| |
RECAP
|
BOX SCORE
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) -- It took a visit from the NFC's
least-productive offense to snap the Carolina Panthers out of their
defensive doldrums.
After forcing just five turnovers all season, the Panthers
matched that total Sunday against Philadelphia and converted the
Eagles' miscues into 20 points on the way to a 33-7 victory.
|  | | Carolina receiver Muhsin Muhammad hauls in a 4-yard touchdown pass in the second quarter. |
"We needed to get one of these," said Carolina cornerback Eric
Davis, who forced one of Philadelphia's four fumbles. "On series
after series we did the little things all day long."
Only a 14-yard touchdown run by Duce Staley with 2:37 remaining
allowed the Eagles to avoid a shutout. It would have marked the
second time in two seasons that Philadelphia had been shut out at least twice.
"That was a debacle," said Philadelphia coach Andy Reid, whose
team lost to Buffalo 26-0 on Sept. 26. "I hadn't seen it that way
since early in the season."
Carolina (3-5) was bidding for its first shutout in more than
two years but had to settle for a turnover-free performance and its
first victory in three games.
Carolina's Sean Gilbert had a sack and forced a fumble, and
Kevin Greene had a sack and a fumble recovery to lead a defense
that held Philadelphia (2-7) to 249 yards.
"Things just kind of snowballed," said safety Mike Minter, who
had a fumble recovery. "Once we got one turnover, we just kind of
took it upon ourselves to keep them coming."
Things got so bad for the Eagles that Donovan McNabb, the
seldom-used first-round draft pick, ended up playing the entire
second half. He misfired on 12 of 20 passes and was intercepted
once, but Reid raised the possibility that McNabb could start
Philadelphia's next game Sunday at home against Washington.
"I'm not going to make that decision until I watch the film,"
Reid said.
Steve Beuerlein threw for 281 yards and three touchdowns, two of
them to Muhsin Muhammad, and John Kasay kicked four field goals.
Beuerlein, who took every snap in Carolina's first seven games,
wound up watching the end of Sunday's contest from the sideline,
letting backup Steve Bono finish.
|
GAME NOTES |
|
Fred Lane rushed for 74 yards on 20 carries, making him the
career rushing leader in the Panthers' four-plus seasons. Lane has
1,762, moving him past the 1,729 of Anthony Johnson.
Philadelphia linebacker William Thomas left in the second quarter
with a hip flexor strain and did not return. Linebacker Mike Mamula
also left in the second with a leg bruise but returned in the
fourth quarter. Carolina kick returner and wide receiver Eric
Metcalf has a twisted right knee and will be examined further
Monday. Umpire Butch Hannah had to be helped off the field in the
third quarter with a right calf strain but returned a few minutes
later.
Carolina cornerback Doug Evans, who started despite
battling a flu bug, was called for pass interference twice on one
possession, but he got even by ending the drive with an
interception. "He was hearing it in the huddle," Eric Davis said.
"I'm sure he wanted to shut everybody up."
|
"I'm glad it was under those circumstances, where we were
comfortably in control," Beuerlein said. "It felt kind of weird,
but I can get used to that kind of weird."
Turnovers weren't Philadelphia's only problem. The Eagles were
penalized a season-high 11 times, including a holding call on
reserve linebacker Mike Caldwell that negated a 96-yard kickoff
return for a touchdown by Allen Rossum in the second quarter.
Staley rushed for 140 yards and had another 11 in receptions,
accounting for all but 98 of the Eagles' yards.
Philadelphia, which entered the game averaging an NFC-worst 225 yards, has not broken the 20-point mark since the first game of the
season, which it lost. The Eagles have been especially unproductive
on the road, losing three of four and getting outscored 107-48.
"I've talked about small steps forward," Reid said. "Today we
went backward."
Beuerlein was coming off back-to-back losses in which he had
been sacked a combined 10 times and was intercepted four times
while failing to throw any scoring passes.
But the Panthers gave him better protection this time, and
Beuerlein responded.
On Carolina's three touchdown drives, he completed 11 of 14
passes for 155 yards. He also scrambled 6 yards on a third-and-5 to
keep alive the second TD drive.
The Panthers converted three first-half turnovers into 13 points
on the way to a 23-0 lead.
Rossum provided a preview of what was ahead for the Eagles when
he couldn't field a punt after Carolina's first possession. The
Panthers' Brien Kinchen pounced on the ball at the Philadelphia 26,
and four plays later, Kasay put Carolina ahead to stay with a
38-yard field goal.
Staley had a total of 93 yards at halftime; the rest of the
Eagles had 13.
| |
ALSO SEE
NFL Scoreboard
Philadelphia Clubhouse
Carolina Clubhouse
Week 9 wrap-ups
Week 9 infirmary report
TJ's Take: Jaguars back in gear
Week 9 PrimeTime Players
Week 9 stats leaders
|
