Despite not being taken in the NFL draft this weekend, two Sacramento State football players were signed by teams following the draft.

Former Sac State defensive lineman Zack Nash signed with the Arizona Cardinals and wide receiver Chase Deadder signed with the Tennessee Titans.

Nash, Sac State’s all-time leader in sacks with 29.5, said he was excited and relieved when he found out.

“It was awesome,” Nash said. “I was so happy that the whole pre-draft process was finally over. It felt like a load was lifted off of my shoulders.”

Nash has been busy this offseason as he was named to the All-Big Sky Conference first team and the American Football Coaches Association All-America team.

Nash was also honored by the Associated Press by being named a Football Subdivision All-America team. He was just the second player in school history to receive the honor (Charles Roberts, 1999). He also played in the Players All-Star Classic in February.

With classes still in session, Nash said he has to finish school before he heads out to Arizona full-time to begin the NFL life.

“I head out to mini camp in two weeks for the weekend, then back to Sac until I graduate,” Nash said.

As for Deadder, his senior season was injury-plagued, as he played in just six of Sac State’s 11 games. He caught 15 passes for 152 yards and four touchdowns.

In 2010, Deadder caught 37 passes for 788 yards and six touchdowns.

Deadder has NFL size at 6 feet 6 inches tall and 215 pounds, which is a plus for him.

Nash said that he was happy to see his teammate make it to the NFL as well.

“It’s awesome to see his (Deadder’s) hard work pay off as well,” Nash said. “He works his tail off, so it’s nice to see him be rewarded.”

And a third Hornet may be on his way to the NFL as well.

Quarterback Jeff Fleming said his agent was contacted by the San Francisco 49ers about being invited to the 49ers training camp.

The 49ers have not contacted Fleming himself, but his agent notified him of the call he had with the 49ers, Fleming said.

Nash, Deadder and possibly Fleming could join a small list of Sac State football players to make it to the NFL.

Long snapper Lonnie Paxton, now with the Denver Broncos, has seen the most success.

Paxton was apart of the Super Bowl XXXVI, XXXVIII and XXXIX championship winning New England Patriots.

But just like Nash and Deadder, Paxton was not drafted in the 2000 NFL draft and was signed by the Patriots as an undrafted free agent.

Today, Paxton is the second-highest paid long snapper in the NFL after inking a five-year, $5.3 million deal with the Broncos in 2009.

Josh Stanley and Dustin Nosler can be reached at sports@statehornet.com

PHOENIX (AP) Offensive guard Jake Scott has made the Arizona Cardinals the first team to visit as a free agent.

Scott met with Cardinals officials and coaches on Wednesday as the team waits for Peyton Manning to decide his destination.

Scott, if he signed with Arizona, would replace Rex Hadnot at right guard, with Hadnot becoming a backup at several offensive line positions.

Scott, 6-foot-5 and 292 pounds, was a teammate of Manning’s on Indianapolis‘ Super Bowl championship team in the 2006 season. He started the past four seasons for the Tennessee Titans.

Scott was one of three offensive linemen to visit the Cardinals on Wednesday. One of them, Adam Snyder, later reached an agreement on a five-year contract with Arizona.

Snyder, 6-6 and 325 pounds, started 69 games and appeared in 107 over the past seven seasons for the San Francisco 49ers. He started 13 games for the NFC West champions last season.

The third to visit was the 6-foot-5, 311-pound tackle Demetrius Bell, who started 30 games for the Buffalo Bills over the past three seasons. He started all 16 games for Buffalo in 2010 but was limited to seven games in 2011 because of knee and ankle injuries.

Tackle is the obvious biggest need for Arizona after the Cardinals released Levi Brown, the starter on the left side, in a salary cap move. Last season’s starting right tackle, Brandon Keith, is a free agent.

Scott’s agent, Ken Staninger, said the Cardinals ”called right out of the gate” about his client.

”He’s a good fit for what they’re reportedly looking for,” Staninger said.

The agent said that Scott’s history with Manning was ”somewhat of a factor.”

The Cardinals are in something of a holding pattern as they wait for Manning to make his decision. The superstar quarterback was visiting the Tennessee Titans on Wednesday.

Manning spent nearly 6 1/2 hours at the Cardinals’ facility on Sunday. The team is hoping the presence of standout receiver Larry Fitzgerald and the quarterback’s friendship with coach Ken Whisenhunt, among other factors, will lure Manning to the desert. The team has a state-of-the-art stadium with a retractable roof and natural grass field as well as warm winter weather.

