Turns out the margins for error in those games wasn’t all that small, at least by overtime standards.

Postseason rules giving both teams at least one overtime possession in the absence of a touchdown would not have affected outcomes for those games or any other involving an NFC West team last season.

NFL owners, who rarely need overtime to wrap up their annual meetings, are expected to adopt those overtime rules for the regular season beginning in 2012. They’ll vote on the measure this week.

A quick look at how the postseason rules would have (or did) apply to NFC West overtime games last season:

A quick look back at them:

Week 2

Score: Cowboys 27, 49ers 24

Teams possessing ball in OT: both

Rule impact: none.

Note: The Cowboys kicked the winning field goal on first-and-goal from the 1 following a 77-yard pass completion. The 49ers possessed the ball first in OT and punted on fourth-and-11.

Week 9

Score: Cardinals 19, Rams 13

Teams possessing ball in OT: both

Rule impact: none

Note: The Rams punted after taking possession to open overtime. Patrick Peterson returned that punt 99 yards for the winning touchdown.

Week 13

Score: Cardinals 19, Cowboys 13

Teams possessing ball in OT: One

Rule impact: none

Note: LaRod Stephens-Howling’s 52-yard catch-and-run for a touchdown punctuated the Cardinals’ victory. The new rules would not have allowed a possession for Dallas because Arizona scored a touchdown.

Week 15

Score: Cardinals 20, Browns 17

Teams possessing ball in OT: both

Rule impact: none

Note: The Browns possessed the ball first in OT. The Cardinals took over and drove 36 yards to the winning 22-yard field goal.

Week 17

Score: Cardinals 23, Seahawks 20

Teams possessing ball in OT: both

Rule impact: none

Note: The Seahawks possessed the ball first in OT. Jay Feely’s winning 28-yard field goal ended a 13-play, 71-yard drive.

Week 20

Score: Giants 20, 49ers 17

Teams possessing ball in OT: both

Rule impact: none

Note: The 49ers’ three-and-out possession to begin OT gave them a chance. Kyle Williams’ fateful fumble derailed what would have been a second chance. The Giants possessed the ball three times before scoring the winning field goal.

GLENDALE, Ariz. – What a fitting way for the Arizona Cardinals to finish their season.

They win, in overtime of course, with Larry Fitzgerald’s spectacular plays making the difference.

Fitzgerald had two such catches in the game-winning drive, leading to a 28-yard field goal by Jay Feely that gave the Cardinals a 23-20 victory over the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday, Arizona’s fourth overtime victory — all at home — in the last nine weeks of the season. The four overtime wins in a season are an NFL record.

“I wish we could play more games in overtime,” Fitzgerald said. “If we play 16 games in overtime next year, we might go 16-0.”

Fitzgerald made a leaping grab against two defenders early in the drive for a 26-yard gain, but he saved the best for last, a diving, one-handed catch for eight yards that got the team within field goal range and eventually set up the winning score.

“I actually thought it was too far,” quarterback John Skelton said of his throw. “I just saw his arm stick out, stick it, and stick the landing. We come to expect that from Larry. It’s almost like it’s not even a shocker anymore because he does it so often.”

Skelton didn’t mention it, but he fainted in the locker-room before the game after getting fluid drained from a knee.

“Pre-game he scared us all. He fell out and he had a little fainting issue in the locker-room,” Fitzgerald said. “We were all nervous about him being able to play today and he fought through that and was able to go out there and perform and get our team a win. That shows the kind of toughness he has.”

Arizona (8-8) finished the season 7-2 after a six-game losing streak left it 1-6.

“We’re 1-0 in 2012,” coach Ken Whisenhunt said, hoping that the strong second half of the season will propel the team into a successful 2012 campaign.

Seattle (7-9) had rallied to tie the game after trailing 20-10 early in the fourth quarter.

Fitzgerald caught nine passes for 149 yards after one reception for two yards in the first half. It was his 32nd career 100-yard receiving game, sixth this season.

“The performance of Larry Fitzgerald, he is an incredible football player,” Seahawks coach Pete Carroll said. “He is as good as you can get in this game and he showed it. I just marvel at the things he does. He has done it before and he did it again and it proves who he is.”

Fitzgerald joined Jerry Rice, Randy Moss and Marvin Harrison as the only players to top 1,400 yards receiving in four seasons.

Skelton completed 22 of 40 for 271 yards and a touchdown with one interception for Arizona. Tarvaris Jackson was 21 of 35 for 222 yards and a touchdown with one pick for the Seahawks.

The Cardinals earlier had overtime victories over St. Louis, Dallas and Cleveland. The Seahawks finished with the same record as a year ago, when 7-9 was good enough to win the NFC West.

“We know we have a better team this year,” Seattle safety Earl Thomas said. “We are young but the experience that we got this year and all the plays we made we can build on that next year.”

