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PFF Preview: Eagles @ Cardinals, Week 8

2014-Prev-WK08-PHI@ARZAs we’ve reached the midway point of the season, both the Philadelphia Eagles and the Arizona Cardinals sit at 5-1 and are slated to face-off in an NFC showdown that we could very well see again in the playoffs.

As Carson Palmer and the Cardinals try to inch closer to an NFC West crown, they’ll have to face the vaunted pass rush of the Eagles who have an array of weapons. As a defensive unit, the Eagles' pass rush has earned a grade of +10.8 this year, one of the better units in the league, and have five players on their front seven that boast green pass rush grades.

Brandon Graham, Connor Barwin, and Trent Cole have all had success when getting after the quarterback this year. In fact, of all 3-4 outside linebackers who have played at least 40 or more pass rush snaps this year, Graham, Barwin, and Cole all rank in the Top 15 in terms of Pass Rush Productivity (PRP). Graham (17.2) ranks first, Barwin (11.9) 10th, and Cole (11.3) 13th.

Then, there’s Vinny Curry who has registered four sacks and owns a PRP of 10.2, which is third among 3-4 defensive ends that have played 65 or more snaps.

That being said, the offensive line of the Cardinals may be in for a long day, as four of their five linemen have red pass blocking grades. As a unit, they have allowed 40 quarterback hurries and 58 total pressures, both good for 19th in the league. Their Pass Blocking Efficiency (PBE) of 80.1 makes them the 15th-best unit in that stat. The Cardinals' offensive line ranks near the middle of the league in all of these categories, all the while they have taken only 225 total passing play snaps, tied for sixth-least.

If there’s a silver lining, Palmer has an Accuracy Percentage of 67.9% when facing pressure, one of the top percentages in the league, and has only thrown one interception.

Here are three more notable numbers for each side:

Philadelphia Eagles

Nick Foles – Foles has attempted a league-high 48 throws deep down field (20+ yards).

Jason Peters – With an overall grade of +12.2, Peters currently ranks as the fourth-best tackle in the league.

Jordan Matthews – Matthews has only been targeted 33 times compared to Jeremy Maclin’s 58 targets, yet he only trails Maclin by four receptions.

Arizona Cardinals

Jared Veldheer – Veldheer has been Arizona’s best lineman this season, earning an overall grade of +1.9.

Jerraud Powers – Powers has been targeted a team-high 46 times, but he still has a coverage grade of +4.1, the best of any cornerback on the team.

Michael Floyd – Floyed has been targeted a team-high 14 times in the deep passing game (20+yards) and has a team-high six deep receptions.

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