The Arizona Cardinals are a step closer to suing cash-strapped Glendale over the loss of about 3,200 parking spots near the NFL stadium that workers demolished to build an outlet mall.

The Cardinals and the Arizona Sports and Tourism Authority, which operates University of Phoenix Stadium, on Wednesday delivered a notice of claim to the city seeking up to $66.7 million to replace the lost parking with garages, unless an acceptable solution is found.

The claim, a precursor to a lawsuit, follows two April letters to the city that laid out the team’s and sports authority’s concerns that parking demolished in February to build the 38-acre Tanger Factory Outlets complex could not be replaced. They gave Glendale a Tuesday deadline to provide assurances that parking spaces at Westgate City Center would be replaced.

The city never responded, according to the claim.

The Cardinals began playing at the Glendale stadium in 2006. An agreement signed four years earlier required Glendale to provide 6,000 spots for football games and other stadium events at Westgate, the restaurant and entertainment complex near the stadium.

A possible short-term solution the city presented in March did not comply with the parking agreement because the spots were outside Westgate, according to the team’s and sports authority’s April 9 letter to the city.

City Attorney Craig Tindall, whose city faces a $35 million deficit in next year’s budget, said the franchise “jumped the gun” with its notice of claim.

Tindall said the parking agreement requires the 6,000 spots be available only about two months before the first football game. The first Cardinals game is set for Aug. 17, and the city is working to have an answer for the Cardinals within weeks, the city attorney said.

City Manager Ed Beasley said Glendale transportation staffers are working to find spots and are likely to provide responses to the Cardinals soon.

The city manager acknowledged March meetings with the Cardinals and the sports authority, but he could not say whether there had been discussions since or provide details on possible plans.

Cardinals spokesman Mark Dalton said Glendale never responded to April letters, which were also signed by representatives from the Arizona Super Bowl Host Committee, the Fiesta Bowl and the NFL.

“Today, the city doesn’t own or control enough land at Westgate to perform the contract, and under these unique circumstances, we have a legal right to assurances they have the ability to perform that obligation,” Dalton said.

The parking woes are further complicated by Westgate’s troubles. The 6-year-old complex fell into foreclosure last year.

This year’s announcement that Tanger would open an outlet mall there, along Loop 101 just south of Glendale Avenue, was a sliver of good news for the complex that is now partly owned by two separate lenders.

The city attorney said any new development at Westgate would impact stadium parking plans, but he said there has long been an understanding that parking could be shuffled.

“We haven’t violated any agreements,” Tindall said. “We don’t intend to violate any agreements. We are working on a solution.”

If one exists, sports-authority President Tom Sadler said he would like to see it soon.

“I think we’re prepared to sit down and fully vet any solutions (Glendale) may have, but meanwhile, the clock is ticking toward game day,” he said.

The Cardinals obviously liked cornerback Patrick Peterson when they drafted him with the fifth overall pick last season.

They liked him a little more when he told them on the phone that day: “I’m going to come in and I’m going to help you guys.” And when he backed it up, starting 16 games and returning four punts for touchdowns, he established a high standard for first overall picks.

Expecting that much from this year’s No. 1 pick is unrealistic, but it never hurts to ask.

“He was very convicted about what he was going to do,” coach Ken Whisenhunt said. “You get different emotional responses from different players. There is a lot of work to be done once that call is finished, but at that particular moment with these young men, it’s good for all of us.”

That moment for the Cardinals is likely to come around 6:30 Thursday night during the first round of the draft, which is scheduled to begin at 5 p.m. If the Cardinals stay at No. 13, they will likely will select somewhere between 6-7 p.m.

“I think we’ve got a fairly good idea of who maybe the first 12 to 15 players will be,” General Manager Rod Graves said. “We just don’t have an idea about who is going to select them.”

Predicting what the Cardinals will do is far more difficult than in 2011, when a 5-11 regular-season record gave them the fifth overall pick. An apparently strong draft class, led by Peterson, was about the only good thing that came out of that season.

At No. 13, the Cardinals have options. They have made bolstering the offensive line an off-season priority and a starting tackle’s job is open. Iowa’s Riley Reiff could be there, as could Stanford guard David DeCastro, regarded as much of a sure thing as there is in this draft.

