1st and 10: Takeaways from Panthers' 17-point fourth-quarter comeback against Eagles

Ten of the biggest takeaways and storylines from the Carolina Panthers’ 21-17 fourth-quarter comeback win over the reigning Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday:

1. What was going on with safety Eric Reid pre-game?

As the Philadelphia Eagles were introducing their offensive starters before Sunday’s game, Reid encroached on the fringe of where the Eagles were gathering and had to be pulled away by receiver Devin Funchess and secondary coach Richard Rodgers. Then during the coin flip, Reid — who was not supposed to be on the field — and Eagles safety Malcom Jenkins again had to be separated, this time by receiver Torrey Smith. For context: Reid called Jenkins’ NFL Players Coalition an “NFL-funded subversion group” in his introductory press conference this season, and has emphasized that his protest against social injustice and police brutality is separate from Jenkins and his coalition’s efforts. Reid was also assessed a personal foul penalty for flipping Eagles tight end Zach Ertz in the first quarter.

2. Panthers’ offense starts slow ... again

After going down 17-0 by the half last Sunday against Washington, Carolina’s offense started lethargically again against Philadelphia. The team had just 22 total yards on its first 10 plays from scrimmage, and other than Christian McCaffrey’s 30 yards on five touches, had no other offense in the entire first quarter. That continued through the first half, as the team went 0-for-4 on third downs and had a meager 83 total yards by halftime.

3. Covering tight ends still a defensive liability

The middle of the Panthers’ defense was exposed during the Washington game, when Carolina’s linebackers and safeties allowed Washington’s tight ends to catch eight passes for 84 yards and a 22-yard touchdown. That 10.5 yard-per-catch clip continued against Philadelphia, as Zach Ertz and Dallas Goedert combined to finish Sunday’s game with 13 catches for 181 yards and a touchdown. Even with linebacker Thomas Davis back in the fold these past two weeks, Carolina’s linebackers haven’t been able to keep pace with opposing tight ends.

4. Another top WR gets the better of cornerback James Bradberry

Sunday was a game to forget for just about every Panther, but especially so for cornerback James Bradberry. Matched up against former South Carolina star Alshon Jeffery, who is 2 inches taller, Bradberry allowed the Eagles’ top outside weapon to catch seven balls for 88 yards and a touchdown. On the score, Jeffery got Bradberry to bite on an inside move, then cut back outside toward the sideline to give Carson Wentz a wide open target and score the game’s first touchdown. And then, on Philadelphia’s last-ditch drive, Bradberry had a defensive pass interference call on Jeffery that gave the Eagles the ball deep in Carolina territory.

5. Penalties cost Panthers two field-goal attempts

On back-to-back drives, the Panthers just shot themselves in the foot. On the first, two consecutive false start penalties bumped the offense out of field goal range, leading to another punt from Michael Palardy. Then, the very next drive, an intentional grounding call on quarterback Cam Newton cost the Panthers another 10 yards and again bumped them out of field goal range. Given the 20 mph winds at Lincoln Financial Field, there were several kicks that flew astray, but the Panthers at least should have shots at points on both those occasions — points they desperately needed to get back into the game.

6. The deep pass deficiency is officially a problem

Newton’s official statline — 25-for-39 for 269 yards and two touchdowns — isn’t pretty by itself, but something the box score won’t reveal? That Carolina’s inability to connect on deep passes is truly hurting the offense. The Panthers had just one completion Sunday that traveled more than 20 yards in the air — Jarius Wright’s 28-yarder in the fourth quarter — and as a result, defenses are stacking the box on seemingly every play. That means Newton and McCaffrey are facing a tougher front to run against, and opposing secondaries can play tighter, press coverage without threat of getting beat deep.

7. WR Curtis Samuel continues to impress with limited touches

Three games, two touchdowns for the speedy second-year receiver out of Ohio State. Samuel’s first touchdown of the year, where he broke several tackles against the Giants and dove into the end zone, proved that he can be a spark for this offense when he gets his touches. The issue is that Samuel, who had a procedure to correct an irregular heartbeat before the season, missed essentially a month of practice and is still getting back into football shape. But keep making plays like he did Sunday — when he took an end-around 14 yards into the end zone through traffic — and coaches won’t have any option but to play him more.

8. Another week, another comeback bid — except this time, it worked

After trailing 17-0 for the second week in a row, the Panthers offense finally seemed to find a rhythm of sorts in the fourth quarter Sunday. Newton and the Panthers got two scoring drives in the final period, including the creative end-around to Samuel and a pretty 18-yard touchdown to Devin Funchess, to cut the deficit to three points.

But unlike the team’s other failed comebacks against Washington and Atlanta, this one actually worked. Newton found Olsen for the go-ahead touchdown with less than two minutes to play, and Wes Horton forced a fumble on the Eagles’ final play to clinch a Carolina win.

9. Play of the game goes to...

Former Eagles receiver Torrey Smith, whose 35-yard completion on fourth-and-10 from Carolina’s 31 kept the team’s game-winning drive alive. Newton got hit as he threw, but Smith still came up with the grab and was able to make a move to get free down the sideline. If not for that play, the game-winning touchdown to Olsen never happens — some redemption for Smith, too, who the Eagles traded this offseason.

10. Where do the Panthers go from here?

After such a crazy game, it’s hard to say. The Panthers played a sloppy, mistake-filled game, but finishing off that comeback and scoring 21 consecutive points certainly says something about this team’s moxie. Next up: Baltimore at home next weekend, where the team will try to move to 5-2 and re-establish its overall identity.

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