Two things are certain about the 2012 Cardinals:

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They will stage a riveting quarterback competition in Flagstaff. And when they leave training camp, they’ll have one of the best backups in the business.

Assuming Kevin Kolb is still working in Arizona.

“You’re never certain of anything in this world,” he said before leaving for West Texas. “But I am very confident they’re going to keep me around.”

As the offseason begins in Arizona, Kolb is finally feeling normal. He hasn’t played since the first series against the 49ers on Dec. 11, when he took a knee to the back of the helmet. He watched Sunday’s game in sweat clothes, wearing earplugs to protect his brain.

But this time, he was fully engaged in the Cardinals’ 23-20 victory over Seattle on Sunday, exhorting his teammates along the way.

“The last five days I’ve had no symptoms,” Kolb said. “I felt really good on Sunday, and that’s the first time that I’ve felt right on game day. I don’t know if you saw me, but I was a lot more emotional. I was into the game. It felt good to be that way again.”

By now, most people understand that concussions can be menacing. A leading doctor in the field said he knows of a NHL player who began the season on the inactive list and has “contemplated suicide numerous times” because of severe depression and memory loss. The injury should never be minimized.

Yet Kolb’s first season in Arizona was underwhelming. He missed games due to turf toe, fretting that the unmanly nature of the injury would make people think he was “a big weenie.” He missed the last three games with a concussion. He won only twice in nine starts.

It was not the impression he wanted to leave in his first year, after publicly declaring his love for Valley living.

Meanwhile, Cardinals fans are becoming emotionally vested in John Skelton. His bad throws are maddening. His victories are always gritty and rarely pretty. But he fights and he wins, and on Sunday, after fainting in pregame preparations, he left the field with an oozing sense of conquest. He was pumping his fist and acknowledging the fans. It was like he owned the place.

After winning 6 of 8 games, Skelton’s voice has grown, too. He speaks like a starting quarterback, not a designated driver dangling a set of keys. He has newfound credibility with the guys in the locker room, and there is no longer a clear hierarchy at quarterback in Arizona.

“That’s what this is all about,” Kolb said. “Everyone fights for their jobs everyday in this business: coaches, players, trainers. There is always someone nipping at your heels. John (Skelton) is a competitor. Rich (Bartel) wants to take my job, too. That’s the way this thing is designed.”

Kolb is owed a $7 million roster bonus in early March. Unless the Cardinals find a way to land Peyton Manning or Green Bay reserve Matt Flynn, they will have invested $19 million into Kolb by the time the 2012 season commences.

There will be far more pressure on Kolb in Year 2, internally and externally. It will be his make-or-break year in Arizona. He says he welcomes the challenge.

“The Super Bowl motivates me,” Kolb said. “I don’t need motivation from proving people wrong or validating certain moves. For me, it’s winning the Super Bowl and getting that ring on your finger.

“I’m looking forward to the offseason. I think we found a little bit of an identity the past half of the season. Everyone always associated Arizona with an offensive juggernaut, but we have a chance to be a really good, complete team.”

For starters, they’ll feature one of the best No. 2 quarterbacks in the NFL. Only his identity remains a mystery.

Reach Bickley at dan.bickley@arizonarepublic.com or 602-444-8253. Follow him at twitter.com/danbickley. Listen to “Bickley and MJ” weekdays from 2-6 p.m. on KGME-AM (910).

It’s the $63 million question.

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When the Cardinals report to training camp next fall, will coach Ken Whisenhunt put the starting-quarterback position up for grabs between Kevin Kolb and John Skelton?

Kolb signed a five-year, $63million contract with Arizona upon being acquired from Philadelphia for cornerback Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie and a second-round draft pick.

But injuries and ineffectiveness left him 2-6 in his eight full games as a starter this season. Skelton, meanwhile, went 6-2 when he started or played most of the game.

After Sunday’s season-ending 23-20 overtime victory over Seattle, Skelton was asked if he felt he deserved a fair shot to unseat Kolb as the Cardinals’ starter next year.

“I hope I do. That is for the coaching staff to determine,” he said, adding, “Kevin and I have a great relationship. We push each other, and we always help each other out. We will see what happens this off-season.”

