The Arizona Cardinals lost three consecutive games by a total of eight points earlier this season. They have now won four in a row by a combined 14 points, with two of the most lopsided outcomes stemming from 19-13 and 20-17 victories in overtime.

The search for meaning behind the Cardinals rise to a 7-7 record following a 1-6 start could lead to a basic conclusion. Yes, the defense has improved and quarterback John Skelton has shown a knack for stepping up his game in fourth quarters and overtime, but perhaps things are simply evening out.

Whatever the case, Kent Somers of the Arizona Republic says coach Ken Whisenhunt and the team in general are much better off getting hot now than, say, falling to 7-7 after a 6-1 start. Whisenhunt: “It builds equity. When you go through the pain of losing those games with all these young guys, and they understand now what they have to do in order to get out of it, that makes you stronger as a team. You have this group of young players who understand, ‘This is what we have to do. This is the standard that we have to set in practice and in meetings and what we have to do in games.’ Now, when you have a group of free agents come in here, you have a group of guys who won’t accept anything but this standard.”

Bob McManaman of the Arizona Republic checks in with Cardinals guard Daryn Colledge on several subjects. Colledge on the team’s turnaround: “We were 1-6, and we weren’t doing what we wanted to do, but we knew we still had the guys in the room to get it done. We told everybody to stick with us, that we were losing close games but we would find a way to get it going, and we have. We stuck to our guns, we didn’t break apart, we got stronger, and no matter what happens at the end of the season — whether we make the playoffs or not — I believe this team takes this momentum and uses it through the off-season and we become a real threat next year.”

Darren Urban of azcardinals.com runs through basic parameters for the Cardinals to earn a playoff berth.

Clare Farnsworth of seahawks.com says the team again needs the versatile Ben Obomanu to fill in for injured wide receivers. Starters Sidney Rice and Mike Williams are out for the season. Farnsworth: “Obomanu and Golden Tate showed what they can combine to do on the opening drive of the second half against the Bears, as Tarvaris Jackson went to Tate for a 33-yard pass play on third-and-9 and then found Obomanu for a 43-yard gain on a drive that ended with Marshawn Lynch scoring on a 3-yard run. Because Obomanu already has started at split end (three games for Williams) and flanker (two games for Rice), his flexibility and experience will help the passing game compensate for its latest loss.”

Also from Farnsworth: a look at the Seahawks’ young safeties, Kam Chancellor and Earl Thomas.

Danny O’Neil of the Seattle Times says the Seahawks are looking forward to getting another shot at the 49ers. O’Neil: “The 49ers held Seattle to 39 yards of offense in the first half of the season opener. The Seahawks trailed by 16 at halftime, cut the deficit to two points in the fourth quarter and then allowed Ted Ginn to score twice, first on a kickoff return and then a punt return. There are plenty of ways to measure how far the Seahawks have come since that loss. You can count up the 1,390 rushing yards in their past 13 games, including five 100-yard rushing performances by Marshawn Lynch. Or you can point to the five wins Seattle has in its past six games. Or better yet, you can line the Seahawks up against that same 49ers team they faced more than three months ago and see how the second meeting turns out.”

Dave Boling of the Tacoma News Tribune sees the Seahawks-49ers rivalry only getting better. Boling: “Don’t let anybody kid you, this has turned into a rivalry between two young teams on the rise, coached by a pair of very competitive men. This is not just another game.”

Brian Burwell of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch says the Rams are set at quarterback and shouldn’t hope to finish with the No. 1 overall draft choice for the purposes of selecting Andrew Luck. Burwell: “It’s a bad idea to write off Bradford based on the impossible circumstances of this wretched season. One of the smartest football wise guys I know, legendary former Dallas Cowboys personnel guru Gil Brandt, is a huge Bradford fan. We have talked a lot about Bradford over the past few years, and he was one of the first people who convinced me before the 2010 draft that the Rams had to go with Bradford over defensive tackle Ndamakong Suh. He was right then, and he’s right now when he says to keep believing in Bradford.”

Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch provides historical context for the Rams’ weak offense. Thomas: “The Rams have scored only 15 TDs this season, and if that number doesn’t change against Pittsburgh and San Francisco, it will be the second-lowest total in franchise history — trailing only the 10 TDs scored by the Cleveland Rams in 1937. And if the Rams don’t score at least 34 points over their final two games, they will become just the 15th team in the NFL since the advent of the 16-game schedule in 1978 to score fewer than 200 points.”

Jeff Bennett, Gregg Found and Jason Starrett of ESPN Stats & Information take a closer look at the 49ers’ run defense, offering this: “The 49ers have been able to keep opposing runners out of the end zone by limiting goal line opportunities and stuffing the run unlike any other team inside the five-yard line. All season, only seven times have opponents tried to run the ball within the 49ers’ 5-yard line. And those rushing attempts are getting stuffed every time. Opponents actually are averaging negative yardage on those attempts. In seven tries, they’ve combined for negative-two yards. … Since 2001, only two teams have allowed negative opponents’ yards per rush inside the five over the course of an entire season. That claim belongs to the 2007 Packers (-0.7 yards per rush) and the 2005 Jaguars (-0.2).”

Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com says performance, not injury, was the reason behind Braylon Edwards being named inactive Monday night. Noted: Alex Smith’s yards per attempt lag when targeting Edwards.

Also from Maiocco: Aldon Smith strikes opposing quarterbacks quickly.

Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee says 49ers coach Jim Harbaugh answered in the affirmative when asked whether he saw Alex Smith as the team’s quarterback of the future. Noted: That is a tough question for a head coach to answer candidly during any season, let alone such a successful one. Saying no wasn’t a viable option.

Lowell Cohn of the Santa Rosa Press-Democrat challenges Harbaugh’s claim that Smith is worthy of the Pro Bowl. Cohn: “We all can admire Harbaugh for defending his guy — for putting his player forward. This may help Smith’s confidence, and Harbaugh loves to see himself (and his alter ego, Smith) as an underdog no one respects. So, this is a perfect fight for Harbaugh to start. It plays into exactly who Harbaugh is and needs to be. But he is way ahead of himself claiming Pro Bowl status for this quarterback with such limited accomplishments and, if you’ll forgive me, such limited athletic gifts.”

Read More: Kevin Kolb (QB – ARI), John Skelton (QB – ARI), Cleveland Browns, Arizona Cardinals, Cleveland Browns at Arizona Cardinals, Dec 18, 2011 3:15 PM CST

There were indications late this week that Kevin Kolb could start this Sunday vs. the Browns. He supposedly increased his participation in practice on Thursday (despite all three days being labeled as “limited participant”) and the team was optimistic that he would be able to do the same on Friday and be ready for Sunday.

However, reports on Saturday suggest  that Kevin Kolb is out and John Skelton, who is 3-1 as a starter, will get the nod. Skelton led the Cardinals to a win over the 49ers last week after Kolb was re-injured.

Here is the full injury report for the Arizona Cardinals:

Considine, Sean	DB	Foot	DNP	DNP	DNP	Out
Haggans, Clark	OLB	Hamstring	LP	FP	FP	Probable
Housler, Rob	TE	Shoulder	LP	FP	FP	Probable
Keith, Brandon	T	Knee	LP	LP	LP	Questionable
Kolb, Kevin	QB	Head	LP	LP	LP	Questionable
Porter, Joey	OLB	Knee	LP	LP	LP	Questionable
Rhodes, Kerry	S	Foot	FP	FP	FP	Probable
Sampson, DeMarco	WR	Ribs	LP	LP	LP	Questionable
Wells, Beanie	RB	Knee	LP	LP	FP	Probable
Zastudil, Dave	P	Biceps	LP	LP	LP	Probable

AP Photo/Paul Connors

Arizona Cardinals’ Kevin Kolb (4) walks off the field after an injury during the first quarter in an NFL football game against the San Francisco 49ers, Sunday, Dec. 11, 2011, in Glendale, Ariz.

Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kevin Kolb said he was able to practice “a little bit” on Wednesday after tests evaluating the concussion he sustained early in Sunday’s victory over San Francisco.
“The symptoms are down,” he said. “It’s just a matter of making sure they are down long enough to where I can get out there and then be in full-speed action. That’s the key right now. It’s a touchy subject, and we want to make sure that we err on the right side.”
Unlike the situation with the Cleveland Browns and their quarterback, Colt McCoy, the Cardinals benched Kolb after he took a knee to the head on Arizona’s third offensive play against the 49ers. He immediately went to the locker room for evaluation and it was determined he should not return to the game.
“I don’t know how they handled it in Cleveland,” Arizona coach Ken Whisenhunt said. “All I can speak about is the way our guys did it and they did a great job with it. … The number one thing is, if there is ever a doubt, you err to the side of caution and that’s the way we are going to proceed.”
Kolb said he plans to practice more as the week goes on in hopes of being able to play Sunday against the Browns.
He said the football culture is better at dealing with concussions than it used to be.
“I think that there are so many studies coming out now that prove long-term effects and things like that,” Kolb said. “Obviously, our health is number one, especially when it comes to your brain. I want to be out there as much as anybody, but it’s just something you don’t push.”
This is Kolb’s second concussion in as many seasons. He was sidelined with one after he started last season’s opener for Philadelphia and wound up losing the starting job to his replacement, Michael Vick. That eventually led to the trade that brought Kolb to Arizona.
Under the NFL’s revised rules, Kolb was required to see a doctor not affiliated with the Cardinals to have his condition independently evaluated. He said he did so on Tuesday and that the visit “went good.”
Kolb said some of the symptoms of a concussion don’t begin to show up for him until the adrenaline of the football game begins to fade.
“When your adrenaline is going, when you are in the game, it covers up,” he said. “It tends to cover up some of the symptoms. As you start calming down, during or after the game, then, from my experience, a lot of things start to rush on you; the vision, the sensitivity to light and noise, and all those things.”
Kolb was making just his second start after being sidelined for six games with a right turf toe and bruise to the side of that same foot. The previous week, he had come on strong in the second half to help Arizona beat Dallas in overtime.
“It’s beyond frustrating, just because we played a good second half there against the Cowboys and had a good week at practice,” he said. “We were ready to go out there and do what we ended up doing, which is great for our team. I wish I could have been a part of it, but they did a great job again of picking right up and rolling along.”
John Skelton relieved Kolb last Sunday and threw three touchdown passes as the Cardinals rallied to beat the 49ers 21-19.
Arizona has won three in a row and five of six. A victory Sunday would even the Cardinals’ season record at 7-7 with two games to play.

TEMPE, Ariz. – Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kevin Kolb said he was able to practise “a little bit” on Wednesday after tests evaluating the concussion he sustained early in Sunday’s victory over San Francisco.

“The symptoms are down,” he said. “It’s just a matter of making sure they are down long enough to where I can get out there and then be in full-speed action. That’s the key right now. It’s a touchy subject, and we want to make sure that we err on the right side.”

Unlike the situation with the Cleveland Browns and their quarterback, Colt McCoy, the Cardinals benched Kolb after he took a knee to the head on Arizona’s third offensive play against the 49ers. He immediately went to the locker-room for evaluation and it was determined he should not return to the game.

“I don’t know how they handled it in Cleveland,” Arizona coach Ken Whisenhunt said. “All I can speak about is the way our guys did it and they did a great job with it. … The number one thing is, if there is ever a doubt, you err to the side of caution and that’s the way we are going to proceed.”

Kolb said he plans to practise more as the week goes on in hopes of being able to play Sunday against the Browns.

He said the football culture is better at dealing with concussions than it used to be.

