Philadelphia Eagles Blow It, Lose to Arizona Cardinals

Oct 26, 2014; Glendale, AZ, USA; Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver Josh Huff (11) reacts after fumbling on the 2 yard line during the first half against the Arizona Cardinals at University of Phoenix Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Kartozian-USA TODAY Sports

Nothing this season – with the apparent exception of playing the Giants – is going to be easy for the Philadelphia Eagles.

Despite controlling the football and marching down the field at will much of the time, despite a defensive effort that bottled up Arizona standout Andre Ellington for large chunks of the game, despite an outstanding job of punting the football by Donnie Jones, the Philadelphia Eagles let the Arizona Cardinals hang around and left the game in doubt with under two minutes to go.

And with the game in the defense’s hands, the Philadelphia Eagles showed once again they are not an elite defensive unit with the current secondary in place.

Cary Williams can’t cover anyone, Nate Allen doesn’t understand how to give over-the-top coverage, and somehow the Eagles blew a winnable game in Arizona, 24-20.

It was a sad, disgusting way for the Philadelphia Eagles to come out of the bye. They dropped to 5-2 overall and will now visit a hungry Houston Texans team next week.

With the game knotted up 17-17, Philadelphia took the ball at their own 20 and began to move. On a critical third-and-three play, Nick Foles put the ball into Chris Polk’s belly, pulled it out, fired right and found Zach Ertz for a big connection to move the ball inside Arizona’s 25. Two LeSean McCoy runs later and the Eagles had first-and-10 at the Cardinals’ 10.

Polk took the handoff on first down and took it to the 6. On second down the took it inside the 1, but somehow just inches short of a first down (thanks to a poor spot). Faced with third-and-inches just a foot from the goal line, Foles took the snap in the shotgun and handed off to McCoy, who was hit in the backfield and lost a half yard.

Cody Parkey came on for a 20-yard field goal and drilled it, making it 20-17 with 1:56 to go, and the game was in the hands of Philadelphia’s defense.

The Cardinals took over at their 20. On a second-and-five from their own 25, Palmer went over the middle and Nolan Carroll broke up the pass with a beautiful defensive play. Carroll was shaken up on the play and had to come out.

On the very next play, Palmer hit John Brown who burned – surprise, surprise – Cary Williams and Nate Allen for a 75-yard touchdown, giving Arizona a 24-20 lead with 1:21 to go.

The Eagles got the ball back and Foles hit Cooper up to the 42 with 1:06 to go. Officials called a horsecollar tackle on the play, but inexplicably picked up the flag that would have moved the ball into Arizona territory.

Two plays later the Eagles had the ball third-and-2 at the 50. A quick connection to McCoy gave the Eagles a first down at the Arizona 46 with 43 seconds left.

It came down to fourth-and-2 with 25 seconds left at the Arizona 38. Foles ran for a first down to extend the game, but the Eagles burned their final timeout with 18 seconds left at the 35 yard line.

On the next play, Foles hit Maclin at the 16 and he got out of bounds with 13 seconds left. Foles threw it away on first down and the clock ran down to seven seconds. Another incompletion ran it down to one second. ‘

With the game on the line, Foles floated one to the back corner and it carried Jordan Matthews out of the end zone.

A better throw would have won the game. Instead, it’s just a painful, painful defeat.