But a concern could be the offensive line, which was inconsistent in its performances last season. Arizona did go 7-2 after a 1-6 start to wind up 8-8 for the season, thanks in large part to a vastly improved defense.

Manning also visited the Denver Broncos and spent time with the Miami Dolphins’ representatives in a meeting in Indianapolis.

The Cardinals need a decision by Manning this week because the team will have to pay quarterback Kevin Kolb $7 million if he is on the roster on Saturday. Arizona released Brown, the fifth overall pick in the 2007 draft, because his contract would have counted nearly $17 million on the team’s salary cap for the coming season.

The 49ers’ offensive line made significant strides once Adam Snyder took over at right guard three games into last season.

Now the 49ers must replace Snyder, who signed a five-year contract Wednesday with a division rival, the Arizona Cardinals. Financial terms were not disclosed.

“I loved it there,” Snyder said of the 49ers to the Arizona Republic. “But at this point in my career, I was ready for something else.”

Aside from finding a new starting right guard, the 49ers remain on the prowl for wide receivers.

Mario Manningham, who made clutch catches in the New York Giants’ Super Bowl run, is slated to visit the 49ers facility Thursday, according to ProFootballTalk.com.

Fellow free-agent receivers Brandon Lloyd and Chaz Schilens were guests Wednesday.

Snyder, whose wife is from the Phoenix area, signed with the Cardinals shortly upon his visit Wednesday.

Among the 49ers’ next options at right guard: a) Draft a ready-made prospect, such as Stanford’s David DeCastro; b) Promote Daniel Kilgore, a fifth-round pick last year; c) Re-sign free agent Chilo Rachal; d) Sign a free agent such as 11-year veteran Leonard Davis, who reportedly visited the 49ers on Wednesday.

Snyder is coming off his best season with the 49ers, who drafted him in the third round in 2005. After auditioning for the first time at center in training camp, he flourished at right guard upon replacing Rachal at halftime in a

Week 3 win over Cincinnati.

Of Snyder’s 69 career starts, he made 21 at left tackle, 21 at right tackle, 17 at right guard and 10 at left guard. He also subbed in for six snaps at center in last season’s playoff win over New Orleans.

Snyder’s swan song came in the NFC Championship game, a 20-17 overtime loss in which Manningham made a fourth-quarter touchdown catch to spark a comeback.

The 49ers’ receiving corps has been under construction all week: Randy Moss ditched retirement

for a one-year contract, Joshua Morgan signed with the Washington Redskins and Ted Ginn Jr. is checking out the Detroit Lions, according to MLive.com.

Manningham, a four-year veteran, made a sensational sideline catch in Super Bowl XLVI to launch the Giants’ game-winning touchdown drive against New England. He caught a touchdown pass in each of their three earlier playoff victories.

The 49ers have made no secret of a desire to upgrade their 29th-ranked passing attack. But they’re doing so with quarterback Alex Smith unsigned. Smith said last weekend the final details of a deal were being completed, and 49ers CEO Jed York on Monday put the onus on Smith to accept the 49ers’ offer.

Running back

Frank Gore, in a phone interview with the Associated Press, said he’s “excited” over the 49ers’ recent moves but wants Smith’s deal done, too.

“He went through a whole lot, man,” Gore said.

For more on the 49ers, see Cam Inman’s Hot Read blog at blogs.mercurynews.com/49ers.

According to reports most recently surfacing on profootballtalk.com, the Arizona Cardinals appear to have set a price for star wide receiver Anquan Boldin.  The reports indicate the team would entertain a trade for a third round pick in April’s draft.

Boldin, vocal over the past two years about wanting out of Arizona, posted 84 catches for 1,024 yards and four touchdowns in 2009.  It’s been difficult to tell if Boldin really wants out of Arizona, a team that made the Super Bowl in 2008 and the playoffs again in 2009, or just wants to be paid what he believes he’s worth.

Therein lies the rub.

Getting Boldin may not be the issue.  Keeping him for an extended period of time might be a different story.  Boldin turns 30 in October, the age that is considered to be the beginning of the end for NFL receivers.  He’ll expect first receiver pay for an extended number of years.  Such a contract may be prohibitive to most franchises, especially given the uncertainty of a future collective bargaining agreement.

Boldin also carries the ‘diva’ tag for his past antics.  He has publicly criticised his team for not appreciating him enough, which is generally considered the first great player sin among any well-run organization.

The question remains, who will be among his potential suitors?

Two things are certain about the 2012 Cardinals:

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NFL power rankings – slideshow version | This week’s games | Standings: NFC | AFC

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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).

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

It’s one thing to be old and good. That’s considered “vintage.” It’s another to be old and bad.

