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Eagles-Panthers stock watch: C.J. Gardner-Johnson trending up, Jalen Hurts down

by EJ Smith
Monica Herndon / Staff Photographer
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It may have been tighter than many expected, but the Eagles extended their winning streak to nine games with a 22-16 win over the Carolina Panthers on Sunday in a game that came down to the wire. From a historic day for Saquon Barkley to a clutch fourth-down stand, here’s our stock watch:

Monica Herndon / Staff Photographer

Up: C.J. Gardner-Johnson

Yong Kim / Staff Photographer

Gardner-Johnson set the tone for the Eagles defense early, delivering a punishing hit on Xavier Legette to end Carolina’s opening series. The veteran safety missed time while being evaluated for a concussion later in the first half, but returned in time to get a timely interception before the break.

Yong Kim / Staff Photographer

Down: Jake Elliott 

Matt Slocum / AP

After missing three kicks against Washington last month, Elliott’s struggles at The Linc persisted against the Panthers. He missed a 52-yard field goal in the third quarter and Nick Sirianni tellingly opted to punt on the edge of field goal range instead of sending Elliott out for another 52-yarder late in the game.

David Maialetti / Staff Photographer

Up: Saquon Barkley

Monica Herndon / Staff Photographer

As if Barkley’s first season with the Eagles wasn’t already special, the star running back solidified his place in franchise history by breaking the team’s single-season rushing record. He needed 109 yards Sunday to surpass the 1,607-yard mark set by LeSean McCoy in 2013 and did so midway through the fourth quarter.

Monica Herndon / Staff Photographer

Down: Jalen Hurts

Monica Herndon / Staff Photographer

Despite the win, Hurts had one of his most uneven performances of the season against an unheralded Carolina defense. He finished 14-for-21 for just 108 yards and had several head-scratching decisions both making downfield reads and when he took a dubious sack in the fourth quarter instead of throwing the ball away.

Monica Herndon / Staff Photographer

Up: Grant Calcaterra

Yong Kim / Staff Photographer

Filling in for an injured Dallas Goedert, Calcaterra caught the first touchdown pass of his career to give the Eagles a lead early in the fourth quarter. Calcaterra’s final numbers weren’t gaudy (three catches for 16 yards), but he was once again a steady contributor to the running game while making the timely catch.

Yong Kim / Staff Photographer

Down: The opening drive script

Yong Kim / Staff Photographer

The Eagles’ opening offensive script underwhelmed once again on Sunday, with the offense finishing the first quarter without points for the 10th time this season. The sluggish start for the offense gave way to a productive second quarter, but made for a tighter contest than most expected going into the weekend.

Yong Kim / Staff Photographer