Arizona Cardinals beat Philadelphia Eagles with complete effort, no drama

For the Arizona Cardinals, this game had everything.

In fact, the only thing it lacked was drama.

Final score: Cardinals 27, Eagles 6. And it wasn’t even that close.

“I tell you what, I feel better after any win. I don’t care how we get it,” Cardinals coach Ken Whisenhunt said when asked if it’s nice to have. “If we have to win it close, if we have to win it ugly, if we have to win it — I don’t care.”

Indeed a win is a win is a win, but it had to be nice to not need a clutch field goal or final defensive stand to come out victorious. It’s the first time the Cards have won a game by more than one score since December 12, 2010, when they beat the Denver Broncos 43-13.

They had won 11 times since then, each one of them close, each one of them seeming to miss something.

In beating the Philadelphia Eagles at University of Phoenix Stadium the Cardinals not only improved to 3-0 for the first time since 1974, but did so by playing well on offense, defense and special teams. It was easily the team’s most complete effort in some time.

“I thought we played very well as a team in all phases,” Whisenhunt said.

The defense was certainly there, holding the Eagles to 308 net yards on offense while limiting Eagles QB Michael Vick to 17-of-37 passing for 217 yards. The Cardinals came up with three turnovers — one of which they brought back for a game-changing touchdown. While stopping the NFL’s top-rated offense is certainly nice, it’s not really unexpected.

And, for the first time in a while, the defense’s effort is not the only reason why the Arizona Cardinals won a game.

Kevin Kolb completed 17-of-24 passes for 222 yards and two touchdowns, Larry Fitzgerald hauled in a Fitz-like nine passes for 114 yards and a score, Ryan Williams ran the ball 13 times and picked up 83 yards — 62 of which came in the fourth quarter — and the Cardinals cruised to yet another statement win.

With a quality offensive effort to match the defense’s customary dominance, one has to ask:

Are the 2012 Arizona Cardinals a good football team?

The signs were all there Sunday, which then makes you wonder just how far this team can go.

But that’s for fans and media to think about, as the Cardinals understand there is still a lot of time and plenty of games left in this season.

“We can’t start to drink any Kool-Aid or believe the hype, we’ve got to just continue to do what we’ve been doing,” defensive end Vonnie Holliday said. “Even after the win against New England people still doubted us; it was more about what New England didn’t do than what we did.

“We’ve got to use that as motivation and keep that chip on our shoulder and play that way.”

Holliday speculated the loss will be attributed to the Eagles playing poorly or having to face the Cardinals without an injured Jeremy Maclin, Or, he said, folks might point to the team being flat due to taking a long flight to get to Arizona.

“It will be something, but we have to expect that,” he said. “And not worry about what people outside this locker room are thinking, but just to continue to believe inside this locker room.”

While the team’s first two wins left some doubt, this most recent one should not. The Eagles also entered the game with a 2-0 record, but looked to be completely overmatched and outclassed for an entire 60 minutes.

People will take notice of that. How could they not?

Back in training camp most felt the Cardinals would have a good defense and that if the offense could just be competent, would also have a chance to reach the postseason.

When preseason concluded many feared the offense would be a disaster and ultimately hold the team back.

Three games into the regular season we know the Cardinals have a dominant defense, and while there are questions about whether the offense can be consistently good, they do seem to be heading in the right direction.

“The biggest thing we wanted to do [Sunday] was not turn the football over,” Fitzgerald said. “Any time you don’t turn the football over, I feel, with the defense playing like our defense is playing, you put yourself in a good situation.”

The Arizona Cardinals couldn’t possibly be in a better situation, as they are undefeated through three games and currently atop the NFC West.

“All the hard work and preparation that we’ve put in so far is paying off,” Holliday said. “We’ve overcome a lot of adversity early on in the season. Quarterback controversy, offensive line banged up woes, and to be sitting here at 3-0, if anybody says that they knew it would be this way they’d be lying, but we still kept our heads down working and just grinding, and it’s paying off for us.”

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