Post by End Zone on Dec 17, 2020 15:59:22 GMT -7
Hello and welcome to the Forum’s 14th Game Day thread of 2020. I am so glad that you joined the GDT discussion and decided to stick with the Cardinals during a most challenging football season and eventful calendar year. Furthermore, I wish everyone a very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year 2021! I wish everyone a Happy Holidays if that is the preferred warmest greeting.
At last, the Cardinals players understood HC Kingsbury’s messages last Sunday. The O/D/ST played a dominating game vs. the hot NYG team last weekend, improving the Cardinals record to 7-6. At the New York Giants game, played at MetLife Stadium NJ on an unusually pleasant Fall day, the Cardinals players were focused and hustled with purpose, sharply executed plays, tackled well in open space, minded their own assignments, backed up each other on substitutions, and made far fewer mental mistakes, resulting in a solid win #7. The players must continue demonstrating maximum physicality and intelligence vs. the Philadelphia Eagles (4-8-1) on Sunday in order to win #8.
Game Day. The Philadelphia Eagles play the Arizona Cardinals at State Farm Stadium on December 20, 2020. Kickoff is at 4:05 PM ET. There is no in-person attendance for this game. Presently, the Eagles are in 3rd place in the NFC East; similarly, the Cardinals are 3rd in the NFC West. The ESPN Matchup Predictor gives the Cardinals a 77.8% chance of winning, the highest for 2020, and the Eagles a 22.0% chance of winning, and a 0.2% chance of a tie game. The Eagles are 1-5 away, while the Cardinals are 3-3 at home. The Eagles have scored 277 points, and gave up 328 points. The Cardinals scored 358 points, and gave up 308 points.
If the Cardinals beat the Eagles on Sunday, the Cardinals will sweep the NFC East Division for the first time ever. That accomplishment will be a tremendous feat and harbinger of good things to come for the Cardinals franchise in the weeks ahead and maybe even into 2021. The 1974 STL “Cardiac” Cardinals came close to a sweep, beating 3 of 4 Eastern Division foes, but lost a close one by the score of 14-17 to the Cowboys @ Dallas on November 3, 1974. Presently at Vegas, the Cardinals at home are giving -6.5 points to the Eagles.
The O/U is hanging around 48.5-49.5 all week mostly due to key Eagles players injuries. I can find no pro-Eagles sports media site predicting an Eagles win outright. Some sites call for up to a 14-point Cardinals win, meaning this one might be over early.
Other pre-game notes. Eagles QB “Jalen” Hurts will be making his second NFL start. In his first start, a win over the New Orleans Saints, he passed for 167 yards and a touchdown and rushed for 106 yards on 18 carries. Philadelphia is only 26th in the league in offense, averaging 326.3 yards per game. They are 27th in scoring, averaging 21.3 points per game. Cardinals OLB Haason Reddick had 5 sacks and 3 forced fumbles vs/ the Giants in Week 14 and was named NFC Defensive Player of the Week. The Cardinals had 8 sacks as a team. Cardinals QB Kyler Murray has a combined 33 touchdowns. He has passed for 23 and rushed for 10. Lastly, the Cardinals are 4th in total offense and 4th in rushing offense in the NFL.
Negative rumors flying around Philadelphia this week include the Eagles playing out the rest of the 2020 season (aka tanking) in order to earn a higher pick in the NFL Draft Round 1, next spring, and HC Doug Pederson being fired in early January 2021. Positive rumors flying around are exactly the opposite—the Eagles win out the last 3 games of 2020 while the WFT and Giants fold, dropping the NFC East crown and a playoffs spot into the lap of the Eagles.
Last week’s Eagles win @ home vs. the Saints pumped new life into the Eagles locker room. The Eagles had 2 x 100-yard rushers in that game, the first since 2014, and against a stout Saints defense renown for being extremely stingy vs. opposing RBs the preceding 56 games (truth in advertising—one Eagles run was for 82 yards and a TD, bloating the total rushing game stats). Rookie starting QB Hurts surprised just about everyone with his legs, rushing for 106 yards on 18 carries—notable, 11 of those rushes were designated QB rushes called by HC Pederson—a coach known to use all of his QBs talents. Thus, Cardinals fans are forewarned about Hurts running.