The Cardinals have one of the older rosters in the NFL based on average age, a fact that wouldn’t be so troublesome if the team had a history of success and was making a last, valiant quest for a Super Bowl title.

But the Cardinals are coming off a 5-11 record in 2010, now are 4-7 and destined to finish out of the playoffs for a second consecutive season.

There is more hope for the future, however, than the average age of the roster (27.4 years) suggests.

First, that number is inflated a bit by the age of the three specialists: kicker Jay Feely (35), punter Dave Zastudil (33) and long snapper Mike Leach (35).

Every regular starter on offense is under 30. The problem, at least at the beginning of the season, was on defense. Five starters were 30 or older, as were the three backup defensive linemen.

The Cardinals needed their young players to develop, and many of them have.

Rookie Sam Acho has played well since taking over for the injured Joey Porter, 34, at right outside linebacker five games ago. Acho already has as many sacks, five, as Porter had in 16 games last season.

Outside linebacker O’Brien Schofield, in his second year, is working into the rotation at outside linebacker as the playing time of Clark Haggans, 34, decreases.

The starting defensive line will be young, and good, if nose tackle Dan Williams ever gets in shape and if end Calais Campbell is re-signed.

Neither is a given.

The Cardinals are especially excited about this year’s draft class. Of the seven picks, four have made significant contributions this season. Only running back Ryan Williams, tight end Rob Housler and receiver DeMarco Sampson haven’t.

The young players’ impact was evident in Sunday’s victory against the Rams. Patrick Peterson returned a punt for a touchdown for the fourth time this season. Acho had two sacks, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery. Fullback Anthony Sherman blocked for Beanie Wells, who rushed for 228 yards, a franchise record.

Williams, the second-rounder, was dynamic in training camp before suffering a season-ending knee injury. Housler, the third-round pick, has unique receiving skills but has been hampered by a groin injury.

Acho, the fourth-rounder, is the type of player the Steelers find all the time. Generously listed at 6 feet 3, he is not the ideal size for an outside linebacker, but he’s made a great impact. And he’s smart.

Sherman, the fifth-rounder, has been a steady blocker and plays on special teams. The sixth-rounder, nose tackle David Carter, has contributed far more than expected. And seventh-rounder Sampson has a chance to develop into a rotational receiver.

A strong case can be made that a couple of the rookies should have been playing earlier. Porter made no impact when he was healthy enough to contribute yet played considerably more than Acho and Schofield.

Defensive coordinator Ray Horton was installing a new system, and Porter started because Horton needed players who knew how to run it.

But Porter started mainly because it’s not coach Ken Whisenhunt’s style to hand starting jobs to rookies.

“The natural tendency is to put them in there and just let them play, grow with them,” Whisenhunt said, “but you can’t always do that. It’s not fair to the other guys on your team who have been here and worked hard.

“Sometimes you don’t have a choice because of injuries or because of depth at positions. I guess other people or other teams have different philosophies, but being raised in the system that I was raised in and believing in that, the way you do it is what’s fair to everybody. I think it creates a sense of team that’s important, because when guys have success, you know that they’ve earned it and everybody is excited about that.”

Though the performances of young players provide rays of optimism in a dismal season, they also foreshadow depth problems.

There are no young outside linebackers behind Schofield and Acho. There are no young offensive linemen in the developmental stages. The backup defensive linemen are in their 30s.

It’s early, but the Cardinals’ 2011 draft appears to be among their best in years.

It’s also clear the organization desperately needs another one just like it.

Notes

Peterson was named the NFC Special Teams Player of the Week for his performance Sunday at St. Louis.

It was the second time he has been honored with that award this season (Week 9, also vs. St. Louis). Peterson, now with four punt-return touchdowns, tied the NFL’s single-season record but he is the only one whose four returns have covered 80 yards or more (89, 82, 99 and 80).

- The team elevated wide receiver Jaymar Johnson from the practice squad to the 53-man active roster and released fullback Reagan Maui’a. Johnson has been on the Cardinals’ practice squad since Sept. 20.

Coach’s corner

“In doing the evaluations of the rookie quarterbacks, we were looking at somebody that we thought could come in here and play. If you get a rookie, you know you’re going to have to develop them. Who knows with the way the season’s gone. You never know how a season’s going to go or what’s going to unfold from that direction or what other quarterbacks you have at that spot. So, really, I can’t answer that question. Before I would have put him in there and made him the starter, he would have had to earn it. Ben Roethlisberger got in there his first year in Pittsburgh because our starter got hurt, and he never looked back after that.”

