Confidence is flowing around the NovaCare Complex; the Philadelphia Eagles are on a winning streak!
Their reward for a better effort as of late, a prime time matchup against the NFC West leading Arizona Cardinals.
How can the Eagles find a way to win this game? This is a difficult question to find some kind of answer that sounds believable.
The Cardinals are a talented football team, with depth at playmaking positions that the Eagles lack.
They have three wide receivers in Fitzgerald, Floyd, and Brown that can score anytime the ball is thrown their way. Third round rookie running back David Johnson has been a tremendous find, filling in for the void left behind by veteran Chris Johnson who is shelved with an injury.
Leading the charge at quarterback is Carson Palmer, playing at an elite level on his way to the best statistical season of his NFL career. Palmer is a savvy veteran who has been outstanding with diagnosing defenses and is always looking to take his shot down field with the deep pass. Palmer will have every opportunity to build on his passing stats, facing a defense ranked 31st in the league with twenty-nine touchdowns allowed to opposing quarterbacks.
The Cardinals defense likes to pressure the quarterback, allowing their secondary to jam receivers and play a ball-hawking scheme. Bradford is likely to see constant pressure, and will have to be smart with his reads with some of the camouflaged looks the Cardinals like to give to quarterbacks.
The offense for the Eagles has and continues to be an “unknown.” Sam Bradford has looked better in recent weeks and Darren Sproles has essentially become the go to running back in the committee approach.
The wide receivers and tight-ends have all contributed in their respective weeks, but trying to count on any of them is likely to lead to disappointment to some degree. Ertz and Sproles are two weapons that could enjoy big nights. Their style of play takes advantage of the weakness the Arizona Cardinals defense has.
The issue for the Eagles will be creating space. The secondary for the Cardinals is one of the best in the league at jamming receivers and they are also ball hawks. What can help the Eagles offense is their defense, which requires the defensive line to continue their dominance like the effort last week against the Bills.
I don’t anticipate the Cardinals offense to be held to under thirty points even with Fletcher Cox taking over the game. This raises the bar for the Eagles offense who struggles to score. The Eagles must find a way to score a special teams touchdown, and hold the Cardinals to a few field goals to keep the score in check.
There simply has not been enough from the Eagles offense to give me the confidence that they can be explosive.
This game if the Eagles find a way to win; will happen because Chip Kelly outcoaches Bruce Arians and Bradford outshines Palmer.
Unfortunately, I don’t believe Chip has shown enough to win this battle, and the Eagles vanilla offense will come up lame against a top tier defense. I also think Bradford is an average who is receiving too much praise for his efforts the last two weeks.
I could see the Eagles defense holding Palmer in check; limiting him, I’ll go with two touchdowns through the air. The problem is; I also see another touchdown scored on the ground and three field goals.
Bradford will look average and the receiving core below average. In the end, the final score looks much closer then how the game felt, and the focus becomes winning the last two games of the season and trying to win the NFC East at 7-9.
Cardinals 30 Eagles 20
Cardinals Rushing Defense only allows 88 Yards per Game…
If Eagles cannot Rush the Ball effectively to keep the Cardinals Front 7 honest
Then it will be a long, long day for Bradford & Receivers
Eagles must Pass on 1st Downs and take some early shots down the field
These dink & dunk routes and short routes will not work versus the Cardinals Secondary..
As I watch the illustrious Kirk Cousins shred the Bills, I would like someone to once again tell me about Bradford’s “trending upwards”
I would also like to hear more from Koolbreeze about how 60% 1td and 1int against the “we’ve quit” Bills (and 7 of 17 in the 2nd half) was “brilliant play by the QB”
If that’s “brilliant” than what the hell do we call what Cousins is doing right now?
Face it….against the exact same teams, the “trending” Bradford is being fed his lunch by QBing titans Smith, Hoyer, Cousins and the like.
BTW – Hate seeing Cousins doing so well. I wanted Birds to draft that guy.
Come on Vinnie we can all play that what he did last week vs this or that team the week before.
Ya. We can all play…the problem is, the game always ends the same – with our guy putting up numbers that are continually dwarfed by guys normally relegated to the bottom of the QBing heap.
How dId Tom Brady play against the bills? So I guess that means cousins is better…..f’in moron
“How did Tom Brady do against the Bills??”
2w 0L 58 of 98 for 743 4tds and 1 int
Tore them apart.
What the fuck is your point?
I am sorry you get your panties in a bunch when I point out the “improving to brilliance” Bradford gets his ass handed to him against common opponents by both the superstars and the scrubs.