As the Cardinals cleared out their lockers Monday, Kolb told reporters he fully expects to be in a battle with Skelton for the starting job, saying it only would be fair given how things played out.

He also looks forward to putting this season behind him and getting a clean slate with which to work in 2012.

“I’m looking forward to the fruits of the labor and having a great season next year,” he said.

But Whisenhunt will decide who starts next season and on Monday, he reminded reporters that he’s always had open competitions for starting positions and that won’t be different at quarterback.

“That’s the way we’ve always been,” he said.

When informed of Kolb’s comments about having to earn the starting job again, Whisenhunt nodded appreciatively.

“I would hope that every player thinks he has to earn it,” he said. “… I think you’ve got to have that with your team. You can go back and look at all the spots, and that’s the way we’ve operated no matter what the situation has been.”

Health scares

News surfaced after Sunday’s game that Skelton and wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald each were dealing with some health concerns.

Skelton, who passed for 271 yards and a touchdown, fainted and fell before the game shortly after having his knee drained in the training room.

Fitzgerald took a hit in the third quarter and suffered a bruised lung, which reportedly made him spit up blood at one point.

Doctors checked out both players thoroughly, Whisenhunt said, and allowed them to play.

Whisenhunt said Skelton joked with him about the fainting spell, calling him “Mike,” as in offensive coordinator Mike Miller.

“I knew he was OK after that,” Whisenhunt said.

Skelton said he’s never passed out before and called it a “a freak thing.” He added, “I think everyone was more worried than I was.”

As for Fitzgerald, who caught nine passes for 149 yards, including three big receptions on the team’s winning drive in overtime, he was re-evaluated by doctors after the game and again Monday.

Whisenhunt said everything checked out fine.

Free-agency talk

The Cardinals have several players set to become free agents, including defensive end Calais Campbell, defensive back Richard Marshall, left tackle Levi Brown and kicker Jay Feely.

Campbell likely will be given a multi-year extension or be presented with the franchise tag. Marshall and Feely each said Monday they would prefer to return. And Whisenhunt said he hopes Brown will be back as well, although given what it likely will cost the team to retain him, that might not occur.

What’s next

Whisenhunt said he and his staff will meet for the next week evaluating the team and grading players and each position as well as every play. After that, they will take a break and do it all over again, so as not to make any judgments based on emotion from the season just having ended.

As for any potential coaching changes, Whisenhunt said Monday that it was too early to make any decisions, adding that he must sit down with his own bosses and be evaluated first.

About the only thing that separates the Cardinals from the Seahawks these days is that one of them practiced in sunny, 70-degree weather to prepare for Sunday’s season finale.

Both are not only 7-8, they took similar paths to get there. Both teams were 2-6 at the halfway point of the season. Both pulled themselves up to ground level and took a peek at the playoffs before losing last week.

Both have defenses featuring young, dynamic players and offenses that are works in progress, often minus the progress part.

“We both have done things that we are excited about,” Cardinals coach Ken Whisenhunt said. “We have won some games against good opponents. We’ve done a good job at home. They’ve done a good job at home. There is a little bit of a difference as far as they’ve had success running the ball lately. We’ve had a little bit more success throwing the football lately, especially in the fourth quarter.

“It’s a good matchup of two teams in a division that have played good football over the back half of the season.”

Both teams have a chance to finish .500 Sunday. The one that does will claim second place in the NFC West, a small consolation for teams out of the playoffs. But you find motivation wherever you can.

“It’s really important,” Seattle coach Pete Carroll said of finishing .500. “That’s what we have to play for at this time. That’s not anywhere near where we wanted to be, but it’s what we have available, and we’re going for it. I know that those guys feel the same way.”

The Seahawks have won three consecutive games over Arizona, including 13-10 in Week 3 in Seattle. The Cardinals scored just 38 points in those three losses, which all came after Carroll became coach in 2010.

Turnovers have been the biggest problem for the Cardinals in those games. They committed nine to Seattle’s three.

In the loss earlier this year, Cardinals quarterback Kevin Kolb had two passes intercepted deep in Seattle territory, and kicker Jay Feely missed field-goal attempts of 51 and 49 yards.