- Ken Whisenhunt, on whether he would play a rookie quarterback this season had the Cardinals drafted one

Stat pack

- Running back Beanie Wells has 849 yards rushing this season, a career high. He gained 793 yards in 2009, his rookie season.

- Wells’ eight rushing touchdowns also are a career high. The 849 yards is the most a Cardinals back has gained through 11 games since the franchise moved to Arizona in 1988.

- Highest rushing total through 11 games (1960-present):

Yards - Player (Year)

1,105 – Ottis Anderson (1979)

910 – Ottis Anderson (1981)

868 – John David Crow (1960)

864 – MacArthur Lane (1970)

849 – Beanie Wells (2011)

- Before this season, the Cardinals had two punt returns for touchdowns in their 23-year history in Arizona. That was a span of 368 games. Johnny Bailey had one in 1993, and Steve Breaston had one in 2007. Patrick Peterson has four in 11 games this season.

PHILADELPHIA With John Skelton leading the way, the Arizona Cardinals sure look like a different team.

Skelton threw a 5-yard TD pass to Early Doucet with 1:53 left and the Cardinals rallied for a 21-17 victory over the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday.

Michael Vick had another so-so performance and the Eagles (3-6) blew a fourth-quarter lead for the fifth time this season.

Starting for the injured Kevin Kolb, Skelton threw three touchdown passes to lead the Cardinals (3-6) to their second straight win. He threw a tying TD pass to Larry Fitzgerald in the fourth quarter of a 19-13 overtime win against St. Louis last week that snapped a six-game losing streak.

Fitzgerald had two TD catches and made a sensational, over-the-shoulder diving catch to set up the go-ahead score on Sunday.

The defending NFC East champion Eagles were expected to be Super Bowl contenders after a slew of big-name acquisitions in the off-season. Instead, they’ve struggled miserably and have lost seven of their past eight home games.

Alex Henery kicked a 36-yard field goal with 5:06 remaining after Nnamdi Asomugha’s interception to put the Eagles up 17-14.

But the Cardinals answered.

Skelton completed a 30-yard pass to LaRod Stephens-Howling on fourth-and-two from the Cardinals 32 to keep the winning drive going. On third-and-10 from the Eagles 38, Fitzgerald made an incredible catch to the 1.

Beanie Wells was stopped for no gain and lost 4 yards on the next run. But Skelton hit Doucet coming out of the backfield for a go-ahead TD to cap an 87-yard drive and give the Cardinals a 21-17 lead.

Vick’s desperation deep pass on third-and-20 was intercepted by A.J. Jefferson to seal Arizona’s win.

Asante Samuel returned an interception 20 yards for a touchdown and LeSean McCoy had a 1-yard TD run to give the Eagles a 14-7 lead.

Vick was 16 of 34 for 128 yards and two interceptions. He’s hardly resembled the guy who was an MVP candidate and Pro Bowl starter last season.

Skelton completed 21 of 40 for 315 yards, three TDs and two picks.

Asomugha made up for a costly penalty by intercepting Skelton at the Cardinals 30 and returning it to the 26. Vick left the game after taking a hard hit to the side on a 7-yard run. Vince Young handed off on third down, setting up Henery’s field goal.

Cardinals kicker Jay Feely missed two field goals in the first quarter, hooking a 35-yard attempt wide left and a 43-yarder wide right.

The Eagles played without three starters, including two-time Pro Bowl wideout DeSean Jackson. He was inactive after missing a team meeting Saturday morning, two people familiar with the situation said.

Helped by a crucial penalty, the Cardinals tied it at 14 on Skelton’s 7-yard TD pass to Fitzgerald in the fourth quarter. An offside call on Asomugha allowed Arizona to extend the drive after an incomplete pass on third-and-10.

A few plays later, Fitzgerald caught a pass that was tipped by Joselio Hanson and scampered into the end zone for his franchise-record 70th career TD. Roy Green had 69 TDs for the Cardinals from 1979-90.

Vick made another poor pass that was intercepted by Richard Marshall at the Eagles 44 on the following series. But Philadelphia coach Andy Reid challenged after seeing several replays on the stadium’s video board and the play was overturned because the ball hit the ground.

The Eagles went ahead 14-7 late in the second quarter after a holding penalty on Marshall negated Adrian Wilson’s interception in the end zone. Vick scrambled 14 yards to the Cardinals 3 one play after his pass into triple coverage was picked.

A play later, McCoy scored for the ninth straight game, setting a team record.

The Associated Press

Michael Vick had another so-so performance and the Eagles (3-6) blew a fourth-quarter lead for the fifth time this season.

