Comeback Cats

The Eagles suffered their second loss this season after blowing a big second-half lead.

This time, they lost a 17-0 lead through three quarters as Panthers quarterback Cam Newton hit Greg Olsen on a 1-yard touchdhown pass with 1:22 left, sending the Eagles to a 21-17 loss Sunday.

On Sept. 23, the Eagles blew a 17-3 lead and lost 26-23 in overtime to the Tennessee Titans.

In both games, the Eagles allowed the opponent to convert a 4th-down with at least 10 yards to go. Newton hit former Eagle Torrey Smith for a 34-yard completion to the Eagles’ 34. The Titans converted a 4th-and-15 in overtime to eventually score the game-winning touchdown.

This will haunt the Eagles as they drove down to the Panthers’ 14 yard line with less than a minute left, helped by a pass interference call on a deep pass from Carson Wentz to Alshon Jeffery, then an interception that was overturned as it was determined that Eric Reid didn’t hold onto the ball.

On 4th-and-2 Wentz was hit and lost the ball, and the Eagles were done.

It was the culmination of a long day that began with a shoving incident during the coin toss when Reid went after the Eagles’ Malcolm Jenkins.

Through three quarters, it was the Eagles who took the fight out of the Panthers.

On offense, Wentz picked apart the Panthers defense. He finished 30 of 37 for 310 yards and two TDs, while tight end Zach Ertz had nine receptions for 138 yards. But he’ll lament the final drive, when he couldn’t get the Eagles into the end zone one last time.

It’ll be the same for the Eagles’ defense. They kept the pressure on Newton for three quarters. Newton had just 68 yards passing through three quarters, but had 201 yards passing in the fourth quarter and led three TD drives.

The Eagles (3-4) were determined to establish their rhythm early. They controlled the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball.

That was evident on the Eagles’ first drive of the third quarter, a time-consuming, ball-control drive that went 94 yards in 17 plays, using up 9 minutes, 22 seconds. Wentz completed all eight of his pass attempts on the drive, including the final play, a 1-yard touchdown pass to rookie tight end Dallas Goedert.

That gave the Eagles a 17-0 lead.

It seemed safe.

The Panthers responded with a touchdown on Curtis Samuel’s 14-yard TD run. But Graham Gano missed the extra point, so the Eagles still led by 11.

The Eagles had trouble putting more distance between themselves and the Panthers.

After a missed field goal in the first quarter, the Eagles finally broke through on Wentz’s 9-yard pass to Alshon Jeffery with 11:39 left in the second quarter. For Jeffery, it was his 11th-red zone TD reception since the start of the 2017 season. Only Green Bay’s Devante Adams has more.

Jeffery finished with seven catches for 88 yards and the touchdown.

Wentz had a strong first half, completing 15 of 18 passes for 208 yards and the touchdown.

And the Eagles’ defense, down to three players at defensive tackle and missing three of their top six defensive backs, did a good job shutting down the Panthers’ offense.

Newton was 4 of 9 for 24 yards in the first half as the Eagles outgained the Panthers 222-83 in the first half.

But it wasn’t enough.

Carolina came right back on Newton’s 18-yard TD pass to Devin Funchess. The Panthers converted the 2-point conversion and trailed by just three points with 4:08 left.

The Eagles went 3-and-out on their next possession, and the Panthers made them pay. Newton started the possession by missing on three straight passes, leaving Carolina with a 4th-and-10 from the 31.

But then he stood in the pocket, took a hit from Michael Bennett and completed a pass to Smith, who got the ball down to the Eagles’ 26.