It was a scene I was familiar with.

Growing up an Arizona Cardinals season ticket holder, I went to plenty of games where we were outnumbered by the opposing team's fans. So what I saw Tuesday night was, unfortunately, nothing new.

Jobing.com Arena was a sea of blue shirts, as Vancouver Canucks fans made up a high percentage of the 16,691 people in attendance. They came hoping to see the best team in hockey leave with a win, but instead saw the hottest team in the league finish the month of February with a 2-1 shootout win.

Needless to say, Canucks fans were fairly quiet on the way out of the building.

"It was nice," Coyotes goaltender Mike Smith said of sending non-Coyotes fans away like that. "It was obviously a passionate group and I respect that, but it was nice to get the two points and kind of quiet the building a little bit."

The Oscars will be handed out Sunday in Los Angeles, as the film industry's best and brightest will be rewarded for the hard work they've put forth over the last year.

It is in that spirit that we're going to hand out the Greenies umm...Arizona Sports Oscars, given to Arizona's teams, athletes and coaches for their hard - and sometimes disappointing - work over the last year.

So, without further ado, here we go…

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Best Performance in a Leading Role

Nominees: Steve Nash, Larry Fitzgerald, Derrick Williams, Justin Upton, Ian Kennedy, Shane Doan

Winner: Larry Fitzgerald
No one was as great as consistently as Larry Fitzgerald this past year, as he hauled in 80 catches for 1,411 yards and eight touchdowns despite incredibly shaky QB play. Whether he was making one-handed grabs or going across the middle, Fitz put the team on his back multiple times, and his presence alone gives Cardinals fans hope for the future.

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Best Performance in a Supporting Role

Nominees: Grant Hill, J.J. Putz, Radim Vrbata, Miguel Montero, John Skelton

Winner: J.J. Putz
Putz arrived in the off-season and gave the D-backs the closer they had lacked since trading Jose Valverde away after the 2007 season. The veteran tallied 45 saves and a 2.17 ERA, while striking out 61. If the D-backs got to the ninth with a lead you felt really good about their chances to win the game, and that's because of Putz.

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Best Costume Design

Nominees: Diamondbacks throwbacks, ASU Football, Arizona Basketball

Winner: D-backs throwbacks
The Diamondbacks honored their 2001 World Series team by rocking one of the jerseys they wore that season. The white vest with purple pinstripes and a purple shirt underneath is a look many fans were excited to see, and hope to see again. Of course, it doesn't hurt that the D- backs won three of the four games they wore the jerseys in, but no matter the reason it's a look that brings plenty of fond memories.

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Film I wish I never saw

Nominees: Hedo Turkoglu, Melvin Mora, Ilya Bryzgalov against the Red Wings, "Beast Mode"

Winner: Hedo Turkoglu
Hedo came to the Suns in a trade with hopes of rediscovering the form that made him one of the game's better all-around players. He left the Suns in a trade after averaging just 9.5 points, 4 rebounds, 2.3 assists. On the plus side, he did lead the team in fans cursing his name, so there's that.

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Best Director

Nominees: Kirk Gibson, Dave Tippett, Ken Whisenhunt, Sean Miller, Clint Myers

Winner: Kirk Gibson
The Diamondbacks entered the season low on talent and expectations, and finished it NL West champions with dreams of even more. "GibbyBall" proved to be an effective strategy, as the D-backs led the league in come-from- behind victories and played hard for 27 outs each night. While they may be a more talented group than originally given credit for, there is no doubt Gibson got the most out of the least.

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Best Picture

Nominees: Arizona basketball, Arizona Diamondbacks, Phoenix Coyotes, ASU Softball

Winner: ASU Softball
The only Arizona team to win a national championship, Clint Myers' squad went 51-9 during the regular season and won all five of its postseason games, outscoring the competition 30-12 in a dominant effort that led to the school's second ever Women's College World Series Championship.

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Best Short Film

Nominees: Larry Fitzgerald vs. Eagles, Beanie Wells vs. Rams, Ian Kennedy vs. Phillies, Derrick Williams vs. Duke

Winner: Derrick Williams vs. Duke
Derrick Williams destroyed Duke. Derrick Williams eviscerated Duke. Derrick Williams owned Duke. However you want to put it, Williams' 32 point, 13 rebound performance in the Sweet 16 was as dominant as you'll see at any level. Williams made 11 of 17 shots - including 5 of 6 from three - and basically carried the Wildcats to the Elite 8.

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Most Disappointing Picture

Nominees: Kevin Kolb, Vontaze Burfict, Phoenix Suns, ASU Football

Winner: Vontaze Burfict
Vontaze Burfict entered the season one of the most feared linebackers in all of college football, and left it as one of the most ridiculed. His issues personified all that was wrong with ASU football, as he was undisciplined some of the time and ineffective most of it. Save for a few moments of "yeah, that's 'Taz," the junior had a season everyone would like to forget.

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Best Editing

Nominees: Kevin Towers, Don Maloney, Greg Byrne

Winner: Don Maloney
Don Maloney has built a team that will likely reach the playoffs three consecutive seasons, with few resources other than his own ability to discover talent and work contract-negotiating magic. I mean come on, he was basically forced to dump Ilya Bryzgalov, only to come up with Mike Smith as a replacement. Well done, sir.

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Best Storyline

Nominees: Steve Nash trade rumors, Peyton Manning to the Cardinals rumors, D-backs playoff run, Coyotes sale/move, Kevin Kolb rumors

Winner: Peyton Manning to the Cardinals rumors
Everyone loves a good rumor, and this one may be the best. A QB of Peyton Manning's stature and ability wanting to join the Cardinals? Sign me up! The thought of the laser- rocket arm throwing passes to Larry Fitzgerald is enough to make any Birdgang fan salivate. Of course, it's all a rumor, as the QB may not even be able to play next year -- if ever again.

Alvin Gentry had his Denny Green moment after Wednesday's loss to Golden State.

There was no "The Warriors are who we thought they were," but Gentry's anger and frustration were not unlike that of the former Cardinals coach that fateful October eve.

"I'm disgusted," Gentry said. "I'm disgusted with the way we played, I'm disgusted with the fact that we've got a chance to end the break on something really upbeat and positive, and instead we just walk through the first (expletive) 10 minutes of the game, excuse me. The first 10 minutes of the game, I'm sorry."

Gentry apologized for his use of profanity, but he shouldn't have to. He's not the only person who's wanted to curse at the team donning purple and orange this season, as a 14-20 record at the break is certainly nothing to smile about.

But this isn't Gentry's fault, so he has nothing to be sorry for. The ones who should be apologizing are the decision-makers who gutted a roster the head coach guided to the Western Conference Finals less than two calendar years ago, and was a Ron Artest (when he was still called that) put-back away from a likely trip to the NBA Finals.

As sports fans, we want our teams to win now and win later, as the very thought of losing is generally unacceptable.

But with the Phoenix Suns doing its fair share of losing and a rebuilding process on the horizon, winning may become a foreign concept at the US Airways Center, at least for a little while.

So, it should come as no surprise that when Suns President of Basketball Operations Lon Babby, as a guest on Arizona Sports 620's Doug and Wolf as part of Newsmakers Week, asked if he had something he wanted to tell the fans, he said this:

"Be patient and give us a chance, and measure us as we go through."

Wise words, yes, but unfortunately for Babby and the Suns, sports fans are not a patient bunch, and the championship- starved group in Phoenix is no different.

Suns fans went through the Barkley years, falling short in a variety of different ways. They went through the Nash/Stoudemire years, with a team that seemed to have everything but luck on their side.

The fact that the Suns are no longer a team on the cusp of winning a title is not surprising, as contending is a cyclical process. The Suns had their turn, and now the window has closed. It's happened before and it's happening now.

That's why, instead of patience, Babby should be asking Suns fans for the one thing they owe the team:

Understanding.

And you know what? I think Suns fans would be understanding of every move the Suns have to or should make.

No Suns fan really wants to see the team trade Steve Nash, but most would understand if the Suns decided it was the best thing to do for their franchise.

No Suns fan wants the Suns to tank the season and aim for a high lottery pick, but most would understand if the Suns felt that was the best course for a quick turnaround.

No Suns fan wants to see the Suns struggle on the court, but most would understand that as bad as things are now, they'll probably get worse. Much worse.

Hell, while we're at it, no Suns fan thought the signings of Sebastian Telfair, Shannon Brown, Ronnie Price and Michael Redd were going to make the team go from lottery to contender, but we understood you were taking flyers on players who were not great, hoping to maybe catch lightning in a bottle.

And that's why, while Babby is making requests of Suns fans, I have one for him and the team:

Be understanding of us, too.

Understand that we know you are trying your best to win, with no one thinking your goal is to destroy a once-proud franchise.

But, keep in mind, while you want us to judge you solely from the moves you make going forward, it's tough to trust an organization whose owner made a habit of selling draft picks and letting key players leave in free agency.

While that's not your fault or responsibility, it is a cloud that will hang over the franchise until you prove you can turn this thing around. Until then, most Suns fans will remain at best hopeful, but most likely skeptical.

Also understand that we want the team to win just as much as you do, and while we may feel differently about the best way to go about it, know that our hearts are all in the right place - the same place.

And that's really what this is all about. Whatever side of the fence you're on when it comes to trading Nash, faith in the front office or belief that the Suns will ever regain their status as a contender, all we want is for the Suns to be winners again.

This isn't the first time the Arizona Cardinals have been linked to a future Hall of Famer.

The last time was in 1993, when the San Francisco 49ers were looking to trade Joe Montana.

Always needing a QB and never opposed to adding someone who would sell tickets, the Cardinals did their best to land one of the best signal callers the game has ever seen, only to watch Montana spurn Big Red in favor of the Kansas City Chiefs.

At the time, many felt Montana used the Cardinals to drive up the price, never having any real intention of heading to the desert.

Roughly 10 years later the Cardinals pursued former Cowboys running back Emmitt Smith, who was clearly on the downside of his career and was just hoping to pick up a few more yards to add to his NFL-record total.