Arizona’s Patrick Peterson, who made the Pro Bowl on special teams as a rookie, returned a punt 42 yards to set up a field goal, then blocked Steven Hauschka’s 24-yard field goal attempt. It was the NFL-leading fifth blocked field goal for the Cardinals, two of them by Peterson.

Seattle won the toss heading into overtime, and Leon Washington’s 47-yard kickoff return gave the Seahawks the ball at their own 40, but they failed to move it and had to punt.

Arizona’s game-winning drive started at the 19. On third-and-3 at the 26, Skelton threw over the middle to Fitzgerald, who caught it between two defenders for a 26-yard gain to the Seahawks 48. Skelton’s quarterback sneak on fourth and less than a yard gave Arizona a first down at the Seattle 37.

Arizona had it second-and-9 at the 36 when Skelton threw toward but not particularly close to Fitzgerald, who somehow gathered in the ball with one hand and cradled it as he fell to the ground. A review confirmed that it was a catch. LaRod Stephens-Howling, filling in for the injured Beanie Wells, rushed three times to the Seattle nine, and Feely’s third field goal of the game gave the Cardinals the win.

Down 20-10 early in the fourth quarter, Seattle tied with a pair of big plays by two rookies, Richard Sherman and Lockette. First, Sherman stepped in front of intended receiver Andre Roberts for an interception that set up a chip shot field goal by Hauschka, then Jackson lofted the long pass to Lockette, who beat cornerback Marshay Green, and it was 20-20 with 7:47 remaining. Green had just been activated from the practice squad on Saturday.

After Washington’s 48-yard touchdown run tied it at 10-10 with 10:56 to go in the third quarter, the Cardinals went 80 yards in eight plays. Skelton was 6 for 6 for 70 yards, capped by a 13-yard TD toss to Todd Heap, the tight end’s first score in an injury-plagued first season with Arizona, putting the Cardinals up 17-10.

Skelton’s 42-yard pass to Fitzgerald led to Feely’s 43-yard field goal that boosted the lead to 20-10 12:18 to play.

Seattle responded, driving from its 20 to the Arizona 6. But the offence stalled, and Peterson rushed untouched from the end to block the short field goal try.

Peterson, who had been slowed in practice all week by a strained Achilles tendon, nearly broke free for what would have been an NFL record fifth punt return for a touchdown. Instead, punter Jon Ryan tripped him up at the Seattle 31. Still, the 42-yard return set up Feely’s 41-yard field goal that put Arizona up 10-3 with 3:28 left in the first half.

Wells was a surprise inactive. He had been listed as questionable but had played through the pain in his left knee through the season.

Skelton finished 5-2 as a starter, 6-2 if you count the San Francisco game.

Quarterback Kevin Kolb missed the final three games of his frustrating first season with Arizona because of a concussion, the result of a knee to the head on the Cardinals’ third play of the game against San Francisco on Dec. 11. He missed four games earlier in the season with a right turf toe injury.

Notes: Marshawn Lynch’s string of 11 straight games with a touchdown came to an end. … Peterson set an NFL rookie record for punt return yards (699), the second-most of any player in league history. … Seattle’s Doug Baldwin became the first undrafted rookie free agent to lead his team in receptions and yards receiving since Bill Groman of did it for the Houston Oilers in 1960. … The University of Phoenix Stadium roof was closed even though it was sunny and 28 C outside. … The stadium already had extra seats installed for Monday night’s Fiesta Bowl matchup between Oklahoma State and Stanford.

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.”

GLENDALE, Ariz. — These overtime victories seem almost routine for the Arizona Cardinals.

Patrick Peterson returned a punt 32 yards and John Skelton threw 32 yards to Larry Fitzgerald to set up a 22-yard field goal by Jay Feely for a 20-17 victory over the Cleveland Browns on Sunday in Arizona’s third overtime win in seven games.

The Cardinals (7-7), winners of six of their last seven, trailed 17-7 entering the fourth quarter. They have been behind in the second half in all six of their recent victories.

The win pulled Arizona to .500 for the first time since week two and kept alive its long shot hopes for the playoffs.

Both teams were without their starting quarterbacks because of concussions. Skelton, in relief of Kevin Kolb, completed 28 of 36 for 313 yards with a touchdown and interception.

Seneca Wallace, starting for Colt McCoy, was 18 of 31 for 226 yards, including a 76-yard TD play to rookie Greg Little.

Little caught five passes for a career-best 131 yards in the Browns’ fourth straight loss and seventh in eight games. Peyton Hillis gained 99 yards in 26 carries for Cleveland (4-10).

Skelton, a second-year pro out of Fordham, improved to 7-2 as a starter, 4-1 this year. That doesn’t count the previous week’s 21-19 victory over San Francisco, when he came in after Kolb took a knee to the head on the Cardinals’ third play. Todd Heap, in his first significant game action since early in the season for Arizona, caught seven passes for 69 yards.

