The Philadelphia Eagles are on a roll; they've won five straight games, improved on both sides of the ball to a staggering degree from their 2021 efforts, and went from having one of the biggest question marks in the league at quarterback to being the happy employers of a consensus top-5 MVP candidate who will be paid very handsomely at some point in the next 12 months.

Was their Week 5 win over the Arizona Cardinals impressive? No. Was it hard-fought? You bet. And, in a way, did the Arizona Cardinals largely defeat themselves? Yes as well; there are about a half dozen plays that, if they went the other way, could have resulted in a Cardinals win. But do you know what? In the NFL, good teams find a way to win, and regardless of whether Milton Williams' assertion that he blocked the game-tying kick proved true, the Eagles still flew home with a win, which is all that really matters.

5 players most responsible for the Philadelphia Eagles' Week 5 win.

5. C.J. Gardner-Johnson 

C.J. Gardner-Johnson turned in his most complete game as a member of the Eagles in Week 5, leading the team in tackles at 10 and recording a crucial interception at the 8:02 mark of the first quarter, where CJGJ picked off a deep ball that could have been a touchdown if he didn't jump the deep route. Though he did miss a tackle on the Cardinals' lone passing touchdown, that was a zone coverage play, and T.J. Edwards was technically in coverage for the touchdown, not Gardner-Johnson, as the middle linebacker's 29.0 PFF rating clearly shows.

If Gardner-Johnson continues to play good coverage from both the deep field and in the slot, he'll earn a long-term extension in no time.

4. DeVonta Smith

After notoriously failing to catch a pass in Week 1, DeVonta Smith has been on a roll for the Eagles, Catching at least three passes in every game since and eclipsing the 80-yard mark in three of them, including Week 5. Leading the team in receptions at 10, Smith caught all but one pass thrown his way in his fifth-consecutive start of the season and led all wide receivers on either team in receptions at 87. In a game where A.J. Brown was used more as a decoy than a featured player, Smith looked right at home as Hurts' WR1.

3. Dallas Goedert

While Smith led all wide receivers in yards at 87, Dallas Goedert led all players in yards at 95, setting a new season high in targets, receptions, and yards at nine, eight, and 95, respectively. Goedert was once again Hurts' go-to target across the middle of the field and even ripped off a 31-yard reception that got Philly from their own 16 to the 47 at the 4:03 mark in the third.

Article Continues Below
More Philadelphia Eagles News
Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts (1) lines up for the tush push play on the goal line against the Kansas City Chiefs during Super Bowl LIX at Ceasars Superdome.
The Scottish secret behind the Eagles’ Tush PushJackson Stone ·
Philadelphia Eagles defensive tackle Ty Robinson (95) runs a drill during OTAs at NovaCare Complex.
Rising Philadelphia Eagles rookie turning heads in 2025 OTAsMatty Breisch ·
Philadelphia Eagles running back Saquon Barkley (26) celebrates after scoring a touchdown against the Los Angeles Rams in the second half in a 2025 NFC divisional round game at Lincoln Financial Field.
Saquon Barkley’s retirement admission will concern Eagles fansJake Faigus ·
Philadelphia Eagles defensive tackle Jordan Davis (90) runs a drill during OTAs at NovaCare Complex.
Eagles’ Jordan Davis reveals secret behind incredible 2025 transformationMatty Breisch ·
Philadelphia Eagles running back Saquon Barkley (26) celebrates next to team owner Jeffrey Lurie and quarterback Jalen Hurts (1) during the Super Bowl LIX championship parade.
Eagles’ Saquon Barkley hype grows after bold Jeff Darlington takeJosh Davis ·
Philadelphia Eagles defensive end Bryce Huff (0) is blocked by Dallas Cowboys offensive tackle Terence Steele (78) tas he tries to rush the quarterback at Lincoln Financial Field.
Eagles’ Vic Fangio reveals why Bryce Huff didn’t work out in PhiladelphiaMatty Breisch ·

If Goedert keeps up this current rate, he'll finish out the season with 1,139, which would make him the first Eagles tight end to eclipse the mark since Zach Ertz in 2018, according to Statmuse.

2. Cameron Dicker

Cameron Dicker is not a fan of football; he is a straight-up soccer fan and would probably choose to play that sport if offered a similar professional contract.

With that in mind, “Dicker the Kicker” sure kicked the heck out of the football in Week 5, as, after being called up from the practice squad in order to play in place of Jake Elliott, who suffered an ankle injury in Week 4 against the Jacksonville Jaguars, he connected on two extra points, looked natural on kickoffs, and ultimately connected on a pair of field goals to put the game away. In a league where kickers are in high demand, the Eagles have two good ones and will probably see Dicker signed off their practice squad later in the year once Elliott is healthy enough to return to work full-time.

1. Matt Ammendola

Oh hey, speaking of teams that need kickers, Arizona really could have used a kicker like Dicker in Week 5, as on the crucial penultimate play of the game, Kliff Kingsbury trotted out Matt Ammendola, himself a practice squad-elevated replacement kicker tasked with filling Matt Prater's shoes. Though he tried his best, connecting on two extra points and hitting a chip-shot 20-yarder in the second quarter, when the game was on the line, Ammendola whiffed a 43-yarder wide right and sent his team home with another notch in the loss column.

Technically, the Philadelphia Eagles wouldn't have lost the game if Ammendola made that kick, as the game would have gone into overtime, but the Cardinals undoubtedly lost the game when the ball didn't hit its mark, which is why he deserves the number one spot on this list.