PHILADELPHIA — The Philadelphia Eagles lost their fourth game in a row on Sunday, falling 25-14 to the Carolina Panthers at Lincoln Financial Field in Tanner McKee's first start in place of the injured Jalen Hurts.

The defeat dropped the Eagles to 2-4 after a 2-0 start. It is the first four-game losing streak of Nick Sirianni's tenure as head coach and the franchise's first since 2020, Doug Pederson's final season, according to NBC Sports Philadelphia.

Carolina improved to 3-2. Bryce Young threw for 281 yards and two touchdowns, both to tight end Tommy Tremble, and Chuba Hubbard carried 28 times for 120 yards and a score, ESPN reported.

The Panthers outgained Philadelphia 399 yards to 222 and held the ball for 34 minutes 48 seconds, according to the Eagles' own game summary. The Eagles managed 35 rushing yards.

McKee, a fourth-year quarterback making his third career start, completed 26 of 45 passes for 215 yards and one touchdown without an interception. He was sacked for an 11-yard loss on the game's first snap, and Philadelphia punted on its first five possessions, ESPN reported.

"It's really hard to win in the NFL only putting up 14 points," McKee said afterwards, according to the Eagles' website.

"Whether it was guys in the wrong spot, I've got to get them fixed or a missed call, I've got to get it fixed," he told reporters, as quoted by ESPN.

The Eagles placed Hurts on injured reserve on Saturday with what the team described as a superficial blood clot in his calf. He is expected to miss at least four games, against Carolina, Dallas, Washington and the New York Giants, before the team's Week 10 bye, ESPN reported, citing sources. One team doctor told the network the absence "could be six weeks."

Philadelphia signed quarterback Joe Milton off Dallas's practice squad and promoted rookie Cole Payton to back up McKee, according to ESPN.

Running back Saquon Barkley missed his second consecutive game with a hamstring injury, and his backups Will Shipley and Tank Bigsby were also unavailable, ESPN said. Dameon Pierce started in his place and scored Philadelphia's first touchdown on a 2-yard run.

Carolina led 3-0 after a 47-yard field goal from Ryan Fitzgerald in the first quarter. Young found Tremble from 12 yards in the second quarter before Pierce's run cut the deficit to 10-7 at half-time.

Fitzgerald added a 52-yard field goal in the third quarter, his 11th successful kick in 11 attempts to open the season, and Hubbard's short touchdown run early in the fourth made it 19-7 after a failed two-point conversion.

McKee answered with a 19-yard touchdown pass to DeVonta Smith, who was playing for the first time in three weeks after a hamstring injury of his own, to bring Philadelphia within five points. Young then hit Tremble from 19 yards to settle the game, with Fitzgerald missing the extra point.

Penalties hurt both teams. Carolina was flagged 13 times for 149 yards, according to ESPN. Philadelphia has committed 37 penalties during its losing streak, the most in any four-game span under Sirianni since his first four games in 2021, NBC Sports Philadelphia reported.

"Too many flags today from us," left tackle Jordan Mailata said, according to the Eagles' website.

Sirianni was brief in his assessment. "We all have to do better," he said.

Linebacker Zack Baun said the team was "lacking consistency," while Smith said the offense was "shooting ourselves in the foot" and putting itself behind the chains.

The Eagles' injury list grew during the game. Edge rusher Nolan Smith left in the first half with a concussion, defensive tackle Jordan Davis hurt an ankle and running back Carson Steele suffered a shoulder injury, ESPN reported.

Philadelphia's offense was already among the league's weakest before Hurts was ruled out. Entering the weekend the Eagles ranked 29th in points per game at 18.4 and 31st in total yards, and they had failed to reach 25 points in seven consecutive regular-season games, their longest such run under Sirianni, according to ESPN. The unit has also lost right tackle Lane Johnson to retirement and center Cam Jurgens in a trade.

Panthers coach Dave Canales praised his team's resilience. "Great fight in the guys," he said, according to ESPN, while conceding that many of Carolina's penalties were "effort penalties" caused by players "trying too hard in different situations."

Carolina lost two outside linebackers to injury, with Jaelan Phillips aggravating a hamstring problem and Thomas Incoom hurting a calf, ESPN said. The Panthers host Tampa Bay next Sunday.

The Eagles return home to face the Dallas Cowboys on Monday Night Football on October 26, the first of three divisional games McKee is scheduled to start before Hurts becomes eligible to return.