Eagles Versus Panthers Preview: Matchup and Odds for Week 6

The Philadelphia Eagles’ injury situation continues to swirl around the drain as they prepare to host the Carolina Panthers at 1 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 18. Starting quarterback Jalen Hurts is out with a blood clot, throwing 26-year-old backup Tanner McKee into the fire as the next man up. Making matters worse, the Eagles (2-3) elected this offseason not to hold their bye week after playing in London last week, so they won’t benefit from another seven days to heal up before taking on a plucky Panthers (2-2) squad. 

McKee has four games of experience to his name over the past three seasons, completing 54 of 88 attempts for five touchdowns and an interceptions, starting the Eagles’ regular season finale in each of the past two years.

While Philadelphia has had an excellent supporting cast in recent years, McKee won’t have the benefit of any of the team’s top three running backs: Saquon Barkley, Tank Bigsby and Will Shipley are all out due to injury, while offensive linemen like Landon Dickerson and Drew Kendall are nursing injuries and questionable to play. DeVonta Smith was a full participant in practice on Oct. 16 and should give the lineup a jolt.

ESPN Analytics gives the Eagles a 42.2 percent chance of defending their home turf successfully; the point spread sits at -3 in the Panthers’ favor, while Philadelphia is a +142 underdog on the money line.

Here’s what to watch for in an expected slugfest on CBS.

Scouting the Panthers

2022 first overall pick Bryce Young captains Carolina’s offense and has completed 62.3 percent of his passes (101-of-162) for 1,268 yards, nine touchdowns and two interceptions across four games played. Despite coming into the league with a dual-threat reputation, Young has just six carries for 19 yards and a touchdown this season while working through knee and high ankle injuries.

The Panthers have a solid running game without him, Chuba Hubbard leading the way with 61 carries for 306 yards and three touchdowns. No. 2 back AJ Dillon, a 247 pound sledgehammer, is out with an ankle injury. That could cost Carolina in short yardage situations and near the goal line. 6-foot-5 receiver Tetairoa McMillan is Young’s top target, hauling in 26 passes for 385 yards and a pair of touchdowns this season; Jalen Coker, tight end Darren Waller and Hubbard each have two receiving touchdowns, and Young knows how to spread the ball around.

Carolina’s defense is a bend-but-don’t-break unit, averaging two sacks, 1.75 turnovers forced and a 3.75 tackles for loss per game despite giving up more than 27 points per game… but a 59-point outburst from the Bears hurts their average significantly.

All in all, McKee will have a chance to warm up against the Panthers’ defense… but their ability to create turnovers means he’ll need to play cautious football.

Scouting the Eagles

After McKee, Philadelphia’s crash unit of an offense will run through some combination of running backs Dameon Pierce and Carson Steele; Steele hasn’t carried the football in a regular season game since January 2025, while Pierce has an uninspiring 11 carries for 14 yards so far this year.

Dontayvion Wicks (17 catches for 260 yards and a touchdown) leads the team in receiving as a result of two missed games from Smith (19 catches for 235 yards and a touchdown), while former undrafted free agent Darius Cooper (seven catches for 130 yards and a touchdown) has been a red zone revelation.

Tight end Dallas Goedert could turn out as a critical safety valve as McKee settles in, and the Eagles’ aggressive defense — averaging 1.2 sacks, 4.2 tackles for loss and six passes defensed per game despite having to help their offense tread water — could turn out as their saving grace.