Four lead changes, a frantic finish, penalties galore and some big plays.
What more could you want?
For the Philadelphia Eagles the answer is a different result as they come up just short of a precious win in a battle of one-loss teams. Instead they have to regroup a game behind the NFC West leading Arizona Cardinals who continued their impressive start to the year.
Let’s take a look at some of the key performances.
Philadelphia Eagles – Performances of Note
Jeremy Maclin, WR: +2.5
Breakdown: Maclin scored the game’s opening touchdown (1Q, 4:47) on a screen from 21 yards out, with Rashad Johnson biting hard on play action. He also received a good block from Lane Johnson which gave him an easy path to the end zone. It was much of the same for the rest of the game as he finished with catches on 12 of 16 targets for 187 yard. Five of those came against Patrick Peterson and more than half of them resulted in either a first down or touchdown.
Signature Play: 3Q, 2:31. Got behind the defense to haul in a perfect pass from Nick Foles for a 54 yard touchdown.
Bradley Fletcher, CB: -3.1
Breakdown: Playing exclusively on the left side of the defense, Fletcher allowed just two receptions on five passes thrown into his coverage, which doesn’t necessarily match up with such a negative grade. However, one of the catches went for an 80 yard touchdown as he let Larry Fitzgerald past him on a short slant with no deep safety help. He also benefited from two dropped passes by Michael Floyd (1Q, 9:05 and 2Q, 8:59) and was called for pass interference on another play in the first quarter.
Signature Stat: The -3.3 coverage grade was Fletchers lowest since Week 15 of the 2013 season.
Nick Foles, QB: -0.1
Breakdown: Another erratic game for the Eagles QB who hit a lot of short, expected plays and flashed on his perfect touchdown pass at 2:31 of the third, but also frustrated with throws such as his second quarter interception (2Q, 7:32) and the constant drifting in the pocket that created pressure.
Signature Stat: Against the blitz, Foles went 9-of-19 with a pick for a 4.3 YPA.
Arizona Cardinals – Performances of Note
Antonio Cromartie, CB: +2.9
Breakdown: After rough games in Weeks 5 and 6, Cromartie has bounced back in his last two games, including an outstanding performance on Sunday against the Eagles. Playing almost all of his snaps at right cornerback, he picked off two passes and broke up a third, allowing just 39 yards on four catches.
Signature Play: 2Q, 7:32. Stepped in front of Josh Huff in the end zone for an easy interception, denying the Eagles of any points on their drive.
Calais Campbell, DL: +2.7
Breakdown: Beat guard Matt Tobin on the first play of the game to almost land a hit on Nick Foles, and it was much of the same throughout the game as he collected seven pressures and a defensive stop. His grade might have been higher with a number of plays where he beat his block, but was unable to make a play on the rusher (ex: 4Q, 6:19).
Signature Play: 3Q, 12:12. Faced little resistance from the left guard, but a quick release prevented Campbell from making a play on the quarterback.
Michael Floyd, WR: -1.5
Breakdown: Started the season well, but has since fallen off and had a brutal game against the Eagles. Four targets resulted in two dropped passes (though neither was easy) and no catches for the first time in two seasons, though he did help spring his teammates with a couple of good blocks downfield.
Signature Play: 2Q, 8:59. Found himself open on the deep route down the right sideline, but couldn’t haul in the pass as he was banged up on the play.
PFF Game Ball
Rookie receiver John Brown came through when it counted, hauling in a 75-yard touchdown pass with less than two minutes remaining in the game.
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