Who To Play On The Offensive Line, And Friday Before The Eagles

The Eagles have, arguably, the best defensive line in the league. They definitely have one that is deep, good enough that first-round mountain Jordan Davis rotates in off the bench, with Fletcher Cox and Brandon Graham holding it down as they have for a decade.

It’s probably not the best week to be playing will-he-or-won’t-he on the offensive line. Yet here the Cardinals are. Center Rodney Hudson is doubtful, which almost always means out. The left side of the line, guard Justin Pugh and tackle D.J. Humphries, are each questionable. I’d guess both play – Pugh told me as much about himself, barring a setback the next day or so – but Pugh started last week too before getting dinged. This week, the Cardinals don’t have Max Garcia to come in (he’s out with a toe injury), so newcomer Billy Price might be the next man up.

So often the cliché is that the game is won up front, but for a Cardinals offense crippled with slow starts and no first-quarter points yet, it’s the matchup to watch.

“(The Eagles) go as the D-line goes,” Pugh said

— Speaking of the defensive line, standing on the edge waiting to make a difference is former Cardinal Haason Reddick, who parlayed his one-year deal with the Panthers into a free-agent package with his home-area Eagles. Reddick is the reigning NFC Defensive Player of the Week with two sacks and two forced fumbles last week.

Kyler Murray noted he has yet to play against Reddick. Reddick strip-sacked Colt McCoy last year to jump-start the Panthers’ upset win at State Farm Stadium.

“(Haason) is doing what he was meant to do in the league,” Pugh said. “He was meant to be on the ball rushing the passer and you can see it. He’s playing the best on the D-line. He pops the most on film.”

— J.J. Watt didn’t have much to say in a brief interview session Friday, but when asked how he was feeling a week after his heart situation, he simply said “good.”

— Kliff Kingsbury said he didn’t know until this week he is 6-0 in his coaching career against the NFC East, including a win over the Eagles in 2020.

“I did not,” he said. “I hope that didn’t jinx us, but we haven’t won at home in a while so maybe that kind of cancels out.”

— Murray joked this week about how tight end Zach Ertz could get emotional when he didn’t get the ball when he was open. He admitted Ertz was often open, so the veteran had a reason to have issue. Generally, though, Murray admitted his pass catchers don’t say or do much. Not to him, anyway.

“They don’t usually do it,”…