Arizona vs. Philadelphia: Game Preview and Prediction

Sep 27, 2015; Glendale, AZ, USA; Arizona Cardinals free safety Tyrann Mathieu (32) reacts after intercepting a pass against the San Francisco 49ers at University of Phoenix Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports

For our weekly Sunday night matchup, Cardinals coach Bruce Arians takes his talented bunch into Philadelphia for the battle of the birds against Chip Kelly and his talented but inconsistent Eagles. Even with the Eagles roller coaster season, there is still some potential for quality football to be played Sunday night. Here is the preview for the primetime showdown of Arizona vs. Philadelphia.

Why Arizona May Win:

First and foremost, this is absolutely a Super Bowl bunch. In an instant, you’ll notice that QB Carson Palmer is the straw that stirs the drink for the Cardinals. After tearing his ACL in 2014, Palmer has bounced back big time with his fifth 4,000 yard season of his career (4,003) to go along with 31 TDs and only nine INTs. It seems his return has sparked WR Larry Fitzgerald as he has found the fountain of youth all of a sudden. Fitz leads the Cardinals in targets, catches, yards, TDs, and nasty blocks. Nine players have at least 10 catches as well as a TD reception. A dangerous Cardinals offense is second in points per game (31.2), first in yards per game (417.5), second in yards per play (6.4) and second in TDs per game (3.6).

Not to be outshined is an athletic defense that is fourth in yards allowed per game (322.4), seventh in points allowed per game( 19.4) and sixth in opponent third down conversion (33%). CB Patrick Peterson may get the spotlight and rightfully so but it’s debatable that FS/CB Tyrann Mathieu is the best player on defense. Try to keep an eye on him as “Honey Badger” is constantly on the move on blitzes as well as in coverage.

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Why Philadelphia May Win:

On paper, Philadelphia has considerable talent. However to sum up the season for the Eagles is to simply say: odd. Nevertheless, Philly is still in the thick of things with a three-way tie for first in the NFC East. As much as they have been bashed on the season, Kelly and his Eagles have the talent to go on a run and win some games. What is needed first of all is the offense to pick things up a little. In order for that to happen, QB Sam Bradford is going to have to play lights out. Bradford has 2,664 passing yards and 14 TDs on the season but tied for seventh in interceptions with 11. RB DeMarco Murray was the prize of free agency for Philly but he has been a non-factor for majority of the season with rushing totals of 34, 24, 30 and 64 the last four weeks. What is noteworthy is in six wins, Murray has 4.3 yards a carry and in seven losses he is producing only 2.8 yards a pop.

One of the most underrated players in the league, DT Fletcher Cox, is playing on a Pro Bowl level this season with 50 total tackles, 6.5 sacks, two pass deflections and three forced fumbles. Cox along with his set of outside linebackers in Connor Barwin and Brandon Graham have all played at a high level and have been about as consistent as you can get for this Eagles defense. The defense as a whole has found a way to be impactful as they have carved a niche in being second in the league in turnovers with 15 interceptions and 11 fumble recoveries.

“First and foremost, this is absolutely a Super Bowl bunch”

Who Will Win: This has a chance to be very interesting or a chance to get ugly real quick. Based on how the Eagles stole a victory in Foxboro a couple of weeks back, you can legitimately say that they have the talent to play with just about any team in the league. One of the keys to the game is the aggressiveness of Arizona on defense. Rattling Bradford can just about take the Eagles offense off their game. Turnovers is the name of the game with two teams tied for second in takeaways. At this juncture, I trust Arizona’s to take care of the ball more than I could trust Bradford and the Eagles offense.

Cardinals 31 Eagles 20

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