As far as surprises go, an NFL team drafting a cornerback in the third round doesn’t usually cause a change in anyone’s vital signs.

But it was eye-opening last weekend when the Cardinals selected Oklahoma cornerback Jamell Fleming there, adding to a line of cornerbacks that already stretched out the locker-room doors.

Patrick Peterson is the only one in the line with a secure starting job. The position on the opposite side of the field is open, and the Cardinals are going through an intense search process to fill it.

“There’s nothing wrong with competition at any position,” cornerback Greg Toler said. “Me, I always know if someone is on my heels, it brings the best out of me. Just bring it on. Let’s just play ball.”

At least four cornerbacks, including Toler and Fleming, have a legitimate shot at starting at left cornerback. Toler was contending for the job last summer when he suffered a torn ACL and missed the season. A.J. Jefferson, who lost the starting job after seven games, is returning. William Gay signed as a free agent.

At least two factors motivated the Cardinals to sign Gay and draft Fleming: Coaches didn’t think the team was good enough at that cornerback spot last season, and they believe there is no such thing as having too many cornerbacks.

“If offenses are going to be in some form of a sub-package, where they have three or four receivers on the field 60 percent of the time, you are going to be running eight or nine defensive backs on the field,” coach Ken Whisenhunt said. “We saw tremendous value in players that were able to move around and play different spots and make it more difficult for offenses to get a feel for what we were doing. That’s why we had some success.”

Gay played his previous five seasons with the Steelers, who for years have run the same defensive system the Cardinals installed a year ago.

Gay was a full-time starter for two years, including 2011, but being in the starting lineup isn’t the be-all, end-all for him.

“At the end of the day, this league requires a good, solid four corners, maybe five,” Gay said. “My thing is if you’re stuck on just trying to be a starter, and that’s it, you’re really not focused on the right thing.

“It’s a ‘W’ at end of the day that counts. I don’t care what 11 (players) are out there. When I was a nickel (corner) in Pittsburgh, I got roughly 40 plays. That’s the way the offenses are starting to attack. You are going to get playing time, either way. You just want it to be competitive as possible and that’s what we’re going to make it be.”

Others cornerbacks could figure into the mix. Crezdon Butler played in just one game last season because of an ankle injury. Mike Adams is short (5-feet-8) but he’s held off challengers for the past five seasons. Marshay Green and Korey Lindsey are practice-squad players trying to make the regular roster.

Gay, Toler, Jefferson and Fleming are expected to be the top contenders for the starting job.

Toler estimates he’s 85 percent recovered from the torn ligament and hopes to participate in workouts this month and next. He’s gained 11 pounds up to 198, most of it appearing to be in his upper body.

“(Larry Fitzgerald) keeps telling me he’s going to take me up top,” Toler said. “He’s like, you know I’m going to test that knee out.’”

Defenders are at a disadvantage in the pass-happy NFL, where the rules favor the offense. On the flip side, a passing league means not only more employment opportunities for receivers, but for defensive backs, too.

“They’re giving us jobs,” Jefferson said, “but just making our jobs harder.”

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).

Each week, The Republic spotlights a Cardinals player for a series of on-the-spot, off-beat questions.

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Today: Sam Acho, linebacker.

Question: Let me just ask you this off the top. Do you like Skittles?

Answer: Do I like Skittles? I’m not the biggest Skittles fan. I haven’t had Skittles in probably like a couple years.

Q: You know who does like them?

A: (Laughs) Marshawn Lynch.

Q: That’s right and you guys play him and the Seahawks this week in the final game of the year. What are you going to do to stop him from eating Skittles and gaining yards on you?

A: Well, Marshawn Lynch is a really good back so obviously it’s got to be a team effort. Everybody’s got to be coming together and he’s a guy you’ve got to gang tackle so you have to make sure he’s down.

Q: So, do you have a favorite candy?

A: Um, I’m a huge fan of Twix. Yeah, I like Twix.

Q: Not bad, I agree. Hey, you’ve got six sacks. If you had the chance to have gotten more playing time earlier, you might have had the chance to finish with 12 or more. What do you think?

