Eagles-Cardinals predictions: Our beat writers make their picks for Week 5

The Eagles will face the Arizona Cardinals on the road Sunday. Here are the game predictions from our Eagles beat writers for Week 5.

Until the Eagles lose, it’s going to be hard to pick against them. I had this upcoming road trip to Arizona as a loss before the season, but will no longer consider my preseason prognostications after I got the Vikings game wrong. The Cardinals are one of 15 NFL teams that are 2-2 after four weeks, and while some may be better or worse than .500, they are seemingly that mediocre.

Kliff Kingsbury’s offense, particularly the passing element, seems to be where the Cards have regressed the most. Quarterback Kyler Murray is averaging only 5.7 yards per attempt and is suffering without the suspended DeAndre Hopkins and the departed Christian Kirk. Hollywood Brown was supposed to help offset those losses. He’s been steady, but the former Ravens receiver has only three 20-plus yard catches and none over 26 yards. Former Eagles tight end Zach Ertz is a reliable set of hands for Murray, but he’s averaging only 7.2 yards a reception. Murray also hasn’t been, for whatever reason, the threat he once was on the ground. He gave the Eagles fits two years ago, but mostly as a passer, throwing for over 400 yards. Little remains of that defense, from scheme to personnel. But Jonathan Gannon, who has had his three best consecutive weeks since becoming a defensive coordinator last year, will face his toughest quarterback yet this season.

It’s still too early to make definitive claims, but the Cards defense hasn’t looked good in most respects. They’ve struggled to generate much of a pass rush. Defensive tackle Zach Allen has been a handful for O-linemen and should keep guards Landon Dickerson and Isaac Seumalo — if his ankle is OK — plenty busy. Defensive end J.J. Watt isn’t what he once was after so many injuries. Just last week he had a procedure to correct an irregular heartbeat. The biggest issue in Arizona has been on the back end, though. Facing Patrick Mahomes, Derek Carr, and Matthew Stafford in the first three weeks may have contributed to some struggles in coverage. But Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts should have some favorable matchups in the secondary with receivers A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith and tight end Dallas Goedert.

And if Nick Sirianni wants to run it, or take advantage of the Cardinals liabilities at linebacker, he can continue the Eagles’ success rushing with 11 personnel. But I can see him wanting to exploit a potential mismatch with whoever lines up opposite outside cornerback Marco Wilson.

The Eagles will be without three key starters: left tackle Jordan Mailata, slot cornerback Avonte Maddox, and kicker Jake Elliott. They survived last week without the first two. Jack Driscoll did impressive work having to jump in early for Mailata. Josiah Scott, in for Maddox, was targeted by the Jaguars, but Gannon found a way to eventually soften the blow. Can they hold up again? And will kicker Cameron Dicker, who is likely to be signed off the practice squad, hold down the fort until Elliott returns?

The injuries are a concern, but any number of fires could pop up for the Eagles and lead to their first loss. They’re playing well, however, and even if they don’t have their “A” game it should be enough in Arizona.

Prediction: Eagles 31, Cardinals 23

Hurts went out of his way to acknowledge the talent on this Cardinals team earlier this week, but does Arizona have enough talent to pull off the upset?

At this point, a Cardinals win would be exactly that: An upset. The Eagles are favored on the road and for good reason. They should be able to take advantage of a shoddy Arizona pass offense that ranks 29th by Football Outsiders. Budda Baker is a quality safety, but the Cardinals secondary outside of him has been suspect. Sunday could be another big day for Hurts, Brown, and Smith.

Arizona has talent up front and has been solid against the run, but the Eagles have been successful on the ground even when facing talented defensive fronts this season.

On the other side of the ball, the Eagles defense will need to be disciplined up front or risk letting Murray wreak havoc with his off-schedule playmaking ability. The Cardinals lead the league with 7.27 plays per drive and rank 29th in net yards per passing attempt, which suggests they are content taking short passes in an effort to extend drives.

That plays into the Eagles strategy of limiting explosive plays at the expense of giving up the short stuff. Which side prevails will come down to the playmaking ability of the Eagles defense. So far, the group has had the advantage in getting sacks and forcing turnovers; the Eagles will need more of the same to contain the Cardinals.

Then there’s the injuries. The Eagles are banged up — Elliott, Mailata, and Maddox will be sidelined. That is reason for pause, but it’s worth noting the Cardinals have their own injury woes. A multitude of starters, including Watt, Marquise Brown, Rondale Moore, and A.J. Green are all questionable going into the weekend. If the Cards are going to be missing three top wideouts, expect an even bigger role for Ertz in his potential revenge game.

Going into the regular season, I had this as an Eagles loss with one important caveat: A marked improvement from Hurts could flip the script. Combine Hurts fulfilling that prophecy with the Cardinals middling start to the season, and it’s hard to see the Eagles coughing this one up. Hurts, at the very least, isn’t going into the game with a lax attitude. A focused Eagles team should win this game.

Prediction: Eagles 27, Cardinals 17

» READ MORE: Eagles game-by-game predictions for 2022

Say what you want about the “soft” opening schedule — regardless of the opponent, the Eagles have proven they can win in a multitude of ways. Sirianni, Hurts, and offensive coordinator/play caller Shane Steichen are clicking together at a high rate. Even when the offense isn’t in-sync, the Eagles showed this past weekend they’re capable of handling adversity. Facing their largest deficit of the season, the Eagles scored 29 straight points in a memorable come-from-behind victory.

Smith, Brown, and Goedert headline the passing game, but don’t forget about running back Miles Sanders. He’s currently enjoying one of the best stretches of his career; Sanders is third in the NFL in total rushing. If Hurts continues to be decisive and he choose his spots in the RPO, the offense will only be that more effective. The Eagles have impressively recorded 400-plus yards in every game this season; they currently rank second in total offense with an average of 435.5 yards per contest. Hurts has done a tremendous job with taking care of the football. It can be argued that neither of Hurts’ two interceptions were his fault; both picks went off the fingertips of intended targets Kenneth Gainwell and Zach Pascal.

While Hurts has prioritized accuracy and ball security, the defense has wrecked opposing quarterbacks. The Eagles boast the league’s best turnover differential (plus-8) with 10 takeaways. At times, there have been lapses in communication, specifically across the secondary. But overall, the defense hasn’t been shaken. The Eagles have developed an early reputation of getting off the field quickly; they’ve recorded the most opponent three-and-outs in the league (21).

There are some injury concerns, but the team seems to have avoided any major issues. Mailata and Maddox are at least another week away, but top cornerback Darius Slay has been a full participant in practice this week. With Elliott out, could Sirianni and his braintrust opt to go for it more frequently during fourth-down scenarios? The Eagles rank 10th in fourth-down conversion rate (63.6%) and ninth in red zone offense.

Until opposing defensive coordinators figure out how to tame Philadelphia’s high-powered offense, it’ll be tough picking against the NFL’s only remaining undefeated squad.

Prediction: Eagles 28, Cardinals 24

Inquirer Eagles beat reporters EJ Smith and Josh Tolentino preview the team’s Week 5 game against the Arizona Cardinals and Zach Ertz. Watch at Inquirer.com/EaglesGameday