The Seahawks were no offensive juggernaut, gaining 261 yards and scoring one touchdown, but they were far more efficient than the Cardinals.

Seattle’s offensive attack has changed since that game, while the Cardinals are much different defensively.

The Seahawks gradually came to rely more upon a physical running game, spearheaded by Marshawn Lynch, who has gained at least 100 yards in six of the past eight games. In Week 3, it was a mystery why Lynch (19 carries, 73 yards) didn’t get the ball more.

“I think we have improved in big areas, particularly after we made it through the first half and just struggled growing with the young guys up front,” Carroll said. “We started getting better and we just improved to where we can win some football games finally.”

The Cardinals had won six of seven games before last week’s loss in Cincinnati. They did it with a defense that played consistently well throughout games, and an offense that came alive in the second half, especially the fourth quarter.

Both teams will begin their off-season on Monday with questions at quarterback. Seattle’s Tarvaris Jackson has displayed toughness in playing through a pectoral injury, but it’s questionable whether he will remain the Seahawks starter beyond Sunday.

“We will go into the off-season with Tarvaris as our quarterback, and we will see what the off-season brings,” Carroll said. “He was absolutely hurt and found a way to play and gave us everything he had. He gave us a chance to turn this thing around. I’ll always be proud of him for that.”

For the Cardinals, Kolb is expected to miss his third game because of concussion and his seventh overall due to injuries. The trade that brought him from Philadelphia to Arizona has not yet paid dividends.

His backup, John Skelton, has shown the ability to bring the Cardinals from behind in the fourth quarter. The problem is, his poor play early in games is a big reason they have been behind in the fourth quarter.

“I’m sure, like anything, with experience and time it will come,” Skelton said of playing better in the first half. “At the same time, there are mistakes that even a rookie shouldn’t be making that I’m making out there sometimes.”

GLENDALE, Ariz. —

The Seattle Seahawks and Arizona Cardinals have seasons that mirror each – an awful beginning and strong finish.

They will meet in their season finale on Sunday, the winner finishing at 8-8, a satisfying result considering what things looked like a couple of months ago.

“It’s enough incentive to be jacked up to end your season with .500 at least,” Seahawks coach Pete Carroll said. “That’s not anywhere near where we wanted to be, but it’s what we have available and we’re going for it. I know that those guys feel the same way. That’s just a natural way for all of us, so it’s going to be a big battle.”

John Skelton, who probably will be back at quarterback for Arizona, said the difference between 7-9 and 8-8 is far more than just one game.

“No one wants to have a losing record going into the offseason,” he said. “It kind of puts a bad taste in your mouth. 8-8 is kind of something to build on for the future.”

Cardinals coach Ken Whisenhunt reminds his players of what happened in 2007, his first season in Arizona. The Cardinals won their final two to finish 8-8. The next season, Arizona won the NFC West and made it to the Super Bowl.

“No guarantees that if we win this game we are going to the Super Bowl next year, but I do believe that it’s something that you want to do,” he said. “You strive to do that, because you always want to end on a high note and it really propels you into the offseason.”

Seattle was 2-6 after a loss to Dallas on Nov. 6. Arizona was 1-6 after a 30-27 loss at Baltimore on Oct. 30. Seattle won five of six, capped by an impressive 34-14 road win over Chicago, to climb to 7-7. The Cardinals won six of seven, including home wins over Dallas and San Francisco, to hit 7-7 with a 20-17 overtime win at home over Cleveland leaving them 7-7.

The slim playoff hopes of both teams were dashed a week ago when the Seahawks lost at home to NFC West champ San Francisco 19-17 and the Cardinals were beaten at Cincinnati 23-16. That the teams were in it that long is remarkable considering the way they started.

The Cardinals have lived on the edge in nearly every game.

Five of their losses were by seven points or less. They have trailed at the half in all seven of their victories. They have won six of their last eight, three in overtime, the other three by four points, three points and two points. Last week, they trailed the Bengals 23-0 entering the fourth quarter but had a chance to win it late. Wide receiver Early Doucet broke wide open on a fourth-and-five play and was surely headed for a touchdown when he slipped and fell, Skelton’s pass sailing harmlessly over his head.

