CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- This was Sam Bradford's chance to prove himself, to lead the Philadelphia Eagles to a victory on the road in front of a national television audience.
Bradford got two chances in the fourth quarter of the Eagles' 27-16 loss to the Carolina Panthers. Down 24-16, the Eagles took the field twice with a chance to drive down the field and tie the score.
The first time, Bradford was sacked on third down and the Eagles had to punt.
The second time, Bradford was sacked twice and threw four incompletions. He had help on that front, as tight end Zach Ertz and wide receiver Josh Huff dropped catchable passes.
But there was no signature moment from Bradford. He could not get the Eagles' offense moving for long stretches of this game. Their only touchdown came on a 63-yard run by Ryan Mathews.
This was a game the Eagles believed they could win. About a year ago, they embarrassed the Panthers 45-21 on Monday Night Football.
They knew this time would be different. The Panthers were 5-0. Quarterback Cam Newton, who was sacked nine times in last year's game, was healthy and playing much better. Still, the Eagles knew they could beat the Panthers and that couldn't hurt.
If there's still any doubt that the Panthers are for real, the Eagles will be quick to dispel it. They couldn't stop the Panthers' running attack or cover their receivers, and their offense couldn't move the ball consistently against the Carolina defense.
Why it matters: The Eagles had a chance to beat a 5-0 Carolina team, maintain their hold on first place in the NFC East and go into their bye week with a three-game winning streak. Instead, they were left with the same questions that have haunted them for the past couple of years:
Are they good enough at quarterback?
Are they always going to lose to contending teams?
Last year, losses to Arizona and Green Bay foreshadowed the Eagles' late-season collapse. Beating the undefeated Panthers would have given the Eagles a quality win as well as momentum going into November. Losing left them under .500 and looking like just a middle-of-the-pack team.
Ouch: Left tackle Jason Peters went down in a heap during the first quarter. Peters lay motionless, face-down on the field. Players from both teams knelt nearby. It looked like a serious injury; it turned out to be back spasms. Peters was X-rayed and did not return. His status was not known beyond that. Linebacker DeMeco Ryans was inactive after trying all week to come back from a hamstring injury he sustained during last week's game against the Giants. Mychal Kendricks and Jordan Hicks started at inside linebacker.
One reason to get excited: The Eagles' defense continues to come up with big plays. Nolan Carroll's red zone interception stopped Carolina from scoring in the first quarter. Malcolm Jenkins' pick of a Cam Newton pass gave the Eagles a field goal just before halftime. And Byron Maxwell's diving catch of a tipped pass set up a 24-yard field goal in the third quarter. Every time it seemed as if the Eagles' offense was losing energy, the defense did something to revive the team and give it another chance.
One reason to be concerned: Former Eagles president Joe Banner, who now does analysis for ESPN, tweeted that Jason Peters was the player the Eagles could least afford to lose to injury. When Peters was lying prone on the field, it looked as if the Eagles were facing that worst-case scenario. Back spasms could turn out to be minor, but with a big man like Peters, you never know. Matt Tobin moved over from right guard to replace Peters. If the Eagles had to get by without Peters for any length of time, right tackle Lane Johnson could move to the left side. That would mean Tobin or Dennis Kelly starting at right tackle.
What were they thinking? The Eagles spent a lot of time over the past few weeks trying to correct their receivers' tendency to drop Sam Bradford's passes. Jordan Matthews and Nelson Agholor got to the team facility at 7 a.m. to work with the JUGS gun. Maybe they should sleep in. The Eagles dropped seven passes Sunday, their most in a game since 2006, according to ESPN Stats & Information. They dropped eight passes in that game against the New York Giants.
Fantasy watch: Owners who have Ryan Mathews are likely as perplexed as Eagles fans by the way Chip Kelly uses the running back. Mathews ran around left end for 22 yards in the second quarter. He didn't touch the ball again in the first half. In the third quarter, Mathews bolted 63 yards for the longest touchdown run of his career. DeMarco Murray was back for the next Eagles possession. Mathews put up good numbers, but it's hard not to wonder what he could do with more playing time.
Kicking themselves: After Caleb Sturgis missed two kicks (a field goal and a PAT) in his first game as an Eagle, coach Chip Kelly said he was sticking with him. Mainly because, Kelly said, there just weren't much better options available. Sturgis made a 52-yard field goal, giving the Eagles points at a time when their offense just couldn't get much going. He made a couple of shorter kicks too. But in the fourth quarter, with the Eagles down 21-16, Sturgis had a 50-yard field goal try. It went wide left, and you have to wonder if Kelly will try again to address the position during the bye week.
