By the numbers: Telling stats from the Cardinals’ loss to the Eagles
Oct 8, 2017, 4:05 PM | Updated: 4:29 pm
Philadelphia Eagles' Vinny Curry, left, tackles Arizona Cardinals' Carson Palmer during the first half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Oct. 8, 2017, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Michael Perez)
(AP Photo/Michael Perez)
All of the Arizona Cardinals’ worst fears heading into Sunday’s Week 5 battle at Philadelphia came true.
Without David Johnson and behind a patchwork offensive line, the running game never got going. Though quarterback Carson Palmer didn’t turn the ball over, the passing game’s inflated statistics were a result of volume rather than efficiency.
Defensive breakdowns led to the Eagles converting on 3rd-and-long, and special teams woes bit Arizona early.
The end result, a 34-7 loss, has Arizona 2-3 on the year and desperately needing healthy bodies to find stability. Here are the stats that most express the problems for Bruce Arians’ team in the loss — and for the weeks ahead.
0-for-1
Cardinals kicker Phil Dawson got just one attempt at a field goal beyond 50 yards, but it had no chance. With long-snapper Aaron Brewer out with a broken wrist, the slow timing of the snap by right guard Evan Boehm allowed the Eagles to block it off the kicker’s toe.
1
The Cardinals went without a turnover until receiver J.J. Nelson lost the ball attempting to stretch it over the goal line with a minute left in regulation.
2
Hit an additional seven times, Cardinals quarterback Carson Palmer was sacked twice. He completed 28-of-44 passes for 291 yards and a touchdown without an interception as he attempted to make plays behind a struggling offensive line. Pro Football Focus counted him as having four passes that were either dropped by Eagles or broken up by Arizona receivers.
50+
Two Eagles scores came on deep balls that went for 50 yards or more. Torrey Smith caught a 59-yard touchdown to put the Eagles ahead 21-0 at the end of the first quarter, and Nelson Agholor hauled in a 72-yard ball after beating rookie Budda Baker down the field.
3
Arizona just couldn’t get off the field. Philadelphia went 9-of-14 on third-down conversions, including several 3rd-and-long situations early on. Eagles quarterback Carson Wentz went 11-of-12 on third downs for 225 of his 304 total yards — three of those completions were for touchdowns.
Meanwhile, the Cardinals went 4-of-14 on third-down opportunities themselves.
31
The running game came to a crawl for the Cardinals, who totaled 31 yards on the ground Sunday. Fourteen of those came on a J.J. Nelson jet sweep in the first half.
Meanwhile, starter Chris Johnson rushed nine times for 21 yards with a long of nine yards and an average of 2.3 per touch. Backups Kerwynn Williams and Andre Ellington combined for -4 yards on four touches as the Cardinals’ offensive line struggled once again. Starting left tackle, D.J. Humphries, was again out, while new signee Earl Watford started at left guard with Mike Iupati on IR and Alex Boone out with a chest injury.
4.0
That was the Eagles’ rushing yards per carry average. LeGarrette Blount led the way with 73 yards on 13 carries, including a 37-yard rush. He averaged 5.6 yards per carry, and backup Kenjon Barner had five totes for 23 yards (4.6 yards per carry).
110
Barner took three punts back for 110 yards. That total was bolstered by a 76-yard punt return that put the Eagles in the red zone and set up their second touchdown of the day.
12
Twelve times, the Eagles targeted tight end Zach Ertz, who finished with six catches for 61 yards and a touchdown as the Cardinals struggled to contain receivers at the second level and beyond.
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