A: No, I wouldn’t say that. Even in the time I played, I missed out on like three or four sacks, so regardless of playing time, I’ve got to get those.

Q: You’re known as a very smart man. I mean, you were a member of the prestigious Friar Society at Texas and you won awards such as the William V. Campbell Trophy, which is known as the academic version of the Heisman. How much does that mean to you, that you’re not just a football player but a complete kind of guy?

A: Well, it means a lot, as far as academically, to be able to have done well in college and succeed off the field. It’s very important to me and my family. It’s been paying off on the field as well.

Q: So this Campbell Trophy, where is it?

A: It’s in my house in Dallas, my parents’ house in Dallas.

Q: What’s it look like?

A: I guess it’s similar to the Heisman. The guy is posing like the Heisman sort of. Yeah, it’s cool. I’ve never seen the Heisman in person and got to hold it, so I don’t know how big it is exactly compared to the Heisman. But like I said, it’s cool.

Q: You also won the Arthur Ashe Award in college, and in back-to-back years, no less. How cool was that?

A: Yeah, the Arthur Ashe Award is something real cool and special because it represents something bigger as far as being an African-American athlete succeeding on and off the field and community service and everything, so that meant a lot to me.

Q: Tell me about your parents, who obviously instilled so much in you. They are from Nigeria and I understand they actually started a church a while back?

A: I can’t speak enough about my parents. My mom is actually out here with me now for Christmas and it’s been awesome. My dad actually started the church. It’s called the Living Hope Bible Fellowship Church and he started it about five, six years ago in Dallas. He was a pastor at a larger church and he started his own.

Q: Where is he at the moment?

A: He’s actually in Nigeria right now for a couple of weeks setting things up for the trip that we take there every year, the medical mission trip we take in the summertime. Yeah, my parents are wonderful. You can say they instilled work ethic, humility. They’re just great parents.

Q: How cool is it to come back from those trips and remember what you did for the people there?

A: Oh, it’s awesome. You know, living here you tend to get caught up in your everyday life and you can get so frustrated. You’re worrying about having to go get gas and this and that and there’s traffic and all these little minuscule things. But you go to a place like Nigeria and you see people that don’t even have a way to get around, who don’t have anything to eat, nothing to wear. So yeah, it really humbles you.

Q: Your brother, Emmanuel, is a senior linebacker at the University of Texas. Is he going to join you in the NFL next year?

A: By God’s grace he will. He’s one of the top inside linebackers in the nation, so hopefully, he will.

Q: Dude, you almost seem too good to be true and I know you are, but didn’t you ever get into trouble — at least when you were a kid like the rest of us?

A: (Laughs) Oh, yeah. Seriously, though, I was kind of scared because I never wanted to get in trouble at home. Obviously, though, we make mistakes all the time. I think I’ve probably cheated on a test or gotten into arguments at school, stuff like that.

Q: Ever ditch a class?

A: Um, growing up I didn’t want to. I was too scared to do it. In college, I may have skipped a couple classes, though.

Q: Well that doesn’t count. So what was your Wonderlic test score at the NFL combine?

A: I honestly don’t even remember. What’s the highest, like a 40-something? I think I was in the thirties, the high thirties. I don’t remember, honestly.

Q: What would finishing 8-8 mean to you guys?

A: After starting out 1-6, it would mean a lot. And it would be a huge stepping stone for next year.

Q: Can you name me one teammate on both sides of the ball that you think will step up and have a huge game on Sunday against Seattle?

A: I think everybody’s going to step up, I really do. There are so many guys. We all know we have to step our game up. … It’s hard to say one guy. I just can’t do it. It’s going to be all of us stepping up. That’s the way it’s got to be.

Q: You know, that seems like the type of answer you’d give me, doesn’t it?

A: (Laughs) Well, I guess you know me then.

Q: We do now. Thanks for participating, OK?

A: You got it.

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.

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.

Paris Lenon is a survivor. He’s believed to be the only XFL player still roaming an NFL sideline.

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He loves history. He can tell you about Hannibal crossing the Alps or Julius Caesar crossing the Rubicon.

