Eagles vs. Cardinals: Full Report-Card Grades for Philadelphia

Whoever said football is a game of inches must have been foreshadowing this Philadelphia Eagles-Arizona Cardinals contest.

The Cardinals staved off a desperate Nick Foles rally to win by four, 24-20, putting the Eagles at 5-2 and a game back of the Dallas Cowboys. A 5-2 start puts Philadelphia in good position for the postseason, but it’s frustrating to consider that the Eagles are a yard and a few inches away from being an unblemished 7-0.

"

Eagles will lose a head-to-head tiebreaker with Arizona and San Francisco for a wild-card spot. That really hurts. Need to win division.

— Bryn Swartz (@eaglescentral) October 27, 2014"

This is the kind of loss that will haunt Eagles fans for quite some time. If the season ended now, it would still be another playoff appearance for Chip Kelly's Eagles.

"

Updated: With the GB loss, if the season ended now, Eagles would be 5 seed. Would play at Carolina in wild-card round.

— Bryn Swartz (@eaglescentral) October 27, 2014"

But it's going to be a much tougher battle at 5-2 than it would have been at 6-1.

For now, here’s a look at the position-by-position breakdown of this week's performance.

Quarterback

Rick Scuteri/Associated Press

If any game sums up Nick Foles’ season, this may be it. The Philadelphia Eagles’ third-year quarterback put up fairly good numbers, completing 36 of 62 passes for 411 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions.

That’s the second-best single-game yardage total of Foles’ career. It ties the franchise’s single-game record for passing attempts, and Foles did all this without taking a single sack. His 36 completions set a franchise mark. And he gave the Eagles the lead with 1:56 left in the game, which should have been good enough to win the game.

The problem is that Philadelphia didn’t win.

A 75-yard touchdown pass from Carson Palmer to rookie third-round receiver John Brown gave Arizona a 24-20 lead with 1:21 left, and Foles was tasked once again with driving the Eagles down the field.

He did a pretty good job, considering the circumstances. He found Riley Cooper for 22 yards, and then after a couple of short completions, he hit Jeremy Maclin for 19 yards. The problem is that the Eagles couldn’t convert; a third-down pass to Zach Ertz fell incomplete, and then Foles’ fourth-down pass to Jordan Matthews was just inches from being a game-winning touchdown.

It was a spectacular catch by Matthews, who really did all he could with a throw that wasn’t in bounds. Should blame be placed on Foles for that throw? Well, it certainly wasn’t Matthews’ fault. It was a difficult situation for Foles, but he should have at least kept the throw in a spot where a catch would have been a touchdown.

The bigger problem is Foles’ turnovers; he threw two more interceptions, putting him now at nine on the season.

"

Foles is the first Eagle QB with nine interceptions through seven games since Randall Cunningham in 1989.

— Reuben Frank (@RoobCSN) October 26, 2014"

Obviously his 27-to-2 touchdown-to-interception ratio from last year was unsustainable, but he’s been a completely different quarterback this season. Both of his interceptions were to Antonio Cromartie, and the one was just a poorly thrown pass that could have easily been a touchdown to Josh Huff. That easily was the difference in the game.

Foles still makes some great throws. His laser 54-yard touchdown to Jeremy Maclin was a thing of beauty, and his improvisational 50-yard toss to Riley Cooper was a quality play. He also gained some positive yards on a key 4th-and-2 late in the game, putting him at 14 rushing yards for the day.

"

"

Maybe Foles's best throw all season. Fake bubble looked left, saw it was covered, then saw Maclin and threw a dime while being hit

— Chris B. Brown (@smartfootball) October 26, 2014"

"

Then again, he also made some key mistakes, a la his two interceptions to Cromartie and a jump ball to Riley Cooper in triple coverage that could have easily been picked off.

"

"

"

Foles is like a student who keeps getting the same question wrong, keeps him from "A". Small fixes. But question is, can he do it? #Eagles

— Eliot Shorr-Parks (@EliotShorrParks) October 27, 2014 "

"

"

Foles also hasn’t been converting in the red zone as a quarterback should, and the Eagles need to improve this statistic.

"

"

"

"

Eagles are now an NFL-worst 34.8% scoring TDs in the red zone on 8-for-23. That would be Eagles' worst on record [RZ stats kept since 1994].

— Reuben Frank (@RoobCSN) October 27, 2014 "

"

"

"

When judging a game like what Foles did, the bottom line is whether it resulted in a win or loss. When a team loses a game and the quarterback commits two turnovers, it’s difficult to not criticize his performance.

Grade: B-

Running Backs

Rick Scuteri/Associated Press

LeSean McCoy had a quiet game. He was fairly productive, rushing 21 times for 83 yards, and this was against a team that ranked No. 1 in the NFL in rushing yards allowed per attempt. He caught three passes for 14 yards. He didn’t find the end zone, but in all, 24 touches for 97 all-purpose yards is a solid effort.

