Cardinals vs. Eagles: Postgame Grades and Notes for Arizona

The Arizona Cardinals clinched the NFC West division title with a decisive 40-17 victory over the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday night. This is the third time in eight seasons the Cardinals have claimed the NFC West.

Rookie running back David Johnson was the player to stoke Arizona's fire in Philadelphia, accumulating 229 yards from scrimmage and three touchdowns. John Brown and Deone Bucannon provided the other two touchdowns for the Cardinals.

The game looked like it would be a back-and-forth affair in the first half, with the Eagles matching Arizona's first two scoring drives. With the score tied at 10-10 in the second quarter, Johnson took over.

Running over and through Philadelphia's defense, Johnson broke the deadlock with a 47-yard touchdown run. He then furthered Arizona's lead in the third quarter with his second one-yard plunge of the night.

The game was never in doubt after that.

Click ahead for the full game recap, including position grades, a look at the NFC playoff picture and the early word on Tyrann Mathieu's injury.

Position Grades for Arizona

Michael Perez/Associated Press/Associated Press

David Johnson

Quarterbacks: A-

This wasn't Carson Palmer's most prolific game, but it didn't have to be. He finished with 274 yards and one touchdown on the night, marking only the second time all season an opponent held him below 300 yards and two touchdowns in the same game.

Still, Palmer didn't make any bad decisions, was accurate throughout the game and didn't get a ton of help from his receivers. He would have hit the above thresholds with ease if Brown didn't come down with a case of the drops.

Running Backs: A+

What more can Johnson do? He ran around, through, over and by the entire Eagles roster en route to 229 total yards and three scores. His 47-yard touchdown romp in the second quarter was one of the most impressive runs in the entire NFL this season.

Chris Johnson and Andre Ellington are versatile backs. David Johnson is a dynamic back. The film from Sunday night's game explains the difference between those two things.

Wide Receivers: C

Michael Floyd had some nice moments, including an acrobatic reception down the sideline that set up Johnson's third touchdown, but that was about it for Arizona's receivers.

Brown put together one of the worst performances you'll see in the first half of this game, dropping three passes, two of which would've resulted in touchdowns. He did at least rebound with a nifty shake for a touchdown in the second half.

Tight Ends: B

Darren Fells' number doesn't get called often, but when it does, he produces. He caught all three of his targets for 54 yards, including a 36-yard reception. 

On the blocking front, the group teamed up well with the offensive line to spring Johnson on several runs. Troy Niklas had the bonehead play of the night, bumping into Patrick Peterson on a punt return, but he managed to recover the resulting fumble.

Offensive Line: B

This was the second consecutive solid, sturdy performance from the offensive line. Palmer took some big shots, but that's going to happen, particularly in this offense.

The line deserves a lot of credit for paving the way for Johnson, who didn't see many Eagles defenders behind the line of scrimmage. This O-line is never going to be great, but the team can live with this kind of performance.

Defensive Line: C

Defensive linemen in an odd front aren't going to be the guys making a lot of noise, but you'd like to see something more than what Arizona got from its line on Sunday night. The D-linemen dealt with Philadelphia's offensive line reasonably well, but no one made a play.

We know this group is capable of a much better performance. Will it rise to the occasion in the playoffs?

Linebackers: B+

If not for the rookie Johnson, Bucannon probably would've been the Cardinals' most impressive player against Philadelphia. He made tackles all over the field, stifled Darren Sproles in the passing game and picked up his first career interception, which he dutifully returned for his first career touchdown. 

Markus Golden isn't yet a dangerous pass-rusher, but he's been effective. He registered a sack and got in Sam Bradford's face on two other occasions. 

Secondary: C

As Cris Collinsworth pointed out in the NBC broadcast, Arizona's secondary badly missed Rashad Johnson on Sunday night. Poor communication and blown coverage directly contributed to both of Philadelphia's touchdowns.

Outside of those incidents, the group covered up to its usual standards. The big question now is Mathieu's health. Hitherto the team's defensive standout on the season, Mathieu hurt his left leg late in the fourth quarter after picking off Bradford. More on that injury in the next slide.