He’s made history. He played for the 2008 Lions, who set a league record by going 0-16. The following season, he signed with St.Louis, where the Rams went 1-15 and his personal losing streak reached 24 games.

Still, to guys like Lenon, the losing isn’t personal. The job is, and for that, we should all be thankful.

“When people talk about crossing the Rubicon, they don’t always know what it means,” Lenon said. “It’s the point of no return. As a football player, I invest so much time and energy in the job that there are a lot of things I miss during the season. I don’t get to enjoy some of the functions my kids have at school. I don’t get to pick them up and take them places. I’ve put so much into this that I’ve crossed my own Rubicon.”

Lenon is a quiet, serious, hardcore football player. He’s 34 and knows the score. If he doesn’t take care of business, it will take care of him.

Before he signed with the XFL’s Memphis Maniax in 2001, he sorted mail for the U.S. Postal Service. When he signed with Arizona two years ago, he was considered a temporary solution.

The Cardinals had lost Pro Bowler Karlos Dansby to free agency. They drafted Daryl Washington to take his place. Lenon simply was going to ease the transition, bridging past and future.

Today, Lenon is tied with Washington for the team lead in tackles.

Before the 2011 season, the Cardinals signed former Eagles linebacker Stewart Bradley to a big contract, and it appeared Lenon would be relegated to the bench.

Sunday, Lenon will make his 30th consecutive start for the Cardinals, and has missed only one game in his 10-year career.

“On any team, you’re going to have the marquee guys, the widely recognizable names,” said Lenon, the team’s starting inside linebacker. “But a team and a defense are also comprised of guys that just play ball and do a good job. And that’s what I try to bring to a team.”

There have been many key performers and lucky bounces on this improbable push to the playoffs.

The collective resiliency puts a shine on everyone, coaches included. After Friday’s practice, owner Bill Bidwill shuffled through the locker room in a porkpie hat, stopping to chat with the offensive linemen. You don’t see that very often.

It wasn’t always this way. Remember when Darnell Dockett wasn’t feeling Ray Horton’s defense? When Adrian Wilson was looking feeble, refusing to speak to the local media and encouraging teammates to the do the same?

Unless you’re a member of the national media, Wilson is still strangely mute and aloof. But everyone is making plays. And it’s important to appreciate the efforts of Lenon, who has been doing that from the moment he arrived in Arizona.

He was one of the few ready to run Horton’s defense from Week 1.

“There’s a learning curve, and everybody learns at a different rate,” Lenon said.

“That happens in school, where one kid learns how to read quicker than the other. But I had to be sharp. That’s my responsibility. I have to be clicking on all cylinders mentally because I’m responsible for 10 other guys on the field. I can’t have any confusion.”

Today, Lenon is making $1.9 million a year, a bargain for a man in charge of one of the NFL’s hotter defenses.

He will hear Horton’s voice in his helmet and call out the signals, directing traffic and aligning his teammates.

In all probability, he will make a lot of tackles and leave the field without fanfare.

But that’s Lenon’s game. He’s a history buff who knows how to romanticize the struggles.

He’s a consummate professional who knows how to get through the bad times. He’s one of the more-underrated players on a team rising to relevancy once again.

“We’ve been way too low to feel like we’ve arrived,” Lenon said.

And that’s coming from a good source.

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).

Read More: Arizona Cardinals

After Kevin Kolb left the game with a head injury after their first offensive series, John Skelton and the Arizona Cardinals defense upset the San Francisco 49ers 21-19. It was their fifth win in their last six games and kept their playoff hopes alive. 

Kolb was kneed in the back of the helmet by 49ers linebacker Ahmad Brooks on a play in which he was blindsided as he was trying to make a throw. He fumbled on the play, but the Cardinals recovered, and Kolb left the game, never to return.

The first half was, except for one offensive play, complete domination by the 49ers. The Cardinals only had the ball on offense for just over seven minutes of the possible 30. It seemed that the entire half was played on the Cardinals side of the field. Two first quarter field goals gave the Niners a 6-0 lead. 

