Game Preview – PHI at ARZ

Posted: October 8th, 2022 | Author: | Filed under: Philadelphia Eagles | 6 Comments »

We probably overuse the phrase “trap game” these days, but this has that kind of feel. The high-flying Eagles take on the struggling Cardinals on the road, with the hated Dallas Cowboys looming next week. Should the Eagles be on upset alert?

Any time you face a talented QB like Kyler Murray, there is a possibility of losing. He’s one of those special guys who can make plays and do crazy things that you just can’t plan for. That said, the Cardinals are not good. Their record might be 2-2, but they are 29th in DVOA. They beat the struggling Raiders in overtime and then beat the hapless Panthers last week in an ugly game.

This is a game the Eagles should absolutely win.

Injuries are an issue for both teams.

No Jake Elliott, Patrick Johnson or Avonte Maddox. Jordan Mailata is most likely out. That’s not ideal, but the Eagles have good backups ready. The mystery will be kicker. Rookie Cameron “Dicker the Kicker” will make his debut. Let’s hope the Eagles don’t need any critical field goals in this one.

The Cards will be without their starting center and top backup interior lineman. They’ll have a couple of starters banged up and less than 100 percent. That makes for a tough matchup against the Eagles red hot DL.

CARDINALS OFFENSE

Murray remains a dynamic talent, but the offense that was so good last year (9 games of 30 or more points) has fallen apart this season. Missing DeAndre Hopkins is a big part of that of course, but the offense is still underachieving. Coaching is part of it. Protection is part of it. Skill talent is part of it. And yes, QB play is part of it.

Big plays are missing in a big way. Last year the Cards averaged 5.6 yards per play. Murray averaged 7.9 yards per passing attempt. This year the Cards are averaging 4.8 yards per play and Murray averages 5.7 ypa. Those are bad numbers. This really is a small-ball offense.

The Cardinals offense has to move the ball on long, sustained drives. That’s a tough thing to do in the NFL, especially without a dominant OL. One missed block or holding penalty can kill a drive.

Hollywood Brown is the only player on the roster averaging more than 10 yards per reception. That is insane. Rondale Moore has been hurt and that doesn’t help. Zach Ertz is still a good pass-catcher, but he’s not making plays after the catch. That was never his specialty, but being down at 8.2 ypc is not good. His career average is 10.7 ypc.

The Cards did run for more than 130 yards in two of their games. Murray didn’t do anything crazy to pump up those numbers. His presence on the field does affect the defense and open things up for the RBs (as we see with Jalen Hurts).

The Eagles could play a lot of zone coverage in this game. That would allow defenders to keep their eyes on Murray. If the Cards are going to throw short, you want to be able to see the ball and attack it. Tackling will be critical. Don’t give them any extra yards. Make them earn everything.

As far as Murray goes, the goal is to keep him in the pocket and limit his space. That is easier said than done. One of the issues is that he’ll go backward…way back. He’s not afraid to lose ground and end up 10 to 20 yards behind the LOS. He can then explode up the field on a run or fire off a pass.

The front seven will need to be disciplined. This isn’t the game to fly upfield. You don’t want to be behind Murray. And the secondary will have a real challenge. They have to stay plastered to their receivers for extra time when Murray starts running around.

Murray can tire out a DL so the Eagles will need to rotate heavily. Everyone should get a chance to come in and chase him around.

One interesting bit of info:

The Cards are making good adjustments or teams are letting up or something else is happening. This could be another game where the Eagles build a lead and then have to hold off the opponent in the second half.

CARDINALS DEFENSE

Arizona is 29th in DVOA on defense. They are really struggling.

The Cards have 4 sacks this year. Yikes. That’s not good. They struggle with 3rd down defense and in the red zone. They do have at least one takeaway in each game, but aside from that they are not doing a good job of stopping people.

The biggest issue is that they can’t pressure the passer.

