Philadelphia offense vs. Arizona defense

	EAGLES OFFENSE
	Ranking in the NFL:
	Run	14
	Pass	31
	Tot. Yds.	30
	Scoring	27
	Int's allowed	12
	Sacks allowed	42
	CARDINALS DEFENSE
	Ranking in the NFL:
	vs. Run	27
	vs. Pass	8
	Total yds. allowed	18
	# of Ints.	11
	# of Sacks	26
	Turnover differential	-7

The Eagles continue to improve on the offensive side of the ball, and last week, rookie QB Donovan McNabb showed why the Eagles drafted him, engineering two fourth-quarter scoring drives against the Redskins. McNabb finished the game 16-28 for 172 yards and two touchdowns. He also ran the ball effectively, carrying the ball 8 times for 71 yards.

Philadelphia coach Andy Reid loosened the reins on McNabb in the second half of last week's game, and McNabb responded, so expect the Eagles' game plan to be a little less conservative this week. That being said, Philadelphia will rely on the run, and RB Duce Staley should get a lot of carries early against the 27th ranked run defense in the NFL. The Eagles should be effective running to the left side of the field, as LOT Tra Thomas will be lined up against Arizona RDE Simeon Rice. Rice is a terror as a pass rusher, but is sometimes a liability against the run, and the Eagles should use Thomas as a drive blocker against Rice to take advantage of the tackle's size and strength advantage.

The Cardinals, and particularly Rice, have been able to pressure the passer this season, so McNabb will be looking for TE Luther Broughton, who has emerged as Philadelphia's go-to receiver. Broughton was often the hot read last week against the Redskins, and responded with two touchdown receptions. Nothing will come easy this week for the Philly offense, however, as the Arizona defense has shown continuous improvement over the last three weeks.

To be effective against the Eagles, Arizona needs to shut down the Philadelphia running game and RB Duce Staley early. Stopping the Eagle run is instrumental to the Cards' defensive success. If the team can stop Staley, it will allow the linebackers to play off the line of scrimmage and better neutralize Philadelphia's TEs Chad Lewis and Luther Broughton, two of McNabb's favorite targets.

With each week, the play of the Cardinal defense has improved -- largely because the team continues to get players back who have been sidelined with injuries. DT Eric Swann, one of the best in the NFL at his position when he is healthy, has given the team a boost as a situational pass rusher over the last few weeks. Swann gives the team an inside push and allows defensive coordinator Dave McGinnis to use his linebackers and safeties to show more varied coverages to opposing quarterbacks.

The Cardinals could get a huge boost this week with the healthy return of LDE Andre Wadsworth, who has been recovering from midseason knee surgery. Wadsworth has a great upfield burst and could give Philadelphia's ROT Jermane Mayberry all that he can handle. Philadelphia's WR corps is inexperienced and undersized, so expect the Cardinal corners to play physical at the line of scrimmage, jamming the Eagle receivers and forcing them out of their routes.

With all three WR's healthy -- Rob Moore, Frank Sanders and rookie David Boston -- Arizona has been able to spread the field and open up running lanes for RB's Michael Pittman and Adrian Murrell.

The rapid development of LOT Lonnie Shelton and ROT Anthony Clement has also contributed to the Cardinals' success running the football. Offensive coordinator Marc Trestman simplified blocking schemes three weeks ago, largely for the benefit of his two relatively green tackles, and the Cards have been an effective running team ever since. Clement and Shelton should dominate Philadelphia's undersized defensive ends this week, so look for Arizona to go to the run early and often.

The Cardinals were effective in their Week One victory over the Eagles throwing the ball to Murrell out of the backfield, so look for more of that this week. Screen passes are especially effective against a defense like Philadelphia's, which lacks a push from the defensive line and relies on the linbackers and safeties to create pressure. Plummer needs to play with a cooler head than he did in the team's first win against Philly, as his poor decision making and three interceptions allowed the Eagles to stay close.

The Eagles defense fought hard against the Redskins last week -- one of the best offenses in the NFL. Limiting Washington to 17 points in regulation was a feat, considering the Redskins average 30 points per game. The Cardinals are another formidable opponent this week, and Philadelphia needs to focus its attention on shutting down the Arizona running game and getting pressure on QB Jake Plummer.

The health of CB Troy Vincent, who suffered a concussion last week against the Redskins is also key. A healthy Vincent means that the Eagles can use Al Harris as their nickel corner and leave undersized Allen Rossum on the bench until the team needs him for the dime package. With Harris, a healthy Vincent and RDC Bobby Taylor, the Eagles match-up well against Arizona's physical three wide receiver attack.

The Eagles are vulnerable to the Cardinal running game, particularly if DE's Mike Mamula and Greg Jefferson are in the game. Both are undersized and will be pushed around by Arizona's behemoth offensive tackles. Eagles defensive coordinator Jim Johnson has experimented with some 3-4 looks this season, and this weekend would be a good time to put that scheme to use. A 3-4 would allow Philadelphia's athletic linebackers to come-up and stuff the run, while taking pressure off the team's undersized and overworked defensive line. Whether the Eagles can use the 3-4, however, depends largely on the health of ROLB William Thomas and LOLB James Darling, both of whom are questionable due to injury.