Vinny Curry again leads the Eagles’ sack machine.
By Ben Sullivan
With the Eagles facing the Cardinals in Arizona on Sunday afternoon, the local media are all in a frenzy with predictions and the like.
I always like to see what Mark Eckel of the Trenton Times has to say since he is the most prescient of all the Birds’ watchers.
Here is what he says:
Here are five bold predictions for Sunday’s game.
THE FITZ IS IN: Surrounded by more good players than he has had in his entire career, Arizona wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald has just 23 catches and one touchdown in six games this season. Sunday, he breaks out. Always an Eagle-killer, Fitzgerald goes for 100 yards and two touchdowns, burning both Eagles cornerbacks Cary Williams and Bradley Fletcher for one each.
PATRICK PETERSON PICKS A PASS: Say that three times fast. Arizona’s Pro Bowl cornerback has not intercepted a pass in six games this season. Thanks to an errant Nick Foles pass, intended for Riley Cooper, he gets his first of the season, Sunday.
STREAK ENDS: The Eagles defense has forced a turnover in 19 straight games, going all the way back to the start of last season. That’s a pretty impressive streak for any defense. It ends Sunday against a Cardinals team that has been very safe with the ball this season. Arizona has the fewest turnovers (4) of any team in the NFC.
WHERE’S MARCUS? Now that linebacker Mychal Kendricks is healthy and ready to get back on the field for the first time since week two, first-round draft pick Marcus Smith could find himself the odd man out. Smith has dressed and played sporadically in the four games Kendricks was out. But he hasn’t done much, the stats say he has one tackle. Look for him to be a healthy inactive, Sunday.
SACKS A LOT: The Eagles are third in the NFC, with 19 sacks, that total goes up by five this week, as Billy Davis’ pressure schemes get to Carson Palmer, who has figured out a sack is better than an interception. Pass rushing specialist Vinny Curry leads the way again for the Eagles with his second two-sack game of the season.
PREDICTION: Arziona 26, Eagles 20
