The Carolina Panthers head into Week 6 as the lone NFC South team without a losing record, and they’re carrying a résumé that looks a lot different from the one they had a year ago. Dave Canales’s team won the division in 2024 with an 8-9 mark, the second time in four seasons the NFC South title went to a club with a losing record. Carolina last played in Week 4, when it beat the visiting Detroit Lions 32-26 on a Sunday night in Charlotte.
Philadelphia is in a much rougher spot. The Eagles were one of seven new division winners in 2025 and the only repeat champion from last season, when they became the first NFC East team to defend its title in more than 20 years.
Andy Reid’s Eagles had done it before, winning four straight division crowns from 2001-04. But the current version of Philadelphia arrives at Lincoln Financial Field on Sunday having lost three in a row after a 2-0 start, including a surprising 19-17 defeat to the Jacksonville Jaguars in London last Sunday.
The quarterback situation makes this one even more unsettled for the home side. Jalen Hurts is now on injured reserve with a blood clot, Saquon Barkley will not play, and wide receiver DeVonta Smith is listed as questionable. Tanner McKee is set to make just his third NFL start.
These two teams are meeting for the second time in three years, and Philadelphia has had the better of the series lately. The Eagles have won three of the last four matchups dating back to 2017 and hold a 9-5 lead overall.
The teams also met two years ago in Philadelphia, where the Eagles won 22-16. The most memorable meeting, though, came 23 years ago, when Carolina beat Philadelphia 14-3 in the 2003 NFC Championship Game.
Carolina’s defense has come a long way since the season opener, when it was hammered by the Chicago Bears 59-37 and allowed eight offensive touchdowns. Since then, Ejiro Evero’s group has steadied itself. Over the last three games, the Panthers have given up 50 total points and four offensive touchdowns.
The offensive contrast is just as sharp. Philadelphia enters Week 6 ranked 31st in total offense, and the Eagles have been outscored 27-3 in first quarters.
Their offense has produced only 11 touchdowns in five games. Carolina, meanwhile, is averaging 30.3 points per game, and its passing attack ranks second in the league in aerial yards per game.
The Panthers have spread the scoring around through the air. Wide receivers Jalen Coker and Tetairoa McMillan, along with tight end Darren Waller, have each caught two touchdown passes. Running back Chuba Hubbard has been just as central to the attack, leading Carolina with 390 scrimmage yards and five total touchdowns.
There’s also a key defensive name on the Eagles’ side worth keeping in mind. Zack Baun, who earned First Team All-Pro honors during Philadelphia’s Super Bowl LIX championship season in 2024, has remained a steady presence over three seasons with the team. He was Pro Football Focus’ top-ranked linebacker in 2024, dropped to sixth this past season, and is currently No. 5 at his position.
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Panthers Lead Couldnt Hide One Coaching Blunder Fans Will Hate
Even with a halftime lead, the Panthers gave fans something to gripe about before the break. Late in the first half, Carolina reached a fourth-and-one situation but never took the shot, letting the clock expire instead of stopping play and sorting it out with one of the three timeouts still in hand. The sequence stood out because it came at a point when the game was still very much there to be pressed.
Dave Canales drew the most attention for the call, or lack of one, since he elected not to go for it on fourth down and never used a timeout to extend the possession. Add in the penalties that had already begun to pile up, and the Panthers edge at halftime felt a little less secure than the scoreboard suggested. [Read more 🡒]
Panthers Are Outplaying Philly Despite A Brutal Problem They Can't Shake
Halftime in Philadelphia has offered a sharp snapshot of how far Carolina has come under center and on defense. The Panthers are up 10-7 despite being on the road, and they have actually moved the ball better than the Eagles, piling up 178 yards to Philadelphias 110 while Bryce Young has already thrown for 162 yards and a touchdown.
The frustration for Carolina is just as obvious as the progress. The defense has kept Tanner McKee in check, but the Panthers keep handing back momentum with mistakes, sitting on eight penalties for 105 yards and leaving points on the field that could have made the lead much more comfortable. If they can clean that up after the break, they have given themselves a real chance to turn a strong half into something more. [Read more 🡒]
Bryce Young Gave Panthers Fans A Debate That Wont Go Away
Bryce Young gave Panthers fans exactly the kind of performance that can keep a quarterback conversation alive for days. Against Philadelphia, he finished 20 of 39 for 281 yards and two touchdowns without turning the ball over, mixing a few missed throws with stretches where he stayed aggressive and made the right play when Carolina needed it most.
The offense had real help around him, too, with Tetairoa McMillan and Jalen Coker combining for 183 receiving yards and helping stretch the field. Still, the highlight that will linger is the fourth-quarter touchdown pass, the sort of throw that can fuel both sides of the debate over Youngs long-term ceiling in Carolina. [Read more 🡒]