Special Teams: D

Kerwynn Williams did a solid job returning kicks, but that's about as far as one can go when speaking positively about the Cardinals special teams.

Drew Butler was shaky, Chandler Catanzaro missed his fourth extra point of the season and Niklas forced Peterson into fumbling a punt return. We've reached the point where it's safe to say this unit won't help the Cardinals this year. Can it at least avoid hurting the team?

Coaching: A-

For a staff that admits to being stubborn, it's hard to get a game more right than Bruce Arians and company did on Sunday night.

On the East Coast with a much bigger game looming in Week 16, Arians had his team ready to play against the Eagles. Arians also displayed some much-needed flexibility, hammering the Eagles with David Johnson over and over again.

Tyrann Mathieu Injured

Matt Rourke/Associated Press

The Cardinals survived their first two injury scares against Philadelphia, but they might not have gotten so lucky the third time around.

Concern ran rampant when David Johnson appeared to injure his knee late in the second quarter, and once again when Palmer jammed his finger in the third. Both players returned quickly to the game, however, showing no lingering damage.

The real worry came with just a few minutes remaining in the game. After intercepting a Bradford pass, Mathieu took a few steps upfield before appearing to twist his left leg and crumpling to the turf. Mathieu was escorted to the locker room, although he did so under his own power. 

Here's one look at the play via the team's official Twitter feed.

According to Darren Urban of the team's official website, Arians had no information on the severity of Mathieu's injury. It seems reasonable to expect Mathieu to undergo an MRI on Monday in Arizona.

The loss of Mathieu, the NFC's Defensive Player of the Month for November, would be a massive blow to the Cardinals defense, particularly this late in the season. An argument could easily be made for him being the team's best defensive player this season.

Beyond his physical talents, Mathieu's energy and enthusiasm would be irreplaceable on and off the field. With potentially four weeks before the Cardinals' next meaningful game, everyone in and around the organization will be hoping the injury is nothing more severe than a sprain.

Arizona Clinches Division, Sets Franchise Record

Matt Rourke/Associated Press/Associated Press

Carson Palmer (No. 3)

It will get lost in the concern over Mathieu's health, but the win over Philadelphia was a historic event for the Cardinals organization. Beyond clinching its seventh division title, Arizona's 12th victory sets a new franchise record for wins in a season.

The Cardinals had won 11 games in a season four times before this year.

Arians and the rest of the team are unlikely to be satisfied with just 12 wins. There's still work to be done this season, with the Cardinals potentially needing one more victory to secure a first-round bye in the playoffs.

Arizona's Playoff Picture

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PHILADELPHIA, PA - DECEMBER 20: David Johnson #31 of the Arizona Cardinals celebrates his rushing-touchdown in the third quarter with teammate Michael Floyd #15 against the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field on December 20, 2015 in Philadelph

Now that Arizona has locked up the NFC West, it can focus on securing one of the two first-round byes in the NFC playoffs. Here's what that picture looks like following Week 15.

NFC Second Seed

The Cardinals hold a two-game lead over the Green Bay Packers for the second seed in the NFC playoffs. They'll clinch with either of the following over the next two weeks:

• Arizona wins or ties at least one game.
• Green Bay loses or ties at least one game.

It's not complicated, and it's further uncomplicated by the fact the Packers will be Arizona's guests in Week 16. A win or a tie next Sunday, and the Cardinals will have secured a first-round bye with one week to spare.

NFC First Seed

Arizona still has an outside chance of claiming the top seed in the NFC, which carries with it home-field advantage throughout the playoffs. It'll do so if both of the following things happen:

• Arizona wins both of its final two games.
• Carolina loses both of its final two games.

That scenario is unlikely considering Carolina's undefeated mark on the season. The Panthers will also wrap up their season against Atlanta and Tampa Bay, neither of which has been in scintillating form in recent weeks.

With 15 weeks behind them, the Cardinals' focus will predominantly be on Week 16's matchup with Green Bay. The Packers are Arizona's primary dance partner in what's left of the Cardinals' playoff scenario, and as convenience would have it, they'll be in town next Sunday.