But this draft supposedly is deep in offensive linemen, especially centers and guards. The Cardinals could try to trade down, acquiring an additional pick or two, which would come in handy since they traded their second-round selection to the Eagles last summer for Kevin Kolb.

The Cardinals have no compensatory picks, awarded based on losses and gains in free agency.

“It’s not a simple process, and there are a lot of factors that have to be taken into consideration,” Graves said of draft-day trading, “and those considerations have to be made quickly. We’ve got a pretty good idea of what we would need to move back a certain number of spots, and how we would feel moving back based on the talent level that could be there.

“We’ve gone through those exercises. If we met with those circumstances, we’d be prepared.”

Or, the Cardinals could just stick at 13 and take the proverbial best player available. That could be Reiff, Notre Dame receiver Michael Floyd, or perhaps South Carolina pass rusher Melvin Ingram.

“It’s an inexact science,” Whisenhunt said of the draft. “You never know whether injury or transition to the NFL could be something that would cause a player not to reach the potential that you have for them. Every team in the league has had players that haven’t worked out for them.”

The Cardinals have had their shares of busts, such as linebackers Cody Brown (second round, 2009) and Buster Davis (third round, 2007). Others haven’t played up to their lofty draft status, such as tackle Levi Brown (fifth overall, 2007). And others have developed slower than the team had hoped, such as nose tackle Dan Williams (first round, 2010).

But early returns suggest the Cardinals had one of their better draft classes in 2011. Three of the eight picks became regular starters on a team that went 8-8.

Two more played key backup roles. Another, running back Ryan Williams (second round), missed the entire season with injuries and is expected to be healthy this year.

Another class like that would bode well for the Cardinals’ future. It would lessen the need to acquire free agents in years to come, help with salary-cap management and add to locker room chemistry.

One key, Whisenhunt said, is evaluating talent as well as character.

“You look at (defensive end) Calais Campbell, and what he’s done in the community, as well as what he’s done on the football field,” Whisenhunt said. “Larry Fitzgerald … and you can sit here and name a bunch of these guys.

“That’s what’s important because when times are tough and when things aren’t going right, those guys have to pull together for you. That’s what we saw a little bit of last year with our team winning seven of our last nine.”

Tracking the draft

Round 1 only is Thursday night; Rounds 2-3 are Friday and Rounds 4-7 are Saturday.

TV: NFL Network and ESPN/ESPN 2 will televise all three days.

Time: Thursday at 5 p.m. The 13th selection, which the Cardinals currently hold, is likely to come between 6-7 p.m., probably close to 6:30 p.m.

NFL draft

Rounds 2-3: Friday, 4 p.m.

Rounds 4-7: Saturday, 9 a.m.

TV: NFL Network, ESPN and ESPN 2.

The Cardinals are holding a draft party today on the Great Lawn at University of Phoenix Stadium from 4-9 p.m. It is in conjunction with the second annual Big Red Rib and Music Festival. General admission is free. Some Cardinals players and coaches will be there, as well as the team’s cheerleaders.

Sunday | 2:15 p.m. | University of Phoenix Stadium

TV: Channel 10 (Sam Rosen, Chad Pennington); Radio: 92.3 KTAR-FM (Dave Pasch, Ron Wolfley), 710 KBMB-AM (Gabriel Trujillo, Rolando Cantu).

Noteworthy: The Cardinals and Seahawks meet for the 26th
time, with Arizona holding a 13-12 advantage in the all-time series. … Arizona enters this week’s contest looking to end a three-game losing streak to their division foe. … The Cardinals hold a 7-4 record at home against the Seahawks all-time, having won four of the past five games at University of Phoenix Stadium.

The Arizona Republic

CLEVELAND (4-9) AT ARIZONA (6-7)

» When 4:15 p.m. today

» Where University of Phoenix Stadium, Glendale, Ariz.