The Cards have been credited with 19 QB hits this year. The Eagles have 33. When you blitz like the Cards and don’t even get hits, that is a huge issue. The only QB they’ve shut down is Baker Mayfield.

One thing the Cards DL can do is bat down passes. Zach Allen and JJ Watt have combined for seven of them this year. Hurts has to be cognizant of that when he’s trying to throw the ball.

Arizona doesn’t have a strong secondary. This is a game where the Eagles should come out throwing. If they can pick up the Cards blitzes, Hurts can hit Brown, Smith and Watkins for big plays. Normally I’d feel really good about this. If the Eagles have Jack Driscoll at LT, that changes things a bit. Driscoll is talented and experienced, but you need chemistry with the player beside you to make sure you see the same thing and block accordingly. That gives Arizona a potential spot to attack more than usual.

The Eagles can counter with some quick throws.

https://twitter.com/BrandonThornNFL/status/1575488118266163201

 

As you can see there, the Rams TE was quite effective on screens. This could be a big game for Dallas Goedert and Brown. They’re both excellent at making plays after the catch.

If you block the blitz well. you can also pop long runs. The key is for RBs to hit the hole hard and not dance or delay.

MISC

As I wrote the other day, this Eagles team feels locked in. I will be highly surprised if this team is flat. That doesn’t mean Arizona can’t win. Murray is such a unique QB that he always gives you a puncher’s chance. The Eagles have faced big guys who can move, but no one close to Murray. He is an anomaly.

https://twitter.com/MySportsUpdate/status/1571636205103595526

The Eagles lead the league in takeaways. The Cardinals have the fewest turnovers. If the Eagles come up with takeaways, this will be a blowout. If the Cards protect the ball, that helps their chances of pulling the upset. It will be interesting to see who wins this battle.

The last time the Eagles faced the Cardinals was 2020. Arizona piled up 526 yards and scored 33 points. That was a very different Eagles defense, especially the secondary. Murray had a great day throwing the ball. He will find things quite different on Sunday, even with Maddox out.

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6 Comments on “Game Preview – PHI at ARZ”

  1. 1 Eagles Information: Jason Peters may well be out for his go back to Philadelphia - noooracademy said at 12:25 PM on October 8th, 2022:

    […] Recreation Preview – PHI at ARZ – Iggles BlitzThe Playing cards were credited with 19 QB hits this yr. The Eagles have 33. While you blitz just like the Playing cards and don’t even get hits, that could be a large factor. The one QB they’ve close down is Baker Mayfield. Something the Playing cards DL can do is bat down passes. Zach Allen and JJ Watt have blended for seven of them this yr. Hurts must be cognizant of that once he’s seeking to throw the ball. Arizona doesn’t have a powerful secondary. It is a sport the place the Eagles will have to pop out throwing. If they are able to select up the Playing cards blitzes, Hurts can hit Brown, Smith and Watkins for large performs. Most often I’d really feel in point of fact nice about this. If the Eagles have Jack Driscoll at LT, that adjustments issues a little bit. Driscoll is proficient and skilled, however you want chemistry with the participant beside you to be sure to see the similar factor and block accordingly. That provides Arizona a possible spot to assault greater than same old. […]

  2. 2 Eagles News: Jason Peters might be out for his return to Philadelphia – Cmy Sports said at 12:28 PM on October 8th, 2022:

    […] Game Preview – PHI at ARZ – Iggles BlitzThe Cards have been credited with 19 QB hits this year. The Eagles have 33. When you blitz like the Cards and don’t even get hits, that is a huge issue. The only QB they’ve shut down is Baker Mayfield. One thing the Cards DL can do is bat down passes. Zach Allen and JJ Watt have combined for seven of them this year. Hurts has to be cognizant of that when he’s trying to throw the ball. Arizona doesn’t have a strong secondary. This is a game where the Eagles should come out throwing. If they can pick up the Cards blitzes, Hurts can hit Brown, Smith and Watkins for big plays. Normally I’d feel really good about this. If the Eagles have Jack Driscoll at LT, that changes things a bit. Driscoll is talented and experienced, but you need chemistry with the player beside you to make sure you see the same thing and block accordingly. That gives Arizona a potential spot to attack more than usual. […]