The Cardinals did get one huge jolt of momentum in the second quarter. After a third down reception by Kyle Williams that was short of a first down, San Francisco lined up for a 50-yard field goal. They ran a fake and completed a pass that would have been for a first down, but the play was called dead because Arizona coach Ken Whisenhunt had thrown his challenge flag to contest the catch. Because of an equipment malfunction, there was no replay available, so they did not get charged a time out and retain their challenge. The call would have been upheld, but it eliminated the fake play.

On the ensuing field goal attempt, David Akers missed wide right, so they gave the ball back to Arizona.

On the very next play, John Skelton hit Early Doucet in stride for a 60-yard touchdown that gave the Cards a 7-6 lead.

Two more field goals by Akers in the second quarter had the 49ers leading 12-7 at the half. 

It is notable, though, that one of the biggest plays of the game was a special teams tackle by Rashad Johnson in the first quarter. Ted Ginn returned a punt and got past the first wave of coverage and looked like he was going to score. Long snapper Mike Leach closed the running lane and forced Ginn back toward the middle of the field, where Johnson made the stop inside the five-yard line. The defense held them to a field goal. 

The feeling was that falling behind 10-0 would have been insurmountable.

The second half was a completely different story. 

It didn’t start that way, though. 

San Francisco scored on a 37-yard Frank Gore touchdown run on their first play in the second half to make the score 19-7. The Niners would not score again. 

The next possession for the Cardinals began the turnaround. They went six plays and 80 yards to score a touchdown to pull within 19-14. It was a bad pass from Skelton that looked like was going to be intercepted by San Francisco’s Dashon Goldson, but Larry Fitzgerald jumped in front of him, took the ball away and ran after the catch for a 46 yard score. 

Arizona forced the 49ers to punt after three plays on the next series, and Arizona moved the ball enough to flip field position, as a punt had San Fran starting at their own 10. They would have another three-and-out.

The next possession could have been disastrous. Skelton threw an interception, but the Arizona defense forced another punt. 

Skelton and the Cardinals offense went 78 yards on six plays in the fourth quarter and scored on a three-yard reception by Andre Roberts. That gave the Cardinals their final lead at 21-19. 

From there, the defense shut down the Niners. San Francisco did not get another first down the rest of the way. They had two more three-and-outs and turned the ball over on downs with the final drive.

Skelton finished the game 19/28 for 282 yards, three TDs and two picks. Larry Fitzgerald led the team in receptions and yards. He had seven catches for 149 yards and a score, and he surpassed 1000 yards on the season. It is the fourth straight year he has done so and the fifth time in his career.

Running the ball was difficult. Beanie Wells rushed 15 times for only 27 yards. 

The defense kept Frank Gore in check. He ran for only 72 yards, but 37 of those came on his scoring run. Alex Smith threw for only 175 yards and Arizona sacked him five times. 

Darnell Dockett and Adrian Wilson had great games, as they made plays all over the field. 

The Cardinals are now 6-7 on the season and, with three winnable games left on the schedule, have fans believing that the playoffs are really a possibility. 

Head on over to Revenge of the Birds to get more Cardinals coverage.

Cardinals running back Beanie Wells won’t say what’s wrong with his right knee, just that it pains him, swells occasionally, and he doesn’t like the brace he began wearing three games ago.

Wells is too nice of guy to make you talk to the hand, either. Even if he wanted to, he would extend the right one, because he might be wearing a brace on the left wrist for some undisclosed reason.

“I’m fine,” Wells said when asked about it after Sunday’s victory over the Cowboys.

That, or some variation of it, has been Wells’ standard answer this year when asked about his health.

Wells is not fine, but he’s playing. For that, he’s being credited for his maturation and toughness.

Fair or not, when the word “toughness” appeared near Wells’ name, the words “lack of” usually preceded it. And that was true inside the walls of the team’s Tempe headquarters, as well as outside.

Wells fell to the bottom of the first round in the 2009 draft because there were concerns that at Ohio State he was too delicate, that he wouldn’t play through pain.

