Preview and Other Stuff

Long preview is posted.

http://www.scoutsnotebook.com/modules.php?name=Forums&file=viewtopic&p=9201#9201

_____________

WEIRD RIVALRY

The Eagles and Cardinals have played some memorable games. I never thought these two would be fighting for the Super Bowl. Here's a bizarre trip down memory lane:

1992 - PHI 7, PHX 3 --- This is the game where the Cardinals got 7 plays at the goal line and couldn't score a TD. We kept jumping offside and they kept running right at us. Joe Bugel and Reggie White both did their part to keep the Cards out of the endzone. Cunningham was awful that day. This was really the beginning of the end for him in Philly.

1993 - PHI 23, PHX 17 --- We beat them in the season opener. The game was nothing special until the end. Herschel Walker fumbled the ball late, but the officials didn't call it a fumble. We came very close to blowing the game. We'd make up for that in the future.

1994 - PHI 17, PHX 7 --- Buddy Ryan returned to Philly as HC of the Cards. One of his favorite players, "Arkansas Fred" Barnett, had a huge game. Fred hauled in 11 passes for 173 yards and a pair of TDs. He caught a couple of great deep balls.

1995 - PHI 31, ARZ 19 --- Philly got to see Thunder and Lightning for the first time. Ricky Watters ran for 94 yards. Charlie Garner fan for 71. Randall got benched by Ray Rhodes and Rodney Peete laid the foundation for becoming the eventual starter.

1996 - ARZ 36, PHI 30 --- A classic. Boomer Esiason had a career renaissance in the month of November. He threw for 367 yards against us and looked great. The game went crazy in the 4th Qtr. Watters ran for a short TD to cut the lead to 22-20. Arizona had a TD drive of their own to match that. I gave up hope at that point. Derrick Witherspoon then ran the KO back 95 yards for a TD to cut the lead to 29-27. We did an onside kick and recovered it. We then marched right down the field into FG territory. We worked the clock and kicked the go-ahead FG. 30-29, PHI. Boomer and Co. got the kickoff and proceeded to march down the field and score a last second TD to win the game. They burned Troy for the winning score. I was depressed for at least a week. One of the all time heartbreaking losses for me.

1996 - PHI 29, ARZ 19 --- Game played on Christmas Eve. The Cards were bad. On a play prior to the half we rushed only Mike Mamula and William Fuller. Those two guys collapsed the pocket and sacked the QB. One of my favorite meaningless plays of all time.

1998 - ARZ 17, PHI 3 --- A sign of things to come. The game was tied 0-0 at the end of 3 quarters. I think that was the first time in NFL history a game had gone scoreless for that long. Hoying was bad. I thought it was a phase. Wrong.

1999 - ARZ 25, PHI 24 --- Season opener and the beginning of Andy Reid's time in Philly. We led 24-6 at halftime. I was ready to marry Big Red and have his kids. The Cards crept closer in the 3rd Qtr. We did have the lead late. We threw a pass to Brian Finneran along the left sideline to try and burn the Cards. Finneran bobbled the ball and it was picked off and run back deep. They scored and won the game. Tough, tough loss. Basically the end of Finneran's career as an Eagle.

2000 - PHI 33, ARZ 14 --- We had a 4th/4 play in FG range. Lined up for the kick. The ball came to Koy who then casually flipped it over his shoulder to Akers. David ran 15 yards to get the 1st down and keep alive a TD drive. LSU used this play in 2007 and the football world went nuts. We used it a long time before that, but very few remember.

2001 - ARZ 21, PHI 20 --- We outplayed them, but Jake Plummer wouldn't die. He led the Cards on a drive late, late in the game. Jake threw downfield to MarTay Jenkins on 4th/forver. Troy got turned around and Jenkins caught a 35-yard TD. Game over. A real kick to the groin.

2002 - PHI 38, ARZ 14 --- Donovan broke his leg early in the game. We all thought it was simply a sprained ankle. He played the whole game. Donnie was purely a pocket passer and he picked the Cards apart. One of his best games. He then missed the rest of the regular season.

The rivalry basically stopped there. 2001 was the final year with the Cardinals as part of the NFC East. The '02 game still had a lot of familiarity because we still knew each other so well. We played them in 2005 and it meant nothing. This isn't as epic as rivalies with the Skins, Gmen, or Cowgirls, but it was special in its own way. And very, very frustrating.
___________________