Cardinals vs. Eagles: How much impact will Andre Ellington have?

The Arizona Cardinals will have one player in the lineup they did not in 2013 when they took on the Philadelphia Eagles on the road.

Starting running back Andre Ellington missed the 2013 matchup, a 24-21 loss.

He will be in the lineup this Sunday in University of Phoenix Stadium.

He is coming off a 30-touch, 160-yard performance. His yards per carry average is down from last year, but he is still making an impact.

How much of an impact will he have on Sunday?

Head coach Bruce Arians calls him "the focal point" of the offense. Arizona was able to run the ball a bit in 2013 against Philly. Rashard Mendenhall rushed the ball 18 times for 76 yards, averaging a little more than four yards a carry. But falling behind early took the running game away.

Philly's rush defense is not fantastic on the season. They are allowing 124 yards per game on over four yards a carry. At the same time, Arizona hasn't run the ball as well as they would like, averaging just under 92 yards a game and 3.4 yards per carry.

Ellington will bring a different element to the offense than what Philly saw before. He makes plays in the passing game, something Arians says hasn't been as good as it could be. Ellington's foot injury has limited what they can do in the passing game with him.

He is the team's leading rusher. He has the most receptions on the team. His foot appears to be bothering him less, as he was not in a walking boot to start the week, as he had been every week previously.

Arizona is 11-1 when Ellington carries the ball at least 10 times. He is different to any other back Philly has faced this season.

Limiting Ellington is one key to stopping Arizona. If he ha a big play or two, Arizona will be tough to beat.