In a week that was expected to be overshadowed by Kevin Kolb’s return to Philadelphia, a turf toe has settled the excitement. The Arizona Cardinals (2-6) are just another opponent ready to face the Eagles Nightmare Team (3-5). The Cardinals defense has yet to show anything positive this season. LeSean McCoy will be facing off against a rush defense that allows 117.8 yards per game.
McCoy is coming off of a 71-yard Monday night performance against the tough, physical Bears defense led by Brian Urlacher and Lance Briggs at the linebacker positions. Shady was consistently stuffed at the line but was relentless and eventually broke out for a 33-yard touchdown in the third quarter.
The Cardinals have allowed 11 rushing touchdowns this season, including 7 in their last 4 games. Against a running back like McCoy, who has had a nose for the end zone week-to-week, it is a statistic that favors the opposition.
In week five, Adrian Peterson ran for 122 yards and 3 touchdowns on the Cards defense. Lorenzo Booker, Percy Harvin, Toby Gerhart and Donovan McNabb added another 50 rushing yards, giving the Vikings 172 total rushing yards. McNabb also added a fourth rushing touchdown in the 34-10 Vikings win.
Three weeks later, the Cardinals played a close game with the Ravens in which they led 24-6 at halftime. The Ravens didn’t shy away from the run and Ray Rice ran for three short touchdowns in the second half. Rice finished the game with just 63 yards but Ricky Williams and Joe Flacco put the Ravens over 100 rushing yards on the day.
However, the Cardinals worst defensive performance came against the Redskins, who own the 4th worst rushing offense in the league. In week two, Tim Hightower and Roy Helu combined for 170 yards rushing with a 5.7 yards per carry average. For a team that averaged 2.8 yards per carry and just 76 rushing yards in week one, the Redskins came in and had their way against Arizona’s defense.
McCoy, who is averaging over 100 yards per game by himself, will have arguably his best matchup so far this season. The Cardinals defense doesn’t have a DeMarcus Ware or Brian Urlacher who strike fear into opposing offenses. Paris Lenon is the Cardinals leading tackler and Calais Campbell is the “star” of the front four.
So far this season, out of the three games that McCoy has rushed for under 100 yards (not including last week), he has followed two of them up with 120 yard performances. Both of those games came against divisional opponents, the New York Giants and the Dallas Cowboys.
The league’s leading rusher has only had at least 20 carries in a game three times through eight games this season. In those three games, he has rushed for at least 126 yards and a touchdown. McCoy has proven that he can carry the load and lead the offense when the opportunity is given to him.
Number 25 has a chance to break a franchise record against the Cardinals, adding more to his season accolades thus far. If he gets into the endzone during the week ten matchup, it will give him nine consecutive games with a touchdown, breaking Steve van Buren’s record of eight consecutive games. Having already passed the Eagles mark for rushing yards through a half of a season, McCoy is rewriting the franchise’s record books and doesn’t show any signs of slowing down.
Given the Cardinals woes against the run, McCoy and the Eagles have a favorable game on Sunday. The patterns this year show that Shady may be in for another big day. With only 16 carries in Monday’s loss to the Bears, perhaps Andy Reid will lean on McCoy again to be the offensive workhorse, as he has proved he can be.
Statement game for the Eagles. If this isn’t a blowout we should just hang it up.
It’s already over RTB,
The Eagles should win, but it’s not going to matter at this point as far as Playoffs go.
There are too many teams to jump over to get into Playoff contention,their only shot is to go 7-1 and beat the GIants and have the Giants finish 3-5 and that’s not very likely to happen for either team to do..
NFC Playoffs will be something like this
East – Giants (10-6 or 11-5)
North – Packers (14-2 or even better) Wildcard between Lions & Bears
South – Saints or Falcons (11-5 or 10-6) One will be the Widcard
West – 49ers (11-5 or 12-4 with their crappy Division)
you don’t know that paulman. anything can happen. giants could blow it and we could go on a run. i stand by my statement. this will be a statement game and we will destroy the cardinals.
I know eveything RTB, and if you don’t believe me, you can ask Schiller…
Back on topic, I do expect the EAgles to win over the hapless Cardinals, but it will be an ugly win and a closer contest than many would have thought.
The Statement Game was needed last week versus the Bears and the Eagles played very small and gave out a whimper instead.. This Season is over (as far as making the playoffs goes)
Eagles will Beat the Cardinals, Seahawks, Dolphins & Redskins
and lose to the Giants,Pats, Jets & Cowobys to finish 7-9 and finish in 3rd Place in a very weak NFC East this year and that’s about what they are…..