Always needing a running back and never opposed to adding someone who would sell tickets, the Cardinals offered a starting job as well as a nice contract.

Smith took the deal, though many at the time knew the 33- year-old had little left to give the NFL, and instead was just signing with the Cardinals because they were the only team who would give him the ball. While he wasn't bad for the team, Smith did nothing to change the culture and, at one point in his first season with the team, was reduced to tears over what was transpiring on the field.

Trust me Emmitt, many a Cardinals fan has shed tears over the team's play, too.

However, nearly 10 years after that the Cardinals are once again being mentioned as a suitor for one of the all-time greats, only their rumored pursuit of Peyton Manning has a different feel to it.

The Cardinals would not be used to simply drive up the price, nor are they the only team that would offer Manning a starting job. They would not be after him just to sell tickets (though he'd certainly help), and he'd be brought in as the missing piece to a championship puzzle, not because of name recognition.

Assuming the Cardinals are interested in Manning (and really, why wouldn't they be?), there's really only one other hurdle to clear. You know, Manning actually having interest in Big Red. Never before has a player who most of the NFL coveted actually picked the Cardinals. Never before have the Cardinals been a great place for a great QB to come and play.

But that's exactly what's happened.

ESPN NFL insider Adam Schefter and CBS NFL analyst (and former NFL GM) Charley Casserly have said it, and ESPN columnist Ashley Fox has written it: Manning to the Cardinals makes sense.

Tell me, Cardinals fans, does a still-great player wanting to come to Arizona and play for the Cardinals make sense to you? Maybe not in the past, but that just goes to show how much things have changed for this organization.

No longer are the Cardinals a laughingstock, an organization known for being as cheap as it was poorly run. Sure, there is still a national perception that the team refuses to spend money - and at times it's probably still accurate - but they're no more frugal than plenty of other teams in the league.

If these Arizona Cardinals were the same as your father's version, Larry Fitzgerald would not have signed a contract extension last summer. If these Arizona Cardinals were the same as my father's version, they would not have rallied to finish 8-8 last season after a 1-6 start.

In the early 90s the Cardinals tried to trade for a great player, one who could have changed the franchise's fortunes but likely never really wanted to have much to do with Arizona. In the early 2000s the Cardinals signed a past-his-prime running back, who likely never really wanted to have much to do with Arizona, but found no other place to go.

These Arizona Cardinals are different, and that fact can be seen in the moves they could make as much as it can in the ones they've made.

Does Peyton Manning want to be an Arizona Cardinal? We can't be sure, at least not yet. But the fact that the idea of a great player having interest in the team because he thinks he can win - and not just make the most money or find a starting job no one else will give him - is a sign of just how far the team has come over the years.

And, with any luck, the Cards will actually land a guy the rest of the NFL covets, proving once and for all that the "same old Cardinals" are officially dead.

The Diamondbacks had FanFest Saturday, just as they did one year ago.

The event, which signifies the unofficial start to the season, gives fans a chance to see the players for the first time since the previous year.

Last time around, the mood was different. Last time around, the Diamondbacks were coming off a couple of poor seasons, filled with bad baseball and managerial changes. Looking for little more than a fresh start, fans hoped the team would simply be competitive and fun to watch while the players wanted to learn how to win once again.

Last time around, the Diamondbacks weren't the defending NL West champs. This time around, they are the team everyone is trying to catch.

They'll take it.

"Given the choice, I think being a champion is something you strive to be so defending is fun," D-backs Managing Partner Ken Kendrick said.

The last time the team was in a similar position was 2008, when they followed up a postseason appearance by trading away half the farm system to get Oakland's Dan Haren. Arizona followed a torrid April by tanking, essentially, the next three seasons, and it took until last year to finally turn things around.

But they've done it.

Though there is no official number to say how many fans were at Chase Field Saturday, there is little doubt it was a record turnout. Plenty of Sedona Red -- and even a little Milwaukee Brewers Blue and Gold, apparently -- could be found, with both young and old excited to see a team they expect great things from in 2012.

Expectations? Sure, but once again, it's better than the alternative.

"We have all the players basically back from a year ago when the team was a division champ and we've added some players," Kendrick said. "That's OK, that's what sports is."

But then Kendrick said the words that should make even the most ardent D-backs fan just a bit cautious heading into the season.

"Repeating is tougher than winning the first time."

Kendrick knows the Diamondbacks won't catch anyone by surprise this year -- be it opposing teams or the team's own fanbase -- and is comfortable with the roster after an offseason that most "experts" say was a very productive one.

Though Arizona is returning the bulk of a roster that won 94 games last season, GM Kevin Towers went into the offseason looking to improve. The D-backs went out and added a front-line starter in Trevor Cahill, picked up relievers Craig Breslow and Takashi Saito to bolster an already solid bullpen, and brought in a big bat in the form of outfielder Jason Kubel who, while a surprise addition, could prove to be huge for the team.

One year ago the Arizona Diamondbacks were a team looking for nothing more than a fresh start, but as they say, what a difference a year can make.

On October 2, 2011, the Arizona Cardinals lost a game they should have won.

Leading 27-17 with just more than five minutes left, they had the New York Giants on the ropes, staring a 2-2 record - as well as legitimacy - in the face.

Of course, we all know what happened from there.

The defense caved, Victor Cruz "gave himself up" and the Giants scored a pair of touchdowns to take the lead. The Cardinals drove as far as the New York 30 with less than a minute left, but a fourth-down slant to Fitzgerald fell incomplete.

Game over, Giants win.

Looking back, did New York really have the look of a Super Bowl champion? Of course not. There's a reason they won just nine regular season games, as well as why they are not even close to being the favorites to win the 2013 Super Bowl.

None of that will take the shine off the Lombardi Trophy the team just won, nor mean some less-fortunate people around the world won't be receiving a shipment of shirts that say the New England Patriots won this year's Super Bowl. What it does mean is that the 2012 season has officially begun, and the Arizona Cardinals -- a team that should have beat the Giants (and thereby kept them out of the playoffs) -- has a chance to reach the big game for the second time in five years.

Crazy talk? Perhaps, as I did consume large amounts of good tasting-yet-bad-for me food Sunday, possibly leaving me to write through some sort of sugary euphoria.

However, the Cardinals, one season after finishing 8-8, certainly seem capable of taking another step forward.

Remember, this is a team that ended the 2011 season as hot as any in football. They found a defense, rediscovered Larry Fitzgerald and rode into the offseason with belief in what they're doing. They could still use a QB…cough… Peyton Manning…cough…but otherwise seem to have everything a team needs to compete in the NFL.

And, as the Giants showed us this year (and the Cardinals in 2008), you do not have to be a great team to make it to the Super Bowl. Hell, you don't have to be a great team to win the Super Bowl. You only have to be good enough to make the playoffs, and anything can happen from there.

Now, this isn't meant to say you should be making hotel reservations for New Orleans and take vacation time around the weekend of February 3rd. While the Cardinals may be favored to land Peyton Manning, they are not the favorites to win the NFC West - let alone the NFC.

What they are, though, is a decent team with room to improve. What they are is a team that should have beaten the eventual Super Bowl champions.

What they are, on February 6, 2012, is a team not unlike 30 other squads in the NFL, all looking to knock off the Giants, which is something the Cardinals should have done last year.

The good news is they'll get their shot.

The thought came to me about as quickly as the Suns went from Western Conference finalist to lottery team.

It's weird being a Suns fan right now, as I find myself wanting the team to lose while being disgusted at the idea of them re-signing Nash.

— Adam Green (@theAdamGreen) January 30, 2012

Two questions come from this.

One, what kind of writer uses their own tweet as the basis for a column? And two, what kind of fan actually wants their favorite team to lose games?

Well, as far as question number one is concerned, I have no comment. But when it comes to question two, though, I'll say one who really, truly cares about the team.

As of right now the Phoenix Suns are 8-13, which is good enough for 12th-best in the Western Conference, and 9th-worst in the NBA. That's the area known as "NBA purgatory," a state where a team is not good enough to contend nor bad enough to get one of the top picks in the upcoming draft.

And they seem content to not only stay there for now, but actually extend their lease a couple more years.

According to a report on HoopsWorld.com, the Suns not only have little interest in trading Steve Nash before the March 15 deadline, but would actually like to re-sign the veteran for a couple more seasons after this one.

Whether or not Nash would like to spend the twilight of his career playing for a team striving for .500 is one thing, but the idea that the Suns would like to bring him back - even as good as he still is - is rather mystifying.

It's weird, because nobody really wants Steve Nash to go. He's won plenty of games, a pair of MVP awards, and numerous fans across the Valley. Hell, he's one of the most popular players in the world! Nash has done it all while wearing purple and orange, being the best ambassador a team could ever hope to have.

And, he can still play, as evidenced by his 30-point, 10 assist performance in Wednesday's win over the Hornets, one that saw him become the franchise's leader in assists.

Ultimately, though, this isn't even about Nash. Sure, there is probably a strong contingent of "Nash fans," people who care more about the player than the team. You know, the fans who say they'll never watch another one of the team's games if he's traded. Well, attendance at US Airways Center has not exactly been great this season, so people aren't really watching games even with Nash still around.

But I digress.

The Suns may not be able to trade Nash before the end of the season simply because they may never get an offer they deem worthy of pulling the trigger on. While the merits of just trading him with an eye on tanking the season can be debated ad nausea, it would be tough to just throw in the towel on the season, especially with competitors like Grant Hill, Marcin Gortat and Jared Dudley in that locker room.

That's fine.

As Suns fans, we know how great Steve Nash has been. As Suns fans, we know how good Steve Nash still is. But, as Suns fans, we also know the next time the team contends will be without Nash on the roster.

As Suns fans, we know it's time for the team to move on, finally bottoming out. Whether it's this season or this summer, the move must be made, because only then will they be able to start the climb back up.

The email came Sunday afternoon.

"Kurt Warner retired two years ago today (January 29, 2010); and the Cardinals enter their third straight off- season still looking for his replacement," wrote Craig Grialou, a reporter here at Arizona Sports.

