It wasn’t the beatdown many expected, but the Philadelphia Eagles still took care of business at home against the Carolina Panthers in a 22-16 win on Sunday.
And it was Saquon Barkley, an MVP candidate this season, helping the cause with yet another milestone in his inaugural Eagles campaign.
Barkley set a record with nine games of over 100 or more yards rushing this season, totaling 124 yards on 20 carries.
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Philadelphia Eagles running back Saquon Barkley runs past Carolina Panthers linebacker Trevin Wallace at Lincoln Financial Field. (Eric Hartline-Imagn Images)
But, while Barkley did tally triple digits in yards, he wasn’t able to find the end zone. Instead, it was Jalen Hurts getting tush-pushed from the one-yard line to score the first touchdown of the game.
Hurts, though, would get the other touchdowns with his arm, finding DeVonta Smith for his first score in more than a month, while Grant Calcaterra, who will be getting much more playing time with Dallas Goedert on the injured reserve, scoring his first career touchdown.
KENTUCKY BETTOR PLACES $3.1 MILLION WAGER ON EAGLES TO BEAT IMPROVING PANTHERS
However, this game came down to the final seconds, as Bryce Young and the Panthers’ offense had a chance to win the game after a perfect punt from the Eagles put them on their own three-yard line.
But Young quickly got out of the hole, finding Xavier Legette for 31 yards after scrambling around his end zone and almost getting sacked for a safety.
Then, a few plays later, Young spotted Adam Thielen, who had a team-high 102 yards on nine catches, on fourth-and-7 for 13 yards to keep the drive going.
On 2nd-and-4 from the Philadelphia 32-yard line, an absolutely crucial drop came off Legette’s hands, as Young got C.J. Gardner-Johnson to bite down, leaving the rookie receiver wide open near the end zone.
Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver DeVonta Smith and quarterback Jalen Hurts celebrate their touchdown connection against the Carolina Panthers at Lincoln Financial Field. (IMAGN)
Legette appeared to haul in the ball and roll into the end zone for the game-tying touchdown. However, referees quickly called it incomplete, and the replay showed that the ball touched the turf during the roll.
So, instead of an extra-point attempt to take the lead, Young found himself running for his life on fourth-and-9 with no timeouts left. He attempted to find Thielen again downfield to convert, but Darius Slay swatted it away to move the Eagles’ win streak to nine straight games.
On the sports betting side, an anonymous bettor in Kentucky placed a $3.1 million bet on the Eagles, a massive favorite, to beat the Panthers. It was sweatier than they wanted, especially on that Legette play, but the bet cashed for over $400,000 in profit.
Looking at the box score, Hurts was 14-of-21 for 108 yards and his two passing touchdowns, while rushing for 61 yards on eight carries.
Philadelphia Eagles running back Saquon Barkley runs with the ball against the Carolina Panthers at Lincoln Financial Field. (Bill Streicher-Imagn Images)
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For the Panthers, Chuba Hubbard found the end zone on one of his 26 carries for 92 yards on the day.
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