Arizona’s offense, so slow to start even through the team’s recent success, scored the final 13 points of the game.

Skelton completed 5 of 7 for 82 yards in the 11-play, 87-yard drive that culminated in Beanie Wells’ 1-yard touchdown run that cut the lead to 17-14 with 8:33 remaining in regulation.

A holding penalty on Cleveland’s subsequent kickoff return pinned the Browns to their 10 and O’Brien Schofield got Arizona’s first sack of the day on the elusive Wallace to push Cleveland back to its 5. Schofield got through on the next play as well, grabbing Wallace by an ankle and spinning him to the ground as the quarterback lost the ball.

Initially, Wallace was ruled down on the play, but Arizona coach Ken Whisenhunt challenged and the call was reversed. Replays showed the ball coming loose well before Wallace fell backward onto the turf. The Cardinals took over at the Cleveland 5 needing only to punch it in to take the lead.

But Jabaal Sheard got his second sack, and Cleveland’s fourth of the game and Arizona settled for Feely’s 33-yard field goal that made it 17-17 with 5:40 to play.

Cleveland won the coin toss to get the ball first in overtime, but the Browns managed only one first down before having to punt. Brad Maynard had artfully kicked the ball away from Peterson, the spectacular rookie whose four punt returns for scores have tied an NFL record, until the last one.

Peterson fielded it near his left sideline and ran across the field before making a run for it near the right sideline. He took it to the Cleveland 40 and, two plays later, Skelton found Fitzgerald open far downfield. Feely who booted in the chip shot to give Arizona another OT triumph and make Whisenhunt the franchise’s winningest coach with 43 wins.

Two weeks earlier, the Cardinals beat Dallas 19-13 in overtime. The first OT victory was 19-13 over St. Louis on Nov. 6. Cleveland played its first overtime game since a 26-20 loss to the New York Jets on Nov. 14 of last year.

Wallace evaded Arizona’s rush much of the game. On the Browns’ big play, he scrambled away from the blitz to his right and spotted Little in a one-on-one mismatch with linebacker Daryl Washington. The rookie receiver hauled in the pass and easily outran his pursuer for the touchdown that put the Browns up 17-7 with 3:01 left in the first quarter.

Cleveland took the opening kickoff and powered down the field behind Hillis, who scored on a 1-yard run. Phil Dawson’s 44-yard field goal made it 10-0 in the second quarter.

With a no-huddle offense, Arizona went 65 yards in 90 seconds in the waning moments of the first half, Skelton hitting Andre Roberts with a 9-yard TD pass to cut the lead to 10-7 with 19 seconds to go.

GLENDALE, Ariz. (AP) — Overtime was Arizona’s time – again.

And it’s got the Cardinals at .500 for the first time since the second week of the season.

Patrick Peterson
returned a punt 32 yards and
John Skelton
threw 32 yards to
Larry Fitzgerald
to set up a 22-yard field goal by
Jay Feely
that gave the Cardinals a 20-17 victory over the
Cleveland Browns
on Sunday in their third overtime win in seven games.

Arizona became the ninth team in NFL history to win three overtime games in a season and just the second to win all three
at home.

The Cardinals (7-7), winners of six of their last seven, trailed 17-7 entering the fourth quarter. They have been behind in
the second half in all seven of their victories.

“We have a flair for dramatics,” Fitzgerald said. “Today was kind of typical Cardinals fashion.”

By that, he means the offense starts slowly, the defense plays well – and all heck breaks loose at the finish.

“It wasn’t pretty, but we had so many different guys make plays throughout the course of the game, especially in the second
half,” coach Ken Whisenhunt said. “The way our team fights back is really something special. What I told them is their will
to win is pretty strong.”

The win kept alive Arizona’s long-shot hopes for the playoffs.

Both teams were without their starting quarterbacks because of concussions. Skelton, in relief of
Kevin Kolb
, completed 28 of 36 for 313 yards with a touchdown and interception.

Seneca Wallace
, starting for
Colt McCoy
, was 18 of 31 for 226 yards, including a 76-yard TD play to rookie
Greg Little
, Cleveland’s longest play from scrimmage in four years.

“We had them on their heels and when it gets to that point, it is about not making mistakes,” Wallace said, “not turning the
ball over and giving them some easy points, and making plays. They played well on defense and made some plays. I need to help
us out a lot more and make some more plays for our team.”

Little caught five passes for a career-best 131 yards in the Browns’ fourth straight loss and seventh in eight games.
Peyton Hillis
gained a season-high 99 yards on 26 carries for Cleveland (4-10).

Skelton, a second-year pro out of Fordham, improved to 7-2 as a starter, including 4-1 this year. That doesn’t count the previous
week’s 21-19 victory over San Francisco, when he came in after Kolb took a knee to the head on the Cardinals’ third play.

Todd Heap
, sidelined most of the season with hamstring problems, caught seven passes for 69 yards.