The Series Results. The Cardinals and Eagles have been around a very long time and played each other 120 times, including 3 times in the post-season. Some were great games,. Overall, the Cardinals lead the series 59-56 with 5 tie games. The teams played 3 OT games, with the teams splitting 2 games, 1998 and 1997, and tying 1 game, 10-10, all the way back in December 1986. The most points scored by the Eagles: 56 in 1953. The most points scored by the Cardinals: 48 in 1967. The Eagles last shut out the Cardinals, 38-0, in 1981. The Cardinals last shut out the Eagles, 13-0, in 1936.
The last PHI vs. ARZ game was played between QB Carson Palmer and QB Carson Wentz and at Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia, PA, in front of nearly 70,000 screaming fans on October 8, 2017. The Cardinals lost badly that day by the score, 34-7. The Eagles clawed the Cardinals for 21 points in just the 1st quarter, and the game’s final outcome was never in doubt after the 3-TD spurt. A key point, the Cardinals amassed just 31 net yards in the run game while the Eagles romped for 122 net yards. P Andy Lee worked the hardest of all, punting 7 times! RB David Johnson did not play. RB Chris Johnson carried 9 times for 21 yards. TOP: Cardinals 24:13; Eagles 35:47.
Both teams season statistics thru 13 games:
Points per game, PHI 21.31, ARZ 27.54 (PHI ranks 26th, ARZ ranks 10th)
Points allowed per game, PHI 25.23, ARZ 23.31
1st Qtr scoring, PHI 3.69, ARZ 5.54
1st Qtr scoring allowed, PHI 4.54, ARZ 5.00
2nd Qtr scoring, PHI 5.08, ARZ 7.38
2nd Qtr scoring allowed, PHI 6.54, ARZ 7.38
3rd Qtr scoring, PHI 4.00, ARZ 6.92 (ARZ ranks 2nd)
3rd Qtr scoring allowed PHI 6.69, ARZ 4.15
4th Qtr scoring, PHI 8.55, ARZ 7.46 (PHI ranks 3rd)
4th Qtr scoring allowed PHI 7.46, ARZ 6.77
HC Kingsbury is emphasizing the rush through all games in 2020. In the last 10 games, the Cardinals surpassed 100 yards rushing in 8 of 10 games (92 yards vs. Rams -- and lost, and 57 yards vs. Seahawks -- and lost); and the team surpassed 200 yards rushing 2 times in 10 games. The Cardinals surpassed 300 yards passing in 2 of 10 games (369 vs. Jets -- and won, and 360 vs. Seahawks -- and won in OT).
Red Zone efficiency, PHI 61.11%, ARZ 68.75%
3rd down efficiency, PHI 37.43, ARZ 42.51
4th down efficiency, PHI 37.04, ARZ 70.59 (ARZ ranks 7th)
Sacks per game, PHI 3.31 (ranks 2nd), ARZ 2.85 (ranks 6th)
Interceptions per game, PHI 0.31 (ranks 31st), ARZ 0.77
Penalties per game, PHI 6.15, ARZ 7.23 (ranks 32nd)
Takeaway/giveaway differential, PHI -12.00, ARZ 00.00 or even
Last 8 games played (Cardinals won 5, Eagles won 3):
L October 8, 2017, PHI 34 ARZ 7, O/U 45, ARZ net yards 419
W December 20, 2015, PHI 17 ARZ 40, O/U 50.5, ARZ net yards 424
W October 26, 2014, PHI 20, ARZ 24, O/U 48.5, ARZ net yards 400
L December 1, 2013, PHI 24, ARZ 21, O/U 48, ARZ net yards 307
W September 23, 2012, PHI 6, ARZ 27, O/U 42.5, ARZ net yards 292
W November 13, 2011, PHI 17, ARZ 21, O/U 47, ARZ net yards 289
W January 18, 2009, PHI 25, ARZ 32, O/U 47, ARZ net yards 369 (NFCC game)
L November 27, 2008, PHI 48, ARZ 20, O/U 48.5, ARZ net yards 437
I know FLCF already posted much more Cardinals-Giants history and recent news at the Pre- and Post-Game Thread. Therefore, I will cut my GDT stats and info off here.