Slow starts have plagued Arizona all season. Over the last eight games, the Cardinals have been outscored 94-30 in the first two quarters, then have outscored opponents 116-51 in the second half and overtimes. Skelton isn’t sure why he has had so much trouble early in games.

“There are mistakes that even a rookie shouldn’t be making that I’m making out there sometimes. I think it is just consistency,” he said. “We’ll have maybe the first two plays of a drive go well and then the third one someone messes up. Those are the things that we have to eliminate, the mistake here and the mistake there. Eventually those add up and they hurt an offense.”

Kevin Kolb, brought in to be the Cardinals’ franchise quarterback, struggled through the team’s six-game losing streak early in the season, then was sidelined for four games with a right turf toe. He returned and directed the team to a comeback victory over Dallas, only to go down with a concussion when he took a knee to the head on Arizona’s first play the following week against San Francisco.

Skelton came on to lead the team to a 21-19 victory over the 49ers. The second-year pro from Fordham is 4-2 as a starter this season, 5-2 if the San Francisco victory is counted.

The No. 1 challenge for Arizona’s vastly improved defense will be slowing down Marshawn Lynch, who has topped 100 yards rushing in six of his last eight games. But Whisenhunt reminded everyone that he has a pretty good back in Beanie Wells. Lynch has rushed for 1,118 yards and averaged 4.2 yards per carry. Wells, despite a season-long knee problem, has 1,047 yards, picking up 4.3 per attempt.

“If you look at Beanie vs. Marshawn, they’re almost identical statistically,” Whisenhunt said.

The Seahawks led 17-16 entering the fourth quarter last week against San Francisco only to lose on David Akers’ 39-yard field goal with 3:44 to play. Jackson’s fumble on Seattle’s next possession sealed the 49ers’ win.

The Seahawks believe they are a better team than they were a year ago, when their 7-9 record was good enough to win the NFC West, then they stunned New Orleans in the first round of the playoffs.

“Even though we have a similar record as last year, I think we took stuff forward this year – defense, offense, running game, and special teams,” Seattle strong safety Kam Chancellor said. “There are new guys on the team now and we just have to take time to feel each other out and see where we’re going.”

The Cardinals’ 2012 schedule looks like this:

Home: Bears, Lions, Bills, Dolphins, 49ers, Rams, Seahawks and an NFC East team. The NFC East team will be determined by final division standings. The Cardinals will finish second or third, depending on the outcome of Sunday’s game against Seattle.

The possible NFC East teams are the Giants, Cowboys and Eagles.

Away: Packers, Vikings, Patriots, Jets, 49ers, Rams, Seahawks and an NFC South team. That team would be the Falcons if the Cardinals win on Sunday and the Panthers if they lose.

According to current standings, the Cardinals would have the 12th overall draft pick.

Washington safety Reed Doughty was fined $15,000 by the league on Friday for striking Minnesota’s Christian Ponder in the head and neck area as the quarterback slid. Houston defensive end J.J. Watt received a similar fine for hitting Indianapolis quarterback Dan Orlovsky below the knee.

Atlanta linebacker Curtis Lofton was fined $15,000 for unnecessary roughness for striking New Orleans wide receiver Marques Colston, deemed a defenseless player, in the head and neck area Monday night.

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

GLENDALE, Ariz. – The Seattle Seahawks and Arizona Cardinals have seasons that mirror each — an awful beginning and strong finish.

They will meet in their season finale on Sunday, the winner finishing at 8-8, a satisfying result considering what things looked like a couple of months ago.

“It’s enough incentive to be jacked up to end your season with .500 at least,” Seahawks coach Pete Carroll said. “That’s not anywhere near where we wanted to be, but it’s what we have available and we’re going for it. I know that those guys feel the same way. That’s just a natural way for all of us, so it’s going to be a big battle.”

John Skelton, who probably will be back at quarterback for Arizona, said the difference between 7-9 and 8-8 is far more than just one game.

“No one wants to have a losing record going into the off-season,” he said. “It kind of puts a bad taste in your mouth. 8-8 is kind of something to build on for the future.”

