December 31, 2023
Eric Hartline/USA TODAY Sports
One of the few times the Eagles actually tackled James Conner.
The Eagles' blew a 15-point lead to Jonathan Gannon's undermanned Cardinals and lost, 35-31.
Arizona, not one of the league's better offenses, never had to punt as James Conner and Kyler Murray continually torched the Eagles' defense.
And Jalen Hurts and the offense? They barely saw the field, and even when they did, did hardly enough.
They're 11-5 and neck and neck with the Cowboys again in the race for the NFC East. Hope for the No. 1 seed in the conference is out the window.
The Eagles are still going to the playoffs, but they just got knocked around by one of the NFL's worst teams. They're imploding.
Here's what feels like only some of what went wrong on Sunday...
Where do we even start?
James Conner and Michael Carter scorched the Eagles' defense on the ground, the front seven couldn't get home – again – and as a result, Kyler Murray was able to extend play after play and take chunk yardage through the air against a secondary continually proving full of holes.
They coudn't get off the field – the Cardinals absolutely dominated the time of possession battle 39:39-20:21 – couldn't make crucial stops – Arizona went 7-12 on combined third and fourth down attempts – and for the better part of the day, outright struggled to tackle and cover.
The painful example of all of it in one: The Cardinals' game-tying third-quarter touchdown, when Murray spun right out of Josh Sweat's grasp to get a pass off to Conner that he hauled in one-handed with Nick Morrow too slow to catch up.
Then the Cardinals went for two and got it with a defensive holding call that didn't matter. Tie game. The Eagles blew a 21-6 lead.
KYLER MURRAY AND JAMES CONNER MAGIC.
— NFL (@NFL) December 31, 2023
📺: #AZvsPHI on FOX
📱: Stream on #NFLPlus https://t.co/sFjqko01pD pic.twitter.com/duOchEgx4j
Sweat was shown on the FOX broadcast dejected on the sideline. Brandon Graham was stunned.
Hurts and the offense put together a scoring drive to take the lead back, but the defense couldn't hold it.
They got burned for 221 yards on the ground by a struggling 3-12 team going in that dictated the tempo all day.
And on the final drive that gave the Cardinals the game...
Cardinals drive inside the 10!
— NFL (@NFL) December 31, 2023
📺: #AZvsPHI on FOX
📱: Stream on #NFLPlus https://t.co/sFjqko01pD pic.twitter.com/VML5vJhBHK
Everything's falling apart.
The Eagles were trending in the wrong direction well before either of these moments, but DeVonta Smith's uncharacteristic drop on third down midway through the third quarter when they were still up seven was costly – oh, and now he's hurt too.
Kelee Ringo's defensive pass interference after the Eagles went back up 28-21 in the fourth was also a killer that helped push the Cardinals back down the field to tie it again.
A game never comes down to just one play, but when the Eagles were in real need of some kind of break, these just blew up in their face.
When it rains, it pours.
The offensive playcalling on the Eagles' late fourth-quarter drive after the Cardinals tied it up at 28 was pitiful.
A 3rd and 20 after an offensive holding and two plays that essentially amounted to nothing and what's the call? A bubble screen to Kenny Gainwell for a few yards and a Jake Elliott field goal when it's clear the defense is struggling.
That's the best Nick Sirianni and Brian Johnson had?
If it is, it's going to be a real quick playoff run.
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