Arizona’s offense, so slow to start even through the team’s recent success, scored the final 13 points of the game.

Skelton completed 5 of 7 for 82 yards in the 11-play, 87-yard drive that culminated in
Beanie Wells
‘ 1-yard touchdown run that cut the lead to 17-14 with 8:33 remaining in regulation.

A holding penalty on Cleveland’s subsequent kickoff return pinned the Browns to their 10 and O’Brien Schofield got Arizona’s
first sack of the day on the elusive Wallace to push Cleveland back to its 5. Schofield got through on the next play as well,
grabbing Wallace by an ankle and spinning him to the ground as the quarterback lost the ball.

Initially, Wallace was ruled down on the play, but Whisenhunt challenged and the call was reversed. Replays showed the ball
coming loose well before Wallace fell backward onto the turf. The Cardinals took over at the Cleveland 5 needing only to punch
it in to take the lead.

But
Jabaal Sheard
got his second sack, and Cleveland’s fourth of the game and Arizona settled for Feely’s 33-yard field goal that tied it at
17 with 5:40 to play.

Cleveland won the coin toss to get the ball first in overtime, but the Browns managed only one first down before having to
punt.
Brad Maynard
had artfully kicked the ball away from Peterson, the spectacular rookie whose four punt returns for scores have tied an NFL
record.

“I thought we did a very nice job, even on that last punt,” Cleveland coach Pat Shurmur said. “We had a guy down in his face
and you know we were trying to kick the ball out of bounds or try to pin him down there and the guy in his face thought he
saw the fair catch.”

He doesn’t know Peterson very well, then. The rookie disdains the fair catch, especially with the game on the line.

He fielded it near his left sideline and ran across the field before making a run for it near the right sideline. He took
it to the Cleveland 40 and, two plays later, Skelton found Fitzgerald, more open than he’d been all day, far downfield.

“We’d been running crossing patterns all day,” Skelton said. “I think the last two drives, when we were in two-minute mode,
we ran probably three or four of them, so they expected the same thing. … Larry just made a good fake, a good cut, and we
were able to get down there and let Jay do the rest.”

Feely who booted in the chip shot to give Arizona another OT triumph and make Whisenhunt the franchise’s winningest coach
with 43 wins.

Two weeks earlier, the Cardinals beat Dallas 19-13 in overtime. The first OT victory was 19-13 over St. Louis on Nov. 6. Cleveland
played its first overtime game since a 26-20 loss to the
New York Jets
on Nov. 14 of last year.

Wallace evaded Arizona’s rush much of the game. On the Browns’ big play, he scrambled away from the blitz to his right and
spotted Little in a one-on-one mismatch with linebacker
Daryl Washington
. The rookie receiver hauled in the pass and easily outran his pursuer for the touchdown that put the Browns up 17-7 with
3:01 left in the first quarter.

Cleveland took the opening kickoff and powered down the field behind Hillis, who scored on a 1-yard run.
Phil Dawson
‘s 44-yard field goal made it 10-0 in the second quarter.

With a no-huddle offense, Arizona went 65 yards in 90 seconds in the waning moments of the first half, Skelton hitting
Andre Roberts
with a 9-yard TD pass to cut the lead to 10-7 with 19 seconds to go.

Notes: Little’s TD catch was his 55th reception of the season, surpassing Eric Metcalf for second-most by a Browns rookie.
Kevin Johnson has the team’s rookie record with 66 in 1999. … Cleveland lost three players – LB
Titus Brown
(knee), WR
Jordan Norwood
(concussion) and LB
Ben Jacobs
(concussion).

© 2011 STATS LLC

These overtime victories seem almost routine for the Arizona
Cardinals.

Patrick Peterson returned a punt 32 yards and John Skelton threw
32 yards to Larry Fitzgerald to set up a 22-yard field goal by Jay
Feely for a 20-17 victory over the Cleveland Browns on Sunday in
Arizona’s third overtime win in seven games.

The Cardinals (7-7), winners of six of their last seven, trailed
17-7 entering the fourth quarter. They have been behind in the
second half in all six of their recent victories.

The win pulled Arizona to .500 for the first time since week two
and kept alive its long shot hopes for the playoffs.

Both teams were without their starting quarterbacks because of
concussions. Skelton, in relief of Kevin Kolb, completed 28 of 36
for 313 yards with a touchdown and interception.

Seneca Wallace, starting for Colt McCoy, was 18 of 31 for 226
yards, including a 76-yard TD play to rookie Greg Little.

Little caught five passes for a career-best 131 yards in the
Browns’ fourth straight loss and seventh in eight games. Peyton
Hillis gained 99 yards in 26 carries for Cleveland (4-10).

Skelton, a second-year pro out of Fordham, improved to 7-2 as a
starter, 4-1 this year. That doesn’t count the previous week’s
21-19 victory over San Francisco, when he came in after Kolb took a
knee to the head on the Cardinals’ third play. Todd Heap, in his
first significant game action since early in the season for
Arizona, caught seven passes for 69 yards.