"

LeSean McCoy has 77 yards rushing - the most vs. the Cardinals in 2014 #6abcEagles

— Jeff Skversky (@JeffSkversky) October 26, 2014"

McCoy also didn’t have the benefit of multidimensional threat Darren Sproles in the game, so it was almost all McCoy. Still, he just doesn’t seem like the same player that he was in 2013. Obviously he set the standards awfully high, but he’s been quiet far too often this year.

Backup Chris Polk carried the ball three times for 13 yards, which marked his first carries of the 2014 season.

McCoy was at his best in the fourth quarter, when he had a solid effort in a clock-killing drive that eventually stalled three yards shy of a touchdown. In that final quarter, McCoy ran the ball seven times for 35 yards, averaging 5.0 yards per rush.

Grade: B

Wide Receivers/Tight Ends

Ross D. Franklin/Associated Press

Not enough praise has been given to Philadelphia Eagles’ sixth-year wide receiver Jeremy Maclin, who turned in a career game in the 24-20 loss today.

"

Best player on field tonight has been Jeremy Maclin. #AZvsPHI

— Andrew Brandt (@adbrandt) October 26, 2014"

Per Pro Football Reference, Maclin was just the 14th receiver in NFL history to record at least 12 catches, 187 yards and two touchdowns in the same game.

His first touchdown was a 21-yard swing pass that he took to the end zone, and his second was a 54-yarder in which he just took the top off the Arizona Cardinals defense, a la 2013 DeSean Jackson.

Maclin took advantage of All-Pro cornerback Patrick Peterson until Peterson left due to injury; after that, it didn’t seem to matter who the Cardinals put on Maclin, because they couldn’t stop him. Maclin even temporarily left the game himself, but returned.

"

No idea what Patrick Peterson is doing out there. Jeremy Maclin eating him for lunch.

— Adam Levitan (@adamlevitan) October 26, 2014

"

Riley Cooper had a solid effort as well, catching five passes for 88 yards, including a spectacular diving 50-yard catch. The 88-yard output was his most in a game this season and his highest total since Green Bay in Week 10 of last year.

Rookie Jordan Matthews caught six passes for 47 yards and nearly etched his name into Philadelphia lore with a diving 15-yard touchdown catch on the game’s final play, but he was ruled out of bounds.

"

Jordan Matthews on final play:"At the end of the day, Nick gave me a chance & I’ve got to make a play for the team.You've got to find a way"

— Reuben Frank (@RoobCSN) October 27, 2014

"

After the game, Matthews took full responsibility, but it’s difficult to blame Matthews when watching that play. There’s not much more he could have done.

Rookie third-round receiver Josh Huff had a pretty rough game himself. He fumbled the ball away at the Arizona 2-yard line, a play that ended up costing the Eagles seven points. Huff was also called for a pass-interference penalty. He finished with just one catch for 12 yards.

"

"

"

"

Josh Huff ... uh, tough fumble, needless to say. #Eagles#rookie

— Jeff McLane (@Jeff_McLane) October 26, 2014

 

 

"

"

"

"

Tight end Zach Ertz had a productive game, totaling five receptions for 48 yards. His best play was a great catch on a read-option play that went for 15 yards. Veteran Brent Celek had two catches for just eight yards.

Grade: A

Offensive Line

Ross D. Franklin/Associated Press

Again, Nick Foles was not sacked. The credit and blame for sacks can go more to the quarterback’s ability to get rid of the ball than the offensive line, but still, the Philadelphia Eagles deserve a world of praise for their blocking.

Even without Evan Mathis and Jason Kelce, the line held off the Arizona Cardinals. Calais Campbell was limited in his snaps, finishing with just two tackles. But for Foles to drop back 62 times without getting dropped once is remarkable.

The line was called for too many penalties, particularly All-Pro left tackle Jason Peters. Peters was called for three penalties, twice for illegal use of hands to the face and once for a false start. Todd Herremans was also called for a holding penalty, giving the unit four penalties between them.

Still, it was a fine day for the line, and perhaps the most athletic play came when right tackle Lane Johnson raced downfield to set up a block on Jeremy Maclin’s early touchdown.

"

Reminder on that Lane Johnson block that sprung Maclin for TD...Johnson started at OU as a QB. #Athletic

— trey wingo (@wingoz) October 26, 2014

 

"

In all, the Eagles put up 521 yards of offense, and the line was instrumental in that.

Grade: A-

Defensive Line

Rick Scuteri/Associated Press

The Philadelphia Eagles defensive line didn’t record any sacks, but it was still a solid effort. Bennie Logan led the group with four tackles. Fletcher Cox and Cedric Thornton each had just one.

But the Eagles held Arizona running back Andre Ellington to just 71 yards on 23 carries. That’s an average of just barely three yards per rush.

Carson Palmer was also pressured on a handful of plays, although Philly should have been able to pick up at least a few sacks on 42 dropbacks.

Grade: B-

Linebackers

Rick Scuteri/Associated Press

The linebackers really played a good game, and the return of Mychal Kendricks helped that out.

