Arizona Cardinals (11-2) at Philadelphia Eagles (6-7)
Sunday, 8:25 p.m. ET, at Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia – TV: NBC
*TV announcers: Al Michaels, Cris Collinsworth, Michele Tafoya
*Keys to the game: The Cardinals enter with the league’s No. 2 scoring offense, three extra days of rest following a Thursday night game and the motivation to lock up the NFC West division title. That’s a lot for an Eagles defense that surrenders an average of 385.6 yards per game to overcome. Coordinator Bill Davis has been blitzing less frequently of late, preferring to rush three or four and drop seven or eight players into coverage. Cardinals QB Carson Palmer will leave a few balls up for grabs per game, but typically that comes when pressured, so the chess match will be interesting.
Same for the other side of the ball, with the Cardinals blitzing as much as any defense in the league – often up to half the snaps. Eagles QB Sam Bradford is known for his quick release and has been sacked only once against the blitz this season, but he is also completing just 49.3 percent of his passes with a 4.2-yard average per attempt when facing extra rushers. He was 7-for-13 for 87 yards against Buffalo’s blitzes last week and will need to build on that for the Eagles to have sustained success Sunday night.
*Matchup to watch – Cardinals WR Larry Fitzgerald vs. Eagles S Malcolm Jenkins: Fitzgerald’s career numbers against Philadelphia are video game worthy – 47 catches for 802 yards and 11 touchdowns in seven meetings. Fitzgerald hasn’t scored in the past five games and should see plenty of action against Jenkins, a converted corner who has done a solid job against slot receivers in the Eagles’ sub packages.
*Player spotlight – Cardinals WR Michael Floyd: As if Palmer needed more weapons at his disposal, Floyd is healthy and exploiting a lot of man coverage to the tune of four 100-yard receiving games and four touchdowns over his past five games.
*Fast facts: The Cardinals seek a franchise-record 12th victory of the season, which would also clinch just their fifth division title. … Eagles RB DeMarco Murray, who signed a five-year, $40 million deal as a free agent over the offseason, has 19 carries over the past two games and is averaging only 2.9 yards per carry on first down this season.
WHO WILL WIN AND WHY
There is plenty of intrigue with the contrasting styles on both sides of the ball. Unfortunately for the Eagles, Arizona has more offensive firepower and its aggressive defensive nature forces the type of mistakes Philadelphia can’t afford against superior overall talent.
*Our pick: Cardinals 27-23.