Arizona’s offense, so slow to start even through the team’s
recent success, scored the final 13 points of the game.

Skelton completed 5 of 7 for 82 yards in the 11-play, 87-yard
drive that culminated in Beanie Wells’ 1-yard touchdown run that
cut the lead to 17-14 with 8:33 remaining in regulation.

A holding penalty on Cleveland’s subsequent kickoff return
pinned the Browns to their 10 and O’Brien Schofield got Arizona’s
first sack of the day on the elusive Wallace to push Cleveland back
to its 5. Schofield got through on the next play as well, grabbing
Wallace by an ankle and spinning him to the ground as the
quarterback lost the ball.

Initially, Wallace was ruled down on the play, but Arizona coach
Ken Whisenhunt challenged and the call was reversed. Replays showed
the ball coming loose well before Wallace fell backward onto the
turf. The Cardinals took over at the Cleveland 5 needing only to
punch it in to take the lead.

But Jabaal Sheard got his second sack, and Cleveland’s fourth of
the game and Arizona settled for Feely’s 33-yard field goal that
made it 17-17 with 5:40 to play.

Cleveland won the coin toss to get the ball first in overtime,
but the Browns managed only one first down before having to punt.
Brad Maynard had artfully kicked the ball away from Peterson, the
spectacular rookie whose four punt returns for scores have tied an
NFL record, until the last one.

Peterson fielded it near his left sideline and ran across the
field before making a run for it near the right sideline. He took
it to the Cleveland 40 and, two plays later, Skelton found
Fitzgerald open far downfield. Feely who booted in the chip shot to
give Arizona another OT triumph and make Whisenhunt the franchise’s
winningest coach with 43 wins.

Two weeks earlier, the Cardinals beat Dallas 19-13 in overtime.
The first OT victory was 19-13 over St. Louis on Nov. 6. Cleveland
played its first overtime game since a 26-20 loss to the New York
Jets on Nov. 14 of last year.

Wallace evaded Arizona’s rush much of the game. On the Browns’
big play, he scrambled away from the blitz to his right and spotted
Little in a one-on-one mismatch with linebacker Daryl Washington.
The rookie receiver hauled in the pass and easily outran his
pursuer for the touchdown that put the Browns up 17-7 with 3:01
left in the first quarter.

Cleveland took the opening kickoff and powered down the field
behind Hillis, who scored on a 1-yard run. Phil Dawson’s 44-yard
field goal made it 10-0 in the second quarter.

With a no-huddle offense, Arizona went 65 yards in 90 seconds in
the waning moments of the first half, Skelton hitting Andre Roberts
with a 9-yard TD pass to cut the lead to 10-7 with 19 seconds to
go.

TEMPE, 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.

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.

This couldn’t have been how Kevin Kolb envisioned his first year as the Cardinals’ starting quarterback would play out.

In addition to taking a beating the first two months of the season, he missed four consecutive games because of a complicated right-foot injury. Then, just a week after returning, he suffered a concussion on the third play of Arizona’s 21-19 victory over the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday.

Kolb was inadvertently kneed in the back of his head by 49ers linebacker Ahmad Brooks after being sacked and fumbling the ball. Kolb’s status for Sunday’s game against the visiting Cleveland Browns is uncertain, and he must go through a series of tests before being cleared to practice.

Kolb was evaluated by physicians twice after taking the hit, and coach Ken Whisenhunt said the quarterback “didn’t feel right. He felt a little off.”

It’s been that kind of season for Kolb.

“At that position, a lot of times it is,” Whisenhunt said. “You don’t see a whole lot of quarterbacks get through a whole season without having some type of injury. That’s not unexpected. It’s unfortunate with the toe, and this one (Sunday) was an unusual thing. You don’t see it very often when you catch a knee to the back of the head like he did.

“That’s not a typical injury. I’m sure it’s frustrating for Kevin because Kevin wants to play, especially after playing well in the second half last week against Dallas. But it’s a part of the game.”

Big play success

John Skelton’s 60-yard touchdown pass Sunday to Early Doucet marked the ninth touchdown of 50 or more yards for the Cardinals this season, the most in the NFL.

The Green Bay Packers have scored touchdowns from that distance or longer eight times, the Detroit Lions seven times and the Denver Broncos and Dallas Cowboys six times apiece.

Of course, four of Arizona’s long touchdowns have come on punt returns by rookie Patrick Peterson, but the overall number impresses Whisenhunt.

“Last year we had hardly any of them and this year we’ve had a bunch of them,” he said. “I think the thing that really stands out is there’s been so many different guys making those big plays. It means we’re close to being a better, efficient team on both sides of the ball.

“I wish it would translate to us being a better third-down team, because that’s one of the areas we’ve got to get better at. But it definitely helps when you can have some of those big plays in games like we’ve had this year.”