The “White Hat” for the Eagles @ Cardinals game is 55 year-old Referee Craig Wrolstad, wearing #4. He has officiated at the pro level since 2003. He was a field judge at Super Bowl XLVII in 2013 and promoted to Referee in 2014. He was the Referee at the Pro Bowl, 2020. Craig Wrolstad and his crew last worked a Cardinals game on November 15, 2020, when the Cardinals played the Bills at NY. 16 penalties were issued at that game, including the infamous personal foul for 15 yards on LB Simmons for hitting QB Newton while he was clearly inbounds and with just seconds to go in the game. The penalty call type was not reviewable per rulebook. I look for the Cardinals to play a smarter game on Sunday and not allow the Referee to ruin another Sunday for Cardinals fans.
Game day weather for State Farm Stadium on December 20th: kickoff temperature 62F, skies sunny, wind almost calm at 2 mph from the south. The stadium will be mostly empty except for players and staffs. There will be the usual piped-in friendly crowd noise.
As of December 19th, FLCF and I will ensure the injury reports and active rosters are posted prior to kickoff. At this point in the season, the player active roster and PS roster merry-go-round is spinning fast. Injuries can be positive COVID hits. Players must pass pre-game and game day COVID tests to travel and play. There can be roster churn at the last minute.
The game is locally broadcast on FOX and NFL’s Red Zone. Listen to local AZ radio and mobile devices at Sirrus FM.
SFS has grass turf with a reputation for speed. Conditions will be perfect for late-season professional football. Let’s not have any injuries to Eagles and Cardinals players. Be safe. Stay safe. Go Cardinals! Win #8 by any means possible.
At last, the Cardinals players understood HC Kingsbury’s messages last Sunday. The O/D/ST played a dominating game vs. the hot NYG team last weekend, improving the Cardinals record to 7-6. At the New York Giants game, played at MetLife Stadium NJ on an unusually pleasant Fall day, the Cardinals players were focused and hustled with purpose, sharply executed plays, tackled well in open space, minded their own assignments, backed up each other on substitutions, and made far fewer mental mistakes, resulting in a solid win #7. The players must continue demonstrating maximum physicality and intelligence vs. the Philadelphia Eagles (4-8-1) on Sunday in order to win #8.
Game Day. The Philadelphia Eagles play the Arizona Cardinals at State Farm Stadium on December 20, 2020. Kickoff is at 4:05 PM ET. There is no in-person attendance for this game. Presently, the Eagles are in 3rd place in the NFC East; similarly, the Cardinals are 3rd in the NFC West. The ESPN Matchup Predictor gives the Cardinals a 77.8% chance of winning, the highest for 2020, and the Eagles a 22.0% chance of winning, and a 0.2% chance of a tie game. The Eagles are 1-5 away, while the Cardinals are 3-3 at home. The Eagles have scored 277 points, and gave up 328 points. The Cardinals scored 358 points, and gave up 308 points.
If the Cardinals beat the Eagles on Sunday, the Cardinals will sweep the NFC East Division for the first time ever. That accomplishment will be a tremendous feat and harbinger of good things to come for the Cardinals franchise in the weeks ahead and maybe even into 2021. The 1974 STL “Cardiac” Cardinals came close to a sweep, beating 3 of 4 Eastern Division foes, but lost a close one by the score of 14-17 to the Cowboys @ Dallas on November 3, 1974. Presently at Vegas, the Cardinals at home are giving -6.5 points to the Eagles.