Cardinals coach Ken Whisenhunt reminds his players of what happened in 2007, his first season in Arizona. The Cardinals won their final two to finish 8-8. The next season, Arizona won the NFC West and made it to the Super Bowl.

“No guarantees that if we win this game we are going to the Super Bowl next year, but I do believe that it’s something that you want to do,” he said. “You strive to do that, because you always want to end on a high note and it really propels you into the off-season.”

Seattle was 2-6 after a loss to Dallas on Nov. 6. Arizona was 1-6 after a 30-27 loss at Baltimore on Oct. 30. Seattle won five of six, capped by an impressive 34-14 road win over Chicago, to climb to 7-7. The Cardinals won six of seven, including home wins over Dallas and San Francisco, to hit 7-7 with a 20-17 overtime win at home over Cleveland leaving them 7-7.

The slim playoff hopes of both teams were dashed a week ago when the Seahawks lost at home to NFC West champ San Francisco 19-17 and the Cardinals were beaten at Cincinnati 23-16. That the teams were in it that long is remarkable considering the way they started.

The Cardinals have lived on the edge in nearly every game.

Five of their losses were by seven points or less. They have trailed at the half in all seven of their victories. They have won six of their last eight, three in overtime, the other three by four points, three points and two points. Last week, they trailed the Bengals 23-0 entering the fourth quarter but had a chance to win it late. Wide receiver Early Doucet broke wide open on a fourth-and-five play and was surely headed for a touchdown when he slipped and fell, Skelton’s pass sailing harmlessly over his head.

Slow starts have plagued Arizona all season. Over the last eight games, the Cardinals have been outscored 94-30 in the first two quarters, then have outscored opponents 116-51 in the second half and overtimes. Skelton isn’t sure why he has had so much trouble early in games.

“There are mistakes that even a rookie shouldn’t be making that I’m making out there sometimes. I think it is just consistency,” he said. “We’ll have maybe the first two plays of a drive go well and then the third one someone messes up. Those are the things that we have to eliminate, the mistake here and the mistake there. Eventually those add up and they hurt an offence.”

Kevin Kolb, brought in to be the Cardinals’ franchise quarterback, struggled through the team’s six-game losing streak early in the season, then was sidelined for four games with a right turf toe. He returned and directed the team to a comeback victory over Dallas, only to go down with a concussion when he took a knee to the head on Arizona’s first play the following week against San Francisco.

Skelton came on to lead the team to a 21-19 victory over the 49ers. The second-year pro from Fordham is 4-2 as a starter this season, 5-2 if the San Francisco victory is counted.

The No. 1 challenge for Arizona’s vastly improved defence will be slowing down Marshawn Lynch, who has topped 100 yards rushing in six of his last eight games. But Whisenhunt reminded everyone that he has a pretty good back in Beanie Wells. Lynch has rushed for 1,118 yards and averaged 4.2 yards per carry. Wells, despite a season-long knee problem, has 1,047 yards, picking up 4.3 per attempt.

“If you look at Beanie vs. Marshawn, they’re almost identical statistically,” Whisenhunt said.

The Seahawks led 17-16 entering the fourth quarter last week against San Francisco only to lose on David Akers’ 39-yard field goal with 3:44 to play. Jackson’s fumble on Seattle’s next possession sealed the 49ers’ win.

The Seahawks believe they are a better team than they were a year ago, when their 7-9 record was good enough to win the NFC West, then they stunned New Orleans in the first round of the playoffs.

“Even though we have a similar record as last year, I think we took stuff forward this year — defence, offence, running game, and special teams,” Seattle strong safety Kam Chancellor said. “There are new guys on the team now and we just have to take time to feel each other out and see where we’re going.”

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.

Given the short-term reward vs. the potential long-term risk, most Cardinals fans might assume that coach Ken Whisenhunt will tell quarterback Kevin Kolb to just sit this next one out, that there’s nothing to be gained by having him play in the regular-season finale against the visiting Seattle Seahawks.