Wilson stepping up

Veteran strong safety Adrian Wilson has noticeably stepped up his play for the past month and a half. And he’s done it in a new system despite playing with a torn biceps tendon in his right arm.

Whisenhunt praised Wilson’s work ethic and study habits as major reason for the improvement.

“And when you have 11 guys on the defensive side doing that, you’re going to get better,” he said. “Obviously, Adrian is a talented player. To see him work like that really shows his leadership. To see him make plays in the game and be a force like he’s become here lately, it also really speaks a lot for our defense and our coaches and our players.”

Game ball

Todd Haley, the Cardinals’ former offensive coordinator under Whisenhunt, was fired as head coach of the Chiefs on Monday and Whisenhunt was asked for his reaction.

“Well, we all know Todd’s a good friend of mine,” he said. “This is a tough business. But Todd’s an outstanding football coach and I’m sure there will be something for him.”

Whisenhunt politely declined comment when asked if there could be a reunion of some sort with Haley and the Cardinals.

Center Lyle Sendlein presented Whisenhunt with a game ball on behalf of the team Sunday for the coach tying Don Coryell‘s record for most wins in team history (42).

“It was very meaningful that our team did that,” Whisenhunt said. “It’s a team game. But we’re worried about focusing on Cleveland this week.”

GLENDALE, Ariz. (AP) —
John Skelton
earned redemption in a rematch with San Francisco. The Arizona defense and a spectacular show by
Larry Fitzgerald
made it possible.

Skelton stepped in for the injured
Kevin Kolb
and threw for 282 yards and three touchdowns, and the Cardinals rallied to hand the 49ers their third loss of the season,
21-19, on Sunday.

Fitzgerald had seven catches for 149 yards, including a 46-yarder for a touchdown and a 53-yarder to set up the go-ahead score.
He also had a vicious block that helped free
Early Doucet
on a 60-yard touchdown reception.

“That’s Fitz being Fitz,” Skelton said.

Arizona (6-7) has won five of six after a six-game losing streak left them 1-6.

“You guys stuck a fork in us quite a while ago,” coach Ken Whisenhunt told reporters after the game. “I think our guys never
let it get to them. How many times during those first weeks did we say that we were going to stay the course and that it was
going to turn for us? We believed it.”

Kolb left the game after a blow to the head on Arizona’s third play. Skelton, benched after throwing three interceptions in
the Cardinals’ 23-7 loss at San Francisco on Nov. 20, had a 60-yard TD pass to Doucet and a 3-yard toss to
Andre Roberts
for what proved to be the winning score early in the fourth quarter.

“You’re only as good as your last play, your last game,” Skelton said. “You kind have to live with that until you get another
opportunity. You never know when that opportunity is. You’ve just got to be ready and make the most of it.”

Skelton was able to overcome two interceptions and a lost fumble in this one.

Arizona sacked
Alex Smith
five times after getting five against Dallas in its 19-13 overtime win over the Cowboys a week earlier. The 49ers (10-3) were
at the Cardinals 4-yard line twice and the 6 once in the second quarter and had to settle for short field goals by
David Akers
each time.

Frank Gore
rushed for 72 yards on 10 carries for the NFC West champion 49ers (10-3), including a 37-yard touchdown run that put San Francisco
ahead 19-7 early in the second half. He passed 1,000 yards rushing for the fifth time in his career, but didn’t do much damage
after that.

Smith completed 18 of 37 for 175 yards and no TDs. He lamented the missed opportunities in the second quarter and the failure
to get close enough for a game-winning field goal at the end.

“We have to be honest with ourselves when we look at the film,” Smith said. “It is not something we can just dismiss and move
on.”

The 49ers were without standout inside linebacker
Patrick Willis
, who missed the second game of his career, because of a right hamstring injury.

On Arizona’s possession following Gore’s big run, Fitzgerald went over the middle and outjumped safety
Dashon Goldson
for the ball, then ran the remaining 20 yards for the score to cut the lead to 19-14 with 9:04 left in the third quarter.

On the play, Fitzgerald passed 1,000 yards for the season for the sixth time in his eight years in the NFL, the last five
in a row.

Then on the first play of the fourth quarter, Fitzgerald took a pass over the middle and ran to the San Francisco 20, a 53-yard
play. On third-and-2 from the 12, Skelton threw a screen pass to Doucet for a 9-yard gain to the 3. Skelton threw to Roberts
on the next play, and the receiver crossed the goal line for the touchdown that gave the Cardinals the lead, 21-19, with 11:50
remaining.

Kolb, in his second start after missing four games with a right turf toe and bruise on the side of his same foot, was hurt
when he faded to pass and was hit by
Justin Smith
as he threw. It was one of two forced fumbles and two sacks for Smith.

San Francisco got the ball on its 43 and, in an 11-play drive that managed 15 yards thanks to three sacks and a couple of
penalties, Akers’ 46-yard field goal made it 3-0.