Then he suffered a high-ankle sprain in his first practice at training camp and didn’t become a factor until the second half of the season. Off the field, Wells, one of 11 children, struggled with homesickness.

Only 21, Wells was miserable in his first extended time away from home, and it affected his performance. Coach Ken Whisenhunt even gave him some time off to visit his family in Akron, Ohio.

Word of that leaked months later and did nothing to dispel the “soft” label.

The NFL’s paranoia regarding injury information hurt Wells’ reputation, too.

Minimal information is disseminated, players always are “getting better,” giving outsiders the impression that the only thing keeping a player out is lack of desire.

That worked against Wells in 2010 after arthroscopic knee surgery to repair the meniscus, an injury the team initially called a “bone bruise.” No one knew Wells had undergone surgery until reporters noticed incision marks on the knee.

Wells suffered an injury to the same knee against the Steelers on Oct. 23. There was pain and swelling, and no specific diagnosis has been made public.

All Wells said is that the injury is something he would have to deal with for the entire season. And he has.

With 916 yards, Wells is on pace to rush for more than 1,200 yards, something only one other back (Edgerrin James, 2007) has accomplished during the team’s history in Arizona.

If maturing for an NFL running back means developing a willingness to play hurt, then Wells has matured, putting the team before himself.

That’s not always the case for professional athletes, and it’s hard to blame them. Cardinals receiver Steve Breaston returned early from knee surgery last season and was praised for his toughness.

But when the season was over, the Cardinals never made a serious bid to re-sign him, believing Breaston’s knee was too big of a risk. He left for Kansas City.

In today’s NFL, a running back’s career often is over before age 30.

Wells is only 23, and maybe he’ll last long enough to earn a second contract after the current one expires in 2012 (2013 is an option year). He’s proved his worth this year, and the bet is he’s received assurances that he’s not making his knee worse by playing on it.

“The expectations for this league and what it takes to be a running back are a little bit different than what he had in college, the level of preparation, the physical toll it takes on your body because of the extra games, the preseason as well,” Whisenhunt said. “We’ve been on him, but I think Beanie reached a point this year where he knew what he had to do. You have to (give) him credit, after last year when he struggled with the injuries and certainly a lot of bad things being said about him. His focus this year is where it needed to be, so it’s worked out.”

Cardinals coaches and management had doubts about Wells, too. It’s one reason they drafted Ryan Williams in the second round. When Williams suffered a season-ending knee injury in training camp, the Cardinals found themselves needing Wells to come through.

To his credit, he has.

Stat pack

The Cardinals have won four of their past five. They didn’t win consecutive games at any point in 2010.

The 2011 Cardinals and the 1995 Chiefs are the only teams in NFL history with multiple touchdowns of 50 or more yards in overtime in a single season. The Cardinals have two and the Chiefs had two that year.

The Cardinals have blocked four field-goal attempts this year and opponents have made 73.5 percent of kicks, the fourth lowest in the NFL.

Ken Whisenhunt has 41 career victories, including postseason, one shy of tying Don Coryell for the most in franchise history. Both men coached five seasons for the Cardinals, although the season was 14 games long in Coryell’s tenure (1973-77).

In the first seven games of the season, receiver Andre Roberts had 13 receptions for 133 yards. Not one of them exceeded 20 yards. In the past five games, Roberts has 20 receptions for 286 yards. Five of them have been for 20 or more yards.

Coach’s corner

“We get plays from the quarterback every week. We write down their plays in each situation, the plays they like, whether they’re drop-back, third-down, play-action, red-zone, all of those categories. Kevin feels good on the move. I guess it’s good we started the second half with it because he got rolling from that point.”

– Ken Whisenhunt on the bootleg pass to start the second half against the Cowboys.

Arizona Cardinals update:

Larry Fitzgerald collects passes, yards, touchdowns and information. The Cardinals receiver constantly surprises with how much he knows when it comes to football, the NFL and the Cardinals.

The latest example came last Sunday in St. Louis. The Cardinals were ahead, 23-20, when they made a first down to put the game away with fewer than two minutes remaining.

Fitzgerald knew that running back Beanie Wells had 214 yards rushing.