Thanks for the reminder, Gri.

With Peyton Manning rumors flying around like errant Derek Anderson passes, the Cardinals are certainly not settled at the most important position in sports. Even if Manning does not come to the Valley, there's a chance John Skelton will unseat Kevin Kolb in training camp, thus becoming the team's third Week 1 starter in three seasons.

That's what could happen. Of course, it may not, and Kolb may enter the season with a firm grasp on the starting QB job, ready to lead the Cardinals back to the playoffs.

But does anyone, right now, really believe he can? Does anyone, right now, really believe he will? According to a story by FoxSportsArizona.com's Craig Morgan, there's a chance Kolb's health may ultimately prevent him from being the QB Arizona needs.

Which, in turn, would bring the franchise back to the same place it was that Friday afternoon, when Warner announced he was ending an illustrious 12-year career.

Back then, though, the future at QB seemed clear. Matt Leinart, the prized first-round pick who had lost the starting job before the 2008 season, would take all he'd learned the last couple seasons and become the team's QB of the present and future.

Yeah, not quite. As we all know Leinart was unimpressive in training camp before being released, and the aforementioned Anderson got the job. While he took the game seriously, he wasn't any good. Neither was undrafted rookie Max Hall (imagine that), and while fellow rookie John Skelton showed promise, he was anything but a sure thing. So, the team went out and got Kolb.

Unfortunately the new QB - while better than the players he replaced - wasn't particularly impressive, as him signing a big contract was about the only thing he did last season that would make someone think "starting QB."

So, two years later the Cardinals are in the same place as they were when No. 13 called it quits, with a big-money- yet-unproven QB the presumed starter but really no certainty at the position.

And that's why the Cardinals are being linked to Manning, should the future Hall of Famer be released by the Colts, especially since the team would appear to have much to offer the 35-year-old.

Sure, parting with Kolb so soon after acquiring him would not be great for the wallets, and there are some who think the Cardinals may be reluctant to dump the QB after investing so much in him and getting so little in return.

But would the team really pass on a player who can actually pass just that just so they could see if the guy they traded for might be the answer? Would they let the next Kurt Warner go somewhere else just because they paid Kevin Kolb a lot of money last summer?

Doubtful.

Truth is, though, this would have nothing to do with Kolb. Sure, he wasn't great last season, and absolutely, his injury history is a concern going forward. But the team doesn't want to cut him, the team doesn't want to save money and not pay him that big roster bonus.

Any decision to go in a different direction would be based solely on the opportunity to get one of the best QBs the NFL has ever seen, and one who would undoubtedly would be looking to prove to the world that he's still got "it." Does that sound familiar?

Two years ago the Cards said goodbye to a player who brought similar goals to the team, and the team to the Super Bowl. Will Peyton Manning be the answer? Maybe, maybe not. The fact that the question is still being asked, though, is an issue.

Two years ago the Cardinals found themselves looking for a QB they could rely on.

Two years ago the Cardinals were where they are now.

Steve Nash is a smart guy.

At 37-years-old he is as worldly as any player in the NBA - and maybe sports, in general.

And, having listened to the way he answers questions, it would be safe to say he doesn't just "say things." No, every word the Suns star gives a reporter is done with purpose and for a reason.

Needless to say, the veteran's words after Tuesday's tough home loss to the Raptors were a little surprising.

"We just don't have the talent to, you know, go out there and win games," he said. "We've got to find a little bit something extra, we've got to find a little magic and our chemistry, our cohesion - we haven't found it yet."

A player saying the team just doesn't have enough talent to win games is not something you generally hear - or want to hear, really - but with the Suns struggling to a 6-11 mark it would be disingenuous of Nash or anyone else to say everything is just fine on Planet Orange.

However, maybe those words, while troubling, could be chalked up to the frustration of another tough loss, as the game had only recently ended.

But then came Thursday's words.

"We're a team in transition so we don't have a complete roster, so we can't expect to be at the top," Nash said, noting that the team can expect to improve.

They're not improving, though, and Nash said the organization has made it clear that it is going to wait until the summer to make any moves. So, what they have now is what they'll have the rest of the way, and it's not too early to see that it just won't be enough to make this team relevant.

Is Nash frustrated? Probably, and with good reason.

Twenty months ago the Suns swept the San Antonio Spurs right out of the playoffs. Twenty months ago Nash was battling with Kobe Bryant for a chance to play in his first NBA Finals. Twenty months ago the Suns were one of the best teams in the Western Conference - just as they had been for most of Nash's tenure in Phoenix - and played to a sold-out US Airways Center on a nightly basis.

Nash has seen plenty of talented players leave the Valley since he returned to the Suns in 2004, though each time he was able to elevate the play of those around him enough to make everything alright.

He was able to turn water into wine, so to speak, as role players would find new life as starters and castoffs would become integral pieces on a championship roster. "Steve makes everyone better" became a motto of sorts, and true as it may have been, it was also unfair.

And, now, it's an unrealistic idea.

It's not that Nash isn't any good, as his numbers would indicate he's playing a level similar to the one that landed him a couple of MVP awards back in the day. The points are there, the assists are there and the shooting percentage is there. The only thing that's missing is the wins, and those, unfortunately, are not on the way.

"We can't go out and look around and talk about our talent or whatever," Suns coach Alvin Gentry said, noting that he just wants maximum effort from his team. "I'm not going to sit here and whine about what we don't have because that does us zero good."

Seventeen games into the season the Suns understand what they are: a team seriously lacking in too many areas to compete. That's not going to change, though, as there will be no reinforcements, no late-season signing, no playoff run.

All there will be is Steve Nash and his band of role players, a flawed group that, for all the effort and cohesion they may be able to muster, will ultimately fall short of even the most modest of goals.

I couldn't resist.

Browsing the internet Monday I came across a photo of Kyle Williams that was snapped shortly after his fumble in overtime that led to the 49ers losing to the Giants and missing out on a chance at the Super Bowl.

Standing on the field, Williams' hands were on the back of his helmet, with the player looking down. I knew I had seen that pose before and, as a Wildcats fan with a dislike for the 49ers, couldn't resist putting this together.

As a friend later told me, "You sir are off of Kenny Williams Sr.'s Christmas card list."

Probably.

But you know what? While I was admittedly poking fun at a rival's misfortune, I came to realize something that is just a little more important than what transpired on the football field:

Kyle Williams is a standup guy.

Though he is not the 49ers' starting punt returner, Williams was the guy Sunday. And while his team's offense was horrific and didn't exactly help themselves in the game, the team's defense was great, forcing the Giants to punt a ridiculous 12 times.

Twelve times Williams was back to receive a punt, and 10 times he did so without incident. But it's the other two he'll be remembered for because he messed up. In fact, if there was ever a time when you could reasonably say a single player lost his team the game, this is it.

And yet there Williams was answering questions, owning up to what happened on the field just hours before.

Just hours before that, even, the Ravens' Billy Cundiff was doing the same after badly missing a short field goal that would have sent the AFC Championship into overtime.

"Throughout my career, I've had challenging situations and I'm still standing here today,"Cundiff said. "It's something that is going to be tough for a while, but I've got two kids and there are some lessons I need to teach them.

"First and foremost is to stand up and face the music and move on."

Cundiff and Williams will do just that - they almost have to. There is no doubt that each player is his harshest critic right now, because even while their teammates have supported them there is zero chance they don't feel like they let everyone down.

Which they did.

But as Christopher Nolan's Batman franchise has so eloquently explained, these things happen.

"Why do we fall sir," Alfred asked Bruce Wayne in Batman Begins. "So we might learn to pick ourselves up."

Then, in The Dark Knight, Harvey Dent proclaimed "The night is darkest just before the dawn. And I promise you, the dawn is coming."

Where the respective careers of both Williams and Cundiff will go from here is anyone's guess. A kicker, Cundiff is unfamiliar with the term "job security" and could be out of a job soon.

Williams, though, should be fine. At just 23, chances are good this won't be the last we hear from the former Sun Devil - even if things don't go so well.

Sometimes you do have to go through a cycle in this league, and that's the reality of it.

January 18, 2012 could one day be looked at as the date when the Phoenix Suns, as a franchise, saw its fortunes finally turned around.

It has nothing to do with the team's 91-88 win in New York over the Knicks, a victory that snapped a five-game losing streak and gave the team a victory over the player whose departure set in motion the events that led to this season's disaster.

No, what happened Wednesday didn't even happen in New York - sort of. A guest on Arizona Sports 620's Doug and Wolf, Suns President of Basketball Operations Lon Babby said 18 words that could mean the team is finally, earnestly, ready to look towards the future.

"Sometimes you do have to go through a cycle in this league, and that's the reality of it," he said.

Maybe Babby was talking about the losing streak, which even the best teams are known to suffer through from time to time. Or, perhaps, he was talking about the nature of being a good team in the NBA, as the cycle usually looks something like this:

Be bad --> Get young talent --> Groom young talent --> Compete for a title --> Watch young talent leave, veterans age --> Blow it up --> Go back to step one.

The Suns went through this - sort of - to get where they are today. Their down period wasn't long, as they went from being a 29-win team in 2003 to winning 62 games in 2004, and haven't had consecutive losing seasons since the mid-80s.

Granted, losing big is no guarantee of future success, though it's generally the way to go in the NBA. The top five teams in each conference boast at least one player who was a top three selection in his respective draft class, with some of the best squads featuring multiple players of that ilk.

Pretty much, without at least one of these players the chances of winning a title are about as high as Alvin Gentry's faith in Josh Childress is strong.

The problem is, the Suns are not going to get that guy through free agency, and they don't exactly have the right mix of players with which to put together a respectable offer from.

No, if the Suns are going to get that top three pick it's going to be because they "earn" a top three selection, which means the team will need to be rather bad at some point in the future. There was a time when it seemed like the team was unwilling to sink that far, though now it may really be out of their hands.

Sometimes you do have to go through a cycle in this league, and that's the reality of it.

