BEWARE THE OTHER BIRDS
The Philadelphia Inquirer Blog - Eagles
BEWARE THE OTHER BIRDS
Bob Brookover
The message Andy Reid is going to drum into his players as they prepare for Sunday's NFC championship game is that the Arizona Cardinals that showed up at Lincoln Financial Field Thanksgiving night are not the same team that will be hosting them at University of Phoenix Stadium with a trip to Super Bowl XLIII on the line.
"To be honest with you, I didn't think we got their best shot when they were here," the Eagles' coach said at his noon news conference today. "They didn't play good football. They were coming off a tough (home loss to the Giants), it was Thanksgiving Day and they had to travel here.
"This will be a different football team that we will see out there. I have had a chance to go through four games now -- the last four games of their season -- and it's very obvious when you put on the film that schemetically they are doing some different things. They are way more aggressive from a defensive standpoint. Offensively, they've always been aggressive, but they've got their run game going and I think their offensive line is playing better. They're playing very good football right now."
The Eagles, of course, blew out the Cardinals, 48-20, at the Linc and started to put back together their season, which seemed to be on the skids after Donovan McNabb was benched in a lopsided loss at Baltimore.
Veteran running back Edgerrin James, after carrying the ball just 18 times in an eight-game stretch from Week 8 through Week 16, has once again become an integral part of the Cardinals' offense. In two postseason games, the former Indianapolis Colts' star has ran 36 times for 130 yards and a touchdown. He has carried the ball 13 more times than rookie Tim Hightower, who had emerged as Arizona's featured back in the second half of the season.
The Cardinals, of course, are built to throw the football and Larry Fitzgerald has been their postseason star, catching 14 passes for 267 yards and two touchdowns in wins over Atlanta and Carolina. Quarterback Kurt Warner, intercepted three times in the game at the Linc, has a 93.9 passer rating in the postseason, completing 40 of 64 passes for 491 yards and four touchdowns. He has thrown two interceptions.
Reid held a team meeting when the Eagles returned home following yesterday's win over the Giants and he gave the players off today.
The coach said receiver Jason Avant was moving around better today after hyperextending his knee and leaving yesterday's game in the third quarter. Also on the injury front, Reid said Jon Runyan remains sore with a right knee sprain and Brian Westbrook has knee swelling.
"I don't think any of these are too major," Reid said. "We'll just see how they do in the next few hours here."
The Card's are not who you thought they were!! They are peaking at the right time and will not only beat the Eagles but will earn something that Phili has not - A SUPERBOWL RING GO CARDINAL'S!!!!!— outintheflo
Comment removed.- Warner played 100x better against Carolina than Eli against us. this is not the same team we blew out but its still not better either. Carolina Beat themselves in that game and while i dont see this as a cakewalk for Eagles, i just do not see, with everyone looking good playing well, Arizona standing in our way of a SB trip, not taking nothing from them, but hopefully we will come out on top...Now Pitt or Raven.. thats a diff story, if we get past Arizona lets hope for a all PA supberbowl— rayne215
- Also i am confident that none of the Eagles will give the cardnials Poster board material (like panthers did)— rayne215
- You can't let Warner beat you deep. Edge and H-tower can be contained. McNabb and the offense must put together long drives and keep the defense rested... the D was on the field far too much against the Giants.— BFlint
- I'm from phx. and I wouldn't worry about the Cards. You see every third or fourth game they play so horribly you wonder if they could win at the college level, and they're due. Do bring your clubs, if you're coming, the temp. will be perfect, 70s sunshine, through Sun.— studakota
- The Cardinals aren't the same team, and they are peaking at the right time. However, I don't believe the hype about their running game. They scored alot of their points off of Delhomme's turnovers. Those turnovers made Carolina's running game a non-factor. If the Eagles don't turn the ball over, they'll win the game easily.— MTbelly
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- McNabb won't throw 5 INT's like overrated Delhome did !!!— phillyflava
- Not a chance in the world of the Cards holding up this train. They are a fluke. Won the softest division in the league. So what. Got manhandled by Philly on Thansgiving. We play poorly in the East? Really? If they were NFC East, they would be the Redskins. Eagles are not without their faults, but are the better team right now. Go Birds.— truthfirst
I'm not worried, but I wouldn't get too complacent either. The Cardinals have been the laughing stock of the NFL for years and they're out to win. The Eagles have to go out there as if they're playing the Giants or the Titans! GO EAGLES! GO ANDY!— PattyJo- Cardinals have no chance with the way our defense has played. Warner will give up at least 2 picks to our d-backs. Game over, I made my flight reservations to TB last night.— Criz2020
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