» TV/Radio Ch. 10; WBWR-FM (105.7)

» Of note Browns backup quarterback Seneca Wallace, who will start today’s game, has thrown two passes all season, completing both for 17 yards. Cleveland rookie defensive lineman Jabaal Sheard has 5 1/2 forced fumbles, the third most in the NFL. Cleveland has scored 20 or more points in a game twice this season. The Browns have scored 178 points. Only Kansas City (173) has scored less among AFC teams.

Sunday | 2:15 p.m. | University of Phoenix Stadium

TV: Channel 5 (Bill Macatee, Steve Tasker); Radio: 92.3 KTAR-FM (Dave Pasch, Ron Wolfley), 710 KBMB-AM (Gabriel Trujillo, Rolando Cantu).

Noteworthy: The Cardinals and Browns played 40 games between 1950-1969, but since 1974 they’ve met only eight times. Arizona won the previous meeting, 27-21, in 2007. … Larry Fitzgerald was inactive for that ’07 game, and following Sunday’s game, he will have played against every NFL team (except, of course, the Cardinals). Since missing the ’07 game, Fitzgerald has played in 65 consecutive regular-season outings. … Ken Whisenhunt was Cleveland’s special-teams coach in 1999.

The Arizona Republic

By MIKE KEATING

The Review

Providing more drama off the field than points on the scoreboard, the Cleveland Browns meet the Arizona Cardinals in Phoenix Stadium Sunday at 4:15 p.m.

The Browns (4-9) have lost dropped eight of their last 10 games and have only scored 178 points. The Cardinals (6-7) have won five of their last six matchups.

“They (Arizona) got some very talented players,” Cleveland head coach Pat Shurmur said at his press conference Wednesday evening. “They’ve injected some youth into their team, which we all know takes a little to get them up and running.”

Arizona fifth-year head coach Ken Whisenhunt has a Browns tie, serving as an assistant under Chris Palmer in Cleveland’s first year as an expansion team in 1999.

Both teams have starting quarterbacks battling concussion issues. Arizona starter Kevin Kolb, who is familiar with Shurmur dating back to their Philadelphia days, practiced on a limited basis Wednesday. Cleveland starter Colt McCoy, recovering from a concussion he suffered at Pittsburgh last week, did not practice Wednesday or Thursday.

“Kevin was trained in our system, going through his progressions and getting the ball out on time,”Shurmur critiqued. “I see the same thing for Skelton, but I do see a taller guy that kind of pushes the pocket.”

Kolb is 146-of-253 passing for 1,955 yards with nine touchdowns and eight interceptions. Skelton, who has seen significant action, is 78-of-145 passing for 1,032 yards with seven touchdowns and nine picks.

Whoever quarterbacks the Cardinals, they have offensive weapons. Wideout Larry Fitzgerald has size, speed and 62 catches for 1,092 yards with seven touchdowns. Running back Chris Wells, the former Ohio State standout, has 943 rushing yards and nine touchdowns. Veteran tight end Todd Heap, who migrated from Baltimore, gives the Cardinals a veteran presence on possession downs.

The Browns played physical defense in a 14-3 loss to the Steelers. Tackle Scott Paxson recorded a sack and safety Mike Adams picked off a pass.

 the unit forced two other

Pittsburgh turnovers and executed a four-down, goal-line

stand, sparked by outside linebacker Chris Gocong.

Gocong and middle linebacker D’Qwell Jackson led the Browns

with seven tackles apiece. Adams had six tackles.

Cleveland punter Brad Maynard dropped four punts inside the

10-yard line against the Steelers, giving the Browns an

edge in field position.

McCoy has taken the majority of snaps for the Browns, but

Wallace is 2-for-2 in a relief role. Shurmur says both

Cleveland quarterbacks have similar characteristics.

“They’re both good from the pocket, but they both tend to

be mobile,” he explained. “If they get outside the pocket,

they can extend the play. They are similar in stature and

throw the ball well.”

Wallace, whose last start was against Atlanta last season

before he suffered an ankle injury, ran the same offense

while he was at Seattle.

McCoy isn’t the only offensive starter with a concussion.

Tight end Benjamin Watson suffered his third concussion of

the season against the Steelers and is expected to miss the

game, opening the door for backups Evan Moore and Alex

Smith.

