The Arizona Cardinals and Philadelphia Eagles are 2 of the 6 undefeated teams in the NFL heading into Week 3. Cardinal QB Kevin Kolb will have his first start against the team that benched him for QB Michael Vick in 2010, his chance for redemption amidst his rocky career in the desert. The Eagles have a $100 million dollar man and the Cardinals have a $63 million dollar man. Money won’t win this game. Aside from a “match up” between injury prone and highly paid quarterbacks, here are some motivating forces for some of the Cardinal players to keeping their undefeated title.
Related: Eagles vs. Cardinals: Wild Match in the West
By: Cedward Brice
This Black Out Sunday in a sold out University of Phoenix stadium will be brought to you by:
#11 Larry Fitzgerald is a “ticking time bomb” with explosive talent. Period.
#21 Patrick Peterson only needs a tiny window of opportunity to kick start another record breaking season. He has high standards for himself and the Cardinals have high hopes for him.
#34 Ryan Williams recently dealt with a more difficult loss than a forced fumble in the last game against the New England Patriots. His grandfather passed away on Monday. Williams refers to this week as him hitting “rock bottom”. After a long road to overcoming his knee injury last year, he has shown persistence and determination. Fans should patiently watch for him to rise back up. (The same goes for #26 Beanie Wells.)
#93 Calais Campbell made NFC Defensive Player of the Week for a reason.
#58 Daryl Washington and Michael Vick had a painful encounter last time where Vick ended up with 2 broken ribs. The Eagles are missing left tackle King Dunlap and the weight is on the shoulders of substitute Demetress Bell to protect a QB that is no stranger to injury.
#4 Kevin Kolb will not only win bragging rights against his former team with a win this week, he will attempt to prove to the Cardinals (and fans) that he is still worth the money. (#19 John Skelton may be on the sidelines, but he can elicit motivation in Kolb since he is not far from being back in the game.) Kolb’s inspiration may be more appropriately dedicated to the upcoming addition to his family. He and his wife are expecting their third baby within the next two weeks. What more motivation do you need than to be able to whisper to your newborn that daddy’s team is 3-0?
Keep an eye on these Cardinal numbers and expect that they will have an impact on the scoreboard as both teams fight to finish undefeated.
