GLENDALE, Ariz. (AP) -A year ago, the Arizona Cardinals clinched the NFC West title, then sank into a deep funk.
They were embarrassed at home by Minnesota 35-14, then buried in the snow of New England 47-7.
One week after wrapping up the division title again, the Cardinals (9-5) are home Sunday against the St. Louis Rams (1-13). If last season’s pratfall isn’t enough of a lesson, last Sunday’s 31-24 struggle against 2-12 Detroit should be.
“We need to play a lot better than we did last year at this time,” star wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald said. “We know we won last week, but there’s a lot of room for improvement.”
Arizona still has at least a mathematical chance to be the No. 2 seed and get a first-round bye. That would require an unlikely scenario that includes,among other things, Minnesota losing its final two games.
eed,” coach Ken Whisenhunt said. “Even though it may not be a great chance, it is a chance, and I’d hate to have to be sitting here next week and say `Wow, what could have been.”’
The Rams have lost six in a row since their lone win at Detroit, but five have been by 10 points or less, including last Sunday’s 16-13 home loss to Houston.
“There have been some close games that we’ve had there that, for the sake of the players, I sure wish they would have had the reward of a win,” coach Steve Spagnuolo said. “That’s been the hard part. We’ll just keep plugging away.”
St. Louis has been ravaged by injuries, with 12 players on season-ending injured reserve.
Rookie Keith Null has started at quarterback the last two games because Marc Bulger is out with a broken left shinbone and Kyle Boller has been sidelined first with a bruised thigh, then with flulike symptoms.
That puts even more load on workhorse running back Steven Jackson, the No. 2 rusher in the NFL behind Tennessee’s Chris Johnson. Jackson has earned the admiration of Whisenhunt for his work ethic and attitude through the Rams’ tough times.
“That’s what being a professional is all about,” Whisenhunt said, “…to fight through what he’s been through and still want to continue to play when a lot of other guys would have packed it in.”
e Arizona blew a 17-0 lead before coming back to win on a late touchdown drive. Quarterback Kurt Warner thinks the passing game “is going to be just fine.”
“I just think we have to continue to clean things up,” he said. “We have to just be able to react and know what we’re looking for, to see it and reacting quickly. That was one of the things we didn’t do well enough on Sunday (against Detroit).”
Arizona has improved greatly in the running game, with rookie Beanie Wells rushing for 110 yards in 17 carries against the Lions, including a 33-yarder to set up the winning touchdown.
The Cardinals have topped 100 yards on the ground in five of their last seven games, including a season-high 183 in their 21-13 victory over the Rams in St. Louis on Nov. 22.
“They ran the ball pretty good on us,” said Rams defensive end Chris Long. “Just to think they’re getting better at it, we’re really going to have to be on our game.”
The running attack has changed the dynamics of a team that has relied so heavily on Warner’s arm.
“When you are able to run the ball and chew clock and get first downs and make big plays, it changes the whole complexion of the way you can play and how you feel comfortable playing,” Warner said. “I think that’s the point we’ve gotten to these last seven, eight games.”
With a victory, the Cardinals will have their first 10-win season since 1976. It also would assure them of not losing consecutive games for the first time since 1975.
Warner says it’s a more complete team than the one that got on a roll last year in a stunning run to the Super Bowl.
“It’s a completely different team this year,” he said. “You’ve seen so many games that we’ve won in so many ways. I think a sign of a good football team is when somebody doesn’t have their A-game that somebody else can step up and win for you. … We’ve seen that all year long.”
Fitzgerald has been in Arizona long enough to know how the Rams feel, and how this game is no gimme for the heavily favored home team.
“I remember back when we were a really bad football team, we played a lot of close games down the stretch,” he said. “Guys coming in here didn’t think they were going to be in for a fight and we came out and played well. But that’s the NFL. You can get beat any week.”
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