  3. 3 Eagles News: Jason Peters might be out for his return to Philadelphia - Momento geek said at 1:51 PM on October 8th, 2022:

    […] Game Preview – PHI at ARZ – Iggles BlitzThe Cards were credited with 19 QB hits this yr. The Eagles have 33. When you blitz just like the Cards and don’t even get hits, that could be a large factor. The simplest QB they’ve close down is Baker Mayfield. One factor the Cards DL can do is bat down passes. Zach Allen and JJ Watt have mixed for seven of them this yr. Hurts has to be cognizant of that once he’s making an attempt to throw the ball. Arizona doesn’t have a powerful secondary. This is a recreation the place the Eagles will have to come out throwing. If they may be able to pick out up the Cards blitzes, Hurts can hit Brown, Smith and Watkins for giant performs. Normally I’d really feel in reality nice about this. If the Eagles have Jack Driscoll at LT, that adjustments issues slightly. Driscoll is gifted and skilled, however you want chemistry with the participant beside you to make sure to see the similar factor and block accordingly. That offers Arizona a possible spot to assault greater than same old. […]

  4. 4 Eagles Information: Jason Peters could be out for his go back to Philadelphia - tiolinguica delivery said at 1:52 PM on October 8th, 2022:

    […] Sport Preview – PHI at ARZ – Iggles BlitzThe Playing cards had been credited with 19 QB hits this yr. The Eagles have 33. While you blitz just like the Playing cards and don’t even get hits, that may be a massive factor. The one QB they’ve close down is Baker Mayfield. Something the Playing cards DL can do is bat down passes. Zach Allen and JJ Watt have blended for seven of them this yr. Hurts must be cognizant of that after he’s looking to throw the ball. Arizona doesn’t have a powerful secondary. It is a recreation the place the Eagles must pop out throwing. If they may be able to pick out up the Playing cards blitzes, Hurts can hit Brown, Smith and Watkins for large performs. Usually I’d really feel in reality nice about this. If the Eagles have Jack Driscoll at LT, that adjustments issues slightly. Driscoll is gifted and skilled, however you wish to have chemistry with the participant beside you to you’ll want to see the similar factor and block accordingly. That provides Arizona a possible spot to assault greater than standard. […]

  5. 5 Eagles News: Jason Peters might be out for his return to Philadelphia - helloalger said at 2:04 PM on October 8th, 2022:

    […] Game Preview – PHI at ARZ – Iggles BlitzThe Playing cards had been credited with 19 QB hits this 12 months. The Eagles have 33. While you blitz just like the Playing cards and don’t even get hits, that could be a massive factor. The one QB they’ve close down is Baker Mayfield. Something the Playing cards DL can do is bat down passes. Zach Allen and JJ Watt have mixed for seven of them this 12 months. Hurts needs to be cognizant of that after he’s seeking to throw the ball. Arizona doesn’t have a robust secondary. This can be a sport the place the Eagles must pop out throwing. If they may be able to select up the Playing cards blitzes, Hurts can hit Brown, Smith and Watkins for large performs. Most often I’d really feel truly nice about this. If the Eagles have Jack Driscoll at LT, that adjustments issues a bit of. Driscoll is proficient and skilled, however you wish to have chemistry with the participant beside you to be sure to see the similar factor and block accordingly. That provides Arizona a possible spot to assault greater than standard. […]

  6. 6 Eagles News: Jason Peters might be out for his return to Philadelphia - Bleeding Green Nation - World news | Fast news | Us News said at 8:56 PM on October 8th, 2022:

    […] Murray and the offense, how the Cardinals plan to cease the Birds’ O, and share their predictions.Game Preview – PHI at ARZ – Iggles BlitzThe Playing cards have been credited with 19 QB hits this 12 months. The Eagles have 33. While you […]