PHILADELPHIA — The mood in the Eagles’ locker room was a bit more bleak than it should have been for a team riding a nine-game winning streak and celebrating a franchise rushing record.
Former 1,000-yard receiver DeVonta Smith — who caught a touchdown pass and not much else — was exasperated at the offensive no-show.
A.J. Brown, who holds a slew of team receiving records, had as much to offer in his sour postgame interview as he did on the field when he was held to four catches.
This was the sullen attitude of a team still in the hunt for a top seed in the NFC?
Here’s the good news for Philadelphia: Saquon Barkley rushed for 124 yards to break the Eagles season record, and Jalen Hurts threw two touchdown passes and ran for a score in Sunday’s 22-16 win over the Carolina Panthers.
Barkley’s consistent brilliance aside, Hurts and the Eagles slogged through another rough offensive outing, and they clinched a playoff berth later Sunday when Arizona lost to Seattle, combined with Atlanta’s earlier loss.
The Eagles (11-2) maintained their position as the No. 2 team in the NFC, behind Detroit (12-1), after a mostly lethargic effort against the Panthers (3-10).
“Everybody has a reason to want more,” Hurts said.
Hurts’ passing numbers were a pedestrian 14 of 21 for 108 yards. Brown had four catches for 43 yards — and threw his helmet in anger after a three-and-out — and Smith had four catches for 37 yards.
What do the Eagles need to improve on?
“Passing,” Brown deadpanned.
How tough was it for the receivers to find a rhythm?
“Incredibly tough,” he said.
Hurts didn’t do enough to get Smith and Brown involved, one reason why the lowly Panthers stayed in striking distance until the final possession.
He took four sacks. He held the ball too long as open receivers ran with their arms up trying to get their QB’s attention.
“I play my role in how we execute,” Hurts said. “But ultimately it’s about what position we put ourselves in. It’s not my choice.”
That message will surely reverberate through coach Nick Sirianni and offensive coordinator Kellen Moore’s offices this week.
“I think that’s fair that the questions are about our pass game right now,” Sirianni said.
The Eagles at least had Barkley to bail them out.
Barkley added another milestone in his MVP push when he used a 9-yard run in the fourth quarter to surpass LeSean McCoy’s Eagles record of 1,607 yards, set in 2013. Barkley now has 1,623 yards with four games left.
“How cool is it that we have a team rushing record in Week 13?” Sirianni said.
Hurts had flashes of form, like when he hit Grant Calcaterra with a 4-yard TD pass and Barkley ran in the 2-point conversion for a 22-16 lead early in the fourth.
Bryce Young gamely moved the Panthers into Eagles territory on the final drive. He completed a 13-yard pass on fourth down that moved the ball to the 38, and a second-down pass to Xavier Legette gave the Eagles a brief scare when the receiver seemed to have the ball in the end zone.
He didn’t. Young eluded a pass rush on fourth down but his final attempt was incomplete. He finished 19 of 34 for 191 yards.
Panthers coach Dave Canales said Legette “absolutely” had to make the catch.
“That’s a big play we’re counting on. He’d be the first one to tell you he’s got to make that play,” Canales said. “Bryce steps up, makes a beautiful throw in the situation. We had the coverage we wanted, all that. Those are the plays that we’ve just got to find a way to make for us to get back on the winning column.”
A 12 1/2-point underdog according to BetMGM Sportsbook, the Panthers played more like a team with playoff seeding at stake.
Chuba Hubbard, who rushed for 92 yards and topped 1,000 on the season, made it 16-14 on a 1-yard run in the third quarter. Eddy Pineiro, who kicked a 38-yard field goal in the first quarter, missed the extra point.
Eagles safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson, who was examined earlier for a concussion, changed the game late in the second quarter when he picked off Young’s deep pass at Philadelphia’s 41. Hurts scrambled 15 yards on the next drive and finished it with a 4-yard TD pass to Smith for a 14-10 lead.
Gardner-Johnson’s pick bailed out an uneven effort by the Eagles.
They failed to score on their opening drive for the 13th time this season, but the offensive bursts that usually follow never came. Hurts scored on tush push early in the second quarter, his 13th rushing score of the season, for a 7-3 lead.
With nothing to lose, the Panthers went for it on fourth-and-3, and Young hit Tommy Tremble for a 3-yard TD and a 10-7 advantage.
The Eagles did just enough. Their challenge now is getting the receivers’ production up — and getting them happy — headed into the postseason.
“Let the dissatisfaction fuel you for more,” Hurts said. “I think that’s always a fair place to be. And so we know there’s more out there for us, and we’re in pursuit of trying to find it.”
Injuries
Panthers kickoff and punt returner Raheem Blackshear suffered a chest injury. … RB Jonathon Brooks left with a right knee injury — the same knee in which he tore the ACL last year with Texas. The Panthers had been very cautious bringing the second-round pick along. … CB Jaycee Horn hurt his groin.
Up next
Panthers: Host Dallas next Sunday.
Eagles: Host cross-state rival Pittsburgh next Sunday.
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