Eagles WR DeSean Jackson was a versatile weapon in the 38-10 victory with two catches, two carries for 33 yards and an 87-yard punt return for a touchdown.
Eagles DE Victor Abiamiri scooped up a Panthers QB Jake Delhomme fumble and returned it two yards for the first touchdown of his life.
The fumble was caused by a creative use of Eagles DE Trent Cole, who was deployed as a blitzing middle linebacker.
Said Eagles LB Chris Gocong of the late Jim Johnson, “He was in our minds. He was. But this is his defense. And at the same time, we made it ours. So we are kind of doing this for him.”
Forced into the lineup because of Shawn Andrews’s injury, Eagles T Winston Justice held up much better than in previous appearances.
Panthers FB Brad Hoover and wide receivers Muhsin Muhammed and Steve Smith all rallied to the defense of Delhomme following the game.
The Panthers defense, which looked terrible in preseason, held the Eagles to 267 yards on offense.
Panthers DE Julius Peppers wasn’t willing to pass the buck though, saying that “there’s nobody on this team that should skip responsibility'' for the loss.
Panthers coach John Fox said that the offensive line should share some of the blame for Delhomme’s turnover-filled performance.
WR Kenneth Moore became the first Charlotte native to appear in a game as a member of the Panthers.