Trent Cole nearly took Carson Palmer’s head off on an almost-sack fumble, although it was officially credited as just a quarterback hit. Cole also got flagged for a roughing-the-passer penalty. Connor Barwin had two tackles, one for a big six-yard stuff of running back Andre Ellington on a screen pass. Brandon Graham had a big pressure of Palmer and a stuff of Ellington as well.

Veteran DeMeco Ryans made the play of the game when he knocked down a sure touchdown pass to tight end John Carlson with the outcome on the line.

"

Win there for the #Eagles defense holding the Cards to a FG after Foles INT. DeMeco Ryans has been balling all game and broke up pass.

— Jeff McLane (@Jeff_McLane) October 26, 2014 

"

Ryans finished with three tackles, one for a big loss. Fellow inside ‘backer Kendricks was flagged for an encroachment penalty and finished with just two tackles.

Emmanuel Acho nearly made a diving interception but came up inches short.

Grade: B

Secondary

Rick Scuteri/Associated Press

It was not a good day for the Philadelphia Eagles defensive backs in every conceivable way. Carson Palmer threw for 329 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions, despite completing fewer than 50 percent of his passes. That included a 75-yard touchdown pass that will win neither Cary Williams nor Nate Allen any friends in this city.

My eyes are tired of watching Cary Williams' tired legs. Show up or shut up. Preferably, both.

— Ryan Messick (@Ryan_Messick) October 26, 2014

Slot corner Brandon Boykin is normally a terrific player in coverage, but he was abused by Larry Fitzgerald for 60 minutes. It’s difficult to fault Boykin for getting beat by a receiver at least six inches taller, but still, this will not help Boykin’s case to play regularly outside. Fitzgerald finished with seven receptions for 160 yards and a long 80-yard touchdown.

Here’s an interesting stat about just how poorly the Eagles secondary played today.

This was the first game in Eagles history in which they've allowed two passing TDs of 75 yards or more.

— Reuben Frank (@RoobCSN) October 27, 2014

Safety Malcolm Jenkins held up well in coverage and finished with a team-best five tackles, including one for a loss. And while Allen got roasted, he did force a key fumble of Andre Ellington.

The Eagles also deserve a lot of credit for holding wide receiver Michael Floyd, the best receiver on the Cardinals in games not against Philadelphia, to no catches in 60 minutes.

Still, better defensive backs would have won the game for Philly. It's tough to win without intercepting passes.

"

The Eagles' three INTs tie the fewest in franchise history after seven games. Also had three in 1970, 1997 and 1998.

— Reuben Frank (@RoobCSN) October 27, 2014

 

"

It’s also frustrating how Fitzgerald entered the day 52nd among all wide receivers in receiving yards, yet still torched the Eagles, as he’s done against them throughout his entire career.

"

Larry Fitzgerald has played seven games against the Eagles. Projected over a 16-game season... 107 catches, 1833 yards, 25 touchdowns.

— Bryn Swartz (@eaglescentral) October 27, 2014

"

And that 75-yard touchdown pass to rookie Brown will haunt Eagles fans for a long time.

"

What a stunning third-down, straight-over-the-head, on-the-dead-run catch that was by rookie John Brown for the winning TD. What a find.

— Skip Bayless (@RealSkipBayless) October 26, 2014

"

It could easily determine the NFC East winner. It could determine whether Philadelphia gets home-field advantage or not. There are simply no excuses for letting a rookie get past the safety on that kind of a play. The Eagles have to be looking at a first-round cornerback this year.

Grade: D-

Special Teams

Ross D. Franklin/Associated Press

Philadelphia Eagles kicker Cody Parkey is straight up money in the bank, and it doesn’t really seem to matter what the distance of the field goal is. Credit general manager Howie Roseman for pulling off an absolute steal when he acquired Parkey from the Indianapolis Colts.

Parkey drilled a 54-yard kick and a 20-yarder to give the Eagles a late 20-17 lead.

"

Cody Parkey already has three FGs over 50 yards, with that 54-yarder being the longest. #Cards 14, #Eagles 10.

— Jeff McLane (@Jeff_McLane) October 26, 2014

 

"

Parkey has barely even been an Eagle, and he’s already climbing up the franchise’s all-time ranks.

"

 

"

Most 50-yard FGs in Eagles history: Akers 15, Dempsey 7, Franklin 6, McFadden 6, Parkey 3, Ruzek 3.

— Reuben Frank (@RoobCSN) October 26, 2014

 

"

"

Parkey also has incredible leg strength on his kickoffs. He’s just an all-around superb kicker.

Punter Donnie Jones boomed six punts for an average distance of 48.0 yards, dropping two of them inside the opposition’s 20-yard line. With Darren Sproles injured, the punt returning duties went to Jeremy Maclin and Riley Cooper. Maclin actually finished with a pretty solid day, running back two for a total of 25 yards.

Josh Huff took back the lone kick return for 26 yards. In all, the special teams quietly turned in another terrific performance.

Grade: A