The O/U is hanging around 48.5-49.5 all week mostly due to key Eagles players injuries. I can find no pro-Eagles sports media site predicting an Eagles win outright. Some sites call for up to a 14-point Cardinals win, meaning this one might be over early.
Other pre-game notes. Eagles QB “Jalen” Hurts will be making his second NFL start. In his first start, a win over the New Orleans Saints, he passed for 167 yards and a touchdown and rushed for 106 yards on 18 carries. Philadelphia is only 26th in the league in offense, averaging 326.3 yards per game. They are 27th in scoring, averaging 21.3 points per game. Cardinals OLB Haason Reddick had 5 sacks and 3 forced fumbles vs/ the Giants in Week 14 and was named NFC Defensive Player of the Week. The Cardinals had 8 sacks as a team. Cardinals QB Kyler Murray has a combined 33 touchdowns. He has passed for 23 and rushed for 10. Lastly, the Cardinals are 4th in total offense and 4th in rushing offense in the NFL.
Negative rumors flying around Philadelphia this week include the Eagles playing out the rest of the 2020 season (aka tanking) in order to earn a higher pick in the NFL Draft Round 1, next spring, and HC Doug Pederson being fired in early January 2021. Positive rumors flying around are exactly the opposite—the Eagles win out the last 3 games of 2020 while the WFT and Giants fold, dropping the NFC East crown and a playoffs spot into the lap of the Eagles.
Last week’s Eagles win @ home vs. the Saints pumped new life into the Eagles locker room. The Eagles had 2 x 100-yard rushers in that game, the first since 2014, and against a stout Saints defense renown for being extremely stingy vs. opposing RBs the preceding 56 games (truth in advertising—one Eagles run was for 82 yards and a TD, bloating the total rushing game stats). Rookie starting QB Hurts surprised just about everyone with his legs, rushing for 106 yards on 18 carries—notable, 11 of those rushes were designated QB rushes called by HC Pederson—a coach known to use all of his QBs talents. Thus, Cardinals fans are forewarned about Hurts running.
The Series Results. The Cardinals and Eagles have been around a very long time and played each other 120 times, including 3 times in the post-season. Some were great games,. Overall, the Cardinals lead the series 59-56 with 5 tie games. The teams played 3 OT games, with the teams splitting 2 games, 1998 and 1997, and tying 1 game, 10-10, all the way back in December 1986. The most points scored by the Eagles: 56 in 1953. The most points scored by the Cardinals: 48 in 1967. The Eagles last shut out the Cardinals, 38-0, in 1981. The Cardinals last shut out the Eagles, 13-0, in 1936.
The last PHI vs. ARZ game was played between QB Carson Palmer and QB Carson Wentz and at Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia, PA, in front of nearly 70,000 screaming fans on October 8, 2017. The Cardinals lost badly that day by the score, 34-7. The Eagles clawed the Cardinals for 21 points in just the 1st quarter, and the game’s final outcome was never in doubt after the 3-TD spurt. A key point, the Cardinals amassed just 31 net yards in the run game while the Eagles romped for 122 net yards. P Andy Lee worked the hardest of all, punting 7 times! RB David Johnson did not play. RB Chris Johnson carried 9 times for 21 yards. TOP: Cardinals 24:13; Eagles 35:47.
