The Arizona Cardinals head to Philadelphia looking to extend their recent winning ways in this longtime rivalry against the Eagles.

Including playoffs, the Cardinals have now forged a one-game lead in the standings (50-49-5) thanks to three straight victories in this series, their longest string of success in this setting since winning five in a row from Philadelphia from 1982-84.

Last season, the Cards took a pair from the Eagles for the first time since 1984; in Week 3 on a Sunday evening (ESPN) at Sun Devil Stadium, the Eagles played to a scoreless tie after three quarters before the Cardinals overcame a brief 3-0 Philadelphia advantage with 17 unanswered points in the final 13 minutes for a 17-3 victory. Three months later at Veterans Stadium (Week 15), Cardinals' RB Adrian Murrell rushed for 174 yards, but Vince Tobin's club still needed a 32-yard field goal from PK Chris Jacke 4:30 into overtime for a crucial 20-17 victory.

It's worth noting is that the home team has prevailed in 11 of the last 13 meetings dating back to the clubs' second encounter in 1992.

Numbers: The Cardinals have limited the opposition to 17 or fewer points in 3 straight games dating back to '98. Including playoffs, Cardinals' QB Jake Plummer has thrown two or more interceptions in 13 of his last 24 contests dating back to '97. The Eagles have been limited to 17 or fewer points in 12 straight games and 15 of their 16 contests dating back to '98. They have allowed 120 or more yards rushing in 14 of their last 16 contests dating back to '98. The Eagles have allowed 120 sacks in their last 32 games (1997-98), including 92 sacks in their last 23 contests dating back to 97.

Things To Look For: One year after making a long-awaited return to the playoffs, the Cardinals have endured a forgettable summer. Still, Vince Tobin's club appears to be in better shape than the Birds from Philly, who will start from scratch with new head coach Andy Reid and a slew of changes on offense. Lately, the games in this series have been ugly, and this contest should be no exception.

Etc.: This marks the 12th year in a row (since 1988, their first year in Arizona) that the Cardinals open their season on the road. The Cardinals have lost seven straight games on opening day dating back to 1992, the worst current streak in the NFL. They have won three straight games dating back to '98. The Eagles have lost three straight games dating back to '98. Including playoffs, the Eagles are just 12-27-1 in their last 40 games after opening 7-2 in 96. Eagles' PK Norm Johnson has converted an NFL-record 276 consecutive PATs.