I thought only recent performances against defenses matter so week two is irrelevant. You just have a moving target to prove your points which is way I call them out. You cherry pick stats to prove points and you move the bar. Winning matterd for foles but not Bradford. You have no consistency.
Looking back I actually agreed with you often when discussing foles. But atleast I stay consiStent with my evaluation unlike u.
Listen….I am just a woice against the tempest. For 2 weeks now its been nothing about this “trending upwards” garbage.
What low expectations. Bradford has thrown 5 tds over the past 5 games.
Sorry, but look around the NFL today. 3, 4 5 td games are now the norm. Scrubs like Cousins, Hoyer, journeymen like Fitzpatrick and rookies like Winston and Mariotta are doing it with regularity.
Seriously, we’ve got two rooks dropping 4 td games and no one bats an eye. 2nd year QBs like Bortles and Carr are dropping 4 and everyone responds with a shrug, “ah, its the way the game is now – everyone can do it”
Bradford has 5 tds over 5 games and he is “trending upwards”???????????
OMGoodness.
Such low expectations. Such ridiculous hope for a guy who will never deliver.
Will be fun watching him run out onto the field with his chin on his chest over and over tonight.
Damn that running QB in Carolina can throw that ball. Best player in football right now hands down.
That’s it for the Giants. Blew their load today. They’ll get crushed next week @vikes and Eagles will (if necessary) be able to pummel their dejected squadthem final week.
Lots of pressure tonight.
You can’t compare Week to Week Games or how a Player did against a common opponent to for there’s way too many variables,game plans involved.. etc, etc
In the Bills case, anyone who watched Rex Ryan’s Press Conference last week already knew that he packed it in for the Season and today’s performance by his Team was a reflection of the HC giving up ..
the Eagles are fortunate they even have a chance to Win the NFE thought the Redksins are in the Drivers Seat in terms of controlling their own destiny and have the Cowboys with Kellen Moore at QB to close out their Season
Eagles control their own destiny too. They win out and they win the division.
Obv next weeks game against Wsh will decide things, though if the Eagles lose tonight, then they’ll need to both beat the skins and get “help” from the Cowboys in the final week.
Season is on the line tonight.
But big advantage for Birds…
Look at GB having clinched pre-game sleeping vs the Raiders….Arizona clinched last week and this game means absolutely nothing. They will sleep-walk through the first half. Eagles must take advantage.
The Cardinals do not have the NFW West and the #2 Seed just Yet
The Seahwaks started the day 3 Games behind the Cards and are winning vs the Browns
The Cards & Seahwaks play the Final Game of the Season so the Cards can wrap up the NFC West Division and the #2 Seed tonight with a Win tonight over the Eagles
The Raiders gave the Packers their first 14 points
The Packers have not played very well on the road all Season long to be honest ..
The NFC Champion will come down to the Panthers, Cardinals or Seahawks this Year .. Packers have too many issues this Season to make a Championship Run..
Eagles get blown out tonight
Kelly is no match for Arians
Gumby no match for Palmer
It’s the beginning of the ens
For the Record,
I never thought Cam Newton would become the type of Pocket QB he has become..he is on some kinda of roll here lately ..Another 5 TD’s Passing today which he has done in 3 of the last 5 Games and now has 28 TD’s with 10 Int’s
For the Seasonto go along with 7 Rushing T’s..
I like the Cardinals 33 – 20 Over the Eagles…
Big Games by RB David Johnson, QB C Palmer & WR’s Michael Floyd and John Brown & TE Troy Niklas
Darren Sproles & TE Celek & Burton with some Big Plays
The Key to containing Carson Palmer is to Rush up the Interior and take away his step up spots… Big Games are needed by Fletcher Cox, Bennie Logan, Beau Allenand the ILB’s who must get pressure up the middle to get Palmer to move laterally.. If he is allowed to step up, it will be very long game for the Eagles Secondary ..
Agree…gonna be a tough one. Can’t wait for the in game updates from vinnie on how Bradford sucks.
This offense is just too much to handle. The only edge they have is the can get pressure without blitzing which will help the back end. Regardless gonna be too much and Larry fitz owns this team.
Bradford will keep everything short and go to the tightend often which makes sense again st a blitzing team that is light across the middle.
Regardless going three and out against this offense will spell trouble.
Offensively, Bradford needs to take a couple of shots early and must pass some on1st Downs to mix things up but they have to stay out of the 2nd & 3rd and Longs..
Cardinals DT Calais Campbell is a handful, as is Pass-Rusher Golden (#48)
I believe Cardinals get back DL Frostee Rucker from Injury also..
They are difficult to run on and especially on 1st Downs..
yeah….pretty much the worse match up imaginable.
