The NFC Championship game will see the Philadelphia Eagles visit the Arizona Cardinals. The two teams will meet on Sunday, January 18 at Phoenix Stadium. The contest will be telecast at 3 PM on FOX-TV. The Eagles surprised the New York Giants last week, beating them 23- 11, while the Cards humiliated the Carolina Panthers 33- 13.
Philadelphia Eagles
In beating the New York Giants, the Eagles’ defense picked Eli Manning twice, allowing the team just 169 yards in the air and no passing touchdowns. On the other end of the ball, Philadelphia quarterback Donovan McNabb passed for 217 yards, hitting for one touchdown. McNabb also ran for a TD. But he threw two interceptions and was caught in the end zone for a safety. That type of play will not get him back to the Super Bowl. Kicker David Akers is accurate and offers fine range.
Arizona Cardinals
In the playoffs, the Cardinals have consistently fielded two things they could not sustain in the regular season—an amazing defense and a fine running game. Against the Panthers, running back Edgerrin James had 57 yards and one touchdown and Tim Hightower, who caught a pass for a score, amassed 76 yards. QB Kurt Warner, who threw for 215 air yards, played great ball, connecting with wideout Larry Fitzgerald for 166 yards on eight passes and one score. The Cards intercepted Carolina’s Jake Delhomme five times and recovered one Panther fumble. The Arizona defense held the Panthers to just 75 yards on the ground.
Keys to the Game
Philadelphia Eagles *The Eagles need to find their running game; it’s been missing in the post-season. *McNabb can’t make as many mistakes as he did in last week’s contest. *Stop the Arizona air attack and make them run.
Arizona Cardinals *Continue to offer a balanced attack. *Utilize the Warner-Fitzgerald connection to break the game open. *Pressure McNabb—he’ll make mistakes.
My Pick
The Cardinals will win this one by more than 10.