Week 1 Panthers Eagles Preview

Added on Sep 12, 2009 by sbworld in

NFL

This line was opened with Philly being 2-point favorites most places, but now you will likely find it at -2.5.

It’s been quite the offseason for the Eagles, at least in the last month-plus since the signing of one Michael Vick. Not much really needs to be talked about him in relation to this game, because Vick is obviously not going to be playing with his suspension. The distractions will come for certainly, but possibly for the sake of Philly it can get a couple of games under the belt before those questions arise again.

Philadelphia started last season off miserably as it was 2-3 and 5-5-1 at various points, but a strong finish helped the Eagles rebound to make the playoffs. Not getting off to a similar poor start will be important for Donovan McNabb and company, to keep the home fans happy and to thwart the silly “Vick should start” talk before it begins.

Looking at this game, it certainly begins with quarterback play. McNabb might actually be more comfortable beginning the regular season on the road and not in front of the Philadelphia fans, where if one thing goes wrong it is the end of the world. On the flipside, how will the Carolina fans reception be towards Jake Delhomme? The last memory they have of Delhomme is his six turnovers in the playoffs against eventual Super Bowl runner-up Arizona. A mistake or two early from him could spell bad news for his psyche, but a positive couple of plays should help Panther fans slowly forget about what happened in January. His playmakers such as Steve Smith and DeAngelo Williams have to be on their ‘A’ game to help get their veteran quarterback into his comfort level.

The Eagles enter the game banged up on the offensive line with right tackle Shawn Andrews the latest name added to the list as his back is not game ready. Andrews has not played in a game since the second week of last season. One of Philly’s major acquisitions during the offseason was the trade for left tackle Jason Peters, whom Andy Reid calls the best left tackle in the NFL. McNabb’s backside will likely have good things to say about the move by the end of the year.

Another plus for Philadelphia’s offense is that it has done a nice job of building its wide receiver group over the past couple of seasons. It is actually a group that can be trusted now with guys like DeSean Jackson and Jeremy Macklin adding strong pieces of the puzzle. If Bryant Westbrook can play in at least 12-14 games this season, a big if, this has the potential to be the best Eagles offense in quite some time.

One question mark for the Eagles will be the style of defense it employs. Long-time defensive coordinator Jim Johnson was blitz happy, but with his passing in July it remains to be seen whether new D-coordinator Sean McDermott will send his troops at the quarterback quite as much or sit in coverage more.

The Panthers counter the Philadelphia offensive attack with a defense that has long been respected around the NFL, led by all-pro pass rusher Julius Peppers and standout young linebacker Jon Beeson. Beeson has had some knee trouble during the preseason, but it appears he will be ready to go.

Both offenses might start off slow as they gain a feel for things, but it has the feel on paper of a back-and-forth slugfest between two of the potentially premier teams in the NFC.

Prediction: Carolina 24, Philadephia 20