Starting for the injured Kevin Kolb, Skelton threw three touchdown passes to lead the Cardinals (3-6) to their second straight win. He threw a tying TD pass to Larry Fitzgerald in the fourth quarter of a 19-13 overtime win against St. Louis last week that snapped a six-game losing streak.

“I’ll have to look at this tape and just see where we are,” Cardinals coach Ken Whisenhunt said. “We’ll worry about that later. Kevin’s done a good job for us this year as well. Both guys have had things go squirrely in those games, so I’m not going to say that’s the case.”

Fitzgerald had two TD catches and made a sensational, over-the-shoulder diving catch to set up the go-ahead score in the fourth. He supported both QBs.

“I don’t like to compare,” he said. “That’s not fair. Both of them, we feel we can win with and that’s a good problem to have.”

The Eagles, on the other hand, can’t win with anybody.

The defending NFC East champions were expected to be Super Bowl contenders after a slew of big-name acquisitions in the offseason. Instead, they’ve struggled miserably and have lost seven of their past eight home games.

“We’ve all got to do better,” coach Andy Reid said.

Alex Henery kicked a 36-yard field goal with 5:06 remaining after Nnamdi Asomugha’s interception put the Eagles up 17-14.

But the Cardinals answered.

Skelton completed a 30-yard pass to LaRod Stephens-Howling on fourth-and-2 from the Cardinals 32 to keep the winning drive going. On third-and-10 from the Eagles 38, Fitzgerald made an incredible catch to the 1.

Beanie Wells was stopped for no gain and lost 4 yards on the next run. But Skelton hit Doucet coming out of the backfield for a go-ahead TD to cap an 87-yard drive and give the Cardinals a 21-17 lead.

“It was a team win,” Skelton said. “I put us down with a pick-six and late pick, but the defense bailed me out.”

Vick’s desperation deep pass on third-and-20 was intercepted by A.J. Jefferson to seal Arizona’s win.

Asante Samuel returned an interception 20 yards for a touchdown and LeSean McCoy had a 1-yard TD run to give the Eagles a 14-7 lead.

Vick was 16 of 34 for 128 yards and two interceptions. He’s hardly resembled the guy who was an MVP candidate and Pro Bowl starter last season.

“We were never able to get in a rhythm,” Vick said. “I never got comfortable. You have to find a way to get it done. I didn’t do it.”

Skelton completed 21 of 40 for 315 yards, three TDs and two picks.

Cardinals kicker Jay Feely missed two field goals in the first quarter, hooking a 35-yard attempt wide left and a 43-yarder wide right.

The Eagles played without three starters, including two-time Pro Bowl wideout DeSean Jackson. He was inactive after missing a team meeting Saturday morning.

“Things take time, so you come in and you learn,” Reid told reporters covering the Cardinals. “You had one of the all-time great ones there with Kurt Warner and that was up and down initially, and then he came in and got it all figured out and it was lights out. That’s how those things work.”

Reid coached Kolb for four seasons before trading him to the Cardinals for a 2012 second-round pick and cornerback Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie. Kolb has a 1-6 starting record with Arizona to go with a turf-toe injury that could keep him from playing against the Eagles in Week 10.

Any suggestion that Warner flourished in Arizona after experiencing a Kolb-like transition invites a closer look. Reid, having already talked up Kolb to teams before trading the quarterback, could have been in coach-speak mode Wednesday. Or, he could have been providing needed perspective only seven starts into what could wind up being a long, successful run for Kolb in Arizona.

Warner did suffer through some inconsistencies upon signing with the Cardinals in 2005, posting a 3-12 starting record in two seasons under Dennis Green. The struggles Warner experienced once Ken Whisenhunt took over in 2007 are easily forgotten for a couple reasons. One, Warner eventually took the Cardinals to the Super Bowl, for which he’ll always be remembered. Two, even though he struggled some during that first season under Whisenhunt, his overall numbers were good.

Warner, like Kolb, made his first start under Whisenhunt against Carolina. Warner lasted long enough to attempt two passes before a dislocated left elbow forced him from the game. Arizona lost, 25-10.

Warner started against Tampa Bay two weeks later and completed only 10 of 30 attempts for 172 yards. He tossed two interceptions and finished with a 26.0 NFL passer rating as Arizona lost, 17-10. Afterward, Warner said he was “embarrassed” and “disgusted” by the overall offensive performance.

Warner then put together three exceptional games. But a five-pick performance in defeat at Seattle soon followed. After that game, which ended Arizona’s chances for an NFC West title, Warner lamented having “cost my team the win” by forcing throws.

