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Dicker the Kicker is a hero in his NFL debut

GLENDALE, AZ – "Dicker. The Kicker!" All through the Eagles' locker room, players chanted his name. "Dicker. The Kicker."

And every time, Cameron Dicker smiled. Why wouldn't he? In his first NFL game, Dicker booted a 23-yard field goal with 1:45 remaining to give the Eagles a 20-17 win over Arizona on Sunday at State Farm Stadium to push Philadelphia to 5-0 with its first win over the Cardinals in Arizona since 2001.

The Eagles signed Dicker, who last year at this time was kicking for the University of Texas, to the practice squad last week after Jake Elliott suffered a right ankle injury in the win over Jacksonville. Dicker kicked all week in practice working with long snapper Rick Lovato and holder Arryn Siposs to get the timing down, just in case Elliott couldn't go against the Cardinals.

Elliott couldn't go, and Dicker was elevated to the gameday roster on Saturday.

On Sunday, he was a hero.

"It's an incredible feeling," said Dicker, who was signed by the Rams following the 2022 NFL Draft and then also spent a minute with Baltimore. "I just stayed calm all week and did my job. I was never really nervous. But to be in this situation, yeah, it's incredible."

Dicker was perfect all game. He made two point-after kicks in the first quarter after Jalen Hurts scored on two 1-yard touchdown runs and his kickoffs reached the end zone. Dicker kicked a key 42-yard field goal in the third quarter to give the Eagles a 17-10 advantage and then he capped a 17-play, 70-yard drive in the fourth quarter with the 23-yarder.

Arizona had a chance to tie the game, but the replacement kicker the Cardinals promoted from their practice squad, Matt Ammendola, missed a 43-yard kick wide right.

"All week, the operation was smooth and I made good contact and felt great," Dicker said. "I didn't necessarily expect it to come down to a kick like that, but I was calm and I was confident going out there. I didn't want to be around anyone before the kick so I was by myself, just focusing on making good contact and doing what I know how to do. I hit it well and it went through.

"It was a great feeling. Everything I could have dreamed of."

"Dicker! The Kicker!"

"I don't know what the future holds. You learn to go day by day in this business," said Dicker, the University of Texas' all-time field goals leader (60). "You get an opportunity and you make the most of it. That's what I did today. I knew I would come through and I did."

The Eagles were impressed with Dicker's demeanor all week. He was totally flat-lined as he took part in the practices at the NovaCare Complex.

All of that practice made perfect on Sunday, helping the Eagles remain the NFL's only undefeated team.

"He was great all week," Siposs said. "Nothing. No nerves. Just professional the whole way. He handled the moment from the very start and we had no doubt he would kick the ball well today. That's what he did."

And it won a game for the Eagles in a most unconventional manner.

The Eagles extended their win streak to open the season with a 20-17 victory over the Arizona Cardinals. It was the team's first win at State Farm Stadium.

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