The Big Advantage the Cardinals and every other Secondary has is that there is no Eagles Receiver that demands a double-Teamto Secondaries and Safeties in particular can. Roam around and play aggressive and play off the QB Eyes.. Bradford has to have his A Game tonight for Eagles to have chance but he needs some help from his Receivers too..
On a Side Note,
It’s amazing watching other Teams Play at Home and the amount of support and cheer control they have..
Watching the Steelers Fans who have been supportive & loud all Game even though their Team was down 27-10 earlier… Would this even happen in Philly or would the Boo-Birds be so numerous that it’s more difficult to pick up the Players emotions in a positive way instead of booing…
Just a thought… But I see Fans who really kind of “Will and Cheer” their Teams back into the Games from strong Fan Bases like the Steelers, Packers, Chiefs, Ravens & Patriots to name a few …
The Eagles are going to need their Fans to be supportive and help them out tonight..
Been saying the same for 20 years.
On this we completely agree
Will be a good crowd tonight.
Night games have a lower percentage of season ticket holders who dump their tickets for the late games…..night fans only go to a games every once once and a while and are usually happy to be there…plus they’ve had hours and hours to get lubed up…….usually very vocal and fun. Not as quick to turn as season ticket holders.
Will be fine tonight. (unless things go to shit early)
But when #65 said it he was a whiny puss and Kelly’s team are a bunch of soft pusses.
Eagles are winning tonight.
No way blow out
The Vegas numbers ,.-3 66% of cash coming on cards ..and total 48 opened is now 51. The local slant is that they feel good that they have the better team..I’m wearing green talking shit all day long ..I feel we will use the run game hoping to have successes ,with a three headed attack..Sproles will be someone I key on tonight with surprisingly a guy like Murray matching up better than usual..Agholor needs put back to back performances to build upon ,his confidences ..two tight end sets ,pound em and please bill ,don’t get crazy when you see red ..play with physicality but don’t let th slant and tight ends get loose ..my trash has been extreme and plentiful..the wife and I got politely booed at lunch..so west coast ..pussyfoot around ..and we step on them ..I want to see the Eagles treat this game as a makeup for last year …chip needs show at home in the next two he can protect his turf..Go Green ..I expect a great game ..
4
For God’s sakes…
Watching the pre-game…my wife…who could give a shit about football….sees Bradford in the close up and says…
“Ummm……you quarterback….he looks….ummmmmm….well….”
“Ya. I get it.”
Good times
What did I saw aout sleeping?
Dropped TD. (Wait – other teams drop the ball??)
Donut game for the Cards.
We will see more of this for the first half. Uncharacteristic mistakes. Better get the lead before Ariz wakes up.
John Browns first drop of the year.
Ha. Vin ..it’s spreading ..hide the children and pets ..the whole house has the Nick Foles virus..at Xmas..
Arizonans are snickering…bill Davis …embarrassing
That was too damn easy smh. Come on defense
Sometimes I just don’t know what Bill Davis is thinking. It’s always wrs running wide open against this d. Just line up and press…what the hell is so hard about that
Kendricks has to outweigh that Wr by 50 lbs and got “blocled” out?????
I mean seriously….did he even push back???
Can he ever surprise me at the beginning of a game to show me he knows how to prepare vs Arians.That was such a bitch slap on the first drive.Now 3 and out is not an option ,now that your defensive coordinator ,on national tv ,shat the bed ..early on.
Arizonas offense made a lot of defenses shit the bed what did you expect. Everyone acts so surprised. Its all part of the G-Cobb posters games.
A Nice Step-Up and Pass by Bradford on that 3rd Down play
Thats a good play my Matthews. Great pancake.
Can I please see a pass to a wr who isn;t standing still on a hook?
Another Nice Pass to Matthews, Bradford goes down hard and appears to be favoring his left shoulder which is not good… Bradford’s Season and Future Eagles Career could be over … He can’t catch a break …
that was great..the Sanchez exiting the game ovation ,overwhelms the Sam is back ovation I.m.o. Too funny
Y idiot tv talking heads saying Bradford is getting an “ovation”….every fan (ecet Kooltwit) just cheering that Sanchez is heading back to the bench
WRs and TEs getting killed every pass. LBs laying the wood all year.
Enjoy those 5 yard hitches to standing still Wrs.
Zac Ertz is one of more overrated Players on the Team..
He needs to battle for the ball more and use his body and get stronger
AnEarlier Pass he got beat down by a 210 Safety at the 5 yard line which there was a penalty on RB Matthews, but he needs to step up and live up to that early 2ndRound Pick of a couple of years ago..
