Eagles-Cardinals: History Repeating Itself in a Way None of Us Realize

There is a popular saying that history tends to repeat itself in all types of different situations. The Yankees and Red Sox always find a way to play each other in the playoffs. Even Tom Brady and Peyton Manning played against each other in the playoffs a few years in a row.

This weekend, the No. 6 seeded Philadelphia Eagles will play the No. 4 seeded Arizona Cardinals to determine who will represent the NFC Conference in Tampa Bay for Super Bowl XLIII. If anyone predicted these two teams to square off against each other in the NFC Championship game, they deserve to be an analyst on ESPN's NFL Countdown.

Earlier this season, the Eagles had no trouble against the Cardinals as Donovan McNabb and Brian Westbrook led the way on to a 48-20 victory on Thanksgiving night.

With the upcoming matchup this weekend, we are witnessing history repeat itself. No, I'm not talking about the previous matchup we witnessed earlier this season. Clearly, I'm not talking about a previous matchup between the Cardinals and Eagles in the NFC Championship game, since this is the Cardinals first appearance.

So exactly what am I talking about?

This might sound crazy, the Arizona Cardinals should remind the Philadelphia Eagles of the St. Louis Rams team they played in the 2002 NFC Championship game. 

From 1999-2001, Kurt Warner won the most valuable player award twice and made two Super Bowl appearances (2000,2002). He knows what it is like to deny the Eagles a chance to play in the Super Bowl, as he helped the Rams defeat them 29-24 in the 2002 NFC Championship game.

Now, Warner is looking to deny the Eagles of another shot at playing in the big show, only with a different team and a different cast. However, the Cardinals and Rams are more similar than people realize.

The obvious comparison for the Eagles and their opponents in the NFC Championship in 2002 and 2008 is the quarterback. In both games, they faced off against Kurt Warner, who was the leader behind the high-powered offense.

When Warner played with the Rams, they were given the nickname of "the greatest show on turf" because of their high-powered offense.

Marshall Faulk was one of the most dangerous weapons in football at running back as he showed teams he could not only run but catch the ball. Torry Holt and Issac Bruce provided Warner with a dynamic-duo at the wide receiver position.

In 2001, the Rams offense finished first in the league as they scored 501 points on offense, averaging 31.4 points per game.

Even though they weren't known for their strong defensive play, the Rams defense stepped it up in their first game of the playoffs against the Green Bay Packers. In the divisional round of the 2002 playoffs, the Rams forced eight turnovers against the Packers, including six interceptions from Brett Favre.

The Cardinals appear to be following the same foot steps of the Rams team that the Eagles played against in the 2002 NFC Championship.

Statistically, the Cardinals offense this season may not be as great as the Rams (ranked third with 427 points scored, 26.7 points per game). Kurt Warner is the same quarterback the Eagles had to face in 2002. Instead of worrying about wide receivers Torry Holt and Issac Bruce, the Eagles now have to worry about wide receivers Larry Fitzgerald and Anquan Boldin (if he is healthy enough).

The same can be said about the defense. The Rams' defense stepped it up in the 2002 playoffs, just like the Cardinals have this year. After struggling at defense this season, the Cardinals defense have recorded nine turnovers and allowed just 37 points in two playoff games.

The Eagles may not realize it. The fans may not realize it. The matchup of the Arizona Cardinals and the Philadelphia Eagles in the upcoming NFC Championship game is a simple case of history repeating itself that none of us realize. It appears the Eagles are playing against a similar team they played against in the 2002 NFC Championship.

For the Cardinals and their fans, history may be on their side. For the Eagles and their fans, hopefully the outcome will be different than the one we saw in the 2002 game.