Who Picked The Eagles: Week 15
The Eagles begin a crucial three-game stretch with a big showdown against the NFC’s second-best team at home. How will Sam Bradford and company handle the red-hot Cardinals after two emotionally-charged wins? Only time will tell. Until then, a bunch of writers took their best shots at predicting the outcome.
Birds 24/7 Predictions
Josh: Cardinals 28, Eagles 17
Although Bradford has progressed recently, Matt Tobin and Allen Barbre don’t make me very confident in the offensive line both in the run game and the pass game.
I envision this being a simple case of the Eagles playing a better team with better coaching, but then again, I’ve picked games this season as well as Chip Kelly has general managed.
It will fall to Fletcher Cox, Brandon Graham and company to generate a steady pass rush and knock this offense out of rhythm.
I think they’ll have some success there, but still believe Arizona puts up points. Tough matchup this week, and I think the Eagles fall just short.
National Predictions
CBS Sports’ Pete Prisco believes the Birds keep it close, but Arizona takes it, 33-28.
The Eagles have won consecutive games to stay in the division race. This won’t be easy. Arizona can score, and they will have been off for 10 days. It’s a long trip for the Cardinals, but that passing game will light up the Eagles. Cards get it.
NFL.com’s Elliot Harrison also thinks it’ll be close, and he also takes the Cardinals, 34-27.
Arizona wins its eighth in a row en route to clinching the NFC West. This Cardinals squad is the best group in franchise history, at least in terms of a sustained run, since the 1974-76 Don Coryell team. On the topic of history, I watched Cowboys at Eagles from 1991 while writing this column. (Who doesn’t miss games at the Vet, the worst shag carpet in pro sports history? … Every guy that had to play on it.)
In case Philly fans have had enough of Sam Bradford this season, Jeff Kemp was the starter that day. If this 2015 team could play even close to the standard of the ’91 Eagles – the top defense in franchise history – there would be no stopping Philadelphia from winning a garbage division. Whoever plays best on that side of the ball should be the lone representative from the NFC East in January. Tall test this week versus the NFL’s top-ranked offense. Nerd alert: This is a rematch of the 1947 and ’48 NFL title games. They split.
Fox Sports’ Peter Schrager gives Eagles the edge in the Sunday night showdown, 31-27.
Way back when, I picked the Eagles to win the NFC. When they gave up a combined 90 points in back-to-back weeks in November, I resisted throwing the towel in, even doubling down and saying I still think they could make a run. They needed to beat the Patriots in New England. They did. They needed to beat a hot Bills team playing with anger. They did. They need to beat the Cardinals on national TV. I think they can do that, too. The 2015 Eagles team video might be titled, “Schrager’s the guy who inexplicably stuck by them!” Catchy, I know.
The guys at Pro Football Talk agree: Arizona will emerge victorious tonight.
MDS’s take: The Eagles have played much better on defense and special teams the last couple weeks, but their offense remains problematic. I don’t think they can score enough to keep up with the excellent Cardinals offense.
MDS’s pick: Cardinals 31, Eagles 21.
Florio’s take: The Cardinals are the new America’s Team, with five prime-time games this year. They’re 4-0 so far. Make it five.
Florio’s pick: Cardinals 30, Eagles 26.
Local Predictions
Zach Berman, Inquirer: Eagles lose, 28-20
Jeff McLane, Inquirer: Eagles lose, 30-27
Martin Frank, News-Journal: Eagles lose, 34-24
Jimmy Kempski, Philly Voice: Eagles lose, 28-24
Mark Eckel, NJ.com: Eagles lose