PHILADELPHIA – Bryce Brown ran 65 yards for a touchdown and Alex Henery kicked three field goals to help the Philadelphia Eagles take a 15-14 halftime lead over the Carolina Panthers on Monday night in a matchup of teams with the worst records in the NFC.
Cam Newton threw two touchdown passes to give the Panthers a 14-3 lead in the first quarter, but the struggling Eagles answered as they tried to snap a six-game losing streak.
Brown, filling in for injured running back LeSean McCoy, had 129 yards rushing on nine carries in his first start since his senior year in high school in 2008. Fellow rookie Nick Foles made his second straight start for Michael Vick, who also is out with a concussion. Foles was 11 of 16 for 75 yards.
Brown broke loose early in the second quarter to get the Eagles within 14-12. Brown started up the middle, cut outside and outran the defense down the right sideline for the seventh-longest TD run by a Philadelphia rookie. The Eagles inexplicably tried a 2-point conversion and failed.
Henery's 45-yard field goal gave them a 15-14 lead.
Newton, who hasn't played up to his sensational rookie season, showed no signs of a sophomore slump against Philadelphia's porous pass defense. Newton completed three passes for 47 yards on the Panthers' first drive, including a 24-yard toss over the middle to a wide-open Gary Barnidge for a 7-3 lead.
Newton connected with Brandon LaFell on a 43-yard pass to make it 14-3. LaFell was wide open on the play, taking advantage of another breakdown in coverage in the secondary.
Newton was 8 of 14 for 136 yards.
Since Todd Bowles replaced Juan Castillo as defensive coordinator, the Eagles have allowed 13 passing touchdowns and haven't had an interception in five games.
Henery's 36-yard field goal gave Philadelphia a 3-0 lead. Henery kicked a 41-yarder to cut it to 14-6. It was his 18th straight field goal, setting a team record.
The Eagles haven't won since beating the defending Super Bowl champion New York Giants to go 3-1, leaving fans and media to speculate about coach Andy Reid's job. Owner Jeffrey Lurie already has said that an 8-8 record would be "unacceptable" this year. The Eagles would have to finish 5-1 just to get there.
Fans known for their hostile behavior have become apathetic toward their beloved Eagles. The Linc was about one-third empty for pregame introductions and plenty of seats remained empty.
The Panthers aren't quite as bad as their 2-8 record. They have lost six games by less than a touchdown, including a 2-point loss at Atlanta and a 1-point loss at Chicago.
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