For the fifth consecutive week the Philadelphia Eagles are doing two things — continuing their reunion tour and fighting to remain undefeated.
For Week 5, the Birds are on the road as they head to Arizona. Former Eagles’ tight end Zach Ertz and the Cardinals are 2-2, and luckily for them, Philadelphia has lost in Arizona the last five times they played there.
But, the 2022 season is a different story.
Quarterback Jalen Hurts is ranked in the top-five, and both the offense and defense are ranked within the top-two. As the Eagles hope to return to Philly as a 5-0 team, how will Sunday’s game fare?
EAGLES VS. CARDINALS
Philadelphia Eagles
The Eagles are undoubtedly on a roll right now.
Despite Jalen Hurts’ interception last week against the Jacksonville Jaguars, he still managed to pass for 204 yards in pouring rain to pull out a win. No quarterback has made more progress in one offseason than Hurts. Going into Week 5, the NFL has ranked him No. 4 as his passing and rush game continue to be a threat across the league.
Both the offense and the defense will lose some key players this week to injury. Left tackle Jordan Mailata, cornerback Avonte Maddox, and kicker Jake Elliott will sit this one out. Running back Boston Scott also remains questionable. Though most teams would struggle in this circumstance, the Eagles still have major depth to rely on.
Arizona Cardinals
Unlike the 2021 season, the Cardinals aren’t doing so well this time around. With wide receiver D’Andre Hopkins serving a suspension, quarterback Kyler Murray’s throwing options are limited. Arizona’s only saving grace is that Murray is good on his feet.
Offensively, Arizona is the only team in the league that hasn’t scored in the first quarter this season. Defensively, the Cardinals are ranked 28th, and their pass-rush is nearly non-existent. The team also has 13 injuries they have to account for, including a number of starters — one of which is former Eagles’ tight end Zach Ertz who didn’t participate in practice earlier this week.
WEEK 5 PREDICTIONS
The Cardinals haven’t won a home game since Week 7 of the 2021 season, and though they are certainly due for one, the Eagles are just a better team.
Jalen Hurts played the Cardinals in his second start after taking over for Carson Wentz. During that game, he finished with 400+ yards of total offense, with four combined touchdowns. Given his progression, he should be able to pull out similar numbers this week.
I’m going with the Philadelphia Eagles again. A 5-0 record has a nice ring to it.
Prediction: Eagles 28, Cardinals 20
The Eagles vs. Cardinals kick-off on Sunday, October 9 at 4:25 PM. Philadelphia will then have the easiest schedule in the league for the remainder of the 2022-2023 season.