While no Suns fan in their right mind wants to see the Suns become the new-age Clippers, it's a smart enough group to understand how the NBA works. If the ultimate goal is to win a title, chances are the Suns will have to hit rock bottom. And sorry, folks, but they're not at that point. Yet.

As John Gambadoro pointed out, the Suns aren't likely to receive an appealing offer for Steve Nash. No team with loads of young talent will part with any of it for a veteran who will likely bolt at the end of the season, and the best teams in the league don't exactly have quality assets to send the Suns' way.

But moving Nash won't be about getting better, and, unfortunately, it probably shouldn't be about "freeing" the point guard, as Paul Calvisi wrote. Any trade will be designed in part to help the Suns bottom out as soon as possible. Sure, an extra draft pick would be nice, but a high selection in one of the most loaded drafts in years would do wonders for the team's rebuilding process.

In other words, the sooner the Suns bottom out, the sooner they can begin building back up. The Suns have never really done that - even under Jerry Colangelo - always instead choosing to swing a trade or sign free agents, hoping that would get them to the top. That hasn't really worked before, and the strategy isn't really an option now.

Sometimes you do have to go through a cycle in this league, and that's the reality of it.

It's a reality the Celtics' Danny Ainge has seemed to embrace, yet one the Suns have been slow to acknowledge. It appears that may no longer be the case anymore.

Good for them.

Ian Kennedy, Daniel Hudson and Trevor Cahill.

Josh Collmenter and Joe Saunders.

Trevor Bauer, Tyler Skaggs and Archie Bradley.

Eight pitchers for what will be five spots in a rotation. An embarrassment of riches, anyone?

The news broke Tuesday that the D-backs are bringing Saunders back for one more season, a move that is as surprising as it is solid.

Saunders, a lefty with a 3.69 ERA in 212 innings of work last season, will be back, as either the team's fourth or fifth starter. That's just plain disgusting, and the key reason why the Diamondbacks are likely to repeat as NL West champs in 2012.

If ever there was a time to give a team's GM a standing ovation, this is it.

So, I'll do it: bravo, Kevin Towers.

The return of Saunders could be the final piece to a puzzle that ends with another NL West title and, maybe, even more, because all Towers has done since the Diamondbacks were eliminated on October 7 is trade for Cahill and reliever Craig Breslow, sign Jason Kubel and Takashi Saito and bring back Lyle Overbay, Willie Bloomquist, Henry Blanco, John McDonald and Aaron Hill.

Sure the NL West should be better, with the Giants getting Buster Posey back and the Dodgers actually having an owner, but that's exactly why Towers didn't sit on his hands all winter. In his second full season with the club, Towers was aggressively patient as he boosted the rotation, fortified the bullpen and improved the lineup.

His moves have rightfully drawn acclaim from baseball experts, and if the D-backs are to grow into a championship contender, this offseason has seen Towers water the seeds that were planted last summer.

The Arizona Diamondbacks are currently better than the team that won 94 games last season, and Towers was able to make that happen without sacrificing the team's future.

This is not a repeat of what happened in 2007, after a surprise run to the postseason convinced Josh Byrnes and co. to part with half the farm system to bring Dan Haren to the desert. No, Towers has played things incredibly smart, finding a way to improve the present without mortgaging the future.

Oh, and what a future it promises to be, but let's not forget about the present.

With one of the top five pitching staffs in all of baseball, the game's best outfield and enough youth that should improve with another year under its belt, the pressure is on for the D- backs to take the proverbial "next step" this season.

Towers knows exactly how to do that, since the blueprint was put together in the 90s when the Atlanta Braves had the likes of Tom Glavine, John Smoltz, Greg Maddux, Steve Avery, Denny Neagle and the like. A strong rotation will lead to many victories, and a deep rotation affords a team the opportunity to make trades. After all, everyone could always use more pitching.

Except for the Diamondbacks, that is.

Loyalty.

Defined as "the state or quality of being loyal; faithfulness to commitments or obligations," the topic has come up over the last few days on ArizonaSports.com on a variety of stories.

The most recent case involves the Phoenix Suns and their point guard, leader and face of the franchise Steve Nash.

In an interview with ESPN.com's Marc Stein, Nash talked about how he is not planning on asking for a trade.

"I just feel that I owe it to my teammates to stay committed to them. I feel that I owe it to the fans and the organization to fight," he said.

A few days later, on Arizona Sports 620's Doug and Wolf, Suns President of Basketball Operations Lon Babby reiterated the organization's position on Nash, which can be summed up like this:

Steve Nash will be a Phoenix Sun for as long as he wants to be a Phoenix Sun.

The idea is as novel as it may be foolish, given that the team could be wasting Nash's final years as a quality player on a team that, quite frankly, will not win an NBA championship. The 37-year-old has shaken off a slow start to push is current averages to 12.1 points and 9.6 assists per game, while shooting 50 percent from the floor.

In other words, Steve Nash can still ball, meaning he would have to have some value to some other team that actually has championship aspirations. The Suns have no doubt taken calls about the guy - and likely Grant Hill, too - but have rebuffed the overtures each time.

While that could change if the Suns fall out of the playoff race in the near future or a team sends a crazy offer Phoenix's way (hello, Oklahoma City, interested in parting with Russell Westbrook?), the team has shown no inclination to trade away its veteran leaders, choosing to hang onto them for at least one more season, even at the risk of losing each as free agents this coming summer.

Babby's reasoning, he said, has as much to do with where the players help off the court as they do on it.

"I look and see what Steve and to the same extent Grant do for Markieff Morris every day, teaching him how to be a professional and how to be a pro," he said.

Babby continued to say you can't have a team full of only young players with no veteran leaders, and he's right. Do that and you are as likely to be the Sacramento Kings as you are the Oklahoma City Thunder. In fact, a team is probably more likely to wallow away in the lottery for a bit unless it lands a superstar like Kevin Durant or Derrick Rose in the draft.

But that's not the point, at least, not really. The truth is the Suns are showing an uncanny sense of loyalty to a player who has won a pair of MVP awards, guided the team to three Western Conference Finals appearances and really been a great ambassador for the team. They feel Nash has earned the right to play wherever he wants, and if Phoenix is that place then, by golly, they are happy to have him.

Is it the right course of action? Well, it didn't exactly work for the early-90s Celtics, who held onto Larry Bird and Kevin McHale for too long, only to suffer through years of pretty awful basketball after they left, and we won't know how the front office's loyalty is viewed around the league until the Summer of 2012, when free agents will have a chance to take Robert Sarver's money and play for the Suns.

But for now, all we know is what we already knew: Steve Nash is not your average NBA player, so he's not going to abandon the team, and the Suns have no interest in forsaking their star, even if it could potentially help them with the rebuilding process.

Loyalty is not a word used often in in the context of sports or, sadly, everyday life. However, we're seeing it play out right in front of us as the Suns continue their decline from contender to also-ran. So the question becomes: Is the wrong move palatable so long as it's being made for the right reasons?

A guest on Arizona Sports 620's Doug and Wolf Tuesday, Arizona Cardinals coach Ken Whisenhunt said he will use the next few weeks to make some key decisions.

"I'm sure there will be some things around here that I need to clean up," Whiz said.

Whisenhunt could have been discussing a variety of things, as he now has to go about putting the 2011 season to bed while preparing for 2012, with minicamps, OTAs, a draft and training camp in between.

However, he could also be talking about his coaching staff, and while rumors of Todd Haley's potential return to the desert swirl, there's at least one more coaching staff change that could be considered:

Parting with Russ Grimm.

Brought to Arizona by Coach Whiz in 2007, Grimm spent time as the offensive line coach before being given an associate head coach title, too. Known for being an offensive line guru, Grimm's Arizona units have consistently ranked among the worst in the NFL.

According to ProFootballFocus.com, just one member of the starting offensive line graded out with a positive number in 2011, giving affirmation to what those of us who watched the games already knew.

The line was bad, is bad, and will likely continue to be bad.

Of the five, the site ranks Levi Brown as the worst, followed by Brandon Keith, Rex Hadnot and Daryn Colledge. Congratulations go out to Lyle Sendlein, as the center was the least-awful of the bunch.

It's possible, though, that Grimm is a great coach who is being undone by a lack of talent. Brown and Keith easily made the worst set of tackles in the league, Hadnot and Colledge weren't/aren't good enough to carry a line, and Sendlein is decent, but nothing special.

Or, perhaps, maybe Grimm is just overrated as a line coach. After all, Levi Brown was the fifth pick in the draft and Colledge a member of the Super Bowl Champion Green Bay Packers, so you have to think they have some measure of talent. And, Grimm must have seen something in Hadnot, Sendlein and Keith, otherwise they wouldn't be starting in the first place.

Assuming there is talent to mold, Grimm's job is to shape it into something good - if not simply competent. As ProFootballFocus has mentioned, Brown has stepped up his play over the last couple months. Has coaching finally clicked, or was it impending free agency?

Either way, the Cardinals have ranked no better than 24th in the league for rushing yards per game under Grimm's watch, and twice have finished last in the NFL. And, unfortunately for all involved, the line isn't sacrificing rushing for the ability to throw, not with pass block rankings of 29, 23, 31 and 27 the last four years, according to ProFootballFocus.

Then again, you don't need in-depth stats to know Cards QBs have taken a beating the last few years, and were sacked 54 times this season, while being hit another 19 times due to poor line play. They were also responsible for 20 penalties this season.

In other words, if it walks like a duck, swims like a duck and quacks like a duck, then it probably is a duck. If a line can't run block, pass block or avoid penalties then it's probably a bad line, and while the players involved have changed since 2007, one constant has remained.

Not long ago Grimm was one of the league's hot head coaching candidates. A Hall of Famer who is one of the best linemen to ever play the game, he often interviewed for jobs across the NFL. Not anymore, as Grimm's name is rarely mentioned when new jobs open up. There may be a reason for that.

Coach Whisenhunt is a loyal guy, one who believes in his system to a fault. Does the same apply to his staff? Whiz brought Grimm with him from Pittsburgh after both were spurned by the Steelers, and together the two have experience success in the desert. The head coach has proven himself, though, and now holds the franchise record for wins.

