In the Arizona Cardinals’ 27-6 victory over the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday, the game arguably came down to two plays at the end of the first half.

Arizona safety Kerry Rhodes sacks Philadelphia quarterback Michael Vick and forces a fumble that James Sanders returned 93 yards for a touchdown that gave the undefeated Cardinals a 24-0 lead at halftime. (mcall.com)

Both were made by Arizona safety Kerry Rhodes.

The Cardinals led 17-0 but Michael Vick was driving the Eagles toward the end zone in the final seconds of the first half. With 24 seconds left, he completed a pass to speedy receiver DeSean Jackson, who appeared on his way to a touchdown. But Rhodes stood his ground in the shadow of the goal line and wrestled Jackson to the turf at the 1.

Two incomplete passes later, Rhodes blitzed off of left tackle, smacked Vick and forced the ball free. Arizona safety James Sanders picked it up and ran 93 yards for a touchdown as the clock expired.

Instead of the Eagles and their high-powered offense heading to halftime trailing 17-7 but with a renewed spirit, they were all but dead at 24-0. It was a 14-point turnaround thanks to two crucial plays by Rhodes.

“It’s just part of the team. When your number is called, you have to make the play,” Rhodes said. “For me, everyone else is making plays, so why not me? I have to make a couple myself.”

And for all the talk about Arizona quarterback Kevin Kolb facing his old team, this one was really about the Cardinals defense.

That defense is why Arizona is one of only three remaining undefeated teams in the NFL.

Yes, the Arizona Cardinals are 3-0 and the feel-good story of the league. Roll out Rodney Dangerfield. Cue the obligatory comments:

“No one respects our defense,” linebacker O’Brien Schofield is quoted as saying in the linked azcentral.com Bob Young column. “No one respects our team, and that’s okay. You have to earn respect.”

Vincent Jackson. I venture he's saying, "Shhh... Show me the money!"

So much happened Wednesday on the free agent market in the NFL that we just have to dig right in! Here we go!

* Vincent Jackson is now a member of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. This was VJax first test of free agent waters and he was drawn immediately to the team with the largest salary cap space. He has a five year contract worth $56 million — and $26 million guaranteed. Jackson told NFL.com the Chargers did have a shot at keep him. But, the Bucs made the biggest push and the Chargers just couldn’t keep up. Here’s more on VJax.

*Another pick up for the Bucs? Guard Carl Nicks signed a five year deal worth $47.5 million. Here’s a little more on Nicks and Jackson.

*Brandon Carr and Kyle Orton signed with the Dallas Cowboys. Carr, a cornerback, signed a five-year deal worth $50.1 million. Here’s more on Carr. Orton has reportedly signed a three-year agreement with the ‘Boys. The team needed a veteran presence after the retirement of Jon Kitna. Here’s a little more on Orton.

* DeSean Jackson doesn’t have to worry about franchise tag money. Jackson and the Philadelphia Eagles were able to work out a five year contract with $48.5 million. Eagles Coach Andy Reid is excited to have DeSean back and called him a “game breaker” with the ability to score from anywhere. Here’s more on DeSean.

* Peyton Hillis. Was he really cursed from the Madden cover? What about all those injuries? The CIA? Ah! Well, maybe a change of pace will do him some good. Hillis will get that chance to regain some perspective after signing a one-year deal worth $3 million with the Kansas City Chiefs. Here’s more on the other Peyton!

And, finally, because you can’t get enough…

Peyton Manning met for over six hours with the Tennessee Titans on Wednesday. For more TMZ-esque information, check out this from NFL.com!  The network is reporting the team’s selling point might be a role with the organization after he stops playing the game. Nice.

Miranda Remaklus is senior reporter for Aerys Offsides. She’s also a contributor at Aaron Miles’ Fastball in the MLB section. Follow her on Twitter, @missmiranda. 

DeSean Jackson because the first player to get the franchise this offseason.

Quite an honor, huh!

So what does this mean for DeSean? According to NFL.com, if Jackson and the Eagles are unable to agree to a long-term deal, then Jackson will earn a 2012 salary of $9.4 million — the franchise tag figure for wideouts under the new collective bargaining agreement.

Not bad for a guy who spent a lot of time at the end of last season pouting around.

Here’s more from NFL.com about Jackson:

“We want DeSean to be an Eagle for the long haul and this is a step in the right direction to accomplish that,” Eagles general manager Howie Roseman said in a statement. “DeSean is a talented player and a proven playmaker in this league and we look forward to him continuing his career in Philadelphia. It’s our understanding that he has the same desire. We will continue our efforts on getting a long-term deal done with him.”

Jackson made the Pro Bowl in 2009 and 2010, posting career totals of 229 catches, 4,085 yards and 21 touchdowns along the way.

Jackson had 58 receptions for 961 yards with four touchdowns during the 2011 season, which was muddled by an ongoing contract dispute between Jackson and the Eagles that placed his future with the team into question.

Teams have until Monday to decide to franchise players. Also, Thursday, Oakland Raiders’ safety Tyvon Branch was given the franchise tag. He could make $6.2 million if he and the Raiders do not hash out a deal. Here’s more on Branch.

In other news Thursday, Cincinnati Bengals’ wide receiver Jerome Simpson could receive a 60-day jail sentence as a part of a plea arrangement on drug charges.

According to NFL.com:

The four-year NFL veteran also faces a suspension from the league for violating its personal-conduct policy. He’s a free agent after completing his contract with the Bengals.

… This drug case that hung over him since September, when a package containing approximately 2 pounds of marijuana was delivered to his home in northern Kentucky.

The package had been tracked by agents from California. Authorities later searched Simpson’s home and found approximately another pound of marijuana, county Commonwealth’s Attorney Rob Sanders said after the hearing on Thursday. He was indicted on a felony charge of marijuana trafficking. Thursday’s agreement changes the charge — still a Class D felony — to a prohibited act relating to controlled substances.

The sentencing hearing is April 5. The judge in the case may accept the plea or reduce the sentence at that time. The agreement also calls for three years’ probation, 200 hours of community service and drug treatment.

Yeah, that’s correct 60 days jail, probation, treatment and community service. A bit of a stiff sentence! But this is an NFL football player we’re talking about. They are supposed to be role models and all!

Miranda Remaklus is senior reporter for Aerys Offsides. She’s also a contributor at Aaron Miles’ Fastball in the MLB section. Follow her on Twitter, @missmiranda. 

Our resident referee-in-training, Joe Tufaro, uses Thursday to address a specific issue or question our readers may have about a particular call made in the NFL. If you have any questions or would like to see Joe examine a topic … comment below or send Miranda a tweet, @missmiranda, and she will pass it along.

This week in the NFL had two glaring plays that most people wanted to talk about.  The first was correctly called by the crew, and the other was a pretty big miss.

In the Cincinnati- Baltimore game Jermaine Gresham appeared to make a great TD catch.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rYxkeJNNSkw

He bobbled the ball first, then gained possession and kept both feet in bounds in the end zone.  Here’s the rub … he used the ground to keep possession as he fell to the ground after being contacted. » Continue reading “The Official’s Mailbag: Hit And Miss Calls”

 For more Fantasy Football Tips make sure to check back throughout the week! Have any specific questions? You can submit your questions to be featured in next week’s mailbag by tweeting @KristineReese, @RoarBlackNTeal or @Aerys_NFL. You can also submit your questions on Facebook.