When the Arizona Cardinals take the field Sunday in
Philadelphia they will be taking on the Eagles for the
33rd time since the team moved to Arizona.

While you may best remember the 2008 NFC Championship
game, which the Cards won in Glendale, the former NFC East
rivals are as familiar with each other as any team could
be.

In fact, as far as the franchise goes, the Cardinals and
Eagles are knotted up at 55-55-5 — including games before
Cardinals moved to Arizona — though the Eagles hold a 19-
13 edge since the team moved.

As for what their past history means for this meeting,
well, not much. Each squad has gone through stretches of
dominance over the other, with the Eagles owning the early
to mid-90s, the Cardinals rallying in the latter part of
the decade by winning five straight from 1997-1999.

The Cardinals last played at Lincoln Financial Field in
2008 in a Thanksgiving night blowout, with the Eagles
winning 48-20. It wasn’t pretty, but it also wasn’t the
last time the teams would play that season.

The most important meeting between the two — and most
recent — was the one that sent the Cardinals to Super
Bowl XLIII, and while that was just a few seasons ago the
teams are very different now.

Gone are Donovan McNabb and Kurt Warner, the game’s
starting quarterbacks, replaced with Michael Vick and,
maybe, former Eagle Kevin Kolb. If he is unable to go,
John Skelton will get his second start of the season, and
first against the Eagles.

Another first Sunday? Vick, as an Eagle, facing the
Cardinals.

Truth be told, the Cardinals have done a solid job against
the quarterback. Though he beat the Cardinals the only two
times they’ve faced each other, Vick has never thrown a
touchdown against Arizona while being picked off twice.

Is that enough to give the Cardinals some hope Sunday?
We’ll find out in the rubber match between the teams.

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