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Associated Press

Arizona Cardinals cornerback Patrick Peterson, left, eludes the tackle-attempt of Cleveland Browns defensive back Eric Hagg, right, on a punt return in overtime of an NFL football game on Sunday, Dec. 18, 2011, in Glendale, Ariz.

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Running low on time today, i’ll be back tomorrow hopefully with some more news.

Read More: 2011 nfl week 15 recap, Green Bay Packers, Arizona Cardinals

NFL Week 15 was full of surprises starting with the Colts getting their first win of the season. Then the Green Bay Packers perfect season came to a screeching halt. And I am going to explain how that impacts the Arizona Cardinals in just a little bit, but as always here are my thoughts on the Cardinals.

Resilient. When thinking of one word to describe the Arizona Cardinals I thought that fit best. 

They aren’t perfect in any phase, but they are finding ways to win football games. 

The Cardinals trailed 17-7 to the Browns. The Cardinals trailed 19-7 to the 49ers. The Cardinals trailed 13-6 to the Cowboys. The Cardinals trailed 10-3 to the Rams. The Cardinals trailed 14-7 to the Eagles. The Cardinals trailed 13-6 to the Rams.

The Cardinals came back and won every single one of those games. The Cardinals were at one point 1-6 and have battled back all the way to 7-7.

Resilient. 

Being a resilient football team will only take you so far. What we saw Sunday when the Denver Broncos were smoked by the New England Patriots was the perfect example of that. To become a real threat to win the NFC West and reach higher goals in the future I need to be able to describe the Cardinals with another word. 

Consistency. 

One side of the ball already has it, the defense is consistent and I believe will continue to be a strength for the foreseeable future. When will the offense get up to the defenses speed or to an acceptable level? 

You can only get so far sneaking out games with special teams and in the second half.  To complete with top echelon teams your offense has to have the ability to score 30 points every Sunday. The Cardinals are not there yet. 

7-7 is nice. The potential and real possibility of being 9-7 is fantastic. Playoffs have gone from a pipe dream to at least a thought. 

The Cardinals proved to be a resilient bunch no matter how this season plays out. In the long term resilient is not good enough.  Resilient and consistent is what the Cardinals need to be.  

Green Bay Packers Upset By The Kansas City Chief 

When I said I was confident the Cardinals would make the playoffs if they finished the season 9-7 I assumed the Green Bay Packers would go into the final game of the season 15-0. This would have given the Packers something to play for, not in the standings or playoff seeding, but history. I don’t think Mike McCarthy could have looked his team in the eye if they didn’t go all out against the Detroit Lions Week 17 if they were 15-0.

Well, the Packers are not going to be 15-0. They shockingly fell to the Kansas City Chiefs 19-14. Green Bay will no longer have anything left to play for Week 17 and I would be shocked if they did not use that game to get healthy. This leaves the Detroit Lions, who I expect to lose next week to the San Diego Chargers going up against the Packers second string. It’s not out of the question, but I now think it is unlikely the Cardinals get into the playoffs even if they finish 9-7.  

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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:

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By Alfie Crow

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Dec 16, 2011 – The Cleveland Browns are getting set to take on the Arizona Cardinals, neither team really has much other than pride to play for. So who do the experts think will win the game?

All of the ESPN experts like the Arizona Cardinals to win the game.

Peter King of SI.com likes the Cardinals to get to .500 with the win:

Cleveland Browns (4-9) at Arizona Cardinals (6-7)
Whoa! You mean to tell me the Cardinals are 7-7 with this win? What happened? The Miracle of Red Skelton lives? The best defense no one knows is in the desert? With a Cincinnati-Seattle finishing schedule, this is suddenly an interesting outside-the-box playoff team.

The Sporting News likes the Cardinals to come away with an easy victory:

Cleveland Browns at Arizona Cardinals, 4:15 p.m. Sunday. It was a rough Week 14 for quarterbacks Colt McCoy and Kevin Kolb, who both got head injuries. The Cards should feel good, however, about their chances to get to .500 with John Skelton filling in for Kolb. They should be able to outscore an anemic Browns offense. Larry Fitzgerald draws a tough matchup with Joe Haden, but talent and savvy will help the wide receiver overcome it. Cardinals 24, Browns 9.

For more on the Browns head over to Dawgs By Nature. For more on the Cardinals, check out Revenge Of The Birds. Follow the rest of Week 15 at SB Nation NFL.

