Everyone in Philadelphia is getting a little nervous about their football team. At 6-7, they are still gunning for a NFC East title, and a loss at this point in the season could put a fork in their playoff hopes.
And now they face the Arizona Cardinals, who have hummed through the season with a stout defense and a potent offense. The Cardinals have powered through seven straight wins, and would love to extend it to eight.
Check out the key points for each team in this critical matchup.
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Have Carson Palmer continue launching the deep ball
Larry Fitzgerald commands attention in the slot, freeing John Brown and Michael Floyd to take turns stretching defenses. After being slowed by a hamstring injury, Brown has 15 receptions in the past three games, including catches of 48, 65 and 68 yards. Floyd is healthy again after dealing with a hamstring injury of his own and has eclipsed 100 yards four times in the past five games, including four receptions of at least 30 yards in that span.
Keep feeding the rookie
David Johnson has thrived as the No. 1 back following injuries to Chris Johnson and Andre Ellington. Making his first two career starts in a five-day span, Johnson has rushed for 99 and 92 yards, respectively, against a pair of stout defenses in St. Louis and Minnesota. The 6-foot-1, 224-pounder is also a pass-catching threat with four receiving touchdowns while earning quarterback Carson Palmer's praise for his blitz protection.
Focus on Philadelphia's tight ends
With Patrick Peterson shadowing Eagles top wideout Jordan Matthews, quarterback Sam Bradford will look toward the tandem of Zack Ertz and Brent Celek, who have a combined 67 catches. Arizona will counter with the safety triumvirate of Rashad Johnson, Tyrann Mathieu and Tony Jefferson, who have 11 interceptions between them. Mathieu is second in the league to Carolina's Josh Norman with 19 passes defensed.
Look to dump the ball to the backfield
The Arizona Cardinals have only allowed 1140 rushing yards this season, the fifth-lowest in the NFL. However, one team that saw lots of success against them was the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 11. How did they find success in the backfield? They dumped the ball to Giovanni Bernard, who finished with eight receptions for 128 yards. That bodes well for Darren Sproles, who excels at catching passes out of the backfield.
Spread the attack
Last week, Minnesota Vikings quarterback Teddy Bridgewater threw for 335 yards, completing 25 passes for 335 yards. He didn't do it by targeting one of his receivers, he did it by spreading the ball to multiple receivers. 11 different Vikings caught a pass against the Cardinals. The Eagles can't afford to be too one dimensional. It's okay to throw to Zach Ertz will work on occasion, especially since 144 of Bridgewater's passing yards went to three of his tight ends, but spreading the ball will work.
Force some turnovers
The Arizona Cardinals haven't turned the ball over in three games. That's the longest streak in their franchise's history. The Eagles defense have forced four turnovers in their last game. The Cardinals have to be due for some offensive mistakes, right? In their two losses, they turned the ball over three times. If the Eagles can make some plays on defense, allowing themselves better field position, it'll take the pressure off of the offense.
