Carolina @ Philadelphia preview

Last Meeting ( Aug 15, 2013 ) Carolina 9, Philadelphia 14

The Philadelphia Eagles begin life without quarterback Nick Foles when they host the scuffling Carolina Panthers on Monday night. Foles was injured late in the first quarter of last week's 31-21 win at Houston, giving the Eagles three quarters to acclimate Mark Sanchez to the starting role. Sanchez was solid against the Texans, and the team feels good about his chances for success against a Panthers team that has given up 30.7 points over its last seven games.

"Mark can play, man," said Philadelphia wideout Jeremy Maclin, the reigning NFC Offensive Player of the Week. "There's no question about it. He's also surrounded by a lot more talent than what he had in New York, so the sky's the limit." The Panthers, meanwhile, have only one win since Sept. 14 but should benefit from the return of two key offensive linemen as Cam Newton looks to regain his consistency. “A lot of it is not just about him,” Carolina coach Ron Rivera said. “We can put it all on the quarterback and say it’s all about the quarterback, but this is a team game.”

TV: 8:30 p.m. ET, ESPN. LINE: Eagles -6.5. O/U: 48

ABOUT THE PANTHERS (3-5-1): Left tackle Byron Bell and left guard Amini Silatolu are slated to return for Carolina, which ranks 20th in the league in passing yards and 26th in rushing yards. The Panthers have scored a total of 36 points in their last three games with Newton throwing for just 176 yards per contest during that stretch. On the bright side, Luke Kuechly continues to lead the league in tackles with 97 and has an NFL-high 417 tackles since entering the league in 2012.

ABOUT THE EAGLES (6-2): After Foles broke his collarbone, Sanchez threw two touchdowns and a pair of interceptions last week in his first regular-season action since December 2012. The focus of the offense will continue to be Maclin, who has 18 catches for 345 yards and four touchdowns in his last two games, and LeSean McCoy, whose four most productive games of the season have come in his last four outings. Philadelphia's biggest concern heading into Monday night's contest is likely how to replace linebacker DeMeco Ryans, who tore his Achilles tendon last weekend and will be replaced by a trio of relative unknowns in the middle of the Eagles' 3-4 scheme.

EXTRA POINTS

1. Newton is 2-0 all-time on Monday Night Football with five touchdown passes and no interceptions, in addition to a pair of rushing scores.

2. The Eagles have won four of their last five meetings with the Panthers and five of seven in the all-time series.

3. Philadelphia's offensive line will welcome back Pro Bowl G Evan Mathis (knee), but veteran G Todd Herremans (biceps) was placed on injured reserve earlier this week.

PREDICTION: Eagles 23, Panthers 21