Read More: Cleveland Browns, Arizona Cardinals

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Jason O. Watson-US PRESSWIRE

Nov. 20, 2011 – San Francisco 49ers quarterback Alex Smith (11) is pressured by Arizona Cardinals defensive end Nick Eason.

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Read More: Kevin Kolb (QB – ARI), Dallas Cowboys, Arizona Cardinals

The Arizona Cardinals defense, particularly the front seven, continue to demonstrate the improvement we’ve been seeing for the last several weeks. The front line got pressure on Tony Romo (three sacks) and did a solid job against the run which helped keep the game close while the Arizona offense tried to find its footing.

The Cowboys were the first team to get into scoring position but missed a 53-yard field goal on a kick that went wide left. The Cardinals used the good starting field position to drive 27 yards and put their own three points on the board.

Neither side was able to do much offensively although the Cowboys did tie the game with a 50-yard kick with about six minutes left in the half. From there a series of poor possessions twice forced the Cardinals to punt from their end zone. 

On the second sequence, the Cowboys started their drive from the Arizona 33 and eventually scored on a 15-yard pass from Romo to Dez Bryant for the first touchdown of the game which game Dallas a 10-3 lead which is where the first half ended.

Kevin Kolb made a few decent throws in his first game back but he also missed open receivers and was sacked four times. He hasn’t shown his previous propensity to flush himself out of the pocket and he’s not forcing passes that aren’t there. Unfortunately, that’s led to him holding the ball longer than his protection can hold up.

Kolb is 7-11 on mostly short passes with a total of 44 yards and no touchdowns or interceptions. The Cardinals have a total 49 yards offense. Romo went 11-20 for 135 yards with one TD pass. Defensively, Arizona held Dallas to 48 yards on the ground.

For more on the Arizona Cardinals, visit Revenge of the Birds.

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Credit: AP

Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kevin Kolb passes during the second half of an NFL football game against the Baltimore Ravens in Baltimore on Sunday, Oct. 30, 2011. The Ravens defeated the Cardinals 30-27. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)

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Read More: John Skelton (QB – ARI), Patrick Peterson (CB – ARI), Sam Acho (LB – ARI), Arizona Cardinals, Arizona Cardinals at St. Louis Rams, Nov 27, 2011 11:00 AM MST

Beanie Wells set a franchise record with 228 yards rushing on a day that saw the Arizona Cardinals beat the Rams for the seventh-straight time in St. Louis. The Cardinals fell behind early and struggled through a poor game by QB John Skelton but improve to 4-7 on the season thanks to Wells’ big day, solid defense and a record-tying fourth punt return touchdown from Patrick Peterson.

The Cardinals defense was led by a very good game by rookie OLB Sam Acho, who recorded two sacks (five on the season) and forced two fumbles. ILB Daryl Washington continues to impress and the defensive line playing without starting NT Dan Williams (broken arm) held the Rams Steven Jackson to just 64 yards on 17 carries.

It wasn’t a pretty game offensively from either team as both quarterbacks struggled to convert third downs and score in the red zone. Sam Bradford was the better of the two, going 17-31 for 203 yards and one touchdown. John Skelton looked extremely inaccurate early, threw two picks and went 12-23 for 114 yards.

This game was clearly won on the ground and in the trenches. The Cardinals ran for a total of 268 yards compared to 86 for the Rams. Wells had a 71-yard run in the first quarter that got the Cardinals into the red zone and produced three points. He replicated that in the fourth with a 53-yard run (video below) that broke a 20-20 tie.

Both teams recorded seven points off punt return touchdowns. The Rams Nick Miller ran one back 88 yards in the first quarter and Patrick Peterson got his fourth of the year in the third (video here).

The Cardinals complete a three-game series of road games going 2-1 and are now 3-1 in games started by John Skelton (despite his poor play). Arizona will now be home for four of their last five games of the season starting with the Dallas Cowboys next week.

For more on the game, visit Revenge of the Birds blog.

Gotta run!.

By Avinash Kunnath

– Newsdesk contributor

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Nov 17, 2011 – The Arizona Cardinals have struggled through the 2011 season, and no one on either side of the football has really stood out. Well, except for one.