How? That was easy. “I looked up at the (scoreboard) at the stats they have for fantasy players,” Fitzgerald said. (That’s a new thing in stadiums this year).

But Fitzgerald also knew that the Cardinals rushing record for a single game was 214 yards, held by LeShon Johnson. How?

“I know all the team records,” he said.

So when the Cardinals sent their “victory formation” personnel on to the field, Fitzgerald immediately reacted. He told coach Ken Whisenhunt that Wells was 1 yard short of breaking the record.

Turns out, Cardinals vice president of media relations Mark Dalton already had informed Whisenhunt that Wells had 214 yards. Whisenhunt was deciding if having Wells go for the record was worth the risk of a bungled snap, a fumble or someone getting injured.

A few seconds later, Fitzgerald came over again, just to remind everyone that Wells could have a record.

The Cardinals took a delay of game penalty in order to get the right personnel on the field, then Wells carried one last time for 14 yards, finishing with the franchise record of 228.

This is not an isolated anecdote.

When Fitzgerald was named the NFC’s offensive player of the week last month, he obviously knew it was the first time he won the award. But he also guessed correctly that Roy Green was the last Cardinals receiver to win it.

Receivers don’t win that award much, Fitzgerald said, because if they had a big day, it’s likely that the quarterback did, too. So the quarterback usually wins it.

Fitzgerald has all this stuff rolling around in his head. Two weeks ago, he caught a touchdown pass from quarterback Rich Bartel in San Francisco. Fitzgerald immediately gave the ball to Bartel. He knew it was Bartel’s first touchdown pass in the NFL; no one had to tell him.

He did the same thing two years ago for Brian St. Pierre.

Thursday, December 1, 2011 at 05:40 PM

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Read More: Kevin Kolb (QB – ARI), John Skelton (QB – ARI), Arizona Cardinals

Kevin Kolb is back. After missing four weeks due to a bad case of turf toe complicated by a bone bruise in his foot, the Arizona Cardinals will have their prize quarterback taking snaps Sunday against the Dallas Cowboys. At least that’s plan barring any set backs and none are expected (which is why they are called “set backs”).

“Yeah, I feel really good,” Kolb said Wednesday after taking all the reps in practice for the first time since the injury. “Obviously, we’ll see tomorrow how it feels after a full day, but I have full intention of playing.”

Kolb was nearing ready to go last week, but the team had enough doubt about Kolb’s foot they decided early on that John Skelton would get the start so he could get the full benefit of practicing with the first team.  

As to be expected, Coach Ken Whisenhunt was his normally evasive self on such matters.

“The way it’s gone this season for us with different guys, I’m not going to say anything like that today. We’ll see how it is tomorrow,” Whiz said, adding with about as much of a definitive answer as you will get from him, “But I said Sunday after the (Rams) game that we’re a lot more optimistic that he’ll have a chance to play this week.”

Kolb is anxious to get back out on the field and understands how important it is for him and the entire offense to play well in these final five games of the season. 

“We still don’t feel like offensively we’ve played an entire game yet as a complete unit. That’s a big goal of ours,” Kolb said, adding the offense needs to figure out ”who we are”.

He did seem to indicate that with the way the defense and special teams are playing, the role of the Cardinals’ quarterback is to not screw up.

“I think if you look back on a lot of games, if us as quarterbacks just did our part and just took care of the ball and played a good, solid game then we would have won quite a few of them. That’s my mentality and that needs to be our mentality every time we hit the field. Just do your job (then) we’ll take care of business.”

It will be interesting to see if that becomes the new norm in Arizona. That model has certainly worked in San Francisco and Baltimore, but under Ken Whisenhunt the Cardinals have followed the “Kurt Warner Plan” of letting the QB make big plays to the star receiver. 

That plan didn’t work last year with the Derek Anderson Max Hall John Skelton monster and as the team has found out this year, it’s not likely to work with Kevin Kolb any time soon. Fortunately, the defense is getting better and Beanie Wells has stepped up his game. That allows Whisenhunt to be more conservative on offense and let’s the QB “manage the game”, to use that infamous NFL phrase.

