Cardinals carved up by Eagles

PHILADELPHIA - There are reasons why no Western team has won in the Eastern time zone this year, reasons why they’ve gone 3-30 in the past two seasons.

Whether the main explanation is the long flight Western teams have to make, or the lost hours, the situation seems ready-made for one-sided games.

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So the Eagles’ easy 48-20 win over the Cardinals wasn’t at all surprising.

The Cardinals had said that the recent disastrous West-to-East history hadn’t psyched them out. But they seemed shell-shocked from the start.

The Eagles, who hadn’t scored in 21 straight possessions, easily maneuvered 70 yards for a touchdown after taking the opening kickoff.

By contrast, the Cardinals’ high-powered offense generated only 28 yards in the first quarter; by this time, Kurt Warner had already thrown two interceptions.

And when the Eagles marched 60 yards in the second quarter, a drive capped by Donovan McNabb’s second touchdown pass, they’d run up a 21-0 lead.

The rest of the game was played so the NFL Network could get in some commercials.

The Cardinals (7-5) still can wrap up their first division title since 1975 if Buffalo takes care of San Francisco at home on Sunday.

“We did not play very well,” said Ken Whisenhunt, the Cardinals’ disappointed coach. “We obviously have some work ahead of us.

“I hope we respond the way we did the last time we came off a tough two-game stretch and get it going again. There are a number of things we have to correct.”

The Cardinals, for the second straight game, tried to establish a bit of a running game early. But the results weren’t good: just 15 yards on eight first-half carries.

Take away an 8-yard run from Anquan Boldin, and the Cardinals had 7 yards in seven carries from running backs Tim Hightower and J.J. Arrington.

“It’s tough,” said Warner, who struggled with three interceptions. “We got to figure something out.

“When you play against good teams that have good schemes, it’s tough to throw all the time. It’s tough to be a one-dimensional team and continue to be successful week in and week out.”

Whisenhunt, asked if his team was mentally ready to go, said, “It sure seemed like we came out flat.

“They took the first drive and went down the field on us. We didn’t do anything offensively in response, which is not characteristic of this team.”

The Eagles came through on the ground and in the air.

Brian Westbrook shook off a sore knee and ankle and scored a career-high four touchdowns, two on passes from McNabb and two on runs.

That Westbrook was able to run for 110 yards on 22 carries hurt the Cardinals badly.

“I was surprised,” Cardinals safety Antrel Rolle said.

“They’re a passing team. They pass 40 to 45 games. They ran the ball successfully. They stuck with it. Why not?”

McNabb, a week after his controversial halftime benching, hit 15 of 19 passes in the first half and finished 27-for-39 for 260 yards and a passer rating of 121.7.

Trips to the East are the one hurdle the Cardinals haven’t been able to clear. They’re 0-4 and have a December game left at New England.

They’re the only Western team that has to play five games this season in the East and the only that had to make such a trip on a short week.

“It’s tough,” Whisenhunt said of the short week combined with the cross-country trip.

“We knew it was going to be tough. But that doesn’t excuse the way we played.”