Paulman I was going to post the same thing. Ertz is avg at best. I don’t know why they don’t give Burton some reps.
Arizona is just a better team.
Former Eagle and Penn State Center AQ Shipley Stsrting for the Cardinals
For their Injured Starter Sendlien
How many times is Byron Maxwell going to give up the inside on a slant? Its unbelievable,
Fitzgerald and Alonzo were just walking back to respective huddles. Side by side. Fitz if taller (of course) but also much thiker. I mean it was ridiculous how much bigger the WR is over Eagles LB
“big people beat up little people” indeed.
Man…..Eagles D is so weak.
Kendricks had been owned on the first two drives
Another Overrated Eagle , I believe the Eagles will regret extending LB Michael Kendricks , I never cared for him much as an ILB
I think he would make a very good WILL LB in a 4-3 Scheme..
That was a terrible sequence and Play Calls by Chip Kelly
Running on 1st Downs doesn’t work versus the Cards
Passing on 3rd & Long doesn’t work versus the Cardinals
Cards will score 30, eagles don’t have a QB to keep up
There 11-2 idiot. I guess a lot of teams dot have a “QB” to keep up. huh
I only care about the team in philadelphia…
Billy Davis has no clue on how to defend the Cardinals offense the Cards are just walking right down the field on them with no resistance. The Cardinals are gonna whip the Eagles sorry ass tonight.
Eagles Defense has no answers in slowing down this Cardinal Offense..
Maxwell out, CB’s are now playing 5-7-8 Yards off Receivers,
Palmer will toss out sideline screens all game long and then when CB’s play up and press, they will go over the Top for the big play..
Cardinals biggest weakness is there Red-Zone Offense which occurs with a stationary pocket QB in Palmer who is not going to create anything with his legs
Held to a FG.
Now we get to watch the excitement of a cavalcade of 4 yrd hitches to standing still wrs.
Enjoy!
Great NFC playoff matchups await. Carolina, Seattle and Arizona.
Good times listening to tv talking heads going on about how Bradford (by his own admission) still hasn’t figured out the offense.
Whatever.
Throw another 2 yrd hitch on 3rd and 6 and get the fuck outta dodge.
Hmmm Vinny my TV showed Bradford with 2 secs to pass. He was lucky to even get that off. You must be seeing a different game.
Eagles need a Drive with a TD, the Crowd sounds listless already and will start booing soon if they go 3 & Out here and something positive to happen and raise the energy level of the Team & Crowd ..
Here comes the lame ass tired ass Eagle offense all they do is go 3 and out in 30 seconds.
This sounds crazy. ..but see the difference of having a good punter…..Donnie joNES changed field and their punter kicked a 35 yarder. Good field position touchdown
All-Right, it’s nice to see a defensive secondary breakdown by another Team once in awhile.. Nice Drive by Bradford & the OL and way to hold onto the ball Matthews & Ertz..
Eagles run defense is way overrated as they can’t stop the run nearly as good as people think. If teams focus on running on the Eagles people will see just how weak their run defense is.
So lets review.
I said This was a “donut game” – that Arizona would come out flat and uninspired.
So far:
Dropped easy TD pass
Shanked Punt
10 men on field on D for easy TD
Exactly as I predicted.
Problem………..
Tied 10-10 when Arizona is self-destructing. At some point Arizona will wake up. Eagles need a big lead before that happens.
Byron Maxwell is terrible
So glad someone else is dropping passes at a unbelievable rate
Again….donut game for Arizona….a myriad of uncharacteristic mistakes.
I told you this would happen for the past week.
Clowns like DT, Canttake it and Kooltwit completely dismissed it.
I was right. Drops, muffed punts, 10 men on field…they are disinterested and discombobulated.
As I told you they would be.
And now a fumbled punt!! I predicted this EXACTLY!
Idiots laughed – yet all this shit is completely predictable!!
But…..
I also said Eagles HAVE to take advantage….so far they haven’t. Eagles O is terrible. QB is terrible.
Unless they up 7 or more at half they are in big trouble because Arizona will wake up eventually.
Byron maxwell is so horrible
Wow…fuckin wow
ha ha ha ha look at that shitty run defense couldn’t even tackle a guy losing his balance
good field position and the Eagles won’t do shit with it
WOW…Bradford with his best throw of the year to Celek.
He’s been having an awful lot of those “best throws if the year” recently.
Defense is going to lose this game, the offense actually has a pulse.
Some Eagle fans are so pissed Bradford is playing well there heads about to explode. LMAO
Your definition of “playing well” is exactly the opposite of my definition of “playing well”
Must be. Do mea favor and post every QB stats vs this defense this year. That’s what your good for looking up stats.