Eagles vs. Cardinals: Behind the Numbers 2013

4 in a row! The Philadelphia Eagles won their 4th consecutive game, with the last two at home. They held on to beat the Arizona Cardinals by a score of 24-21, and once again sit atop the NFC East tied with the Dallas Cowboys. In reality the division will probably come down to that week 17 matchup, so the Eagles do control their own destiny. Enough of that; the Birds actually beat a team with a winning record, and will look to do the same next week. Let's once again dissect the numbers from the game, in which trends, both good and bad, have continued:

Once again the final score was closer than the game actually was. The Eagles may have only won by 3 points, but this game was essentially over after the first drive of the 3rd quarter. Wow, I sound like a broken record, but it's been the case the last few games. And much like the last few games, the numbers were closer than one may think. In fact, Philadelphia was outgained and outpassed, achieved one less first down, and fared worse on third downs. Astonishingly Arizona actually ran less plays than the Eagles, which may be a first for the season. Normally the Birds capitalize on their plays, but in this game they gained about a yard less per play. On the upside they did fare slightly better than the Cardinals in the penalty department (5 for 48 yards vs. 6 for 55) and were able to force 3 turnovers, which resulted in 7 points. (Keep in mind the penalties for both teams came at key moments and cost their respective teams.) Despite the evenness of the numbers the Eagles outscored the Cardinals, which is the most important stat of any game.