It should be no surprise the Cardinals only have one man in contention right now to make it to the 2012 NFL Pro Bowl. It should be no surprise that his identity is one Larry Fitzgerald, perhaps still one of the most talented recievers in the NFL today. Fitzgerald is currently fourth among all receivers in all votes in the NFC, trailing Calvin Johnson of the Detroit Lions, Greg Jennings of the Green Bay Packers, and Steve Smith of the Carolina Panthers.

Unfortunately Fitzgerald is stuck in a very difficult position, as he has two average quarterbacks in Kevin Kolb and John Skelton throwing to him. Still, the Cardinals receiver is putting up impressive numbers regardless, racking up 45 catches and 792 yards plus five touchdowns despite not being in the most ideal passing offense.

Check out the potential Pro Bowl players from the NFC West by clicking here. To discuss Fitzgerald and the Cardinals, hit up Revenge of the Birds.

Read More: Larry Fitzgerald (WR – ARI), Arizona Cardinals

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Read More: Kevin Kolb (QB – ARI), Frank Gore (RB – SFX), Beanie Wells (RB – ARI), Arizona Cardinals

The San Francisco 49ers take on the Arizona Cardinals this weekend in the 49ers’ second division game of the year. Both squads face injury questions in the backfield as starting running backs Frank Gore and Beanie Wells struggle to practice.

Neither Gore or Wells practiced on Wednesday. Wells is still listed as probable for Sunday’s game, but Gore’s status appears to be a little more uncertain. Gore missed the second half of last week’s game against the New York Giants with a knee injury that continues to plague him. The full extent of Gore’s status likely won’t be determined until later this week.

49ers receivers Michael Crabtree and Braylon Edwards were both limited on Wednesday, but both figure to be on the field on Sunday. Cardinals quarterback Kevin Kolb was limited as well and could miss his third straight game, giving second-year quarterback John Skelton his third straight start and a chance to move to 3-0 this season as a starter.

Following is a full look at the injury reports for both teams on Wednesday:

San Francisco 49ers Injury Report

OUT: RB Frank Gore (knee), DT Justin Smith (not injury related)

LIMITED: LB Navarro Bowman (neck), WR Michael Crabtree (foot), CB Chris Culliver (shoulder), WR Bryalon Edwards (knee), DT Ray McDonald (hamstring)

FULL: CB Shawntae Spencer (toe)

Arizona Cardinals Injury Report

OUT: TE Todd Heap (hamstring), TE Rob Housler (groin), LB Joey Porter (knee), S Kerry Rhodes (foot), RB Beanie Wells (knee)

LIMITED: CB Michael Adams (hamstring), LB Stewart Bradley (ribs), T Brandon Keith (knee), QB Kevin Kolb (knee), LB Paris Lenon (groin), RB Anthony Sherman (ankle), KR LaRod Stephens-Howling (shoulder)

FULL: none

For more on the 49ers, check out Niners Nation. For more on the Cardinals, check out Revenge of the Birds.

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Read More: week 10 nfl scores, Arizona Cardinals, San Francisco 49ers, Seattle Seahawks, St. Louis Rams

Week ten is in the books and the weekend of action brought a first in recent NFL history. The San Francisco 49ers, St. Louis Rams, Arizona Cardinals and Seattle Seahawks all managed to grab victories on Sunday. This was significant because it marked the first time since the NFL realigned to its current eight division structure in 2002 that all four NFC West teams won the same week. That’s a pretty crazy stat to consider.

The NFC West has had a bad rep in recent years due to significant struggles. It peaked (or valleyed, if you will) last season when the Seahawks took home the division title with a 7-9 record. They did knock off the New Orleans Saints in the first round of the playoffs, but that did not stop people fro criticizing a playoff structure that allows a 7-9 team to host a playoff game against an 11-5 team.

A year later, the Seahawks, Cardinals and Rams have all been quite awful this season while the 49ers have gotten back on track. This weekend was a big weekend for the division to gain some measure of respect. The Arizona Cardinals flew east to Philadelphia and shocked the Eagles 21-17 on a late Early Doucet touchdown. The Rams went into Cleveland won an ugly one over the Cleveland Browns. And the Seahawks jumped on top of the Baltimore Ravens early and held on for a 22-17 victory.

Reports out of Las Vegas were saying that if you had bet $100 on a four-team parlay featuring the four NFC West teams, you would have won $8,400. I’d be stunned if anybody placed that wager.

It will be impossible for all four teams to win this week as the division features 49ers-Cardinals and Rams-Seahawks. Given how the NFC West has gone at times this season, a pair of ties would not be the most stunning bit of news to come out of week 11. Unlikely, but really not particularly surprising.