Wideouts Mohammed Massaquoi and Josh Cribbs made big

catches on Cleveland’s opening drive that resulted in a

field goal, but there were too many drops and poorly thrown

passes. Third-string running back Chris Ogbonnaya ripped

off a 28-yard run, while Peyton Hillis and Montario

Hardesty struggled against the Steelers.

The Browns face a Cardinal defensive unit intermixed with

youth and veterans. Rookie cornerback Patrick Peterson has

been a lockdown defender, making 57 tackles and picking off

two passes. Inside linebackers Daryl Washington and Paris

Lenon lead the team with 78 and 77 tackles, respectively.

They also have a combined seven sacks. Veteran safety

Adrian Wilson adds 42 stops, while veteran tackle Darnell

Dockett contributes 38 tackles and 2.5 sacks.

Arizona is solid in special teams with former Cleveland

punter Dave Zastudil, who is averaging over 45 yards an

attempt, and Peterson as a punt returner. Peterson has

taken four punts back for scores, including two

game-winning touchdowns against St. Louis.

Zastudil is one ex-Brown on the Arizona roster. The others

are starting right guard Rex Hadnot, starting nose tackle

Nick Eason, backup wideout Chansi Stuckey and injured guard

Floyd Womack.

Browns vs. Arizona Cardinals

Sunday, 4:15 p.m. in University of Phoenix Stadium, Glendale, Ariz.

Record: 6-7.

Last game: Beat 49ers, 21-19, Dec. 12 in Glendale.

Coach: Ken Whisenhunt, 41-41, fifth year.

Series record: Browns lead, 33-12-3.

Last meeting: Cardinals won, 27-21, Dec. 2, 2007, in Glendale.

League rankings: Offense is 22nd overall (23rd rushing, 20th passing), defense is 21st (19th rushing, 23rd passing) and turnover differential is minus-11.

Offensive overview: Ken Whisenhunt seeks to run a derivative of the Don Coryell West Coast offense, which uses a power running game to set up vertical throws to tight ends and receivers. When fully healthy, they want to play off the hard running of Beanie Wells and get the ball to receiver Larry Fitzgerald and tight ends Todd Heap and Jeff King. But injuries have beset quarterback Kevin Kolb, Wells and Heap. Just as Kolb was finding some rhythm after missing four games with a foot injury, he suffered a concussion. Backup John Skelton has functioned OK, but he is less experienced, less mobile and less accurate. Wells has played through a knee injury and effectively shed the label of lack of toughness. Fitzgerald is fighting through excessive attention on the field. Whisenhunt has tinkered a little with cornerback Patrick Peterson on offense, but he hasn’t been able to lessen coverage on Fitzgerald.

Defensive overview: New coordinator Ray Horton is trying to duplicate Dick LeBeau’s zone-blitz Steelers scheme. The team’s recent resurgence is a result of the defense getting comfortable after adjusting to the 3-4 scheme. All the pieces might not be in place just yet, but the front seven has been formidable of late. Rookie outside linebacker Sam Acho has come on and displaced former starter Joey Porter. Ex-Steeler Clark Haggans is the other rush linebacker. End Calais Campbell and tackle Darnell Dockery have been very good. The areas of pressure have been unpredictable. The last two games they have had five sacks, each time from different players. First-round pick Patrick Peterson has had a learning experience at cornerback. Adrian Wilson is one of the league’s unknown good safeties.

Special teams overview: Peterson leads the NFL with four punt returns for touchdowns and is second in average at 16.3 yards. The kick return game is not as explosive. Kicker Jay Feely is 13 of 18 in field goals with a long of 51 yards. He is 29th with 14 touchbacks. Punter Dave Zastudil is 13th in gross average (45.7 yards) and 23rd in net (37.4). Calais Campbell has two field goal blocks.

Players to watch:

• Cornerback-returner Patrick Peterson: The rookie joined three other players for the most punt returns for touchdowns in a season. He has scored from 89, 82, 99 and 80 yards. He’s added two interceptions and a sack at cornerback.

• Receiver Larry Fitzgerald: One of the league’s consistent playmakers will be making his first career appearance against the Browns. He already is over 1,000 receiving yards for the sixth straight season and has his best yards per catch average (17.6) of his career.

