After facing two cupcake defenses in the Saints and Giants, the Eagles face a much stiffer challenge on Sunday Night Football against the 5-0 Carolina Panthers.
Here's a breakdown of the Birds' final game before the bye:
When the Eagles have the ball
Aside from the Jets, the Panthers have the best defense the Eagles have faced this season, and after this game only two strong defenses remain on the Eagles' schedule: Week 14 vs. Buffalo and Week 15 vs. Arizona.
The Panthers are stout up front with DTs Kawann Short and Star Lotulelei. They have two dynamic linebackers in Luke Kuechly and Thomas Davis, a duo Zach Ertz called "probably the best in the NFL." And they have a secondary led by Josh Norman, the top cornerback in the NFL in 2015 according to Pro Football Focus, and notorious fumble-creator Charles Tillman.
The weakest part of Carolina's defense is its safeties, Roman Harper and former Eagle Kurt Coleman, both of whom can struggle in coverage.
But this is a big-time test for Sam Bradford and the Eagles' offense. The Panthers have allowed a QB rating this season of 68.8, second-best in the NFL to the Jets (60.9). League average is about 90.0.
The Panthers have, however, given up some scores to running backs. They've allowed at least one rushing touchdown in four straight games and over the last three have watched Marshawn Lynch, Doug Martin, Mark Ingram and Khiry Robinson all rumble into the end zone.
NFL
That said, they've had Kuechly, their best tackler, for only two games this season because of a concussion.
Kuechly and Davis will make passes to the running backs and tight ends tough. The Panthers have allowed just 3.6 catches per game to TEs and have the jamming ability and athleticism to limit Zach Ertz.
Davis has the speed to stay with running backs, which could nullify the wheel routes to Darren Sproles and swing passes in the flat to DeMarco Murray and Ryan Mathews. One-third of Bradford's completions this season have gone to RBs, so he'll need to find other ways to pick up easy chunks of yardage.
Given the mediocrity of the Panthers' safeties and the rapport Bradford is building deep down the field to his receivers, the best bet to moving the ball for the Eagles might be some long shots.
Bradford has eight completions of 30-plus yards in the Eagles' last three games after having just one in their first three games. Of those eight in the last three weeks, three went to Riley Cooper, two were to Miles Austin, and Jordan Matthews, Josh Huff and Nelson Agholor hauled in one apiece.
Bradford has gone from averaging 5.8 yards per attempt in the first three games to 8.0 in the last three.
Huff, or whoever lines up on the outside opposite Cooper, will likely draw Norman, so that's one matchup the Eagles will likely avoid. In the slot, Matthews should see Bene Benwikere, who's been pretty good this season playing 80 percent of the Panthers' snaps in the slot.
In the running game, look for Chip Kelly to continue to utilize shotgun sweeps. That's now news Eagles fans will like to hear given the failures of those plays this season, but the strength of the Panthers' run defense is right up the middle with Short, Lotulelei and Kuechly. Running at aging defensive end Jared Allen seems like a better opportunity for Murray to pick up four or five yards on first down.
When the Panthers have the ball
The Eagles sacked Cam Newton nine times when these teams met last season, but you can go ahead and throw that stat sheet out the window. Newton was gimpy with an ankle injury and not nearly the mobile threat he was in the past or is now.
Newton's season so far has been in line with his previous years. He's completed 55.4 percent of his passes for 215.6 yards per game with eight TDs and four INTs. He's also rushed 50 times for 225 yards (4.5 yards per carry) with three TDs and a lost fumble.
Newton can be erratic with his throws, specifically high. But he has a strong arm and makes great use of play action because of the Panthers' reliance on the running game and his own ability to roll out quickly.
In the red zone, Newton is such a threat because of how tough it is to bring him down. He's not a mobile QB the way that Colin Kaepernick is or Michael Vick was. Newton has speed, sure, but he's also the biggest quarterback in the NFL at 6-5/245. He can bowl over a linebacker to pick up a first down or touchdown. Newton invites contact.
His running back is Jonathan Stewart, a between-the-tackles runner who scored a pair of one-yard touchdowns last Sunday against the Seahawks. Stewart (5-10/235) is averaging 3.8 yards per carry this season and has yet to exceed 78 yards despite rushing 16 times per game.
The Panthers will not veer away from their ground game and the Eagles know it. DeMeco Ryans said Thursday that it's the kind of game a linebacker loves to prepare for.
Carolina has to play that way because it lacks game-breaking options out wide. Newton lost his top receiver, Kelvin Benjamin, to a torn ACL early in training camp, leaving him with Ted Ginn Jr., Corey "Philly" Brown, rookie Devin Funchess and Jerricho Cotchery as his weapons at wideout. With three TDs, Ginn is the de facto No. 1 WR, but he has just 13 catches in five games.
The Panthers' best pass-catcher is tight end Greg Olsen, who keyed Carolina's nine-point, fourth-quarter comeback over Seattle in Week 6. Olsen has been targeted by Newton nine times per game and pulled in 24 receptions for 374 yards and three touchdowns this season.
The Eagles' defenders talked extensively this week about the need to jam Olsen at the line of scrimmage and prevent him from getting open on seam and post routes.
With safeties Malcolm Jenkins and Walter Thurmond balling out in 2015, the Eagles do seem equipped to keep Olsen in check.
From a pass-rushing perspective, the Eagles could feast on left tackle Michael Oher. Newton's blind side blocker this season has allowed three sacks, eight QB hurries, drawn two penalties, and graded out as the worst run-blocking left tackle in the NFL, according to PFF.
The Panthers have committed just five turnovers this season and are tied for the best giveaway-takeaway ratio in the NFL at plus-6.
Special teams
The Panthers have had six accepted special teams penalties this season compared to the Eagles' three.
Ginn is Carolina's punt returner and he's averaged 10.3 yards per return. The Panthers have been able to return only three kickoffs, with backup RB Fozzy Whitaker returning two and the infamous Joe Webb returning one.
Panthers kicker Graham Gano is 8 for 11 this season. He's made his last five field goals, but has been blocked twice.
Eagles kicker Caleb Sturgis is on a roll since his dreadful debut, going 6 for 6 over his last two games. Five of those makes were from 39 yards or closer.
And as we write in each scouting report, Sproles is always a threat to break one in the punt return game.
Prediction
I've picked the Eagles to win each game, not because I believe they should be 6-0 at this point but because of the way each matchup has looked heading into the game and the desperation they've been playing with. Had they beaten the Cowboys, I probably would not have picked them to beat the Jets the next week because they wouldn't have bottomed out and been subject to a must-win game.
That said, I'm going with my gut here and making it seven weeks in a row. The Panthers are coming off the emotional high of beating the Seahawks in Seattle, and the last 14 teams to face the Seahawks are 3-11 in their next game. That's hard to ignore.
From a matchup standpoint, the Eagles' top-notch run defense should be able to stifle Stewart, so it really comes down to defending Olsen and limiting the Panthers to field goals in the red zone.
I don't think this will be an impressive game from the Birds' offense, but I see them doing just enough to win.
Eagles 23, Panthers 16