San Francisco pinned Arizona deep again, and Ted Ginn Jr.’s 52-yard punt return put the 49ers on the Cardinals 4. But Arizona’s
defense, strong all day, held and Akers’ 22-yarder put the 49ers ahead 6-0 with 14:02 left in the half.

Then came the oddest moments of the afternoon.

On third-and-7, Skelton scrambled for a first down but, on a hit by Smith, fumbled the ball and San Francisco recovered at
its 47. The 49ers moved to the Arizona 40, where Akers lined up for a 50-yard field goal attempt. But it was a fake, with
holder
Andy Lee
tossing to backup center
Jonathan Goodwin
, lined up as a tight end, for the apparent score.

The whistle blew mid-play, though, with Arizona challenging the previous play, a pass from
Alex Smith
to
Kyle Williams
. But the replay system wasn’t working, and the play was repeated. This time, Akers’ 50-yard attempt was wide right, his first
miss from 50 and beyond in seven tries this season.

The next play, Skelton threw over the middle to Doucet, and with the help of Fitzgerald’s block, he raced 60 yards for the
score and Arizona led 7-6 with 7:10 left in the half.

“It ended up being a 14-point swing when you look at it,” San Francisco coach Jim Harbaugh said. “What the officials said
was they challenged the play before we faked the field goal.”

The 49ers responded with a 10-play, 69-yard drive, but again stalled deep in Arizona territory. Akers’ 27-yard field goal
put the 49ers back on top 9-7 with 1:58 to play.

Notes: Fitzgerald is the eighth player in NFL history to top 1,000 yards receiving in six of his first eight seasons. …
For the second week in a row, all five Arizona sacks were by different players. … Goldson left the game with a hip injury
on the play Fitzgerald scored. … San Francisco lost starting left
Joe Staley
in the first quarter with a head injury.

© 2011 STATS LLC

GLENDALE, Ariz. (AP)—The Arizona Cardinals have found respectability. A
come-from-behind victory over San Francisco made that official.

That’s saying something for a team that not long ago was 1-6 and had lost
six in a row.

Kevin Kolb, in his second start for Arizona after missing four games with a
right foot injury, took a knee to the head from the 49ers’ Ahmed Brooks on the
third play of the game and left the contest for good. That brought in John
Skelton, who was so bad when he faced the 49ers a month ago he was benched after
throwing three interceptions in three quarters.

This was a different story.

Skelton still had turnover problems—two interceptions and a fumble—but
threw for three touchdowns and led the Cardinals to a 21-19 come-from-behind
victory over the newly crowned NFC West champions.

The Cardinals (6-7) won for the fifth time in six games, with that loss at
San Francisco the only blemish in the span. They also ended San Francisco’s
five-game winning streak in the series.

Arizona’s defense, the strength behind the team’s resurgence, kept the 49ers
out of the end zone in the first half, then the game completely changed in the
second.

San Francisco (10-3) had a 10-2 advantage in first downs in the first half,
Arizona 10-2 in the second. The 49ers had a 155-97 edge in yards in the first
half, Arizona dominated the second 228-78.

“We started converting third downs. That’s what it comes down to,
sustaining drives,” Skelton said. “Our defense was on the field the entire
first half, it seemed like.”

Not that the second half started that well for Arizona.

Frank Gore’s 37-yard touchdown run 2 1/2 minutes into the third quarter put San
Francisco up 19-7, but the Cardinals didn’t see much more of the big running
back after that.

The loss dropped San Francisco (10-3) into a tie with New Orleans for the
second-best record in the conference. The top two teams earn a first-round bye.

“We have to be honest with ourselves when we look at the film,”
quarterback Alex Smith said. “It is not something we can just dismiss and move
on. We are into December now and we have to continue to get better. We just
can’t dismiss this. `’

Larry Fitzgerald had seven catches for 149 yards, including a 46-yarder for
a touchdown and a 53-yarder to set up the go-ahead score. It was his 30th career
100-yard receiving effort. He also had a vicious block that helped free Early
Doucet on a 60-yard touchdown reception.

“That’s Fitz being Fitz,” Skelton said.

San Francisco had the ball inside the Arizona 10 three times in the second
quarter and came away with only field goals. They also had third-and-1 and then
fourth-and-1 at the San Francisco 41 with about two minutes to go.

In both cases, passes fell incomplete, the last one after Smith scrambled
all over half the field before throwing.

“If you score touchdowns down there, a different game,” Smith said. “The
end of the game was disappointing, as well. Having a chance to win it and don’t
get it done.”

It was the latest in a series of strong performances by an Arizona defense
that has allowed six touchdowns in six games.

“I’m proud of us. I’m proud of our team that stuck together not complaining
about anything,” defensive tackle Darnell Dockett said.

