Eagles-Cardinals analysis: Perfect record intact as Cameron Dicker wins in a battle of replacement kickers

GLENDALE, Ariz. — Nick Sirianni held his breath.

With the Cardinals lined up ready to attempt a game-tying field goal, the Eagles coach called a timeout in an attempt to ice Cardinals fill-in kicker Matt Ammendola. Moments earlier, Eagles kicker Cameron Dicker, who was also signed to his team’s practice squad earlier in the week, knocked through the go-ahead score with his 23-yard field goal to give the Eagles a 20-17 advantage.

There Sirianni stood on the visitors’ sideline with his hands on his knees. The snap was clean, but Ammendola missed his 43-yard attempt wide right. While the football twirled in the air, Sirianni ditched his headset and leaped for joy. The second-year coach was mobbed by nearby players and coaches. And for at least another week, the Eagles preserved their perfect record.

With their thrilling victory over the Cardinals on Sunday afternoon at State Farm Stadium, the Eagles improved to 5-0, including 3-0 on the road. They remain the only undefeated team in the league.

“We haven’t played our best yet,” quarterback Jalen Hurts said. “I personally, honestly — I hate hearing 5-0. I don’t like to hear it. ... We just have to grow and climb. That’s what matters, the process. It’s a ton to learn from.”

Last season, Hurts broke Michael Vick’s single-season record for rushing touchdowns by a quarterback when he finished with 10. Through five games, Hurts already has six, including two on Sunday. He’s well on pace to exceed the franchise mark he set in 2021. His six TDs are tied with Lions running back Jamaal Williams for the most in the NFL.

As a passer, Hurts completed 26 of 36 throws for 239 yards. Protected by a battered offensive line that was without three starters for a large stretch of the game, Hurts added a team-high 61 rushing yards on 15 carries. The Cardinals dialed up the pressure at times as Hurts absorbed six quarterback hits and two sacks.

“The looks that they gave us, they flew to the ball, they played very physical,” Hurts said. “They gave us different exotic looks with their scheme. We just found a way.”

With their backs against the wall, the Eagles dug deep and turned to one of their biggest strengths. After the Cardinals tied the score at 17 with just under 10 minutes left, Sirianni and offensive coordinator Shane Steichen decided they would lean on the offensive line and the run game. The Eagles rolled out a 17-play drive that ate up nearly eight minutes, resulting in Dicker’s go-ahead field goal.

While the drive consisted of mostly run plays, the highlight was Hurts’ completion to Dallas Goedert on third-and-12 from Arizona’s 36-yard line. Right before the snap, Hurts recognized a tell from the defense, and he made an impressive check at the line of scrimmage that dialed up the pass to Goedert down the middle.

“That was a very pivotal moment of the game,” Hurts said.

Hurts faced pressure from multiple defenders, but he stayed poised in the pocket and delivered a 16-yard dart to his tight end that kept the drive alive. The Eagles were able to waste more clock, and they forced the Cardinals to burn all of their timeouts. Goedert paced the offense with eight receptions for 95 yards, while wide receiver DeVonta Smith had a career-high 10 catches for 87 yards.

“The run game wasn’t going how we wanted to early,” Sirianni said. “We knew this was going to be a physical game. Our identity is to be physical. When we needed to the most, we were. We jumped on our offensive line’s back and rode them down the field. It was really pretty special. ... They mean a little bit more when you win like that.”

Defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon’s calling card mainly revolves around limiting explosive plays. His recipe for success involves patrolling the back end with multiple defensive backs — even if it comes at the expense of allowing multiple short and intermediate completions. Eventually, though, those short completions can turn into big gains, especially when defenders are missing tackles and giving up too much space underneath.

During the Cardinals’ game-tying drive in the fourth quarter, quarterback Kyler Murray torched the secondary by attacking the middle of the field. The 12-play drive featured plenty of tempo, motion, and no-huddle, which kept the Eagles defense on its heels. The conservative play calling from Gannon didn’t do his unit many favors, with Murray finding the soft parts of the zone.

Murray was 28-of-42 passing for 250 yards with one touchdown and one interception.

“That was gritty,” defensive end Brandon Graham said. “We had to fight for everything today. We’re working our tails off each and every week. We know it’s only going to get harder as we keep going because people are going to want to knock us down.”

As the opposition gets tougher, more seasoned and creative play-callers will find better ways to attack Gannon’s defense.

Through five games, special teams coordinator Michael Clay’s unit has been uninspiring. The Eagles were caught off guard near the end of the second quarter when the Cardinals successfully executed a fake punt. On the play, Arizona dialed up a direct snap to running back Darrel Williams, who ran to his right and picked up 7 yards on fourth-and-4. Rather than providing Hurts with a two-minute opportunity, the Cardinals wound up tacking on a field goal at the end of the half.

As for Dicker, he accounted for eight of the team’s 20 points (two field goals, two extra points). Starting kicker Jake Elliott did not play because of a right ankle injury he suffered in Week 4. Sunday marked Dicker’s first game in the NFL.

Center Jason Kelce suffered multiple injuries, including a leg injury that forced him to miss a majority of the second quarter. In Kelce-like fashion, though, the 12-year veteran returned in the second half. Widely known as the team’s iron man and second-longest tenured player, Kelce has started 127 consecutive games, the longest streak by any NFL interior lineman. With Kelce out, the Eagles temporarily turned to rookie Cam Jurgens.

“He’s one of the greatest to play the position,” Hurts said of Kelce. “We all know he’s a soldier. It’s something I damn sure don’t take for granted. I admire his leadership. He’s relentless. He’s everything I admire in a competitor. He’s in an air of his own.”

Kelce wasn’t the only offensive lineman to suffer a blow. Starting left guard Landon Dickerson also sustained a leg injury on the opening drive. After visiting the blue medical tent, the second-year lineman departed for the locker room; Dickerson was temporarily replaced by Sua Opeta for about two quarters. He later returned at the end of the third quarter. The Eagles entered Sunday’s game already without left tackle Jordan Mailata, which meant they deployed three reserves during the game (left tackle Jack Driscoll, Opeta, and Jurgens).