Both teams season statistics thru 13 games:
Points per game, PHI 21.31, ARZ 27.54 (PHI ranks 26th, ARZ ranks 10th)
Points allowed per game, PHI 25.23, ARZ 23.31
1st Qtr scoring, PHI 3.69, ARZ 5.54
1st Qtr scoring allowed, PHI 4.54, ARZ 5.00
2nd Qtr scoring, PHI 5.08, ARZ 7.38
2nd Qtr scoring allowed, PHI 6.54, ARZ 7.38
3rd Qtr scoring, PHI 4.00, ARZ 6.92 (ARZ ranks 2nd)
3rd Qtr scoring allowed PHI 6.69, ARZ 4.15
4th Qtr scoring, PHI 8.55, ARZ 7.46 (PHI ranks 3rd)
4th Qtr scoring allowed PHI 7.46, ARZ 6.77
HC Kingsbury is emphasizing the rush through all games in 2020. In the last 10 games, the Cardinals surpassed 100 yards rushing in 8 of 10 games (92 yards vs. Rams -- and lost, and 57 yards vs. Seahawks -- and lost); and the team surpassed 200 yards rushing 2 times in 10 games. The Cardinals surpassed 300 yards passing in 2 of 10 games (369 vs. Jets -- and won, and 360 vs. Seahawks -- and won in OT).
Red Zone efficiency, PHI 61.11%, ARZ 68.75%
3rd down efficiency, PHI 37.43, ARZ 42.51
4th down efficiency, PHI 37.04, ARZ 70.59 (ARZ ranks 7th)
Sacks per game, PHI 3.31 (ranks 2nd), ARZ 2.85 (ranks 6th)
Interceptions per game, PHI 0.31 (ranks 31st), ARZ 0.77
Penalties per game, PHI 6.15, ARZ 7.23 (ranks 32nd)
Takeaway/giveaway differential, PHI -12.00, ARZ 00.00 or even
Last 8 games played (Cardinals won 5, Eagles won 3):
L October 8, 2017, PHI 34 ARZ 7, O/U 45, ARZ net yards 419
W December 20, 2015, PHI 17 ARZ 40, O/U 50.5, ARZ net yards 424
W October 26, 2014, PHI 20, ARZ 24, O/U 48.5, ARZ net yards 400
L December 1, 2013, PHI 24, ARZ 21, O/U 48, ARZ net yards 307
W September 23, 2012, PHI 6, ARZ 27, O/U 42.5, ARZ net yards 292
W November 13, 2011, PHI 17, ARZ 21, O/U 47, ARZ net yards 289
W January 18, 2009, PHI 25, ARZ 32, O/U 47, ARZ net yards 369 (NFCC game)
L November 27, 2008, PHI 48, ARZ 20, O/U 48.5, ARZ net yards 437
I know FLCF already posted much more Cardinals-Giants history and recent news at the Pre- and Post-Game Thread. Therefore, I will cut my GDT stats and info off here.
The “White Hat” for the Eagles @ Cardinals game is 55 year-old Referee Craig Wrolstad, wearing #4. He has officiated at the pro level since 2003. He was a field judge at Super Bowl XLVII in 2013 and promoted to Referee in 2014. He was the Referee at the Pro Bowl, 2020. Craig Wrolstad and his crew last worked a Cardinals game on November 15, 2020, when the Cardinals played the Bills at NY. 16 penalties were issued at that game, including the infamous personal foul for 15 yards on LB Simmons for hitting QB Newton while he was clearly inbounds and with just seconds to go in the game. The penalty call type was not reviewable per rulebook. I look for the Cardinals to play a smarter game on Sunday and not allow the Referee to ruin another Sunday for Cardinals fans.
Game day weather for State Farm Stadium on December 20th: kickoff temperature 62F, skies sunny, wind almost calm at 2 mph from the south. The stadium will be mostly empty except for players and staffs. There will be the usual piped-in friendly crowd noise.
As of December 19th, FLCF and I will ensure the injury reports and active rosters are posted prior to kickoff. At this point in the season, the player active roster and PS roster merry-go-round is spinning fast. Injuries can be positive COVID hits. Players must pass pre-game and game day COVID tests to travel and play. There can be roster churn at the last minute.
The game is locally broadcast on FOX and NFL’s Red Zone. Listen to local AZ radio and mobile devices at Sirrus FM.
SFS has grass turf with a reputation for speed. Conditions will be perfect for late-season professional football. Let’s not have any injuries to Eagles and Cardinals players. Be safe. Stay safe. Go Cardinals! Win #8 by any means possible.