Grimm, on the other hand, doesn't have a pro bowler or a unit that paved the way for a great offense. No, he has an offensive line that is no better than when he took over, and is possibly even worse.

Coach Whisenhunt says there are some things to clean up? He should start with the mess up front.

Dear Brock,

You may not remember me, but a few months back you were a guest on one of our shows here at Arizona Sports 620. I was taking pictures, and the fact that I am Arizona alum was brought up during the interview. You proceeded to apologize for beating my alma mater in the most recent Territorial Cup, though I kind of doubted your sincerity at the time.

Enough time has passed, though, and I've forgiven you. Sure, Arizona's 31-27 win last November has played a role, but really, I'm over it. I'm not angry, bitter or resentful towards you in any way, and to prove it I'm going to offer you some advice:

Don't leave ASU, not yet.

Multiple reports have surfaced about the possibility of you bolting Tempe lately, whether it be for UCLA or, maybe, the NFL.

While both offer something you undoubtedly covet (Noel Mazzone, a career), the truth is the best place for you, at this very moment, is the one you are at. Because, as it stands, you still have plenty left to accomplish at the collegiate level. Plenty you need to accomplish at the collegiate level.

Though you passed for 4,036 yards and 26 touchdowns in your first season as a starter, you also tossed 13 interceptions. You may have set school records, but your team's record was just 6-7. Are you cool with your Sun Devil career ending on a five-game losing streak? Maybe if you were going to be one of the first QBs selected in April, but there is no way a team picks you ahead of Andrew Luck or Robert Griffin III,and you're not likely to go ahead of Nick Foles, either. You have potential, but much of it is unrealized. One more year of seasoning in Tempe could vault you into the first round of the draft, but right now you're probably looking at the third round - at best - which should not be enough for you to leave.

Then again, maybe it's not about feeling like you are ready for the next level. Could it be that the reason you are thinking of ending your career at ASU is because Mazzone already did. I have no doubt the guy played a huge role in getting you to where you are right now, but you know what? Him leaving is no reason for you to do the same.

Football - hell, life - will be full of change. Teammates, coaches, teams; this will not be the last time something like this happens in your career. You will have different coaches and you will learn different offenses. That's how it is, that's how it will be, and if you can't handle it maybe you should find a different profession.

Does that come off a bit harsh? That's not what I'm going for here.

Because, truth be told, I actually think you could go on to have a long, productive career in the NFL. At 6-foot-8 (did you know you were that tall?), with your wheels and cannon for an arm, by the time you're done with college there will be a line of teams hoping to land you in the draft.

But please, Brock, trust me when I say making them wait just one more season would be the best thing for you.

Thank you and Bear Down,

Adam Green

And just like that, the 2011 Arizona Cardinals season has come to a close.

There is nothing left after a 17-week season, as the team did not win the NFC West nor earn one of the NFC's two wildcard spots.

No, there is only finality, the end of a campaign that was, in a word, fun. And hell, even the ending seemed right for this team.

Sunday's 23-20 win over the Seahawks was the team's fourth OT victory of the season, a number that established a new NFL record.

"Boy, we sure get our money's worth at home," head coach Ken Whisenhunt said. All four OT wins were at University of Phoenix Stadium, and the only game the Cardinals never trailed in was Sunday's finale.

So if it was entertainment value you were after, you got it. Of course, though, the NFL is about wins, and there weren't nearly enough of those - this season.

That little six game losing streak early on was pretty bad, as it proved to be too much to overcome, and the fact that the team still hasn't found a reliable quarterback is concerning. But, like the Diamondbacks who the Valley fell in love with, these Cardinals - flaws and everything - found ways to consistently rally late in games, never giving up and often-times coming away with a victory.

While an 8-8 record wasn't enough to make the playoffs and mediocrity should hardly be considered a good thing, it's hard not to feel optimistic with this team going forward. The defense found an identity, the offense found a running back, and we were all reminded of just how great Larry Fitzgerald is. Oh, and there is belief in the coach again, too.

Coach Whisenhunt joked that he is giving the team an extra long "Victory Monday," a reward for winning Sunday's game. Indeed the team heads into the offseason on a high note, carrying momentum into the offseason. That fact should not be understated.

"Coach Whisenhunt talked about it last week," Larry Fitzgerald said, "In 2007, when they first got here, we were 6-8 playing the last two games of the season.

"We were able to win both of those, and I really feel like that positive momentum led into the offseason. Guys worked extremely hard, and we were able to parlay that into a playoff appearance and Super Bowl run."

Granted, 2007 saw the re-emergence of Kurt Warner as a top-flight QB, and nothing of the sort happened in 2011. But the point is there was a good vibe surrounding the Cardinals that offseason, a feeling that they were heading in the right direction.

The same can be said once again, even though it seemed like that wouldn't be the case just a couple months ago. The team moved on from its losing ways, and as Fitzgerald said, you can't shortchange winning games.

"They say losing is contagious, but so is winning," he said. "When you get the taste of it, you want to continue to have it."

The Arizona Cardinals are undefeated in 2012, and only the Green Bay Packers, New Orleans Saints and New England Patriots finished the year with a better mark over the last nine games.

"To go 8-8, to go 7-2 over our last nine games is a pretty strong statement," Whisenhunt said.

It is, as it says while this may be the end, in a way it's just the beginning.

Have a question about the game you want answered? How about a thought of your own? Email Adam at agreen@arizonasports.com or tweet him at @theAdamGreen.

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5:59 left in OT

And Jay Feely boots a 28-yard field goal through the uprights as the Cardinals win 23-20. Arizona finishes the season with an 8-8 record and plenty of momentum heading into next season.

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7:54 left in OT

Ruling is confirmed, so first down Cardinals. Stephens- Howling with the run up the middle, clutching the ball ever so tightly. He picks up eight and the Cards are in field goal range.

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8:12 left in OT

Skelton throws to Fitzgerald who, umm, makes what can only be described as a fantastic catch. One hand, one bicep, whatever. Remember that one against Green Bay in the preseason? Yeah, that kind of grab.

It's being reviewed, but this should stay, maybe even be confirmed.

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9:31 left in OT

Sneak it is, and the Cards get the first. Keep on keeping on.

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10:06 left in OT

A 3rd-and-1 run with Hyphen is short, but at the SEA 39 the Cards will go for it. Sneak is the smart play, ut maybe take a shot to Fitz?

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11:40 left in OT

Skelton hits Fitz on a 3rd down pass, one that was not a good pass to make except for the fact that it was to Fitzgerald. Cards are at mid-field.

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13:55 left in OT

Seattle's offense stinks and they are forced to punt. Peterson returns it just four yards to the Arizona 18. Skelton gets another crack at this thing.

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14:54 left in OT

Washington returns the kickoff 47 yards to the Seattle 40. Not where the Cards want them to be.

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Start of OT

Seahawks win the coin toss (of course) and elect to receive. Here we go. Again.

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:28 left in fourth quarter

Incomplete pass forces a punt, as well as questions of "what was Seattle thinking?"

Fair caught at the nine, Cards sit on the ball and we're heading for OT.

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:39 left in fourth quarter

Seahawks get the ball to mid-field and then run twice. They now face a 3rd and 8 and are nowhere near field goal range. Curious.

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1:46 left in fourth quarter

Punt is returned to the 28, and it's up to the defense now.

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2:00 left in fourth quarter

A couple of incomplete passes are followed by a 7-yard completion to Doucet. Unfortunately a first down still requires 10 yards, and the Cardinals will punt.

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2:17 left in fourth quarter

Defense does the job, force a punt. Peterson's return goes to the 17, where Skelton will go to work. He has plenty of time to get into field goal range and the team has all three timeouts. Have to be smart.

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5:06 left in fourth quarter

Skelton just misses Fitzgerald on third down and the Cardinals punt. Ball is returned 11 yards to the 21, and that's where the Seahawks will go to work.

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5:25 left in fourth quarter

Well, this is interesting. The Cardinals face a 3rd-and-9 from their own 44 in a tie game with plenty of time left. A first down here would be huge, if only to give a reeling defense a bit more of a breather.

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7:47 left in fourth quarter

Uhhh...Jackson throws a 61-yard bomb to Lockette, who beats Marshay Green for the score. We're all tied up here in Glendale. Of course, this couldn't be easy.

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7:56 left in fourth quarter

Cardinals go three-and-out and punt away. Seattle begins the drive at its own 39, and a defense that was just on the field is asked to come up with another stop.

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8:57 left in fourth quarter

Cardinals will begin drive on their 21...no, wait. False start on Jeremy Bridges pushes the ball back to the 16. Need some points on this one.

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9:05 left in fourth quarter

Turnover leads to a Seattle FG, and the sore is now 20-13. Bad Skelton, very bad.

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10:04 left in fourth quarter

Just as Vince Marotta and I were talking about Skelton's rising QB rating, the guy goes and throws an interception. Telegraphed pass thrown behind the receiver, this one's not over just yet.

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10:49 left in fourth quarter

Cardinals defense gets the stop and Peterson calls for a fair catch on the punt. No history on that one, but one more good drive here would make the Seahawks just that. Does Skelton have it in him? It is the fourth quarter...

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12:18 left in fourth quarter

After a drive that saw the ball go back and forth in a ref's hands, the Cardinals get a 43-yard field goal from Feely and go up 20-10.

This game is, umm, interesting, and you get the feeling the extracarriculars are not done yet.

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14:19 left in fourth quarter

Roberts takes an end-around for eight before being hit well out of bounds, and the 15-yard penalty puts the Cardinals at the Seattle 30.

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14:48 left in fourth quarter

Cardinals begin the fourth with a Skelton pass to Fitzgerald, good for 42-yard completion. Penalty flags fly after the play as Doucet apparently hit a Seahawk well after the play. Not good for the Cardinals, but still a big gain and play.

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:12 left in third quarter

Seahawks drive down the field and are forced to kick after being stopped at the six. They end the drive with 0 points after Patrick Peterson blocks the attempt, a huge play for the Cardinals.