Paul, this is some of your boldest arrogace ever. You rightly aknowledged reality, and than stated that your guess (which is just taking the odds to stack them in favor of your pathetically tender ego for being right) is superior to reality.
Pretty pretty pretty pretty asinine
Easy Schiller, Can’t I poke fun at myself and you at the same time…. Stop taking everything so damn serious that you read on here…jeez…and for the record Schiller, I have been pretty consistent about having reservations about this 2011 Team from the get go.. So I am not a bandwagon fan or changing my tune with every week that goes by.. This Current team is simply average for better or for worse and will win between 7-9 Games which is about what I stated back in the Summer.. Too many new parts,players,schemes and an unproven DC to get it together in such a short period of time.. The only Shot I really thought they had is if Vick played at very high level out of the gate, that he demonstrated last Oct/Nov, but he has not and has reverted to his old ways which is High-Risk, High Reward , Style of play and so far this year, he’s made more negative plays than great plays. I thought if the Offense was on all-cylandirs from the Start of the Season , that the Defense would catch up and start contributing by the 2nd half of the Season.. The Offense has been very inconsistent and the lack of Camp time between that QB Vick had with WR D-Jax/Maclin has definitely contributed to some of the inconsistency… I don’t believe Vick will ever be the type of QB to lead this Team to a Super Bowl, just like I don’t believe that Coach AR is the type of Coach to lead them to a Super Bowl Victory which doesn’t mean I am an Eagle Hater, it just means that I don’t particularly care for the Leaders of this Franchise right now .. I don’t believe I have ever been as disinterested in a Eagle team in the 35 Years + of following my home town team as I am with this 2011 Team which is a sad thing to say, but it’s true.. …
I think its time to discuss coaching changes for 2012 now before the false sense of hope going into next year spin kicks in. I have a funny feeling this team win the games down the stretch when there’s nothing to play for and use that to sell this coaching staff ro fans for another season. The novacare spin have already began with the new coaching staff, new players, short OTA’s spin,
DON’T BUY IT!!!!
The 49ERS HAVE AN ALL NEW COACHING STAFF!
They also have Rogers on the corner who is learning a new scheme.
We need coaches who can put our players in a position to win and that means firing Andy Reid and Juan Castillo.
It’s not going ot happen SOngs..
The only Coach who may be gone would be DC Castillo..
The Rest of the group are all highly paid (MM,Mudd,Washburn and Lynn) and are all signed thru 2012 and Coach Ar is signed thru 2013.. I believe this Coaching Staff will be kept in tact for the 2012 Season and if no deep Playoff Run or Super Bowl Appearance in 2012, then Luri/Banner will clean house, but nothing will happen this Off-Season except for maybe Castillo who will be made the Annual Sacrificial Lamb for the 2011 Season…
Rember that Lurie is not going to Pay over $10 Million in Coaching Staff SAlaries to Reid & Company for 2012 and not have them coach.. The Othe rproblem is whoever the next Coach may be must be a Coach who embraces QB Vicks style of play, and that may be a little harder to find for not every Coach out there would want him leading this team for his hish risk-high reward style of play.. Coach AR, MM and QB Vick are all tied together at the hip in this deal right now for better or for worse..
I just don’t think so paulman, if the eagles do not make the playoffs Lurie has no choice to make a coaching change even if it costs him dollars short term
Why is that Jake..
Coach AR and staff are already planting the seed about if they just limit their turnovers, they would be right there which is all they talked about after the Bears loss in which both Teams committed 2 Turnovers a piece so there was no advantage their.. He will give up Castillo as the sacrifical lamb for being the demise of the 2011 Team as well as all the new players, coaching staff, schemes, lack of OTA,etc,etc as an excuse to Lurie who will take it hook and sink.. Does anyone believe this will not happen.. Asst Coach’s MM, Mudd , Washburn & April are some of the highest paid Asst Coaches in the NFL and when you add Coach Ar Salary, there is no way Lurie & Banner are going to buy them out and replace them all and pay their for 2 Coaching Staff’s Salary for 2012, There is no way, no how that Lurie & Banner will decide this unless the Eagles really go on a stuper and continue to lose and finish at 5-11 or worse.. but if they get to 7-8-9 Wins, which is about where I expect them to be, this Coaching Staff will all be back for 2012 with only Castillo as the Casualty and they would pporbably then hire Chuck Cecil to take over as the DC and then they have 2012 to get to a Super Bowl and if not, then will be terminated but not this off-season..