‘Workmanlike’

The 11-4 Philadelphia Eagles will have a great opportunity to perfect their craft and pick up a convincing win over a 3-12 Arizona Cardinals team.

On the latest episode of “Inside The Birds,” Adam Caplan and Geoff Mosher previewed the Week 17 matchup and gave their final score predictions. 

Getty Images: QB Kyler Murray has missed two days of practice due to illness but is expected to play against the Eagles.

Kyler Murray

Geoff Mosher: “He has had an illness that has kept him out of a practice. That is a big question mark because if he can’t play, their backup is Clayton Tune.”

Adam Caplan: “(Jonathan) Gannon did say prior to Wednesday’s practice that he wasn’t feeling well over the holiday. He indicated he was going to play, but here is the problem: Friday is the lightest practice before Sunday. Let’s not forget he missed over half of the season coming back from an ACL reconstruction, so he needs the reps.”

Cardinals Secondary

Caplan: “Marco Wilson started Week One, they just cut him. Kei’Trel Clark,who was a sixth round pick and started a bit this season, they benched him. Antonio Hamilton has gone in and out in the lineup, he now starts because they don’t have anybody else. K’Von Wallace started earlier in the season at safety, they cut him. Sterling Thomas was claimed off waivers, they started him, benched him, and now they are starting him again. The Eagles should crush this team any way they want.”

D’Andre Swift

Mosher: “12 yards away from being a 1,000 yard rusher for the first time in his career. His previous high is 617, so he has already shattered his previous rushing yard total. However, this is his lowest career receiving yards per game at 13.9”

Caplan: “Knock on wood, he hasn’t missed any time and has already shattered his most attempts in a season. His previous high was 151, he is already at 216.”

Defensive Line

Mosher: “They threw two blitzes against Seattle and five [against the Giants]. The team was struggling to generate a pass rusher, (Matt) Patricia takes over and blitzes less. He is relying on the front four even more and the results so far as far as pressure is not there…They haven’t had a five-sack game since November 5. We don’t like to put everything on sacks, it’s about pressures, but this is a front four where you are expecting pressures to amount to some sacks.”

Caplan: “They have a lot of empty pressure. Josh Sweat has been non-existent. Everyone we have asked has not had an answer.”

Final Score Predictions

Caplan: “I have it Eagles 30, Cardinals 17. The Eagles will roll in this game and in the fourth quarter you will start to see them take some starters out. I expect the Eagles to take care of business.”

Mosher: “I have it 33-16, Eagles. It is going to be one of those clean, efficient, workmanlike, move the ball well, score a lot of points, play good defense. I’m not focused on score and outcome, more about process. Do they have a pass rush, can they get more takeaways than they turn the ball over? You want to go into that last week with better vibes.”

– Benjamin Paul is a staff writer for InsideTheBirds.com.