• Defensive end Calais Campbell: He has posted unusual numbers for a 3-4 defensive end — seven sacks, 13 quarterback hits, one interception, six passes defensed. Not to mention the two blocked field goals.

Injury report: QB Kevin Kolb (concussion) had to leave the last game. Beanie Wells (knee) will be limited. OT Brandon Keith (ankle) left the last game.

Small world: Former Browns include receiver Chansi Stuckey, safety Hamza Abdullah, defensive tackle Nick Eason, quarterback Richard Bartel, guard Rex Hadnot and punter and Bay native Dave Zastudil. … Running back Beanie Wells is an Akron native and played at Ohio State. … Head coach Ken Whisenhunt was Browns special teams coordinator in 1999. … Director of pro personnel T.J. McCreight is from Willoughby and was Browns personnel director (2005-08). … Strength coach John Lott had same position with Browns (2005-06). … Special teams coordinator Kevin Spencer was Browns assistant coach (1991-94).

Read More: Kerry Rhodes (S – ARI), Chansi Stuckey (WR – ARI), Joey Porter (LB – ARI), Moran Norris (FB – SFX), D’Anthony Batiste (OT – ARI), Patrick Willis (LB – SFX), Jaymar Johnson (WR – ARI), Daniel Kilgore (G – SFX), Ian Williams (DT – SFX), Mike Person (G – SFX), Scott Tolzien (QB – SFX), Arizona Cardinals, San Francisco 49ers, St. Louis Rams

As the Arizona Cardinals get set to host their division rival San Francisco 49ers at University of Phoenix Stadium, they will be without the services of a couple of important pieces to their defense in Kerry Rhodes and Joey Porter. 

The Cardinals will be without a few players this week, highlighted by linebacker Joey Porter and safety Kerry Rhodes, who both made their return to practice this week dealing with knee and foot injuries respectfully. Wide receivers Chansi Stuckey Bartel, Stephen Williams and Jaymar Johnson will not be suiting up for Arizona either,  neither will offensive tackle D’Anthony Batiste.

For the 49ers, they will be without All-Pro linebacker Patrick Willis who suffered a hamtrain strain early in their last game against the St. Louis Rams. San Francisco will also be without  QB Scott Tolzien, WR Brett Swain, FB Moran Norris,  offensive guards Daniel Kilgore and Mike Person and defensive tackle Ian Williams. 

For more in depth discussion and analysis on the Cardinals, head over to Revenge of the Birds to get your fix. 

Read More: Todd Heap (TE – ARI), Dave Zastudil (P – ARI), Arizona Cardinals, San Francisco 49ers

The Arizona Cardinals continue to practice and prepare in advance of Sunday’s game with the San Francisco 49ers. The game has been announced as a sellout, the 61st consecutive since opening University of Phoenix Stadium in 2006. With the sellout news, the game will be broadcast locally on KSAZ-TV (Fox) at 2:00 p.m.

The Cardinals continue to get healthy with TE Todd Heap feeling like he’s turned the corner with his hamstring injury. He said that he might have pushed it too hard, too fast and set himself back in the healing process. 

“Anytime you have a hamstring it’s going to be a day-to-day thing, but I do have a lot more confidence on it right then I did this time last week,” Heap said.

Heap was listed as limited in practice on Wednesday and Thursday.

In more surprising Cardinals injury news, punter Dave Zastudil has been limited with a bicep injury suffered in last Sunday’s game while trying to make a tackle on Cowboys WR Dez Bryany according to beat writer Kent Somers. According to Somers, the Cardinals worked out two punters (Chris Bryan and Robert Malone) in case Zastudil can’t go.

Zastudil is averaging a career-high 45.6 yards per punt which puts just outside the top-ten in the NFL.

After Beanie Wells did not participate on Wednesday, he was back Thursday. The Cardinals had no players listed as DNP.

Others limited on Thursday include: S Sean Considine (achilles), LB Joey Porter (knee), S Kerry Rhodes (foot), RB Chris Wells (knee, thumb, hamstring).

