Cam Newton struggled through his first three weeks, but turned it on against the Patriots and Lions in weeks four and five. The star quarterback hopes to continue his strong play against Carson Wentz and the Philadelphia Eagles on Thursday night. With the help of Remarkable!, we take a look at the matchup…
Eagles
Strong quarterback play from Carson Wentz has led the Eagles to a 4-1 record. On third down, Wentz has:
- A passer rating of 137.8, best in the league (League Avg: 84.8).
- Thrown for first downs on 57.7 percent of his pass attempts, best in the NFL (League Avg: 40.8 percent).
- Thrown for 574 passing yards on 3rd down this season (most among NFL QBs)
The big target on third down? Zach Ertz has been targeted 13 times on third down this season, most among TEs in the league. He has also averaged 77.4 Receiving Yards per game (387/5) this season, second best among TEs (League Avg: 23.3).
The Eagles also have a strong running game. LeGarrette Blount has averaged 5.8 yards per carry (323 yards/56 carries) this season, third best among RBs (League Avg; 4.0). Wendell Smallwood is the second option for the high flying Eagles and will see some time on Thursday.
Defensively, the Eagles are getting mixed results. The defense has tackled opponents for a loss on 16 of 80 rushing attempts (TFL percentage of 20) this season, second best in the NFL (League Avg. 13.2 percent). But when the defense isn’t tackling would be runners behind the line of scrimmage, they are allowing big yardage. The defense has allowed 8.7 yards from scrimmage per touch (1,809 yards/209 touches) this season, third worst (League Avg: 7.3).
Panthers
Cam Newton looks to be 100 percent after labrum surgery in the offseason. This season Newton has:
- Completed passes for 20+ yards on 17 of his 145 total passing attempts (11.7%) this season (4th best of 32 Qualified QBs in NFL; League Avg: 8.5%).
- Completed 68.3% of passes (99 completions/145 attempts) this season (4th best of 32 Qualified QBs in NFL; League Avg: 63.4%).
- A passer rating of 114.4 on 3rd and long (20 Pass Attempts) this season (4th best of 32 Qualified QBs in NFL; League Avg: 79.1).
One of Newton’s best options is his tall wide receiver, Kelvin Benjamin. Benjamin has averaged 16.0 yards per reception (272 yards/17 catches) this season, ninth best among WRs. Christian McCaffrey has had a slow start to his NFL career, but he’s still been a big part of the Panthers offense. The rookie RB has been targeted 7.2 times per game (36/5) this season, second highest among RBs (League Avg: 2.4).
Strong offense has led to a 4-1 start for Carolina, but the defense is nothing to scoff at either. The defense is allowing just 9.1 yards per completion (1,074 yards/118 completions) this season, second best in the NFL (League Avg: 11.2). They’ve pressured opposing QBs on 17.2 percent of dropbacks this year, third best in the league (League Avg: 13.2 percent).
One area where they can get better? Defending the run. The Panthers defense has allowed rushes of 10 or more yards on 15 of 99 carries (15.2 percent) this season, second worst in the NFL.
Will the Eagles get past the stout Carolina Defense? Will Cam Newton keep up with his strong play? Tune in tonight!
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