Warner then closed out the season with three more strong games, giving him 27 touchdown passes and 17 interceptions. The Cardinals were 5-6 in games he started.

There are obvious differences between then and now. Warner had already been a Super Bowl quarterback. He had vast starting experience and was playing under a modest contract. Expectations were low. The rich contract Kolb signed brought expectations for immediate results.

I thought Kolb’s backup, John Skelton, appeared more comfortable with the offense Sunday. He appeared more comfortable in the pocket. He avoided turnovers and posted a 53.9 QBR score that was higher than any Kolb has posted in a game this season. More on that in the NFC 411 video Thursday.

Earlier: Kolb and Matt Cassel.

It’s becoming burdensome to think of fresh, diplomatic ways to
say the Arizona Cardinals stink.

Last Sunday was a routine showing. Bad penalties, a Beanie Wells
injury, a quarterback so concerned with pressure that he took an
intentional grounding safety, a defense with a knack for giving up
the big play-in this case only the longest pass play in the
Steelers’ long and storied history, so … congrats?-to the delight
of what seemed like half the “home” crowd, and, of course, a
loss.

As usual with the Cardinals, even after a 12-point home loss,
they left you feeling like, had things broke accordingly, they
could have pulled it out. If Kolb doesn’t miss those wide open
receivers for easy scores … if they had just not given up that
Wallace bomb … if Wells doesn’t get hurt … if Peterson doesn’t
take another dumb pass interference call … et al. It’s the most
frustrating thing about this team, and it so was never so apparent
than during this Super Bowl rematch of three years ago that has
since witnessed the vaunted Steelers remain steadily on course
while the Cardinals wander around in no man’s land.

As if it couldn’t get worse, this week the Cardinals travel to
Baltimore to face the Ravens, who have become one of the AFC’s
elite, and who are coming off a bad loss. It’s hard to find more of
a lock on the schedule this weekend than a Cardinals loss. All of
their familiar Achilles Heels will be on display, but an east coast
road game against an opportunistic and aggressive defense should be
more than enough to drop this team to 1-6. Wells will be unable to
go — it won’t be very long now before this franchise tires of
Wells being unable to go — the offense becomes even more
one-dimensional, if that’s even possible. That dimension, Larry
Fitzgerald, will be covered twice, as usual. So … good luck.
My pick: Cardinals, 7, RAVENS, 31.

(Sports Network) – After losing to the Pittsburgh Steelers in Super Bowl XLIII,
the Arizona Cardinals were viewed as a team on the rise. A team in distress may
now be a more accurate description.

As for Pittsburgh, the franchise continues to set its sights on a third NFL
championship game appearance in four seasons.

Arizona hopes to avoid a fifth straight defeat this Sunday as it takes on
visiting Pittsburgh for the first time since its narrow loss to the Steelers
in Tampa at the end of the 2008 season.

Led by Kurt Warner and the dangerous wide receiver tandem of Larry Fitzgerald
and Anquan Boldin, the Cardinals went 9-7 during their Super Bowl season of
2008, the franchise’s first winning record since 1998. Arizona posted a 10-6
mark the following year to win a second straight NFC West title, but lost in
the playoffs to the Saints in the Divisional Round, and the retirement of
Warner as well as a trade of Boldin contributed to the club going just 5-11 in
2010.

Hoping to turn things around, the Cardinals opened this season with a home win
over the Carolina Panthers, but have since lost games to the Washington,
Seattle, the New York Giants and Minnesota before last weekend’s bye.

The first three losses of this skid came by a combined eight points, but
Arizona was blown out by a 34-10 margin at Minnesota two weekends ago, falling
behind by four touchdowns in the first quarter. Three of the Vikings’ first-
quarter scoring drives began inside the Cardinals 25-yard line.

Arizona has now lost 15 of its past 21 games since the start of 2010, but head
coach Ken Whisenhunt is hoping his team was able to clear their collective
minds during the break.

“You should feel a little bit healthier, a little bit more refreshed and maybe
a new perspective on where we are,” said Whisenhunt, who spent six seasons on
Pittsburgh’s coaching staff from 2001-06 — including the final three as
offensive coordinator — before taking over the Cardinals.

With 11 games still to go, Fitzgerald is hoping his team can still make a run
despite the large gap between the Cardinals and first-place San Francisco 49ers
(5-1) in the NFC West.

“Getting away and watching other teams, watching some other games, just seeing
the success other teams are having just made me realize anything is possible,”
Fitzgerald said. “We just have to get going in the other direction.”