For the 49ers, the news continues to be about LB Patrick Willis who did not participate in practice and could potentially miss the rest of the season:

Patrick Willis Injury Update: Could 49ers LB Miss The Rest Of The Regular Season? – SB Nation Bay Area
If forced to guess, Chang said that a wide window would be three to six weeks in recovery time for Willis. However, he cautioned that hamstring injuries can be “frustrating” because of the propensity for re-injury. “The scar tissue is not as flexible and re-injury can occur,” he said. Three weeks would mean Willis could return in time for the season finale on Christmas Eve in Seattle. A five-week recovery would mean Willis would be ready for the divisional round of the NFL playoffs.

Todd Heap knows all about how frustrating hamstring injuries can be.

The Arizona Cardinals will begin to use handheld metal detectors Sunday to screen people entering University of Phoenix Stadium for NFL games.

The National Football League has requested that teams change their procedures from limited pat-downs to using the metal detectors, the Cardinals said in a release on Thursday.

The Cardinals said they will begin using the metal detectors Sunday for Arizona’s game against the Dallas Cowboys.

Cardinals officials said the complete change-over will be a gradual process over the four remaining regular season home games. The procedures will be in place for ticket holders and stadium security staff.

The Cardinals issues these points for fans, employees and media to heed:

• The security lanes with handheld metal detectors will be indicated with signage and a stadium security member explaining the process in advance.
• Guests will be asked to remove all metal from their pockets and hold the items in their hands during the screening.
• If a guest has medical concerns about the use of a metal detector, the limited pat-down screening can be substituted.
• Fans are asked to give themselves enough time to pass through security; stadium gates open 90 minutes prior to kickoff (12:45 p.m. for Sunday’s game vs. the Cowboys) and the 30-minute period immediately prior to kickoff is the busiest at the security screening points.

Everyone entering the stadium on game day should be aware of this new screening method, the Cardinals said.

Copyright 2011 KPHO. All rights reserved.

More on this topic

Cardinals 23, Rams 20 | Box score

UP NEXT: Cowboys (7-4) at Cardinals (4-7)
When: Sunday @ 2:15 p.m. | Full 2011 schedule | Fans
Where: University of Phoenix Stadium, Glendale
TV: Channel 10 (Dick Stockton, John Lynch)
Radio KTAR 92.3 (Dave Pasch, Ron Wolfley)
Spanish: KBMB 710 AM (Gabriel Trujillo, Rolandu Cantu)
Roof hotline: 623-433-ROOF (7663)
Noteworthy: This game is the 60th consecutive sellout for the Cardinals. Every game played in the stadium has been declared a sellout… this will be Dallas’ fourth trip to Arizona in the last six seasons… the Cowboys lead the all-time series 55-29-1… the Cardinals first regular season game in Arizona was against the Cowboys on Sept. 12, 1988.

More Cardinals with Kent Somers

NFL power rankings – Week 13

The ties that bind the Steelers and Cardinals are so long and numerous that it takes almost as long to untangle them as it does the cables behind your television.

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NFL power rankings | Top football games to watch

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Coach Ken Whisenhunt and six assistants either coached or played for the Steelers. Three current Cardinals used to play for the Steelers, including one, defensive lineman Nick Eason, who was there just last season.

The teams played in 2007 and in Super Bowl XLIII in 2009, and they run similar offensive and defensive schemes.

“Pittsburgh is no stranger to a lot of people here,” said Eason, who signed as a free agent this summer. “I can tell people a little bit about personnel, but when it’s all said and done, it’s about winning the matchups.”

Whisenhunt and Steelers defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau competed in practices when Whisenhunt was Pittsburgh’s offensive coordinator from 2004-06. Cardinals defensive coordinator Ray Horton played for LeBeau with the Bengals, and coached under him for seven years in Pittsburgh.

“I don’t know who it benefits,” Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger said of the familiarity. “I went and talked to Coach LeBeau (Wednesday) morning and just tried to pick his brain a little bit on Coach Horton.

“But you also have to think Coach Horton has spent the last seven years watching me, so maybe he benefits. Maybe the defense benefits because he knows me and how to stop me. So it will be interesting.”

