Zach Ertz was hurting. Not physically. But otherwise.

"I'd be lying if I said I didn't want it bad," the tight end said after the loss to his former team Sunday. That, frankly, anyone could have guessed.

But "it just felt like a normal football game," Ertz said. "The only thing that caught me by surprise -- or hit me, is the right word -- is seeing all the green '86' jerseys in the stands. That was pretty special."

There was a lot of green in the stands Sunday at State Farm Stadium, Eagles fans and Ertz fans. But by the end of the game it was the fans in red who were louder, with Ertz and his teammates coming back from another hole to nearly pull on out.

Nearly isn't good enough, no. And Ertz himself talked about the pain of still seeking a victory at home. But this is a team moving in the right way, and were tested by a very good team Sunday and found a way to answer. The first-quarter thing is frustrating. The missed field goal was difficult to handle, given the way they fought back. But they go to Seattle this week in a place where they have the ability to go 3-3 and then DeAndre Hopkins comes back.

Tonight, yes, I'm going with the optimism.

-- On the final sequence, at least from my perspective. If you think you have the first down, spiking there is what you do. We can argue if the Cardinals or Kliff should've been watching to see where Kyler's slide started, but ultimately, I don't think it changed a ton. I mentioned to some fellow scribes before Kliff came in the room I doubted the Cardinals, with no timeouts, would've risked 25-yard passes into the end zone at that point, and Kliff confirmed that. The circumstances said it was going to end up as a field goal try. You just wish it would've gone through. Overtime would've been fascinating, since at that point both teams were moving the ball well.

-- Props to Matt Ammendola for talking to the media. I understand Justin Pugh's anger about the swarm waiting for the kicker who obviously just had a rough moment, but it's the gig. Ammendola knows that. It's not easy, and he handled it with grace.

-- The early part of the game didn't go well for Rondale Moore – the horizontal game in which he is used wasn't going anywhere. But perhaps things changed on one key play. A screen to Moore on third-and-17 gained 17, as Moore showed some of his moves in space, finally. He made another key catch-and-run on the final drive, and finished with seven catches for 68 yards despite the slow start. If the Cardinals can get him loose more often, he indeed would make a difference.

"I just think it's time on task," Kingsbury said. "You saw (Rondale) get more comfortable in the second half and do what he can do. Being shifty and making plays. We're going to need him to be that guy for us on offense and kind of be that piece that can get in open space and make those extra yards."

-- Eagles wide receiver A.J. Brown had three catches on the first drive of the game. He finished with three catches. Whatever the Cardinals did, they took Brown out of the equation.

-- Along those lines, Vance Joseph is a very good coordinator. People complain because that's what they do. But Joseph has made this defense work, without any superstars most places (although Zach Allen continues to have a heck of a season.)

-- Isaiah Simmons had a game-high 13 tackles. It was impressive that Allen had eight himself, a high number for a defensive lineman.

-- It may be a good thing the Cardinals have so many running backs, because Keaontay Ingram might be needed after the Conner/Williams/Ward injuries. (The Seahawks just lost Rashaad Penny to a serious ankle injury themselves.)

-- Jalen Hurts isn't all the way there yet. The Cardinals made it tough for him. But he is a beast that is so scary with his ability to run it.

-- That was an entertaining football game. Not every game around the league can say that these days.

That's all for tonight.