Pittsburgh takes aim at a third straight victory and has won four of six to
begin the season, which followed a Super Bowl loss to Green Bay back in
February. The Steelers are currently tied with Cincinnati for second in the AFC
North, just back of the 4-1 Baltimore Ravens.

After a convincing 38-17 win over Tennessee on Oct. 9, the Steelers jumped out
to a quick lead this past Sunday versus the visiting Jacksonville Jaguars
before going a bit flat in the second half. Despite getting outscored 10-0
after halftime, Pittsburgh held on for a 17-13 victory.

“Great to get the win,” Pittsburgh head coach Mike Tomlin said. “Not the type
of finish we’re looking for, but obviously we’ll take it. We acknowledge we
didn’t play the type of football we wanted to in the second half.”

The Ben Roethlisberger-led offense racked up 315 yards in the first half,
including 113 on the ground from running back Rashard Mendenhall, but was
outgained 141-55 after intermission.

The Steelers also saw safety Troy Polamalu leave the game in the fourth
quarter after he hit his head on the leg of Jacksonville running back Maurice
Jones-Drew, but Tomlin said on Tuesday that his star defender passed a
concussion test and was cleared to practice this week.

“Troy Polamalu appears to be good to go,” Tomlin said. “He did a concussion
test, and he passed it. He met with our neurosurgeons, and they are very
comfortable with where he is.”

Pittsburgh could also have guard Chris Kemoeatu (knee), offensive tackle Marcus
Gilbert (shoulder) and linebacker Jason Worilds (quadriceps) back this weekend,
but will likely remain without defensive linemen Casey Hampton and Aaron Smith.

SERIES HISTORY

The Steelers hold a 31-23-3 overall advantage on the Cardinals in regular-
season play, but Arizona won the last such meeting between the teams via a
21-14 decision at University of Phoenix Stadium in 2007. Pittsburgh did top
the Cardinals at Heinz Field by a 28-15 score in 2003, but is just 1-3
lifetime in Arizona, with the lone victory a 26-20 overtime verdict at Sun
Devil Stadium on Nov. 30, 1997.

As previously noted, the most memorable and meaningful matchup among the two
clubs occurred in Super Bowl XLIII in Tampa on Feb. 1, 2009, with the Steelers
rallying for a 27-23 win on a Roethlisberger touchdown pass to Santonio Holmes
with 35 seconds left.

Whisenhunt, who spent six seasons with the Steelers as an assistant and served
as that team’s offensive coordinator from 2004-06, is 1-1 against his former
employers as the Cardinals’ head coach. Tomlin is 1-1 versus both Arizona and
Whisenhunt, with the win coming in the aforementioned Super Bowl.

WHEN THE STEELERS HAVE THE BALL

Pittsburgh ranks 10th in the league with an average of 373.0 yards per game and
has gone over the 350-yard mark in consecutive weeks. The Steelers ended with
370 against the Jaguars, with its 185 rushing yards giving the team back-to-
back games with at least 160 yards on the ground for the first time since late
November of last year. After being active but not getting a carry in a Week 5
win over the Titans, Mendenhall (319 rushing yards, 3 TD) roared back with 146
yards on 23 carries with a touchdown against Jacksonville. The game marked the
first time in his career he surpassed 100 yards rushing in the first half.
Roethlisberger (1576 passing yards, 9 TD, 6 INT) had a quiet game, managing 200
yards passing while completing just 12 of his 23 pass attempts, but that didn’t
stop wide receiver Mike Wallace (33 receptions, 4 TD) from having another big
day. He made just two catches but totaled 76 yards, pulling in the 20th
reception of his career for at least 40 yards. Twelve of those have resulted in
touchdowns. Hines Ward (23 receptions, 2 TD) added three catches for 47 yards,
leaving him 61 yards shy of becoming the 19th player to reach 12,000 in his
career, while tight end Heath Miller (19 receptions, 1 TD) led all Pittsburgh
receivers with four catches against the Jaguars.

Arizona’s 20th-ranked run defense (118.8 ypg) was torched by Minnesota running
back Adrian Peterson two weeks ago to the tune of 122 yards and three
touchdowns. The unit also took a hit when safety Kerry Rhodes (24 tackles, 2
sacks) suffered a broken foot that is expected to sideline him for a few
weeks. That led to Cardinals’ signing veteran safety Sean Considine. Cornerback
A.J. Jefferson (28 tackles) saw plenty of action against the Vikings, making a
team-leading eight tackles, while inside linebacker Daryl Washington (23
tackles, 2 sacks, 1 INT) came away with the Cardinals’ only sack as part of his
five-tackle day. Defensive end Calais Campbell (29 tackles, 2.5 sacks) has
stepped up his game over the past three weeks, recording 21 tackles, 2 1/2
sacks, four tackles for a loss and a forced fumble in that span. Linebacker
Joey Porter (14 tackles, 1 sack), who spent the first eight years of his career
with Pittsburgh starting in 1999, had only one tackle in the Minnesota game and
remains two sacks shy of becoming the 26th player in league history to reach
100 in his career. He is aided on the right side by Paris Lenon (30 tackles).
Rashad Johnson will likely start in Rhodes’ place beside Adrian Wilson (20
tackles, 1 INT).