Arizona sacked Smith five times after getting five against Dallas in its
19-13 overtime win over the Cowboys a week earlier. The loss ended a five-game
49ers winning streak in the series.

“I thought we were in position to win this football game really at all
times during the game,” San Francisco coach Jim Harbaugh said. “We didn’t get
it done and we are disappointed about that. We look forward to seeing how our
team responds to some adversity. We haven’t had a lot of it this year.”

Frank Gore rushed for 72 yards on 10 carries for the NFC West champion
49ers, including a 37-yard touchdown run that put San Francisco ahead 19-7 early
in the second half. He broke 1,000 yards rushing for the fifth time in his
career, but didn’t do much damage after that.

Smith completed 18 of 37 for 175 yards and no TDs.

The 49ers were without standout inside linebacker Patrick Willis, who missed
the second game of his career because of a right hamstring injury.

Still, the 49ers’ defenders felt they had failed in areas where they had
succeeded almost always this year.

“As a secondary, we felt like it was really on our shoulders and we lost
this football game collectively,” safety Donte Whitner said. “It doesn’t
matter what the offense does, if they can’t get it in, all we need are field
goals. We felt like we let the team down and we’re going to go back to the
drawing board and we’ll be ready.”

The oddest moment of the game came in the second quarter.

On third-and-7, Skelton scrambled for a first down but, on a hit by Smith,
fumbled the ball and San Francisco recovered at its 47. The 49ers moved to the
Arizona 32, where Akers lined up for a 50-yard field goal attempt. But it was a
fake, with holder Andy Lee tossing to backup center Jonathan Goodwin, lined up
as a tight end, for the apparent score.

The whistle blew midplay, though, with Arizona challenging the previous
play, a pass from Smith to Kyle Williams. But the replay system wasn’t working
so the play had to be repeated. This time, Akers’ kick was wide right.

“Luckily, we used our `fake field goal red flag challenge’ that stopped
that one,” Whisenhunt said.

The next play, Skelton threw over the middle to Doucet, and with the help of
Fitzgerald’s block, he raced 60 yards for the score and Arizona led 7-6 with
7:10 left in the half.

“It ended up being a 14-point swing when you look at it,” Harbaugh said.

Notes: Fitzgerald is the eighth player in NFL history to top 1,000 yards
receiving in six of his first eight seasons. … For the second week in a row,
all five Arizona sacks were by different players. … Dashon Goldson left the
game with a hip injury on the play Fitzgerald scored. … San Francisco lost
starting left Joe Staley in the first quarter with a head injury.

The loss dropped San Francisco (10-3) into a tie with New Orleans for the second-best record in the conference. The top two teams earn a first-round bye.

“We have to be honest with ourselves when we look at the film,” quarterback Alex Smith said. “It is not something we can just dismiss and move on. We are into December now and we have to continue to get better. We just can’t dismiss this. “

John Skelton stepped in for the injured Kevin Kolb and threw for 282 yards and three touchdowns for Arizona (6-7).

Larry Fitzgerald had seven catches for 149 yards, including a 46-yarder for a touchdown and a 53-yarder to set up the go-ahead score. He also had a vicious block that helped free Early Doucet on a 60-yard touchdown reception.

“That’s Fitz being Fitz,” Skelton said.

Arizona has won five of six, with the only loss being at San Francisco on Oct. 20.

Kolb left the game after a blow to the head on Arizona’s third play. Skelton, benched after throwing three interceptions in the Cardinals’ 23-7 loss at San Francisco on Nov. 20, had a 60-yard TD pass to Doucet and a 3-yard toss to Andre Roberts for what proved to be the winning score early in the fourth quarter.

Skelton was able to overcome two interceptions and a lost fumble on Sunday.

San Francisco had the ball inside the Arizona 10-yard three times in the second quarter and came away with only field goals. They also had the ball third-and-1, then fourth-and-1, at the San Francisco 41 with about two minutes to go.

In both cases, passes fell incomplete, the last one after Smith scrambled all over half the field before throwing.

“If you score touchdowns down there, a different game,” Smith said. “The end of the game was disappointing as well. Having a chance to win it and don’t get it done.”

Arizona sacked Smith five times after getting five against Dallas in its 19-13 overtime win over the Cowboys a week earlier. The loss ended a five-game 49ers winning streak in the series.

“I thought we were in position to win this football game really at all times during the game,” coach Jim Harbaugh said. “We didn’t get it done and we are disappointed about that. We look forward to seeing how our team responds to some adversity. We haven’t had a lot of it this year.”

Frank Gore rushed for 72 yards on 10 carries for the NFC West champion 49ers, including a 37-yard touchdown run that put San Francisco ahead 19-7 early in the second half. He broke 1,000 yards rushing for the fifth time in his career, but didn’t do much damage after that.

Smith completed 18 of 37 for 175 yards and no TDs.

The 49ers were without standout inside linebacker Patrick Willis, who missed the second game of his career, because of a right hamstring injury.