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Read More: Kerry Rhodes (S – ARI), Kevin Kolb (QB – ARI), Todd Heap (TE – ARI), Paris Lenon (LB – ARI), Joey Porter (LB – ARI), Michael Adams (CB – ARI), LaRod Stephens-Howling (RB – ARI), John Skelton (QB – ARI), A.J. Jefferson (DB – ARI), Anthony Sherman (FB – ARI), Rob Housler (TE – ARI), Philadelphia Eagles, Arizona Cardinals

Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kevin Kolb might not play Sunday against the Philadelphia Eagles, according to Friday’s injury report. Kolb missed practice for the third straight day this week with a turf toe injury and is listed as questionable. He would be backed up by John Skelton.

Linebacker Joey Porter (knee) and safety Kerry Rhodes (foot) will both miss the game, while tight end Rob Housler (groin) is listed as doubtful after missing all three practices this week.

Meanwhile, running back Chris Wells (knee) made full participation in practice Friday after being limited earlier in the week and is now listed as probable, along with cornerback Michael Adams (neck).

The following members of the team are listed as questionable: tight end Todd Heap (hamstring), cornerback A.J. Jefferson (foot) linebacker Paris Lenon (groin), running back Anthony Sherman (ankle) and kick returner LaRod Stephens-Howling (shoulder).

Visit Revenge of the Birds for complete Arizona Cardinals coverage and our team page for schedules, statistics, news and more.

There is the quick update of the day.

Read More: Michael Vick (QB – PHI), Donovan McNabb (QB – MIN), Kurt Warner (QB – ARI), DeSean Jackson (WR – PHI), John Skelton (QB – ARI), Daryl Washington (LB – ARI), Patrick Peterson (CB – ARI), Philadelphia Eagles, Arizona Cardinals

When the Arizona Cardinals and Philadelphia Eagles face one another on Sunday, it will be the first time since Arizona clinched the NFC championship in 2009 and sent themselves to the Super Bowl. However, this time, the teams’ situations are much different and so is the personnel.

Back then it was Kurt Warner against Donovan McNabb at quarterback. Now it is likely John Skelton against Michael Vick.

Back then it was for a  Super Bowl berth. This time the Cardinals are 2-6 and the Eagles are 3-5. 

As the two teams face off on Sunday, there are some matchups that will make a difference in this game. 

Patrick Peterson vs. DeSean Jackson

The Philadelphia wide receiving corp is so very fast between Jackson and teammate Jeremy Maclin. Peterson will likely be the matchup against Jackson because of his speed and ability to make big plays down the field. Peterson’s coverage has gotten better and better each week and he is quickly developing into potentially an elite cover corner. 

Michael Vick vs. Ray Horton

The task of keeping Vick contained is a tall one. The Cardinals have done it before. It was 2004 and Clancy Pendergast who schemed the defense to hold him to 10 rushing yards. Defensive coordinator Ray Horton will have his hands full calling a game that will put his defensive players in place to make plays and keep Vick from disrupting the entire defense. 

LeSean McCoy vs. Daryl Washington

McCoy has quickly become one of the league’s top running backs. Daryl Washington has been making plays all over the field for the Cardinals. He has been making plays in the backfield against the run. Washington’s speed and instincts will need to be utilized to keep the Eagles from running the ball effectively and the Cardinals offense off the field. 

Cardinals receivers vs. DRC, Asante Samuel and Nnamdi Asomugha

The cover skills that the Eagles CBs have is undeniable. However, neither Samuels nor DRC like to make tackles. This year they have not been a dominating factor. Can the Arizona receivers find space and can the QB (Kolb or Skelton) deliver the ball on time and in the right spot?

Arizona Cardinals vs. injuries

All teams have to deal with injuries, but Arizona has suffered injuries at key positions. Starting cornerback Greg Toler and second-round draft pick RB Ryan Williams are out for the year with knee injuries. Starting QB Kevin Kolb is recovering from turf toe. Starting TE Todd Heap is recovering from a hamstring injury. Starting FS Kerry Rhodes has a broken foot. Starting RB Beanie Wells has a bum knee. It seems that if you are a starter for the Cardinals, you are bound to spend time on the sideline having gotten hurt.

For more Cardinals coverage, head on over to Revenge of the Birds.

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