For the second consecutive Sunday, the Panthers took on one of the two co-leaders of that division and came up short, falling 25-16 to the Philadelphia Eagles at Ericsson Stadium. Philadelphia's David Akers converted on all four field goal attempts, while Carolina's John Kasay missed three of four field goal attempts, not to mention his first missed extra point attempt of the season.

	Philadelphia's James Thrash scores a touchdown in the fourth quarter. (AP Photo)

"John had a bad day," said Panthers head coach John Fox. "He's been a very good kicker for us this season. He had a tough day to the point of missing an extra point, which is 10 points off the board."

Kasay had converted three game-winning kicks for the Panthers earlier this season, all in overtime and all on the road. But for some reason, he was off against the Eagles.

"One thing about this League is that you expect the unexpected," said Fox. "John is a guy who has been very reliable for us and for whatever reason didn't get it done today. I don't think that is the entire reason we lost. We had breakdowns in other areas, such as the red zone, but obviously those field goals had a little bit to do with that. They were three-for-four in our red zone, which usually is the difference in the football game."

Unlike last week against the Dallas Cowboys, the Panthers got off to a good start against Philadelphia. On the first play from scrimmage, Eagles quarterback Donovan McNabb had his pass intended for fullback Jon Ritchie tipped into the arms of Panthers defensive end Mike Rucker at the Eagles 36-yard line. The Panthers cashed in with a 20-yard field goal by Kasay for a quick 3-0 lead.

The Eagles quickly answered. They drove 68 yards on 10 plays, culminating with a two-yard touchdown run by Duce Staley for a 7-3 lead. They later extended that lead to 10-3 with a 35-yard field goal by Akers.

In the third quarter, the Eagles got another Akers field goal, this one from 48 yards out, to extend the lead to 13-3 before Carolina could respond.

The Panthers drove 70 yards on seven plays, the last of which was a 24-yard pass from Jake Delhomme to Steve Smith, to cut the lead to 13-10. Once again, though, the Eagles answered immediately.

Akers converted his third field goal of the game from 38 yards, making the score 16-10 in favor of the visitors. Then disaster struck for the hosts.

Delhomme was sacked by Eagles linebacker Nate Wayne, and defensive tackle Darwin Walker recovered at the Panthers 11-yard line. Two plays later McNabb found wide receiver James Thrash for a 10-yard touchdown pass, making it 22-10 Philadelphia as the Eagles tried a two-point conversion and failed.

The Panthers put themselves in position for another come-from-behind victory when Delhomme hit wide receiver Muhsin Muhammad with a 23-yard touchdown pass. Kasay missed the extra point but the Panthers were still within 22-16.

The Eagles took over possession with 5:41 remaining, and just like the Cowboys were able to pick up crucial first downs and keep the Panthers offense off the field. Philadelphia sealed the victory with a 29-yard Akers field goal.

Carolina fell one game behind Philadelphia in the NFC playoff chase. The Panthers are 8-4 as they travel to Atlanta to play their first night contest of the season against the Falcons. Atlanta quarterback Michael Vick saw his first action of the season in the Falcons' 17-13 loss to Houston Sunday.