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Photos from Cards-Bengals game | Replay: Game chat | Box score

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If Kolb still is dealing with concussion symptoms, he won’t play, Whisenhunt confirmed Monday when he addressed the media for the first time since Arizona’s 23-16 loss Saturday at Cincinnati.

But if Kolb is cleared to go, Whisenhunt said he won’t sit him for protective measures — even though the Cardinals (7-8) have been eliminated from the playoff race.

“We’re not approaching this as the last week. That’s not the way we’re going to approach it with our team or how we play,” Whisenhunt said. “We want to win this game. It’s a pretty significant achievement for this team, after starting 1-6, to get back to 8-8. I think it means a lot, and that’s the way we’re gong to approach it.

“I think back to ’07 when we finished 8-8, and it gave us some momentum going into the off-season we had a pretty decent year the next year. To have the opportunity to go 8-8, even though we strive for better than that and we want to get into the playoffs, it’s a pretty significant turnaround, and we want to make sure we continue to work for that.”

Whisenhunt said it will continue to be a “day-to-day thing” with Kolb, who suffered a head injury when he was inadvertently kneed in the back of the head two weeks ago in a win over the San Francisco 49ers.

Since then, Kolb has had good days and bad days. He will feel little to no symptoms one day, and the next day he might have problems in a meeting or on the practice field. Such was the case Saturday.

Whisenhunt said Kolb handled the plane ride in from Phoenix all right, but that once the quarterback got to the stadium, the sun and the noise from the crowd began to get to him.

“We just have to make sure he’s completely healthy before you let him get back out there,” Whisenhunt said.

The play

It’s already being hailed as the Play of the Year in the NFL, and it figures to live in replay history to haunt the Cardinals for decades.

Jerome Simpson’s improbable, head-over-toes touchdown flip into the end zone over Cardinals linebacker Daryl Washington, however, still isn’t sitting too well with Whisenhunt.

“It’s a great athletic play by the guy,” the coach said. “Am I impressed with that? I’m impressed every day with what I see these guys do. I don’t like it that it happened against us, obviously. But the guy’s a tremendous athlete, and he made a good play.

“Listen, it’s great that people are excited about it. It’s great for our sport in that it gets more interest in it. But hopefully somebody will make a (more exciting) play and we won’t have to see that going forward, because it certainly doesn’t bring back good memories of the game.”

Extra points

Whisenhunt said watching receiver Early Doucet stumble and fall when he was wide open in the end zone for a potential tying touchdown Saturday was something “you think about a million times, especially sitting on the plane coming back home.”

However, he said he talked with Doucet and reminded him that had the team not fumbled at the goal line on first down, Doucet’s stumble never would have come into play.

“Early’s a tough competitor, and he’s bounced back from a lot of things,” Whisenhunt said. “… I respect him for that.”

Deuce Lutui finally saw his first playing time of the season at right guard during the second half of Saturday’s game.

Whisenhunt said it was primarily because starter Rex Hadnot has been dealing with knee and back problems and is starting to “wear down a little bit.”

“Deuce did all right,” Whisenhunt said.

“He got in there and competed.”

The setup: The Cardinals trailed 23-16. There was 1:18 remaining in the fourth quarter. It was 4th and 5 from Cincinnati’s 17-yard line.

The situation: After mounting a furious comeback, the Cardinals had a chance to tie the score.

The call: The Bengals brought the blitz, and quarterback John Skelton spotted a wide-open Early Doucet. But Doucet tripped over his own feet in the end zone after Skelton threw the ball.

The impact: The incomplete pass ended the Cardinals’ rally, eliminating the team from playoff contention.

The quote: “If he hadn’t tripped, he would’ve caught the ball,” Cardinals coach Ken Whisenhunt

CINCINNATI — The Cardinals have been two different teams this season, and they displayed both versions like Christmas ornaments Saturday at Paul Brown Stadium.

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Photos from the game | Replay: Game chat | Box score

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The one that lost six of the first seven games appeared in the first half as the Bengals built a 20-point lead.

The one that won six of seven games made things interesting in the second half.

In the end, the good Cardinals couldn’t quite overcome the bad, and they lost 23-16 to the Bengals.

