NFL
By: Mark T. Wilson
The Philadelphia Eagles will be on the road to take on the 2-2 Arizona Cardinals in their Week 5 matchup. The Eagles are coming off another impressive win in Week 4 where they came back from 14 down to beat the Jacksonville Jaguars. The offense started off slow but found its footing in the 2nd quarter. Jalen Hurts and the offense are clicking but it’s been the play of the defense that has this team currently sitting at 4-0.
The Cardinals will go as far as Kyler Murray takes them and right now, he’s doing all he can. The Cards will head into this game after a 26-16 win over the Carolina Panthers in Week 4. Finding a balance on offense has to be the main plan against the Eagles. Also, protecting Murray against the No. 1 sack team in the league is also important. Which QB will lead his team to victory?
Philadelphia Eagles Offense vs Arizona Cardinals Defense
The Eagles are rolling on offense. AJ Brown continues to show why he’s one of the best in the game and why Howie Roseman put his cards on the table to grab the wide receiver. In his 4 games with the Birds, Brown has caught 25 passes for 404 yards but with just 1 TD. The Eagles rank 24th in Passing Attempts but rank 6th in Passing Yards. They will also enter the game with the 5th most Rushing Yards and No. 1 in rushing TDs. They are a well-balanced attack on offense.
The Cardinals must not let Hurts beat them through the air. Heading into Week 4, the Cardinals are ranked 23rd in Passing Yards allowed and 25th in TDs allowed. For the year, they are giving up 342 yards per game and with this hot Eagles offense coming in, the Cards must find a way to put the clamp on Hurts. On the other side of the coin, the Cards are solid and rank as the 5th best defense in that category.
Philadelphia Eagles Defense vs Arizona Cardinals Offense
As great as the offense has been, it’s been the play of the Eagles’ defense over the last 3 weeks that has catapulted them to an undefeated record. 30 sacks last season, and now the Eagles are atop the NFL in that department with 15. But not to be forgotten is the most important aspect of any defense; the Takeaways. The Eagles’ defense is also ranked 1st in that category with 10. Containing Murray is no small feat but if they can get to him often, it will knock him off his stride and the Cardinals’ gameplan.
The Cardinals are a middle-of-the-pack team on both sides of the ball and now is the time for them to take on an identity. As good as Murray is at times. he does need help. Zach Ertz is going against his former team and could see a breakout game. The running of James Conner must improve. In 4 starts this season, he has rushed for only 145 yards on 45 attempts. Murray must beat the Eagles in the middle of the field because passing on the Eagles’ corners has been difficult for opposing QBs so far.
Game Prediction
The Cardinals are 2-2 and are in need of a solid win if they want to build confidence going forward. Beating an unbeaten team will do wonders for this team’s confidence. If Murray can hit the open receiver and Conner can get going early, they have a chance. With the game being at home, this is also another opportunity they must take advantage of. The name of the game for the Cardinals in Week 5 is to attack. Take Hurts out of his comfort zone and eliminate Miles Sanders.
The Philadelphia Eagles are looking head into their Bye Week undefeated and the Arizona Cardinals are just the latest of teams standing in their way. After the close win against the Detroit Lions in Week 1, this has been an entirely different Eagles’ defense. They are blitzing more, but against a dangerous runner like Murray, that could prove to be costly. They must stay on their plan of running that RPO and not waver from their intentions. In the end, the Eagles will walk away 5-0.
