Biggest takeaways from the Panthers’ Week 14 loss to the Eagles

The Carolina Panthers may not have won recently, but they are surprisingly and encouragingly close to winning. And there are a number of lessons to be learned from this recent series of near misses.

Here are the key takeaways from Sunday’s 22-16 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles:

The learning curve continues

Two three-point walk-off losses to the Kansas City Chiefs and Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the previous two games taught the Panthers some tough lessons. And on Sunday, when this growing team nearly pulled off its biggest upset of the season, it proved it’s still learning how to win.

The bitter Week 14 loss will always be remembered because rookie wide receiver Xavier Legette had a rough day, continuing his recent case of dropsy. Even before he missed the game-winning 32-yard touchdown catch late in the fourth quarter, the 2024 first-round pick failed on several more crucial grab attempts, allowing hits from Eagles defenders to rock the rock.

Some self-inflicted wounds were also due to a lack of communication on the offensive. Carolina’s play-to-play didn’t go entirely smoothly, as they received two delay-of-game penalties and had to call a timeout because the unit couldn’t snap the ball in time.

Bryce still plays ball

As the losses have piled up over the past three weeks, so have the exciting offerings from second-year quarterback Bryce Young.

Once again, Young kept the Panthers alive with the crucial playmaking gene the organization selected him for in 2023. He handled pressure quite well – against the NFL’s No. 1 defense, no less – and repeatedly produced some masterful wins in out-structure settings.

Young, a native of Wynnewood, Pennsylvania, nearly capped his homecoming with a phenomenal game-winning drive – a drive that started at Carolina’s 3-yard line and should have ended in the end zone. But this Legette decline also cost them.

He finished with 19 of his 34 throws for 191 yards, one touchdown and one interception – his first since Week 9.

View into the backfield

The Panthers still managed to establish their identity through the floor despite a red-hot defense. Their engine, fourth-year returning Chuba Hubbard, rushed for 92 yards and a score and reached the 1,000-yard mark for the first time in his NFL career.

However, there is some uncertainty surrounding rookie Jonathon Brooks, who left the game in the first quarter after suffering a non-contact knee injury. The knee in question was the same one he rehabbed last year.

Head coach Dave Canales did not provide any significant updates on Brooks after the game. But hopefully the 21-year-old doesn’t have to suffer another serious setback.

The defense deserves its due

Here’s the Panthers’ defense – a unit that was on the verge of being blown off the field in Week 14.

Eagles running back Saquon Barkley rushed for 124 yards on 20 carries, quite low for a run defense (actually the NFL’s worst) that was expected to perform at the feet of the Offensive Player of the Year favorite in Flames would burst into flames. Carolina also held quarterback Jalen Hurts to 108 passing yards, with wideout AJ Brown accounting for just 43 of them.

The Panthers ended up getting four sacks of Hurts, bringing their total over the last three weeks to a very respectable 13.

All in all, this may have been the most impressive performance from defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero and Co. this season.

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This article originally appeared on Panthers Wire: Biggest takeaways from the Panthers’ Week 14 loss to the Eagles