The Philadelphia Eagles remained undefeated for the fifth consecutive game with a 20–17 win over the Arizona Cardinals at State Farm Stadium on Sunday. UniBet AZ had the Eagles as 5pt favorites on the road vs the Cardinals
The Eagles won after Cardinals replacement kicker Matt Ammendola missed a field goal in the final seconds of the game. As a result, the Eagles are keeping a perfect 5-0 record for the first time since 2004.
The Cardinals didn’t get to control the game at all, but they managed to force it into overtime. Ammendola’s kick appeared to be on target for a split second before drifting sharply to the right and outside the uprights. He thought everything went well.
“It honestly felt good,” Ammendola said. “Everything felt good off my foot. It’s just something that I’ve got to work on. I’ll have to go back to watch it and look at the film.”
Ammendola was called up to the active roster to replace Matt Prater, who is out with a hip injury.
Cardinals fail to capitalize on late chance
Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray attempted a comeback in the last second. During the final drive, he slid just short of a first down on a second-down run, then spiked the ball on third down to force Ammendola’s attempt with 22 seconds remaining. However, Ammendola missed the field goal and Arizona was unable to capitalize on this late chance.
The Cardinals dropped to 2-3 after the game. They’ve lost all three home games this season and eight in a row over the last two seasons. Murray, however, remained optimistic about the team.
“We’ve got a lot of season left,” Murray said. “We’ve got a great team, great locker room. I am confident in everybody in that locker room. We’ve got to get it together. Right now, we’re not playing complimentary football.”
Slow starts are one of Arizona’s problems. On their first four possessions, they had 18 plays for 50 yards, three punts, and an interception. Murray saved the team by throwing for 250 yards and a touchdown and rushing for 55 yards, but he made mistakes on consecutive plays that cost the Cardinals the game.
Hurts leads Eagles to victory
On the other hand, the Eagles scored the game-winning field goal after 17 plays and a 70-yard drive that took nearly eight minutes. Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts recorded two one-yard runs up during the game, which made the lead in the early game.
Midway through the first quarter, the quarterback recorded a one-yard touchdown and a 7-0 lead. Then, in the second quarter, he scored his second touchdown on another one-yard run for a 14-0 lead.
Hurts made a game-changing play in a 17-17 game. With 4:28 remaining, the team hoped to take the lead but faced a third-and-12 at the Cardinals’ 36-yard line. Despite the pressure, he connected with tight end Dallas Goedert for a 16-yard gain and a first down, extending the drive.
The pass was essential in allowing Cameron Dicker, who was replacing Jake Elliot, to make an easier field goal. Hurts accomplished this with his pass to Goedert, and Dicker hit the game-winning 23-yard field goal with less than two minutes remaining.
“Every win isn’t easy,” Hurts said. “Personally, I have mixed emotions about the game itself, but we found a way.”
Hurts threw for 239 yards on 26 of 36 pass attempts and also rushed for 61 yards. Philadelphia finished the game with 139 rushing yards on 33 carries and controlled the time of possession for 34:39. The defense only gave up 17 points and 313 yards on their final five possessions.