Offense back on the field and starting at the 20, one more good drive here could be enough.

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6:18 left in third quarter

Skelton introduces himself to Larry Fitzgerald on a drive that ultimately ends with a touchdown pass to Todd Heap. Great throw, nice job by Skelton on the drive.

Cards up 17-10.

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10:56 left in third quarter

Things are getting chippy here, with personal fouls and punches and stuff.

As for the game, the Cardinals just missed a ton of tackles as Leon Washington gallops 48 yards for a score. Game is tied at 10.

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12:18 left in the third quarter

Cards open the second half on offense, get a first down then fall apart. Skelton had a shot at a big play with Fitz, but didn't pull the trigger and ended up throwing incomplete short. Next play was a false start on Levi Brown (a novel concept, sure), and ultimately the Cardinls punt.

Seattle starts drive at its own 26.

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Halftime

Sam Acho sacks Jackson to end the first half, and the Cardinals go into the intermission with a 10-3 lead. Arizona gets the ball to start the second half, and while they've done a solid job thus far, you'd like to see some more offense.

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:44 left in second quarter

A sack and two short passes lead to a Cardinals pun, and Seattle has the ball at its own 34 with one timeout in the bag.

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1:14 left in second quarter

Peterson with the fair catch at the Arizona 20. Weak.

Let's see how much freedom Skelton has to look downfield.

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1:21 left in second quarter

Well, they sort of went for it, but are stopped on third down. Cardinals burn their last timeout, and now Patrick Peterson will get another chance.

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2:00 left in second quarter

Seahwaks have the ball at their own 25 facing a 2nd and 16. The Cardinals only have one timeout left, so the Seahawks may decide to sit on this and go into half down a TD Or, they could try to get some late points. A couple incomplete passes, though,and you give the Cards a chance at the end of the half.

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3:28 left in second quarter

Jay Feely kicks a 43-yard field goal to extend Arizona's lead to 10-3. On the plus side, Levi Brown FINALLY hit a Seattle defender. Unfortunately it came after a play and was good for a personal foul penalty. Baby steps.

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6:42 left in second quarter

Patrick Peterson almost sets the record, returning a punt to the Seattle 31 before being tripped up by the punter. Ugh. Entire press box was holding its collective breath on that one.

Either way, Peterson has set the record for most punt return yardage in a season for a rookie, so not bad, kid.

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8:33 left in second quarter

Skelton gets sacked when Levi Brown forgets to block, and a third down pass sails incomplete. The Cardinals punt, missing out on a great opportunity.

Seahawks take over at their own 12.

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10:00 left in second quarter

Jackson throws a pick on 3rd and 26, as defensive MVP Richard Marshall makes the play and returns the ball to the Seattle 38. He could have taken it the distance, but stepped out of bounds.

Offense back on the field.

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11:53 left in second quarter

Skelton rockets a pass to Rob Housler, who makes a catch in between coverage. He then fumbles, and Seattle has the ball at the Arizona 20.

On the bright side, the Cardinals finall connected with Housler on that seam pass.

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12:10 left in second quarter

Cards got the stop as Darnell Dockett tore through the line to sack Jackson. Loss of 10 on the play, but Seattle gets a 43-yard field goal from a kicker whose name I can't spell.

7-3 Cardinals.

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12:48 left in second quarter

Seahawks are driving, and they have the ball at the Arizona 15 on a 3rd and 5. Early chance at a big stop for the defense.

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End of first quarter

Cardinals lead 7-0 after one quarter, a sight not seen much around these parts. In fact, I'd say the Cardinals are not playing according to script.

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3:02 left in first quarter

Skelton makes a hell of a throw to Heap, which gets the Cardinals inside the five, and two plays later Chester Taylor leaps into the end zone for the score. The ball popped loose, but ruled a TD on the field. PAT is good, and the Cardinals have their first first quarter TD since Week 2.

They also have a 7-0 lead.

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5:43 left in first quarter

Skelton picks up a first down with a nice run,a and then Stephens-Howling runs for 39 yards to the Seattle 29. Neat.

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7:39 left in first quarter

Cardinals D comes up with a stop, punt pins them at the 19. This game, so far, is probably what one could have expected: not big for offense.

Can Skelton get it going?

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11:43 left in first quarter

Each team has had a series on offense, and neither went anywhere. On the plus side for the Cardinals, John Skelton completed his first pass, which was not a high ball. ON the downside, Andre Roberts couldn't catch a 3rd and 3. Punt takes a favorable bounce, Seahawks begin drive on their own 4.

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15:00 left in first quarter

Well, here we are. The final game of the 2011 Arizona Cardinals season. The game was announced as a sellout, but a lot of the fans are dressed as empty seats.

Regardless, the Cardinals are in their all reds while the Seahawks are in their all whites.

Seattle will get the ball first. Let's get this thing going.

Cardinals coach Ken Whisenhunt was asked about receiver Larry Fitzgerald and his ability to play at a Pro Bowl level regardless of who is throwing him the ball.

"He's a special player and I think that when you see the competition at that position this year, the production that some of these other offenses have had and the players at those positions," Whiz said, "that Larry would be recognized as a starter, I think, is pretty significant."

It is, and it's also a shame.

Fitzgerald has topped the 1,000 yard receiving mark six times in his career - and the 1,400 yard mark thrice. He's never scored fewer than six touchdowns, and his hands have been featured in commercials for IHOP and ESPN.

Suffice to say, the guy can catch the ball - he will catch the ball - so long as it actually gets to him. And that, unfortunately, is still a problem.

Most of the country took notice of Fitzgerald during the team's run to the Super Bowl a few years back, as he and Kurt Warner torched every defense put in front of him. He set records along the way, and entered the conversation as the top receiver in the game.

I guess that's what 293 catches, 3,932 yards and 35 touchdowns over a three season span will do for you. The problem is - and this isn't new - since Warner retired, Fitz's numbers have dropped. Sure, he caught 90 passes last year, and yes, he's going to finish with more than 1,300 yards this season, but he's reached the end zone a grand total of 14 times over the last two years.

It's not like Fitzgerald is getting worse - quite the contrary - he's actually getting better, as a career-best mark of 17.8 yards per catch shows.

What is worse or, at least, not better, is the play at quarterback. With last season's train wreck in the rearview mirror, it was thought that Kevin Kolb could be the guy. Fitzgerald wanted him under center, and the Cardinals made it happen.

Then the season arrived, and that idea that Kolb is the future was shot to hell. Injuries and general ineffectiveness have led to a flurry of questions about the quarterback; with no one being sure of how good he is because, simply, he hasn't played enough. ESPN's Mike Sando is giving Kolb an "incomplete" for 2011, and that's fair. He may be better next year with a full offseason under his belt, but one has to wonder if fragility may ultimately be his undoing.

Of course, when one player can't play someone else takes his place, and that's where the QB situation gets even more muddled.

When all is said and done, John Skelton will have played in as many games as Kolb, winning more but posting inferior statistics. He's made some mind-boggling decisions that have led to turnovers, but also made some throws that make you say "wow." The second-year pro has the size and arm to play the position, but is clearly a project that may never actually pan out. Can he be counted on to be the team's next franchise QB? Nope.

And thus, the Cardinals will finish 2011 with the same problem they had at the close of the 2010 campaign: Uncertainty at the game's most important position.

The good news, though, is that the rest of the team seems to be coming together. Rarely does a squad finish .500 with shoddy QB play, but a stout defense combined with great special teams play has led the Cardinals to that mark. Assuming those units don't regress, the team could be a QB away from being something special.

Unfortunately, the Cardinals are having as much trouble finding a quarterback as their quarterbacks are at finding Larry Fitzgerald.

Tipoff 2011 is upon us, and as of now there isn't much optimism surrounding the Phoenix Suns.

Just 40-42 last season, the team, with an eye towards 2012's free agent class, did not make any significant changes in the offseason. Instead they are hoping for improved health of Steve Nash and Robin Lopez to combine with Marcin Gortat, Jared Dudley and Channing Frye all stepping up their games. Add in Grant Hill's savvy and solid role players like Josh Childress and Hakim Warrick, and the Suns could have something here.

Or, of course, Nash could have trouble making it through the 66-game schedule, Lopez may not be very good to begin with and Gortat, Dudley and Frye may have all peaked at decent-but-nothing-special.

Most outsiders aren't too high on the Suns, with ESPN's John Hollinger pegging them for 24 wins and SI.com's Zach Lowe putting the Suns in the "Lottery-Bound, Frustrating Division" of his NBA season preview. It's pretty much a game where you can pick the writer and read a depressing prediction.

Well, sorry, but here comes another one.

It's not that the Suns are completely devoid of talent. Nash is still Nash (when healthy), Hill can still D up with the best of ‘em and Dudley, Frye and Gortat would all play significant roles on any other team in the league. Markieff Morris has flashed some potential, and if Lopez can round back into his 2009-10 form, Phoenix could be the home of one of the game's best duos at center. As far as talent goes, there are teams in the NBA with less.

However, it's what the Suns don't have that will ultimately cost them games.

The Suns don't have enough rebounding; Gortat, Lopez and Frye just won't get the job done on the glass.

The Suns don't have elite defenders; other than Hill, is there anyone the Suns can rely on to "shut down" an opponent?

The Suns don't have a backup point guard; I'm sorry, but Ronnie Price and Sebastian Telfair are no better than Goran Dragic and Leandro Barbosa, and the Suns (and fans) couldn't wait to run those guys out of town.

And, finally, the Suns don't have a go-to scorer, an issue that cost them down the stretch in games last season and is likely to do so once again.

The Suns can no longer count on being able to simply outscore their opponents. Phoenix is no longer the model of offensive efficiency and team all others aspired to be. No Joe Johnson, no Amare Stoudemire, no Jason Richardson and no Vince Carter - OK, maybe not Carter - but not having a top-flight scorer like that means the Suns have exactly zero players outside of Nash who an opposing defense must fear.

