Defense completes winning picture against Cardinals
PHILADELPHIA » If Carson Wentz had one of this best days as an Eagles quarterback, you’d think all the talk would be about that. If the Birds’ defense dominated an Arizona Cardinals team with an accomplished veteran quarterback and tidy set of skill people, you’d think that would grab the bulk of the attention.
And if special teams spent an afternoon setting up the offense with an effective return game and igniting ‘enthusiasm’ into a defense with a couple of well-placed pops of Redbird returners ... wouldn’t that be the story of the game?
As it is, Sunday featured all of that and more in a 34-7 Eagles win that should place them squarely on the watch list of NFL contenders.
“I feel like this was the most dominant we’ve been, and the crazy part is we’re not at full strength yet,” Eagles defensive end Brandon Graham said after the Birds improved to 4-1, with a Thursday night turnaround game against the 4-1 Carolina Panthers next.
“We just keep finding a way to win,” Graham said, “finding a way to get it done. I love the mindset we have ... even when things go bad sometimes, we’re not panicking. We’re just going out there and we’re getting the job done each and every play.”
From Carson Wentz’s four touchdown strikes amid 304 passing yards to Kenjon Barner’s 110 yards off three punt returns to LeGarrette Blount’s solid 74 rushing yards, the Eagles’ production people did plenty to leave Arizona bent and broken.
But it was Graham and Co. who completed the kill.
Yes, Carson Palmer managed 291 passing yards, but only one touchdown. And that was balanced by a pair of sacks.
Larry Fitzgerald, who reached 200 consecutive games with a reception, caught six balls for 51 yards, but most of the catches came with the game already out of hand.
“I think this was the most complete performance we’ve had,” Malcolm Jenkins said. “Offense, defense and special teams ... we played pretty well. Obviously, it wasn’t perfect, but it was pretty clean. We didn’t let up, didn’t let them back in the game; kept their guys down the whole time. We really fed off the crowd and had a good time.”
Palmer and Fitzgerald, the 71-year-old pass-catch combo, mostly did much of nothing against an aggressive and opportunistic Eagles defensive presence that had the slow of foot but quick of release Palmer on the hobble much of the day.
“It’s far less (stressful) on a defensive line when you’ve got a guy in the pocket that isn’t going to move too much,” Graham said of Palmer. “When you get a guy that can move like who we play (later) this week, you’ve got to adjust. Like, the way you rush a little bit, because that guy, he can get away. He can run and he’s big so we have to make sure we can get numbers to Cam.”
That would be Cam Newton, he of the uncomfortable press conferences but competent pocket presence. Coming off their best performance of the season, the Eagles approach an oncoming Week 5 road game against the Panthers that should give them a fair measure of where they stand among the contender competitors.
Jenkins thinks they can fare well in that pressurized environment, too.
“I think it’s the maturation of our team,” he said. “You look at some of the leaders that we have, we all have an idea of where we want to go as a team, and four wins isn’t it. We have a lot more to accomplish, a lot more work to do.”