Philadelphia Eagles vs. Arizona Cardinals week 5 game preview

The Eagles come into this weeks game at 3-1, top of the NFC East and 4 of the next 5 games come at home. If the Eagles can win 3 of the next 5 games then a 6-3 record will position the Birds for an inside track to the playoffs.

The Eagles come back home after another tough-fought win on the left-coast, a game that was supposed to be a road game that turned out to be Philadelphia-west. At 3-1 the Eagles are looking down on the rest of the NFC East and have an Arizona Cardinal team that comes in looking like a team destined to pick inside the top 10 come April at the 2018 NFL Draft. The Eagles match-up very well against this Cardinals team in which should be one of those football games where playing mistake-free, limiting turnovers and sticking with the run game should result in a W.

Shout-out to the Eagles fans in Los Angeles

Arizona Cardinals at the Philadelphia Eagles

When: Sunday, October 8th @ 1:00 pm

The injury report as of Wednesday:

Did Not Participate (DNP)

• CB Ronald Darby (ankle)
• DT Fletcher Cox (calf)
• DT Timmy Jernigan (heel)
• RB Wendell Smallwood (knee)

Limited Participation

• DT Destiny Vaeao (wrist)

Full Participation

• LB Jordan Hicks (ankle)
• S Rodney McLeod (hamstring)
• S Corey Graham (hamstring)
• S Jaylen Watkins (hamstring)

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What to watch for on Offense

After four weeks it looks like we have finally figured out what the Eagles offense looks like and how it’s going to operate this season. Through 4 weeks the Eagles are going to utilize 3 running backs, feed Zach Ertz, try to keep it 3rd down and manageable and when things break down Carson Wentz is going to look like a right-handed Steve Young, extending plays, finding an open receiver or tucking the ball down and running. If the Cardinals have one thing this season it’s their defense, a unit ranked first in rush yards allowed with only 57 a game and allowing just 18 points per game. The Eagles will have to continue to run with the hot hand and keep the Cardinals defense off-balance. Points may come at a premium on Sunday and this might have to be the week we see Agholor and Smith make a few plays as all-world corner Pat Peterson will likely be matched up on Alshon this week.

Who to watch on offense

Zach Ertz hasn’t disappointed since coming into the league, a tight-end that has consistently improved since getting drafted in the 2nd round out of Stanford. Through 4 weeks Ertz is not only leading the Eagles in receptions and yards but also leading the NFL in those stats for tight ends. This may be the toughest match-up yet for Ertz, the Cardinals boast one of the most athletic back 7s in the NFL. Ertz will be matched up against defensive playmaker Deone Bucannon, former Temple standout Hasson Reddick and all world swiss army knife Tyrann Mathieu. The passing offense has run through Ertz so far this season and if the Eagles want to continue success in the passing game it will be imperative to get Ertz open and lined up against favorable match-ups.

What to watch for on defense

The obvious take here is that the Eagles secondary will have to come to play but if you look deeper into that the game is going to come down to the Eagles defensive line. Carson Palmer looks like David Carr during his rookie season with the Texans, he has no time and the Cardinals offensive line looks absolutely terrible. Last week, the 49ers lived in Arizona’s backfield all day, it will be up to Brandon Graham and company to disrupt Palmer leaving him without time to find the open receiver downfield. Larry Fitzgerald is due for close to 10 catches on Sunday but keeping speedsters like John Brown and J.J. Nelson from breaking the big play will be the key to an Eagles victory.

Who to watch on defense

While watching the trenches last week I was very impressed with Brandon Graham, although the stat sheet might not show it, Graham had another decent afternoon in LA. With Fletcher Cox out last week, and looking to be the same this week, I am keeping my eye on Graham to play another major role against the Cards. Graham hasn’t made the splash play yet this season and it’s just a matter of time before we see him with a game-changing strip-sack. With Cox and Jernigan iffy and Barnett still not playing the way we had hoped, it’s up to Graham to lead this front 4 to victory against a porous offensive line.

Fantasy Spin

Thank you for all the readers that checked out my Week 1, 2, 3, and 4 fantasy rankings. If you haven’t checked out my week 5 rankings yet, click on the link!

• I have Carson Wentz ranked as my QB7
• LeGarrette Blount is a low-end RB2
• Wendell Smallwood is a low-end RB3 or low-end flex option
• Corey Clement is a guy to keep an eye on, worthy of an add in a dynasty league
• Alshon Jeffery is a WR1
• Nelson Agholor is a WR4
• Torrey Smith is a WR4 or a Hail-Mary flex option
• Zach Ertz is a TE1
• Eagles DST is my 2nd ranked defense

If you are interested to hear more about my fantasy football rankings, enjoy the podcast

Laying Odds

Eagles -6.5 (-105)   O/U 45

Last week I went 1-1 putting me at 11-5 for the season. The Chargers were favorites by 1 and the total was 48.5, I correctly picked the over but

I had the Chargers winning -1. This week I am going to take the Cardinals +6.5 and the over of 45

Next: Philadelphia Eagles: The good and the bad vs. the Los Angeles Chargers

6.5 points is a big number against a not-so-bad Cardinals team. The last two games the Eagles have played have been nail-biters and I think this game could mimic those. I do think the total is a bit low for an Eagles team averaging roughly 26 points per game. The Cardinals are going to be able to score on this Eagles defense and the Eagles always seem to grind 2-3 touchdowns.

Give me the Cards +6.5 and the over of 45!