Now could Frye, Dudley or someone else get hot from three? Sure, but those nights will be rare, and if the Suns aren't scoring their defense sure as hell won't be good enough to pick up the slack, even if new assistant Elston Turner can coax some improvement out of the group.

Simply put, as a franchise, the Suns are a lot closer to "really bad" than they are to "elite"

With what should be a loaded 2012 draft class, being bad could prove to be good, as the Suns may be just months away from acquiring the player they can begin to build around. Until then, though, the Suns will be just a shell of what they used to be, an old version of "run-and-gun" that has been surpassed by the very teams they used to abuse on a nightly basis.

Turnabout is fair play, and at this point it's pretty much expected. While the Suns won't embarrass themselves, chances are good the truncated 2011-12 campaign will be one to forget.

Can you see it?

Over in Glendale (and, most of the time Tempe), the Arizona Cardinals are growing.

The seeds were planted in the offseason, when the team hired Ray Horton to run the defense and decided to enter the season with promising youth rather than established veterans at many key positions.

A 1-6 start gave the impression that it was not the way to go, as the team struggled to compete and made it tough to believe that the young players could improve to the point where the Cardinals started winning games.

Then the rest of the season happened.

"We have really grown a lot in all facets of the game: offense, defense, special teams," receiver Larry Fitzgerald said after the team's 20-17 overtime win over the Browns Sunday. "Our defense, I think, is the one single reason we are able to play at that level we have been playing recently.

"They have done a hell of a job this last part of the season."

Indeed, and Fitz's words may have inspired the true theme from the 2011 season:

To Hell and back again.

Maybe the Cardinals had to bottom out before they could head back to the top. As an organization they had experienced rather sudden success, going from also-ran to the Super Bowl in one season and winning the NFC West the following year. Led by Kurt Warner, maybe the team never truly learned how to win. It just kind of happened, and perhaps that's why things were able to fall so far, so fast.

That's why the way the team rebounded from its dreadful start means more than just the Cardinals winning some games late in the season; it means they know what it's like to lose, and want nothing to do with the feeling.

"What I told them is their will to win is pretty strong," head coach Ken Whisenhunt said Sunday. "Going through those games earlier in the season was tough. Maybe that hardened us, but our guys believe."

The players may have believed all along, but the fans were (rightfully) slow to proceed with caution. At this point everyone may as well dive in head first, because this is no fluke.

Whether it's a defense that keeps teams out of the end zone and gets big stops when needed, a timely offense that has re-discovered its top weapon and produced a respectable running game or a coach that had some unwise columnists questioning his abilities cough…my bad…cough…, the point is this is beginning to look like a team that will be around for the long haul.

Sure, they need to settle the QB position, but at least they have a couple of prospects there who could pan out. While no one can definitively say Kevin Kolb or John Skelton will be a good starting quarterback in the NFL, there is reason to think one of them could be "the guy."

And hey, they're not the first team to win games with mediocrity at that position.

But that's not the point - at least - not really.

That this team somehow fought back from one of the worst stretches in franchise history says a lot about where the organization is at, because the players could have easily stopped fighting and mailed the season in. They didn't, and it's to be commended.

"Sometimes the good teams fall down and sometimes the good teams get back up and keep fighting," defensive lineman Darnell Dockett said.

And whether or not it happens this year, the Cardinals will be back fighting for a playoff spot soon enough, possibly as early as next season. With an emerging defense and an offense that could be in need of just a little seasoning, the future is certainly bright in Arizona.

"If we play the full game, we will be scary," Fitzgerald said. "We would be a force to be reckoned with."

Soon, Larry. Soon.

Have a question about the game you want answered? How about a thought of your own? Email Adam at agreen@arizonasports.com or tweet him at @theAdamGreen.

---

10:56 left in Skelton time

Feely boots a field goal from 22-yards out, Cardinals win. Playoff hopes live to see another day, and the Cards reach the .500 mark on the season.

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11:19 left in what is again Skelton time

3rd down sees Skelton hit Fitzgerald on a beautiful pass, good for 32 yards. The Cards are, as they say, in business.

---

12:45 left in Peterson time

Browns pick up a first down but nothing more, as Wallace throws incomplete on third down. Browns forced to punt, and Maynard has been huge today kicking away from Peterson.

Not this time, as PP21 returns the kick to the Cleveland 40.

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15:00 left in Peterson time

Kickoff goes for a touchback, Browns have ball at their 20.

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15:00 left in Peterson time

Browns win the toss and will receive, meaning the Cardinals defense gets right back on the field. They've played pretty well since the first drive of the game, save one long pass when they got burned on a blitz. Need another stop here.

Oh yeah, remember that time the Cardinals recovered a fumble, had first and goal from the five and had to settle for a field goal? Thought so.

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End of regulation

That was about it, the Cardinals punt and the clock reaches 0. We're tied at 17, and some fans are heading for the exits. Do they realize overtime is about to happen?

Oh, it's no longer Skelton time.

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:43 left in Skelton time

Cards start their drive at their own 30 with one timeout in the bag. Skelton hits Roberts for 9.

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:52 left in Skelton time

Wallace throws out of bounds, Cardinals should get the ball back with great field position. Big return chance for PP21 here.

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:57 left in Skelton time

Four more yards, another timeout. Big third down.

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1:03 left in Skelton time

Browns give to Hillis on first down, he picks up two and the Cards call timeout. They have two left, should they keep getting stops.

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1:10 left in Skelton time

Punt pins the Browns at their 9...how conservative are they here? They're 2-10, no reason not to air it out. Defense needs to come up big again.

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1:17 left in Skelton time

3rd and2 pass bounces off a Brown, not sure where Skelton was going with that one. Zastudil on to punt.

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1:28 left in Skelton time

Direct snap goes to Hyphen, who picks up two and keeps the drive alive. Skelton hits Roberts for 8 on the next play, and the Cards are in Browns territory.

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2:00 left in Skelton time

Cardinals are moving the ball, with Skelton being bailed out BIG TIME by Andre Roberts on a ball that very easily could have been picked off.

It's 3rd and 1 from the Arizona 48. I'd be tempted to run it right up the middle here.

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3:15 left in Skelton time

Cardinals give up some yards but ultimately hold, and Maynard's punt goes out of bounds at the 11. That guy has had a GREAT game.

Anyway, Cards have the ball with a chance to go and win the game.

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5:31 left in fourth quarter

Penalty on the return means Browns begin drive from their own 17. Can the D come up with another stop?

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5:40 left in fourth quarter

Mike Miller calls one of the worst series of plays you'll ever see, as the Cardinals go from 1st and goal at the 5 to losing 10 yards before kicking a 33-yard field goal. Game is tied, but the team should have a lead.

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7:00 left in fourth quarter

It's a fumble! The Cardinals get the ball at the Cleveland five, with a great opportunity to take the lead here late. Defense FINALLY gets a turnover, and it could not have come at a better time.

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7:00 left in fourth quarter

O'Brien Schofield with back-to-back sacks and the Cardinals will get the ball back in great field position.

Wait, it may have been a fumble. At least, that's what Coach Whiz is thinking as he throws the red challenge flag.

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8:27 left in fourth quarter

Browns return kick to the 19, where the Arizona defense has a chance to give the Cards the ball with plenty of time. Get a three and out and they'll be in great shape, still plenty of time.

Of course, a turnover would be alright, too.

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8:33 left in fourth quarter

It is the fourth quarter, which means it's Skelton time. Arizona drives 87 yards for the touchdown, with Skelton looking pretty sharp on the drive. It's capped by 1-yard Wells run, and the Cards are once again down by three.

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13:22 left in fourth quarter

Cards force an incomplete pass, and the ensuing punt is fair caught at the Arizona 13. How about a touchdown drive here. Does that sound alright? Maybe even get the ball to No. 11?

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13:34 left in fourth quarter

Browns call timeout facing a crucial 3rd and 5. Ball is at their own 49, and have a variety of plays they can run here with a mobile QB like Wallace. Cards D really needs a turnover, but at this point they'll take a stop.

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End of third quarter

Well that could have been better.

The Cardinals lost the quarter 7-0 and trail in the game 17-7. The Browns have the ball and momentum, and a score here would almost seem like enough. The Cardinals picked a great day to lay an egg, both offensively and defensively. They're not out of it yet, but something has to happen soon.

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1:04 left in third quarter

Yeah, about that...Skelton's pass to Doucet in tight coverage bounces off the receiver and into the hands of a Browns defensive back, with the interception giving Cleveland the ball and the look of a team that might pull off the upset.

Not good.

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2:53 left in third quarter

Cards get a break when the Browns are penalized for a facemask on the kick return, and will begin their drive from the 50. Down 17-7, I think it's safe to say points are a must on this drive.

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3:01 left in third quarter

A 3rd and 8 turns into a 76-yard touchdown pass from Wallace to Little, who beats Daryl Washington down the field. Umm, why was a middle linebacker covering receiver? Browns extend their lead to 17-7.

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4:21 left in third quarter

Hillis gets the carry on 3rd and 1, and the Madden cover boy gets just enough for the first down. Moving along.

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6:22 left in third quarter

Nevermind.

Skelton misses Fitzgerald on 3rd and 7 on a throw that was bad by some accounts, good by others. Regardless, it's incomplete and the Cards punt. Cribbs fair catches the ball a the Cleveland 12, and the battle of field position continues.

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7:23 left in third quarter

Offense is moving.

Skelton hits King down the seem for 24, and the running game has been solid, too. Cards are at midfield.

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10:07 left in third quarter

Cardinals get the stop, but a hold on the punt return pushes the ball back to the Arizona 13, where the drive will start.

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12:15 left in third quarter

Cardinals drive stalls after an incomplete pass. Skelton was under heavy pressure and missed Todd Heap. Would have been a great play/throw. Defense gets back on the field, Browns begin drive from their own 28.

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15:00 left in third quarter

Cardinals will start from their 19, where you have to hope the momentum gained at the end of the first half carries over.

Some interesting stats:

Skelton: 9/11 for 81 yards and 1 TD in the second quarter, 13/19 for 114 and 1 TD overall.

