In this week’s Monday Night Football matchup, the struggling Carolina Panthers will travel to Lincoln Financial Field to take on the Philadelphia Eagles.
An injury to quarterback Nick Foles forces Mark Sanchez into the starting lineup, who will be making his first start in two years. The first year Eagle fared well last week in a win over the Houston Texans. Sanchez completed 68.2% of his passes with two touchdowns and an impressive 9.18 yards per attempt. Chip Kelly and company believe that the former Jet will be willing to carry the offense in Foles’ absence largely in due to a strong preseason, which saw him earn a 106.4 PFF QB Rating and an 80.6 completion rate.
The Panther’s defense will be looking to disrupt Sanchez and make his first start as an Eagle a difficult one. Defensive end Charles Johnson will hope to lead the way in that department. After a slow start to the season, Johnson has picked up his play as of late, earning a +2.4 pass rush grade and seven quarterback hurries in his last three games. Second year defensive tackle Kawann Short has also been solid rushing the passer in 2014. Short has accumulated 15 total pressures and a +8.3 pass rush grade this season. Knocking Sanchez off his rhythm will be a key factor in a potential Carolina victory on Monday night.
Here are three more notable numbers for each side:
Carolina Panthers
Greg Olsen – has a strong 12.0 yards per reception and is fourth among tight ends with a +6.5 receiving grade.
Luke Kuechly – leads all inside linebackers with 75 tackles and 3 passes defended, while accumulating 22 stops against the run.
Thomas Decoud – ranks first among all NFL safeties with 0.06 Yards per Coverage Snap and 94.3 Coverage Snaps per Reception.
Philadelphia Eagles
Jeremy Maclin – has eight touchdowns and 17.6 yards per reception to accompany his +9.1 overall grade (fourth best among wideouts).
Fletcher Cox – has not missed a tackle yet in 2014, while his 10.3 Run Stop Percentage ranks him third among 3-4 defensive ends.
Jason Peters – PFF’s second highest rated offensive tackle (+18.5) is also fourth-best in Pass Blocking Efficiency (97.3).
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