Arizona Cardinals Week 14: 6 Takeaways from Cards' Win over 49ers

The Arizona Cardinals (6-7) ended a five-game losing streak to the San Francisco 49ers (10-3) Sunday in a 21-19 home win—their fifth victory in six games. The recent upswing has fans on various message boards and blogs talking playoff scenarios. However, let's not get ahead of ourselves—much needs to happen in the next few weeks for that to be a serious consideration.

The win Sunday marked the biggest victory of the 2011 season, and six things that took place throughout the course of the game made it possible.

Let's review what can be taken from this enormous victory.

Ray Horton's Defense Was Nasty—Again

As was pointed out in an earlier B/R article, Ray Horton has his defense playing some of the best ball in the NFL over the past month and a half.

His scheme is no joke. For the second consecutive week, Arizona racked up five sacks of the quarterback from five different players.

Defensive linemen Darnell Dockett and Calais Campbell are the only members of the defense that have recorded a sack in each of those two games, with six others collecting one sack apiece.

Oddly though, they did not generate a single turnover in those games.

Nonetheless, the front seven of Horton’s crew has been much improved since the start of the 2011 season, and the defense has not allowed 100 overall rushing yards to a team since losing to these 49ers in Week 11—a three-game span.

Adrian Wilson Is Back to His Old, Bad Self

He had only three tackles in the game, but Adrian Wilson showed how important he is to Horton's defense by disrupting passing lanes.

If he had a set of hands he would have picked off Alex Smith twice in the second half—three times if he were faster.

Wilson was everywhere the Cardinals needed him to be in every key situation in this must-win game.

If the play was within 15 yards of the line of scrimmage, he was within two yards of the ball carrier at the end of nearly every play. Rarely—if ever—was he out of position.

At the beginning of the season, he was expected to be Horton’s Troy Polamalu, his be-everywhere, do-everything safety who would make plays when his team needed him. He has quietly been just that in 2011 for Arizona and more.

The stats do not show it, but the game film does.

Attention Michael Bidwell: Pay Your Star

Another solid performance from Calais Campbell Sunday went over-looked because of other storylines the game saw unfold.

He recorded only two tackles; however, he stuffed running lanes and put pressure on Smith a handful of times.

He’s had a sack in consecutive games for the first time since around this time last year (Week 15 at Carolina and Week 16 versus Dallas).

His seven sacks on the season leads the team, and he is second among defensive linemen in the NFL with eight passes defended. That includes two more deflections against the 49ers. Campbell also leads the league with three blocked kicks.

It’s about time the contract negotiations are kicked up a notch. If they are not, Arizona may lose its most valuable defender.

Larry Fitzgerald Is in It to Win It

As if we all didn’t know by now, Larry Fitzgerald is all about winning football games. Fitz had a great day catching the ball, finishing with seven grabs for 149 yards (21.3 yards per catch) and one TD.

He had a great acrobatic catch-and-run for a 46-yard touchdown and a nice broken tackle on a 53-yard reception that set up the winning score.

His play without the ball deserves attention as well, though.

He leveled 49ers corner Tarell Brown on Arizona’s first touchdown of the game, a 60-yard strike from John Skelton to receiver Early Doucet. It's one you have to see repeatedly, and that still is not enough.

One more time?

Sure, why not? It’s worth it.

The Pass Protection Was the Best It's Been All Season

There were two sacks of Cardinals quarterbacks in the game. Defensive tackle Justin Smith of Kevin Kolb—the play that knocked Kolb out of the game—and rookie linebacker Aldon Smith of Skelton.

Strangely, Kolb’s came on the third play from scrimmage in the first half, while Skelton’s came on the third play from scrimmage in the second half.

Other than that and a few instances in which Skelton had to scramble, the pocket remained as clean as a whistle. He often had time to go through his progression and was able to succeed because of it.

One thing of note: The line play was average with Brandon Keith in at right tackle. When Jeremy Bridges replaced him because of a knee injury, the line was immaculate.

Relief Performance of the Year: John Skelton

After a half of football, Arizona’s offense was beyond stagnant. If not for the long pass play from Skelton to Doucet for Arizona’s only points of the half, there would have been zero going on at all.

“You’re only as good as your last play, your last game,” Skelton told azcardinals.com. “You kind of have to live with that until you get another opportunity.”

That opportunity came in bunches in the second half. Skelton was brilliant after the break, completing 14 of 18 passes (77.8%) for 195 yards, two TD and one INT for a 125.7 rating.

Skelton for the game completed 19 of 28 passes (67.9%) for 282 yards, three TD and two INT for a 106.5 rating.

Considering he played the role of long-reliever against the defense that ate him alive just three weeks ago, this was the best game of his career.

Of course, if not for the play of his offensive line, it may have turned out much differently.