WHEN THE CARDINALS HAVE THE BALL

Arizona traded for quarterback Kevin Kolb in the offseason to bring long-term
stability to the position, something the club lacked last year after Warner’s
retirement, but the offense has struggled as Kolb goes through his growing
pains. The Cardinals rank 18th in total yards per game at 340.2 and is scoring
at just a 19.2 points-per-game clip. Kolb (1281 passing yards, 5 TD, 6 INT)
completed half of his 42 passes versus the Vikings for 232 yards and was picked
off twice, while also being sacked four times without a touchdown throw.
Arizona’s lone trip to the end zone came on Beanie Wells’ two-yard run in the
third quarter. Wells (381 rushing yards, 6 TD) posted his fourth straight game
with a rushing touchdown, tied for the second-longest streak in club history.
Ottis Anderson was the last Cards player to do so, scoring in five consecutive
games from 1983-84. Kolb has one of the best options in the game in Fitzgerald
(27 receptions, 2 TD), but it was fellow wideout Early Doucet (21 receptions, 1
TD) who was targeted 16 times against Minnesota. He made eight catches for 92
yards, while Fitzgerald had four receptions for 66 yards. With Todd Heap (13
receptions) missing the game with a hamstring injury, tight end Jeff King (10
receptions, 2 TD) made five catches for 35 yards.

Kolb figures to be in for another long day on Sunday, as he goes against the
league’s top-ranked defense. Pittsburgh is allowing only 270.5 yards per game,
including an NFL-best 157.7 yards through the air. The Steelers are also fourth
overall with an average of 17 points allowed per game. Pittsburgh held the
Jaguars to 76 net passing yards, marking the fourth time in the past five games
it has held its opponent under 150 passing yards. That 76-yard total was also
the team’s fourth-lowest output under Tomlin. Pittsburgh brought the pressure
in a big way as well, notching five sacks versus the Jaguars, including four in
the first half for the first time since Nov. 3, 2008. Linebacker LaMarr Woodley
(27 tackles, 5 sacks) and defensive end Brett Keisel (15 tackles, 2 sacks) both
had two sacks, with Keisel matching a career high. Woodley, meanwhile, has
multiple sacks in two straight games, and inside linebacker James Farrior (42
tackles, 2 sacks) also had a quarterback takedown in addition to a club-leading
11 tackles. Safety Ryan Clark (38 tackles) ended with 10 stops, while Woodley
had eight and Polamalu (40 tackles, 1 sack) five before exiting. Woodley has
grabbed Pittsburgh’s only interception this year.

KEYS TO THE GAME

The Cardinals fell behind big two weeks ago and may have trouble staying out
of a big hole again on Sunday. Pittsburgh has scored on its first three drives
in two straight games and has yielded three points or less during the first
quarter in four of its last five contests.

If Arizona can keep pace, Wells should get a big workload. He has rushed for
216 yards and five touchdowns in the second half this season, compared to
165 yards and one score before halftime. Wells will be key to the Cardinals
grinding things out late, as 13 of his 18 rushing first downs have also come in
the second half.

Having Polamalu will be key for the Steelers as they try to lock down on
Fitzgerald. The Cardinals’ Pro Bowl receiver had a pair of touchdowns in the
Super Bowl meeting and made 10 grabs for 120 yards in his only regular-season
game versus Pittsburgh.

OVERALL ANALYSIS

This appears to be a heavy mismatch on paper, and that should hold true on the
field even with the Cardinals the fresher of the two clubs. Arizona’s offense
has had trouble finding a groove as Kolb goes through his first long-term
action as a starter, and the Cardinals don’t have enough weapons outside of
Fitzgerald to keep Pittsburgh’s hungry defense in check. The Steelers,
meanwhile, have featured a balanced offense all season that should give the
Cardinals trouble. Expect the Black and Gold to claim this Super Bowl rematch
with ease.

Sports Network Predicted Outcome: Steelers 31, Cardinals 13

The Sports Network

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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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.