“I think that there are so many studies coming out now that prove long-term effects and things like that,” Kolb said. “Obviously, our health is number one, especially when it comes to your brain. I want to be out there as much as anybody, but it’s just something you don’t push.”

This is Kolb’s second concussion in as many seasons. He was sidelined with one after he started last season’s opener for Philadelphia and wound up losing the starting job to his replacement, Michael Vick. That eventually led to the trade that brought Kolb to Arizona.

Under the NFL’s revised rules, Kolb was required to see a doctor not affiliated with the Cardinals to have his condition independently evaluated. He said he did so on Tuesday and that the visit “went good.”

Kolb said some of the symptoms of a concussion don’t begin to show up for him until the adrenaline of the football game begins to fade.

“When your adrenaline is going, when you are in the game, it covers up,” he said. “It tends to cover up some of the symptoms. As you start calming down, during or after the game, then, from my experience, a lot of things start to rush on you; the vision, the sensitivity to light and noise, and all those things.”

Kolb was making just his second start after being sidelined for six games with a right turf toe and bruise to the side of that same foot. The previous week, he had come on strong in the second half to help Arizona beat Dallas in overtime.

“It’s beyond frustrating, just because we played a good second half there against the Cowboys and had a good week at practice,” he said. “We were ready to go out there and do what we ended up doing, which is great for our team. I wish I could have been a part of it, but they did a great job again of picking right up and rolling along.”

John Skelton relieved Kolb last Sunday and threw three touchdown passes as the Cardinals rallied to beat the 49ers 21-19.

Arizona has won three in a row and five of six. A victory Sunday would even the Cardinals’ season record at 7-7 with two games to play.

Unlike the situation with the Cleveland Browns and their quarterback, Colt McCoy, the Cardinals benched Kolb after he took a knee to the head on Arizona’s third offensive play against the 49ers. He immediately went to the locker room for evaluation and it was determined he should not return to the game.

“I don’t know how they handled it in Cleveland,” Arizona coach Ken Whisenhunt said. “All I can speak about is the way our guys did it and they did a great job with it. … The number one thing is, if there is ever a doubt, you err to the side of caution and that’s the way we are going to proceed.”

Kolb said he plans to practice more as the week goes on in hopes of being able to play Sunday against the Browns.

He said the football culture is better at dealing with concussions than it used to be.

“I think that there are so many studies coming out now that prove long-term effects and things like that,” Kolb said. “Obviously, our health is number one, especially when it comes to your brain. I want to be out there as much as anybody, but it’s just something you don’t push.”

This is Kolb’s second concussion in as many seasons. He was sidelined with one after he started last season’s opener for Philadelphia and wound up losing the starting job to his replacement, Michael Vick. That eventually led to the trade that brought Kolb to Arizona.

Under the NFL’s revised rules, Kolb was required to see a doctor not affiliated with the Cardinals to have his condition independently evaluated. He said he did so on Tuesday and that the visit “went good.”

Kolb said some of the symptoms of a concussion don’t begin to show up for him until the adrenaline of the football game begins to fade.

“When your adrenaline is going, when you are in the game, it covers up,” he said. “It tends to cover up some of the symptoms. As you start calming down, during or after the game, then, from my experience, a lot of things start to rush on you; the vision, the sensitivity to light and noise, and all those things.”

Kolb was making just his second start after being sidelined for six games with a right turf toe and bruise to the side of that same foot. The previous week, he had come on strong in the second half to help Arizona beat Dallas in overtime.

“It’s beyond frustrating, just because we played a good second half there against the Cowboys and had a good week at practice,” he said. “We were ready to go out there and do what we ended up doing, which is great for our team. I wish I could have been a part of it, but they did a great job again of picking right up and rolling along.”

John Skelton relieved Kolb last Sunday and threw three touchdown passes as the Cardinals rallied to beat the 49ers 21-19.

Arizona has won three in a row and five of six. A victory Sunday would even the Cardinals’ season record at 7-7 with two games to play.

Copyright 2011 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.