The Arizona Cardinals face the Philadelphia Eagles on the road Sunday in Week 17. The two teams have had vastly different seasons.
The Cardinals are threatening to have the No. 1 pick in the draft at 3-12.
The Eagles are headed to the playoffs, could win the NFC East and are in the mix for the No. 1 seed in the conference.
Preparing for this matchup, Eagles Wire managing editor Glenn Erby takes you behind enemy lines to understand more about the Cardinals’ next opponent. He answers questions about the Eagles’ season, Jonathan Gannon, the game and makes his prediction.
The good and the bad of 2023
What has been the good and the bad of this season?
The good starts with another 10-plus win season, another postseason appearance, continued growth from QB Jalen Hurts, and the addition of several young defenders on the defensive side of the football who have gained valuable snaps and experience. The bad includes inconsistent football on both offense and defense, along with a concerning amount of turnovers from Jalen Hurts. Philadelphia’s defense has wilted down the stretch, and the cornerback play outside Darius Slay has been underwhelming.
Jonathan Gannon and the Eagles' defense
Are there really hard feelings about Jonathan Gannon? What are the reasons for some of the defensive regression this season?
Gannon’s departure wasn’t the problem, but how he departed included an initial statement that he wouldn’t be going anywhere. Gannon’s initial statement allegedly caused a domino effect that included Vic Fangio taking the Dolphin’s defensive coordinator job under the guise that the Eagles were retaining Gannon.
Jalen Hurts
What can you say about Jalen Hurts this season?
Hurts has been an MVP candidate throughout the season, and he’s on pace for 4,000 yards passing and 35-plus total touchdowns. Hurts has grown as a leader and has improved as a signal-caller but has to improve his ball protection while cutting down on the turnovers.
Matchups
What matchups are you most excited about? Most concerned about? Is there anywhere the Cardinals might have an advantage?
The Kyler Murray-Matt Patricia matchup will be intriguing, and we will be watching to see if the veteran defensive play-caller can confuse and pressure the Cardinal’s dynamic star. The most concerning matchup will feature Arizona RB James Conner against the Philadelphia front seven. Conner is nearing 800 yards rushing on the season, and the hard-running former Pitt star offers the perfect style for the Cardinals to keep the Eagle’s offense on the sideline. The Cardinal’s one matchup advantage will come with TE Trey McBride against any defender in the Eagles’ secondary.
Prediction
Who wins and how does it go down?
The Eagles are hunting another NFC East title, and they’ll be motivated by Gannon and Rallis’s return with Arizona. We’re picking Philadelphia to surrender points but outlast the Cardinals. Eagles 41, Cardinals 31
More Cardinals, NFL coverage
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