Cardinals vs. Eagles preview: Stats, history, connections and more

The Arizona Cardinals host the  Philadelphia Eagles at University of Phoenix Stadium. It is a big game for both teams, with likely playoff implications, as both teams are 5-1.

Last week in Oakland, the Cardinals improved to 5-1 with a 24-13 victory over the Raiders. QB Carson Palmer threw two TD passes and posted a 103.3 passer rating against his former team while RB Andre Ellington accounted for 160 total yards (88 rushing, 72 receiving) to lead the way offensively. Ellington became just the fifth player in team history to post a game with 80+ rushing yards and 70+ receiving yards and it marked his third  time with over 150 all-purpose yards in just 21 career games. RB Stepfan Taylor scored two TDs in the victory, catching a TD in the first quarter and then notching his first career rushing TD in the third.

The Cardinals defense held the Raiders to just 220 yards of offense, the lowest total by an Arizona opponent this season and the fifth-lowest total allowed by a road team in the NFL this year. Oakland ran for just 56 yards on 19 attempts (2.9 avg.), as the Cardinals moved into the top spot in the NFL in rushing defense at 72.5 yards per game allowed.

The Eagles are coming off their bye, with their last game coming two weeks ago when they shut out the New York Giants 27-0 on Sunday Night Football.

Next week, the Cardinals travel to face the Dallas Cowboys at AT&T Stadium and Philadelphia goes to Houston to play the Texans.

Let's look at the facts of the game:

Stats:

Points scored: Arizona ranks 14th, scoring 23.3 per game. Philly ranks third, scoring 30.5.

Points allowed: Arizona ranks fifth, allowing 19.8 per game. Philly is 12th, allowing 22.

Touchdowns: Arizona has scored 12 offensive touchdowns and two return scores. Philly has scored 14 offensive TDs and seven via returns.

Offensive rankings: Arizona is 28th in yards, 26th in rushing and 21st in passing. Philly is ninth in yards, 14th in rushing and seventh in passing

Defensive rankings: The Cardinals are 18th in yards allowed, first in rushing yards allowed and 31st in passing yards allowed. The Eagles are 24th, 23rd and 23rd.

Turnover ratio: Arizona is +7, Philly is -5.

History:

This is the 115th game between the two teams. The Cardinals hold a slight edge all-time, leading 55-54-5. The 55 wins the Cardinals have over the Eagles are the most they have against any other team in the NFL. The two teams were in the NFC East together until the 2001 realignment. Arizona is 29-25-2 at home against Philly.

The last time the two teams met, the Eagles defeated Arizona 24-21 in 2013. Arizona last beat the Eagles in 2012, a 27-6 win at University of Phoenix Stadium in 2012.

The two teams have played one another four straight seasons and six of the past seven if you count the postseason.

Connections:

Arizona has one former Eagles player -- starting right guard Paul Fanaika. Philadelphia drafted him in the seventh round in 2009 and had him on the practice squad that season.

The Eagles have no former Cardinals, but there is a family connection -- Cardinals linebacker Sam Acho and Eagles linebacker Emmanuel Acho are brothers. It is the first time they will be on opposite teams. Last season, Sam was on injured reserve and Emmanuel was inactive. They played together on the same teams in high school and in college at the University of Texas.

MIlestones:

Larry FItzgerald, if he scores a touchdown, will have done so in all seven games he has played against the Eagles. A receiving touchdown would be his 11th against Philly, giving him the second most touchdown receptions against the Eagles in NFL history.

If Chandler Catanzaro successfully kicks two more field goals without a miss, he would tie the NFL record for most consecutive field goals to start a career.

If Carson Palmer throws a touchdown pass, it will be the 27th straight game he has done so, which would put him in third place all-time in Cardinals history. If he throws for at least two scores, it would be the first time in team history a quarterback throws for multiple TDs in his first four games of the season. It would be Palmer's fifth straight game with multiple TD passes, dating back to last season.