We’ll see how that plays out, if at all. When you have No. 11 on your team, there’s a lot of pressure to throw him the ball and a lot of comes from Larry Fitzgerald himself lobbying for targets. He does make a pretty compelling case. 

Other Injury News

In other Cardinals injury news, TE Rob Housler (groin) was back practicing in full while TE Todd Heap remains limited. As expected Joey Porter (knee) and Kerry Rhodes (foot) are still out with no time table for return.

Beanie Well was limited in practice as has been the norm for him on Wednesday as he gives his knee more time to recover from the last game and prepare for the next one.

The bar is set high in the NFL, and Cardinals nose tackle Nick Eason, a nine-year veteran, says all players – no matter what situation they find themselves in – have to strive to reach it.

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Cardinals-Rams injury report

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“I always tell guys a standard is a standard,” said Eason, a nine-year veteran who joined the Cardinals as a free agent in the off-season.

“What that means is, regardless of who’s in the game, the coaches expect the guys that are backups or whatever your role is on the team, they expect you to perform at the level they expect you to perform at.”

With nose tackle Dan Williams out with a broken arm suffered against the 49ers, Eason and rookie David Carter will be expected to step in and play at a high level Sunday when the Cardinals play in St. Louis.

Coach Ken Whisenhunt said both Eason and Carter have played well.

“We’re going to miss Dan because Dan’s been playing really good, he’s come on,” Whisenhunt said. “I think we’ve got a veteran presence in Nick, and David Carter obviously has made some plays for us there this year. We feel good about them being able to step in there and handle that.”

Both players have made key contributions this season. Whisenhunt cited Eason’s experience as the reason he will get the starting nod Sunday. He characterized it as “the most stable way to go.”

Eason, a 6-foot-3 305-pounder who also plays defensive end, is primed for more playing time.

“I’ve been called on in the past when I was with the Steelers to come in and start eight or nine games in a season when we had an injury, so this is not my first time having to step in and perform,” Eason said.

“I’m pretty excited for the opportunity, but it’s a team defense. We all work together up front, work well with the linebackers and defensive backs. It’s a team effort, and I’m just a part of this team, going to plug myself in and do what I’m supposed to do and play within the framework of the defense.”

For Carter, the sixth-round draft choice out of UCLA, the opportunity is one he can handle because of the seasonlong preparation to take on more responsibility. He called Williams “a great player,” but added that he and Eason can fill the position without a drop-off in results.

And it’s also his chance to show the coaching staff that he can make even more of an impact.

“This is definitely an opportunity to showcase myself, and to get that extra step toward a starting position, so I’m definitely looking forward to taking advantage of it and having a great game this week,” he said.

Whisenhunt likes what he has in both players. In Eason’s case, his experience and presence give the Cardinals a boost off the field, as well.

“He gives you a voice that, as a veteran player, you can count on, that helps these younger guys get better,” Whisenhunt said. “I think he has helped Calais (Campbell) and Dan Williams become better players, as far as understanding the defense and the techniques involved.”

Carter, a 300-pounder who stands 6-5, was not a hot commodity in the draft, and his play has been a surprise, Whisenhunt said, adding that he took the opportunity presented and made the most of it.

“It was good to find a young player like that who has contributed the way he has,” Whisenhunt said. “He has shown us that he has the ability to play some end as well. Once again, you don’t have expectations that young players are going to come in and contribute quickly like he did, but kudos to him.”

Getting his kicks

David Zastudil has been punting at a high level for the past month, and he says it’s been a group effort.

“We’ve got a great coverage team, a great special-teams coach (Kevin Spencer), and it helps my game, too,” he said. “I come to practice every day, I try to work hard. Punting is a group effort, and I’m blessed to have great coverage teams.”

He equated punting to golf – he’s never satisfied with the results.

“There’s a lot of things that I really think in all honesty that I can still improve on,” he said. “We’ve got six games to go, and I’m working in practice hard to try and correct some things that I know I can do better. I’m just blessed to have a coach and special teams that really have a goal each week to be the best that they can be on that Sunday.”

