The number one goal of the Eagles defense this week will be stopping the Carolina Panthers outstanding running game. They have two outstanding running backs, DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart, who are capable of taking over a game.
The Birds “D” must make Panthers quarterback Jake Delhomme beat them. As we saw in the playoffs a year ago, he can be a human turnover machine.
One the key players on the Eagles defense will be Quintin Mikell. He’s got to play games with Delhomme by moving up into the box then moving back to help on Pro Bowl wide receiver Steve Smith.
You can bet that a veteran quarterback like Delhomme will run some play action passes and try to get the Eagles secondary thinking run while he tries to get the ball to Smith deep.
This is the most difficult thing the Birds defense has to do. Take away the Panthers running game by getting eight men in the box while at the same time doubling Smith.
They can’t take their eyes off of Smith for a second because he can score from any where on the field. He’s not very tall but he’s built like a muscle-bound running back and will run through tackles if you don’t wrap him up when you hit him.
