Week 17 Eagles vs Cardinals Picks
The Philadelphia Eagles were able to stop their three-game losing streak on Christmas day against the New York Giants. Although they were better against the Giants, there is still a lot to be desired about how they’re playing now. Internally, they still don’t seem all that pleased based on comments Devonta Smith had about the game. The Eagles are still clearly feeling the pressure and they know what’s at stake. When asked about Smith’s comments Jason Kelce came clean with the state of the team. Kelce said, “Listen, we won the game, but we need to be playing a lot better if we want to do anything impactful and reach the goals that we set forth at the start of the season. And I think everybody in our building is aware of it, but all you can keep doing is just try to get better.”
At this point of the year, there are no magical fixes the Eagles can make in one week. All they can focus on is getting better one week at a time, learning from each game, and finding their formula for success before the playoffs start. This week they will play the Arizona Cardinals led by former defensive coordinator, Jonathan Gannon. The Cardinals are coming off a 27-16 loss against the Chicago Bears last week and are among the worst teams in the league. While Gannon will have some experience going against the Eagles’ defense, it will be another good test for the Eagles to find their formula.
Eagles Need to Run Until It’s Impossible
The Cardinals’ defense has been one of the worst in the league, but with Gannon, they can at least be creative on that side of the ball. Especially in the secondary, they’re not a terrible unit in that department. However, they have struggled heavily against the run, ranking last in rushing yards allowed per game. Last Week, Chicago running back Khalil Herbert put up 112 yards and a touchdown, with quarterback Justin Fields adding another 97 yards and another touchdown. With the Eagles’ offensive line, they should be dominant and look to run until the Cardinals sell out to stop it. Even then, that might not be enough to stop the Eagles’ ground game.
The big thing to watch here for the Eagles is what happens when the Cardinals do sell out to stop the run. A big plus the offense could take moving forward is if they’re able to counter those situations and then find the deep balls to Devonta Smith and A.J. Brown. However, it cannot be telegraphed, and Gannon will surely have some ideas to stop the Eagles’ big plays. Yet, it doesn’t matter if Brown, Smith, or Hurts don’t have a big day, the Eagles need to get better at taking what the defense gives them.
The Eagles’ Defense Needs to Avoid Silly Mistakes
Last week against the Giants, the Eagles took a 12-point lead with around six minutes left in the fourth quarter. Thirty seconds later, Tyrod Taylor completes a deep pass to Darius Slayton for a 69-yard touchdown to cut the lead to five. The Eagles were running cover 2 and Reed Blankenship for whatever reason just let Slayton run right by him when he should’ve made sure he wasn’t beat deep. The Giants offense had been struggling all day and one silly mistake bailed out the offense and made Eagles fans sweat a little harder.
Tyrod to Slayton for a 69-yard touchdown pic.twitter.com/SdRwVvVfuj
— Nick Falato (@nickfalato) December 26, 2023
It’s a mistake that has been too common for the Eagles this year, particularly in the secondary. The Giants are one of the worst passing teams in the league, and that mistake put too much of the onus back on the offense to see the game out. It worked out last week, but we’ve seen how one-dimensional and predictable the Eagles’ offense can become when they’re chasing a lead. Nobody is expecting the Eagles’ defense to return to the form of last season, but eliminating the silly mistakes will help tremendously in taking the pressure off the offense to create so many big plays of their own.
Eagles vs Cardinals Picks: Bottom Line
Eagles Win 24-14
Gannon may have some creative stuff to slow down the Eagles’ offense and create an upset threat. However, the Cardinals’ offense lacks serious potency which will derail their hopes of an upset win. Expect the Eagles to run the ball down the defense’s throat. At the end of the day, there’s not much a coach can do about getting outclassed in the trenches, and the Eagles should win this game by controlling the ball.
Main Photo: [Michael Chow/The Republic/ USA Today Network] – USA Today Sports
