Arizona Cardinals vs. Philadelphia Eagles: What's the Game Plan for Arizona?

The Arizona Cardinals have a lot at stake in their Sunday night matchup against the Philadelphia Eagles. And to win, they'll have to do one of the more challenging things in the NFL: avoid beating themselves.

Before the Cardinals can worry about clinching the second seed in the NFC playoffs, they'll have to solve the riddle that is the inconsistent Eagles, who enter the game with a 6-7 record.

The Eagles are an unconventional team, and in that spirit, we're going to break from the normal convention you'd normally see in this space.

The reason for that is simple. There's nothing about what Philadelphia is doing right now that makes you jump up and take notice. They're playing OK football, and they're not excelling in any particular area.

In fact, the entire NFC East seems to be made up of extras from The Walking Dead. The teams' playoff hopes should all legally be dead, but Philadelphia, Washington and the New York Giants have to be considered alive by the mere fact they're trudging brainlessly forward—their rigid arms extended in front of them grabbing at whatever's in their paths.

And that is exactly how we're going to approach this week's breakdown. The Arizona Cardinals are in the midst of a Zombie Apocalypse. 

Philadelphia's resurgence over the past two weeks

Michael Perez/Associated Press

The Eagles (and their playoff hopes) have been revivified by shock wins over New England and Buffalo in their last two games. 

Here's a quick look at how the victims met their demise at the hands of the undead Eagles.

Week 13: Eagles 35, Patriots 28

It wasn't enough that the Eagles dropped 35 unanswered points on the previously unbeaten Patriots in Foxboro. Philadelphia scored 35 unanswered points against the Patriots in a game in which they managed less than 250 yards of total offense.

In order, here are Philadelphia's five scoring plays from that game:

1. Zach Ertz' 5-yard reception from Sam Bradford.
2. Najee Goode's 24-yard blocked punt return.
3. Malcolm Jenkins' 99-yard interception return.
4. Darren Sproles' 83-yard punt return.
5. Jordan Matthews' 10-yard reception from Bradford.

The Eagles earn maximum credit for taking advantage of New England's mistakes, but this is a Zombie Apocalypse. You can't make a mistake, let alone three, and expect to survive.

Week 14: Eagles 23, Bills 20

The team stats, combined with the final score, tell a mostly accurate version of this game's story:

	Bills	Eagles
Total Yardage	412	348
Passing Yards	260	232
Yards Per Carry	4.8	3.4
Time of Possession	35:02	24:58
Turnovers	2	1

Neither team did anything to distinguish itself during the game, and it's clear Buffalo had more than a chance at survival. They just didn't take it. 

What Arizona can learn from these two games

Despite their mediocre play, those two victories have changed the complexion of this game for Philadelphia. The Eagles have plenty at stake on Sunday night. They've tasted success (and brains) and they want more. How can Arizona avoid a similar fate as New England and Buffalo?

There's a reason preparation is key to surviving a Zombie Apocalypse. Zombies are dumb, slow and predictable. Any capable human should be able to hold his or her own against a zombie in a one-on-one confrontation.

Ross D. Franklin/Associated Press

The Cardinals are a better football team than the Eagles. As much as possible, they're in control of the game's outcome. They have the weaponry.

New England and Buffalo failed to remain focused and one step ahead of the Eagles, and they were not resolute in their desire for survival. If Arizona can do those three things, they'll win on Sunday night.

Keys to an Arizona victory

Keep the defense fresh

This is always Rule No. 1 when dealing with Chip Kelly's up-tempo offense. James Bettcher and his position coaches will have to do a good job monitoring their players' energy throughout the game.

This is especially true for the defensive line, which will hopefully welcome the return of Frostee Rucker. He's listed as questionable on the injury report.

Feed David Johnson

Rick Scuteri/Associated Press

If the Eagles have a glaring weakness, it's their run defense. Despite having a talented defensive line, they rank 28th in rushing yards allowed per game. 

The struggles of inside linebackers Mychal Kendricks and DeMeco Ryans, combined with a pass rush-heavy scheme, means David Johnson and the rest of Arizona's running backs will have a chance to make big plays.

Stifle Philadelphia's pass-rushers

Michael Perez/Associated Press

The Eagles defense has been solid-to-good for the majority of the season, and that's largely thanks to standout play from a few key contributors. 

Lineman Fletcher Cox and linebackers Brandon Graham and Connor Barwin are all capable of making life miserable for a quarterback, who will, in turn, make life miserable for his offensive line. Jared Veldheer and the rest of the Cardinals offensive line will have a job to do keeping that trio off Carson Palmer.

Remain cognizant of who is in Philadelphia's backfield

Despite all the flash, Chip Kelly just wants to run the football downhill. Even from the spread formation, the Eagles are a power running team.

Kelly will rotate Ryan Matthews, DeMarco Murray and Sproles at running back, all of whom bring something a little bit different to the position. The Cardinals will need to key on Philadelphia's runners from start to finish on Sunday night.

Final Prediction

The zombie parallel has cast a pall over this, hasn't it? My midweek prediction of an Arizona loss hasn't changed.

If the Cardinals are going to have a letdown before the end of the regular season, it's going to come on Sunday night. This has the feeling of a close game, and Arizona has won its last five games decided by one touchdown or less. That streak can't go on forever.

The Eagles are at home and have much more at stake in this game. There can sometimes be a massive difference between a team that needs to win a game and a team that would merely like to win a game, and we'll see that on Sunday.

The good news for Arizona is that its Week 16 matchup with Green Bay is the game that really matters.

Final score: Philadelphia 27, Arizona 21