The loss eliminated the Cardinals (7-8) from playoff contention, ended a four-game winning streak and ruined a chance to finish with a winning record.

“We had a chance at the end, but we dug ourselves too deep of hole,” coach Ken Whisenhunt said. “I credit our guys with fighting, but just too many mistakes early, too many turnovers. It’s disappointing, especially when we fought as hard as we have this year to get back.”

The Cardinals offensive players will beat themselves up, or should, for the way they played in the first three quarters, and the mistakes they made in the fourth.

Quarterback John Skelton had another of his early/late outings. Starting his sixth game because of injuries to Kevin Kolb, Skelton was awful in the first half, completing 5 of 13 passes with two interceptions.

Whisenhunt considered replacing him with Rich Bartel.

He didn’t, and Skelton got hot, which is his custom late in games.

In the fourth quarter, he passed 204 yards and two touchdowns. He nearly had a third touchdown pass, which would have tied the score with 1:12 remaining.

On fourth and 5 from the Bengals’ 17-yard line, Skelton avoided the blitz and saw receiver Early Doucet open at the goal line. Doucet’s assignment is to “sit” or stop when he sees that type of blitz.

He did, but Skelton thought Doucet was going to keep running. Doucet stumbled and fell as the ball floated over his head and into the end zone.

“It’s a play I feel like I should have made,” Doucet said. “At that point of the game, you can’t fall down no matter what. What I have to say or what excuse I can come up with, it still doesn’t justify the fact that I fell.”

Skelton took a share of the blame, too.

“I’ve got to just stick it on him,” Skelton said. “When he’s open, I just have to stick it somewhere on his body frame.”

It wasn’t the offense’s first mistake of the quarter, just the last.

On the possession before, the Cardinals had a first and goal at the 1.

But they fumbled the ball before it could be handed off to fullback Anthony Sherman.

The Cardinals recovered the ball but couldn’t make up the 10 yards lost.

Jay Feely’s field goal put them within a touchdown, at 23-16. If the Cardinals score a touchdown there, it’s 23-20, meaning Doucet’s stumble might not have happened because the Cardinals would have attempted a field goal.

No one was quite sure afterward what caused it. Maybe the defense got some penetration, and it appeared guard Daryn Colledge, who was pulling, might have hit Skelton on the play.

“Our guys believed,” Whisenhunt said. “They believed they were going to come back and tie that game and go into overtime. That’s a special quality.

“When we get this first half stuff straightened out, and we will, we’re going to be a really good football team.”

For three quarters, the offense did little. As the quarterback, Skelton was the face of the problem.

“The guy makes so many plays at end of games, but you get so frustrated because he misses things earlier in the game that would give you a chance to get going,” Whisenhunt said.

“You see him make some of those plays in the last few games and you think he’s arrived and you forget he is essentially a rookie, a young player.”

For the first time in weeks, the defense didn’t dominate in the first half.

It held up in the red zone, but rookie quarterback Andy Dalton passed for 136 yards and two touchdowns in the first half.

The unit clamped down late. Dalton finished with just 18 more passing yards, and the Cardinals recovered two fumbles in the fourth quarter.

But it was too late and too little to help an offense that’s been anemic all season.

“They played like the defense we’ve seen in the second half, they really made plays,” Whisenhunt said.
“It’s tough, when you are not doing things on offense and you’re turning it over, putting them (defenders) in tough situations, it can be frustrating.

“I think maybe our standard of what we expect from those guys is what colors you perception.”

CINCINNATI — The Cardinals have been two different teams this season, and they displayed both versions like Christmas ornaments Saturday at Paul Brown Stadium.

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Photos from the game | Replay: Game chat | Box score

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The one that lost six of the first seven games appeared in the first half as the Bengals built a 20-point lead.

The one that won six of seven games made things interesting in the second half.

In the end, the good Cardinals couldn’t quite overcome the bad, and they lost 23-16 to the Bengals.

The loss eliminated the Cardinals (7-8) from playoff contention, ended a four-game winning streak and ruined a chance to finish with a winning record.

“We had a chance at the end, but we dug ourselves too deep of hole,” coach Ken Whisenhunt said. “I credit our guys with fighting, but just too many mistakes early, too many turnovers. It’s disappointing, especially when we fought as hard as we have this year to get back.”

