, of course. It would’ve been a tacky flag, but that’s what the refs were calling on Mills. Call it both ways. Eagles punt.

Najee Goode and Mychal Kendricks in at linebacker with Hicks and Bradham out. Newton runs for a big gain. Then he hits Benjamin for a big gain into field goal range. Bradham comes back in (phew). But Brandon Graham (shoulder) leaves the game. Not good. It looked like McLeod might’ve had a pick on third down but it definitely hit the ground. Carolina settles for a kick. Eagles lead, 21-16.

It looked like Barner got facemasked on a run for a loss of six. No call. Then Wentz scrambles ... and it’s a holding penalty on the Eagles. Except it should’ve been hands to the face on the defensive lineman Wisniewski was blocking. Awesome. No matter. Wentz hits Hollins on third and long. Then he drops a pass in the bucket to Jeffery for a big gain. Gorgeous.

FOURTH QUARTER

And then Wentz connects with Agholor over the middle who catches and runs it in for a TOUCHDOWN!!!!! Wow! Eagles lead, 28-16.

Carolina moves into field goal range. The Panthers face 3rd-and-10. It’s a delay of game ... but Derek Barnett hits Newton and gets called for a 15-yard penalty. Such bullshit! There was no whistle. How were the defenders supposed to know the play was over?! This is f***ing garbage. Insanity. The Panthers go on to score a touchdown. What a joke. It should’ve been 3rd-and-15. Instead the refs gifted Carolina a touchdown. This is stupid. Eagles lead, 28-23.

Ertz gets called for a false start on first down. Another penalty. Wentz targets Jeffery on third down. No good. Jeffery may have been held there, but of course the Eagles weren’t gonna get a call. Chris Maragos got hurt on the punt coverage. Ruled out for the game.

Barnett notches his first career sack on Newton to put the Panthers in 3rd-and-13. Carolina facing 4th and 1. They get it. Then Newton airs it out deep after getting pressured by Barnett ... and the ball goes through Douglas’ hands. Ugh. Newton throws it deep again and THE TERRIBLE PASS IS NOT DROPPED THIS TIME! MILLS WITH THE EASY INTERCEPTION! HUGE!

Blount runs up the middle for a seven yard gain. Panthers call their final timeout. Then Blount is stopped in the backfield after Ertz whiffs on a block. Agholor wide open on third down but Wentz throws to Ertz and it’s incomplete. Ugh. Big mistake by Carson. Mack Hollins injured on the punt coverage team.

Ugh.

Bradham knocks a pass down to force the Panthers into 4th-and-1. Newton’s pass on fourth down is ... INCOMPLETE! THAT’S GAME.

Victory formation.

FINAL SCORE

Eagles beat the Panthers AND the refs, 28-23.

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Stay tuned for much more Eagles-Panthers postgame coverage (click here).