Arizona Cardinals vs. Philadelphia Eagles: 5 Storylines Going into the Weekend

It's already Week 10 of the NFL season, and the Philadelphia Eagles are set to play host to the Arizona Cardinals.

It's a must-win for the Eagles if they still want to make the playoffs and a big road test for Kevin Kolb and his Cardinals.

As with every NFL game, there are a couple of underlying storylines surrounding this one.

Read on to see what they are.

Rematch of 2009 NFC Championship Game

This is the first time the Eagles and Cardinals will play each other since the 2009 NFC Championship Game.

A lot of things have changed since then.

Eagles fans probably don't miss Donovan McNabb too much, but the Cardinals would love to have Kurt Warner back.

In that game, Arizona prevailed 32-25 behind Larry Fitzgerald's three touchdown catches. The Cardinals went on to Super Bowl XLIII, where they lost an absolute thriller to the Pittsburgh Steelers, 27-23.

Fans of both teams would love to have the days of NFC championships back, but for now, they'll have to settle for a Week 10 regular season matchup.

Kevin Kolb Faces His Former Team

One of the biggest moves of the offseason was the Arizona Cardinals trading for Kevin Kolb, the Eagles' backup quarterback.

The Cardinals were one of many teams in need of a quarterback, and Kolb had shown enough talent to be a possible solution, so they went after him. The move also convinced Larry Fitzgerald that the organization was moving in the right direction, which led to him signing an eight-year, $120 million contract extension.

Needless to say, things haven't worked out the way anybody thought they would. Kolb has disappointed as the Cardinals' starter and the team is 2-6 and in the big cellar of the NFC West.

Will Kolb get fired up enough playing against his former team to lead Arizona to their third win? Cardinals fans certainly hope so.

Dominique-Rodgers Cromartie Faces His Former Team

The flip side of the Kevin Kolb trade was the Philadelphia Eagles receiving cornerback Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie and a second-round draft pick from the Cardinals.

At the time, it looked like a great deal for both sides, and everybody seemed happy.

However, the Eagles went out and signed free-agent Nnamdi Asomugha and, suddenly, DRC was the odd-man out in Philly's star-studded secondary.

Since then, the Eagles' entire defense has underperformed, especially Rodgers-Cromartie. He has only started one game thus far and has given lackluster performances when on the field.

Will facing his former team fire up Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie? This might be just what he needs to get back on track.

Picture Note: Did DRC decide to pick up a youth-size Cardinals jersey kit for this game? He's practically wearing the NFL version of a bikini.

Larry Fitzgerald vs. Nnamdi Asomugha

Anytime a great receiver faces a great corner, it's a big story.

In this case, it's Larry Fitzgerald against Nnamdi Asomugha.

Fitzgerald is coming into the game having a good but not great year. His touchdown and reception totals are down, but a lot of that can be blamed on Kevin Kolb. Fitzgerald is just a good a receiver as he has always been, but his opportunities have dwindled.

On the other end is Nnamdi Asomugha, the Eagles' big-time offseason victory. After building a "shutdown corner" reputation in Oakland, Asomugha has been good but not great in Philly. He has two interceptions, but has given up more completions than one would like to see.

Asomugha's underwhelming performance could all be a result of Juan Castillo's failure as defensive coordinator—or it could be that his time in Oakland made him look like bettere than he actually was.

I sense Eagles fans will blame this one on Castillo.

Let's see if Asomugha can lock down Fitzgerald and force other guys to make plays around the field.

Both Teams Having Disappointing Years

The Eagles' collapse has been well-documented, as a team once pinned as Super Bowl favorites has fallen to 3-5 and is tied for last in the NFC East.

On the other side of the field, the Arizona Cardinals thought a new quarterback would lead the team to victory in the wide-open NFC West. Instead, they have done nothing and the San Francisco 49ers have taken control of the division.

Philly could still make the playoffs if they win the rest of their games, but if their recent play is any indication, that won't happen. A more realistic outcome is a strong finish that leaves them short of the playoffs and a good enough draft position to add a much-needed linebacker.

While the Eagles are still clawing for a chance at the playoffs, the Cards are essentially done. They have too many wins to Suck for Luck and too many losses to be competitive.

It's been a sad year for both teams. Maybe a win in this game will lighten the mood a little for the victor.