Sunday’s game is different from past meetings between the clubs, because each team is more occupied with itself than the opponent. The Cardinals (1-4) haven’t won since the season opener and have regressed in significant areas in the past few weeks.

In Pittsburgh, a 4-2 start produces angst, a testament to the Steelers’ success. Offensively, the Steelers sputtered. Defensively, they are ranked first in the NFL in yards allowed, yet they have only two turnovers.

“I think we’ve had our moments,” Tomlin said. “Obviously, we’re doing OK. We’re doing enough to win. I’d like to see more signature-like plays, the plays that we’ve had around here in the past.”

From a health standpoint, the Cardinals are catching the Steelers at an opportune time. Injuries have forced Pittsburgh to use a patchwork offensive line. Three key defenders – end Aaron Smith, nose tackle Casey Hampton and outside linebacker James Harrison – are expected to miss Sunday’s game.

Tomlin doesn’t mention this much, other than to fall back on his “the standard is the standard” philosophy.

“One man’s misfortune is the next man’s opportunity,” he said. “We expect those guys that are waiting for the opportunity to be prepared when we ring the bell, and generally they are.”

Offensively, the Steelers have operated smoothly at times, and stalled at others. In the first four games, Roethlisberger committed nine turnovers and two others were negated by penalties.

But he has started quickly in games, throwing for 171 yards in the first quarter against the Colts, tossing touchdown passes on the first five possessions against Tennessee and leading the Steelers to 17 points on the first three possessions last week against the Jaguars.

“We’ve got a ways to go, which I guess is good,” Roethlisberger said. “I don’t think you want to be running on all cylinders right now. We’ll play a couple good quarters, maybe a half, but we just have to put a full game together.”

Tomlin was asked if that inconsistency produced frustration or optimism.

“The prevailing attitude is we’re close,” he said. “Those instances are frustrating in those moments, but largely, I think we’re moving closer to the type of unit and the team we want to be.”

Notes

Sunday’s game is sold out, the 58th consecutive sellout for the Cardinals. The Cardinals have sold out every game since moving into University of Phoenix Stadium in 2006.

Cardinals tight end Todd Heap (hamstring) did not practice Thursday. Three Steelers were added to the injury list on Thursday. Running back Rashard Mendenhall (knee), center Maurkice Pouncey (elbow) and outside linebacker Jason Worilds (quadriceps) were limited.

Mendenhall and Pouncey are starters.

More on this topic

Football games to watch this weekend
Cardinals at Vikings game photos | Box

Up next: STEELERS (4-2) AT CARDINALS (1-4)
When: Sunday @ 1:05 p.m.
Where: University of Phoenix Stadium, Glendale
TV: Channel 5 (Greg Gumbel, Dan Dierdorf)
Radio KTAR 92.3 (Dave Pasch, Ron Wolfley)
Spanish: KBMB 710 AM (Gabriel Trujillo, Rolandu Cantu)
Noteworthy: This game is the Cardinals’ fourth-oldest rivalry, dating back to 1933… Pittsburgh holds a 31-23-3 lead… Arizona won the last regular season meeting, 21-14, in 2007.

Cardinals 2011 schedule analysis | Schedule

More Cardinals with Kent Somers

NFL power rankings – Week 7

2011: Cardinals fans | Cheerleaders | Practices

Cardinals (1-2) vs. Giants (2-1) | Sunday | 1:05 p.m. | University of Phoenix Stadium

TV: Channel 10 (Kenny Albert, Daryl Johnston); Radio: 92.3 KTAR-FM (Dave Pasch, Ron Wolfley, Paul Calvisi), 710 KBMB-AM (Gabriel Trujillo, Rolando Cantu). Latest line: Giants favored by 1.5.

Noteworthy: This week’s game between the Cardinals and Giants is the 125th meeting between the two teams in a series that dates back to 1926. It is the Cardinals’ third-oldest rivalry (Chicago, Green Bay) and the Cardinals have faced the Giants more times than any other NFL franchise. … Between 1950 and 2001, the Cardinals and Giants played twice a year (except in 1968 and 1982) as members of the NFC East before the Cardinals joined the NFC West in re-alignment.

The Arizona Republic