Keith update

Right tackle Brandon Keith, who suffered a concussion in Sunday’s loss to the 49ers, has not practiced this week. Whisenhunt said Keith could be on the field for Friday’s workout if he passes a concussion test, is symptom-free and gets clearance from the medical staff.

Read More: cardinals injury report, Kerry Rhodes (S – ARI), Stewart Bradley (LB – ARI), Kevin Kolb (QB – ARI), Todd Heap (TE – ARI), Paris Lenon (LB – ARI), Joey Porter (LB – ARI), Michael Adams (CB – ARI), Brandon Keith (OT – ARI), John Skelton (QB – ARI), Anthony Sherman (FB – ARI), Rob Housler (TE – ARI), Arizona Cardinals

The Arizona Cardinals still do not know who their starting quarterback will be on Sunday against the San Francisco 49ers. But John Skelton better be prepared to start this week when they get ready to take the field.

Cardinals quarterback Kevin Kolb continues to struggle to move on his foot, which means that he probably won’t be ready to go this week.  Kolb was listed as limited on Wednesday’s injury report, indicating that he’s definitely trying to practice and make his way back on the football field, but it doesn’t look like he’s totally all the way back. This will force Skelton back to action. Skelton has proven he can move the football down the field (even if the movement is inconsistent) and get the Cardinals into scoring position. Kolb might not provide a huge leap in talent regardless, so Skelton might be the best option this week until the starting Cardinals QB heals all the way back.

Here’s a full list of Cardinals injuries.

DID NOT PARTICIPATE IN PRACTICE: TE Todd Heap (hamstring), TE Rob Housler (groin), LB Joey Porter (knee), S Kerry Rhodes (foot), RB Chris Wells (knee)

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

For more on the Cardinals, go to Revenge of the Birds.

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

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

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

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

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

Patrick Peterson vs. DeSean Jackson

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

Michael Vick vs. Ray Horton

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

LeSean McCoy vs. Daryl Washington

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

Cardinals receivers vs. DRC, Asante Samuel and Nnamdi Asomugha

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

Arizona Cardinals vs. injuries

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

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

Warner’s basic take: The Cardinals are lacking in the playmaking department. He’s right. Injuries and personnel changes have hurt Arizona in an area where the team was once quite strong, the ability to score touchdowns from just about anywhere on the field.

A hand injury and new rules governing kickoffs have largely silenced LaRod Stephens-Howling. Kerry Rhodes, who scored twice on returns last season, wasn’t making plays before suffering a foot injury that will sideline him at least a month. Adrian Wilson has let a couple chances at interceptions get past him. Linebacker Daryl Washington, who scored on a return last season, has battled a calf injury.

Two other big-play threats in the past, Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie and Steve Breaston, are gone. Others, such as Anquan Boldin and Antrel Rolle, are long gone. Andre Roberts, who flashed big-play ability last season, hasn’t factored at all this season.

When new quarterback Kevin Kolb missed wide-open tight end Rob Housler for what should have been a touchdown at Minnesota in Week 5, the Cardinals had found a signature play for their dearth of playmaking during a 1-4 start.

“I’ve watched every play of every game and there are plays out there to be made that are not being made,” Warner said. “Flat out, there are guys wide open. Last week, I know Kevin would love to have the one back down the middle of the field that he just overthrew. Just a little more touch on the football, that is a touchdown. It can change the complexion of the game.”

Warner rode to coach Ken Whisenhunt’s defense, blaming players for failing to capitalize on opportunities. His comment regarding the play Kolb missed wasn’t part of a broader criticism of the quarterback. Warner did say he thought Kolb wasn’t yet comfortable enough in the offense to trust his options and stay in the pocket longer. That will presumably change over time.

“What is going to define this team is, down the road, when they feel comfortable, are they going to make those plays then that they are not making now?” Warner said.

Asked about Kolb’s comments regarding players’ approach to their jobs, Warner said teams around the league experience the same issues. The winning culture Arizona established in its locker room a few years ago doesn’t necessarily carry over given all the personnel changes.

This team must find its own way.