The Cardinals offensive players will beat themselves up, or should, for the way they played in the first three quarters, and the mistakes they made in the fourth.

Quarterback John Skelton had another of his early/late outings. Starting his sixth game because of injuries to Kevin Kolb, Skelton was awful in the first half, completing 5 of 13 passes with two interceptions.

Whisenhunt considered replacing him with Rich Bartel.

He didn’t, and Skelton got hot, which is his custom late in games.

In the fourth quarter, he passed 204 yards and two touchdowns. He nearly had a third touchdown pass, which would have tied the score with 1:12 remaining.

On fourth and 5 from the Bengals’ 17-yard line, Skelton avoided the blitz and saw receiver Early Doucet open at the goal line. Doucet’s assignment is to “sit” or stop when he sees that type of blitz.

He did, but Skelton thought Doucet was going to keep running. Doucet stumbled and fell as the ball floated over his head and into the end zone.

“It’s a play I feel like I should have made,” Doucet said. “At that point of the game, you can’t fall down no matter what. What I have to say or what excuse I can come up with, it still doesn’t justify the fact that I fell.”

Skelton took a share of the blame, too.

“I’ve got to just stick it on him,” Skelton said. “When he’s open, I just have to stick it somewhere on his body frame.”

It wasn’t the offense’s first mistake of the quarter, just the last.

On the possession before, the Cardinals had a first and goal at the 1.

But they fumbled the ball before it could be handed off to fullback Anthony Sherman.

The Cardinals recovered the ball but couldn’t make up the 10 yards lost.

Jay Feely’s field goal put them within a touchdown, at 23-16. If the Cardinals score a touchdown there, it’s 23-20, meaning Doucet’s stumble might not have happened because the Cardinals would have attempted a field goal.

No one was quite sure afterward what caused it. Maybe the defense got some penetration, and it appeared guard Daryn Colledge, who was pulling, might have hit Skelton on the play.

“Our guys believed,” Whisenhunt said. “They believed they were going to come back and tie that game and go into overtime. That’s a special quality.

“When we get this first half stuff straightened out, and we will, we’re going to be a really good football team.”

For three quarters, the offense did little. As the quarterback, Skelton was the face of the problem.

“The guy makes so many plays at end of games, but you get so frustrated because he misses things earlier in the game that would give you a chance to get going,” Whisenhunt said.

“You see him make some of those plays in the last few games and you think he’s arrived and you forget he is essentially a rookie, a young player.”

For the first time in weeks, the defense didn’t dominate in the first half.

It held up in the red zone, but rookie quarterback Andy Dalton passed for 136 yards and two touchdowns in the first half.

The unit clamped down late. Dalton finished with just 18 more passing yards, and the Cardinals recovered two fumbles in the fourth quarter.

But it was too late and too little to help an offense that’s been anemic all season.

“They played like the defense we’ve seen in the second half, they really made plays,” Whisenhunt said.
“It’s tough, when you are not doing things on offense and you’re turning it over, putting them (defenders) in tough situations, it can be frustrating.

“I think maybe our standard of what we expect from those guys is what colors you perception.”

US Presswire

It’s the Cardinals’ John Skelton, who appears to be the starter Saturday, against the Bengals’ Andy Dalton. Who will come out on top on Christmas Eve?

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Cardinals vs. Bengals photos

UP NEXT: CARDINALS (7-7) at BENGALS (8-6)
When: Saturday @ 11 a.m. | Full 2011 schedule | Fans
Where: Paul Brown Stadium, Cincinnati, Ohio
TV: Channel 10 (Thom Brennaman, Brian Billick)
Radio KTAR 92.3 (Dave Pasch, Ron Wolfley)
Spanish: KBMB 710 AM (Gabriel Trujillo, Rolandu Cantu)
Noteworthy: This will be just the 10th meeting all-time between the Cardinals and the Bengals… Cincinnati leads the series 5-4… Cardinals defensive coordinator Ray Horton was a second-round draft pick by the Bengals in 1983. He was the team’s defensive backs coach from 1997-2001.