Wells: 22 yards on six carries.

Browns: 50 net yards in the second quarter. Welcome back, defense.

Halftime

The second quarter > the first quarter. Defense seemed to settle in and the offense got into a rhythm, so things are looking up-ish.

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:19 left in second quarter

You can call me NostraGreenus. Skelton hits Roberts in the back of the end zone with a really nice pass, and the Cardinals cut the lead to 10-7. Great drive by the Cards QB, who looks like he found his way there. Assuming the Cardinals don't allow anything in the final 20 seconds, you gotta feel good about them right now.

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:25 left in second quarter

Cardinals burn their final timeout, with it being second and seven from the Browns' 9. Time for a couple shots in the end zone, sure, but really can't afford to be stopped short.

My gut feeling is the Cards punch it in.

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:46 left in second quarter

Pass is ruled incomplete. That one's on Doucet. Big drop.

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:37 left in second quarter

Skelton hits Doucet on a really nice pass, great play call. Problem is Doucet lost the ball as he was hit. Ruling on the field is a catch, but the guys upstairs are taking a look. I'm thinking no catch, but Cards may get the benefit of the doubt here because of the ruling on the field.

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:51 left in second quarter

It's a hurry-up offense so naturally Skelton looks good. He's made some excellent throws on this drive, even completing a pass while being dragged to the ground. The Cards are at the Cleveland 23 and, with one timeout left, have plenty of time to try and get a touchdown.

By the way, think Coach Whiz regrets wasting a timeout on a bad challenge earlier?

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1:49 left in second quarter

Cardinals get the stop as a shovel-pass gone awry goes, well, awry. Punt goes out of bounds, much to the dismay of the booing crowd. I guess they like watching Patrick Peterson return kicks.

Cardinals will start the drive at their own 35 with plenty of time on the clock and two timeouts. They get the ball to start the second half, would be huge to get some points here.

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2:00 left in second quarter

Cardinals defense has a chance here to make a play. The Browns are facing a 3rd and 11 from their 28, meaning a stop here would give the Cardinals the ball back with OK field position and some time to put a drive together.

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6:13 left in second quarter

Cardinals were moving the ball but saw their drive stall when Brandon Keith forgot to block a Brown on 3rd and short. Cards punt and, with the help of a Cleveland penalty, will pin their opponents at their own 8. If the defense was ever going to get one of those elusive turnovers, now would be as good a time as any.

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11:25 left in second quarter

Stephens-Howling returns kick to the 22, giving the Cards their best starting field position of the day. Wohoo!

Can Skelton get going here? Cards don't want to fall too far behind, need to start moving the ball.

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11:33 left in second quarter

Whatever he saw, it wasn't there. Replay "confirmed" the ruling on the field, meaning there was zero doubt it was a catch. Timeout gone, field goal good. Browns lead 10-0.

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11:38 left in second quarter

The Browns pick up eight yards on a 3rd and 10, but Coach Whiz doesn't even think they got that. He tosses the challenge flag out, hoping to force the Browns into kicking a 51-yard field goal instead of a 43 yarder. The play happened right in front of him so you have to think he saw something.

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13:03 left in second quarter

The Browns got the first down and their drive continues. They now face a 3rd and 1 from the Arizona 36, with the defense really needing a stop here. More than that, even, when they get the ball back the offense MUST do something with the ball.

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End of first quarter

The first quarter ends and what do you know, the Browns are driving. They face a 3rd and 4 from their own 48, and even if the Cards get a stop they are still very much losing the field position battle.

Down 7-0 after one, pretty sure no one in this building saw this coming -- including the Cardinals. Maybe this is the wakeup call they needed.

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3:52 left in first quarter

Drive stalls after Skelton throws to Heap for a gain of 10 on 3rd and 11. A little better, but not good enough. Punt bounces into the end zone and the Browns will start from the 20. Defense got it together on the last drive, can they keep it up?

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8:07 left in first quarter

Cards D holds, forcing a big three-and-out. Cards will start their next drive from the 10, so I guess that's some improvement, right?

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9:11 left in first quarter

Cards pick up a first down but then the drive stalls after a short run was sandwiched in between a pair of errant passes. Not the start Arizona wanted, as they'll be giving the Browns solid field position to go along with their early lead.

And the punt is returned to the Arizona 45. Awesome.

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11:25 left in first quarter

Block in the back pushes the Cards back to the three, where Skelton will begin the drive. He's started slow pretty much every game he's ever started, and the Cards will need that to change today.

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11:33 left in first quarter

Too easy. Peyton Hillis scores on a one-yard TD run and the Browns take an early 7-0 lead. Can't let a bad team like that gain confidence, but allowing them to score on their first drive of the game will do that.

Cardinals will need to slow Hillis, who had 35 yards on five carries.

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13:39 left in first quarter

Yeah, about setting the tone...Browns moving the ball at will on their first drive, with Hillis picking up huge chunks of yardage. Did the D read their own press clippings this week?

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15:00 left in first quarter

Cardinals will be kicking off first, giving the defense a chance to set the tone early. Seneca Wallace gets the nod for the Browns, and he's, well, umm...not very good.

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7:45 until kickoff

The Cardinals are introduced to the home crowd which, though announced as a sellout, is certainly a little light today.

I wouldn't be too optimistic about it filling in late, either, as there didn't seem to be a lot of tailgaters on the way in. Something about really cold weather and powerful wins makes people want to go inside.

On another weather-related note, the fact that I had no jacket or long-sleeve shirt today was noticed by a few people, who all asked if I was cold. I was, but the reason I have no long sleeve shirt is the majority of mine are team- related and I can't wear those here. Ahh well, such is life.

The assembled media was in the press conference room, waiting for Cardinals coach Ken Whisenhunt but watching the end of the Broncos game against the Bears.

Tim Tebow, of course, was in the process of leading his team to its sixth win in a row and seventh in the last eight games. Impressive turnaround, sure, but it only rivals what's happening in the desert.

In winning five of six games and improving to 6-7, the Cardinals not only gave themselves a fighting shot at a playoff berth, but have given notice that their days of being a doormat (once again) are over.

"We believed in what we were doing and we still do," Cardinals coach Ken Whisenhunt said. "We are just seeing the benefit of that."

At this point it would be a disappointment if the Cardinals finished the season any worse than 8-8 and, while that normally wouldn't be anything to write home about, the fact that they started the year 1-6 makes it borderline miraculous.

The strong finish, as it would be, is also crucial going forward.

Back in 2007 the Cardinals, fresh off back-to-back 5-11 seasons, went 8-8 in Ken Whisenhunt's first year with the club. The season saw a receiver begin his transformation into one of the league's best, the defense start making plays and an offense that needed multiple QBs to find its footing.

Sound familiar?

The Cardinals are heading for a non-losing record, Beanie Wells has emerged as a top flight running back and the defense has played amazing football over the last six weeks. You want seeds planted for next year? How about an entire garden's worth.

Four years ago Kurt Warner led the team to five wins in its last eight games, allowing the Cardinals to get a rare taste of success.

They learned how to win, too, and that fact cannot be understated. Arizona carried that momentum into the next year, reaching the Super Bowl for the first time in franchise history. Are we seeing a similar scenario play out once again?

Perhaps, though that's not to say Birdgang fans should be reserving hotel rooms in New Orleans in preparation for Super Bowl XLVII. The Cardinals don't exactly have a hall of famer under center and have not been terribly convincing in any of their victories.

But they're on the way.

The swagger that comes with knowing you are going to win when you step on the field had left the team (winning just six of 23 games will do that for a franchise), but now seems to be back in that locker room.

There's also an air of defiance.

"You guys stuck a fork in us quite a while ago," Whisenhunt told the media. "I think our guys never let it get to them."

Sorry, coach, we were wrong to throw dirt on this team.

In fact, this season isn't over, as there are still three games left in 2011.

As my colleague Vince Marotta so eloquently explains, there is still a chance the Cardinals will play in the postseason. And, as Lloyd Christmas once pointed out, sometimes a chance is all you need.

And even if they fall short of the playoffs, this season will be far from a failure, as the narrative of the 2011 season has changed. No longer is the question how bad the Cardinals are; rather it's just how good can they be?

They think much, much better.

"[Teammate Darnell Dockett] just said earlier when we were talking, he was like ‘man, I really feel like if we had an offseason we'd probably be 11-1 right now,'" defensive end Calais Campbell said.

"If we had won just two or three of those games, we would possibly be fighting for the division at this point," receiver Larry Fitzgerald said of the early losses. "That makes you upset."

It should, but the team feeling that way speaks volumes of how far they've come - in both talent and personality.

End of game

I still can't really believe it, team started 1-6 and has since won five of six. In the playoff race? Yeah, they are. Playing well? Yeah, they are. Any closer to knowing what they have at the QB spot?

Nope.

---

1:30 left in fourth quarter

The Cardinals running the best play in the book: the kneel down. Arizona is going to win this game 21-19, moving their record on the season to 6-7. I know, who would have thunk it?

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2:10 left in fourth quarter

Campbell swats down Smith's pass on 3rd and 1 and you know what that sets up. Smith goes Madden on the Cardinals, running backwards about 20 yards, scrambling, moving, giving me time to say "this should not end well for him."

It didn't. Ball falls incomplete, Cards take over. Is that the game?

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2:51 left in fourth quarter

Ginn returns the punt 25 yards to the San Francisco 32. They only need a field goal to win. Defense, it's on you. Again.

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3:04 left in fourth quarter

Screen pass goes for 11, but Cards will have to punt.

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3:14 left in fourth quarter

Cardinals stuffed on a couple of runs, face a 3rd and 12. A big 3rd and 12.

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4:11 left in fourth quarter

Dockett gets a sack, the Niners pick up a few and then Michael Adams disrupts a pass on 3rd and 6. 49ers forced to punt, and in a perfect world they'll never see the ball again...

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5:37 left in fourth quarter

Wells gets stuffed on the run and the Cardinals kick it away.

It was a good punt, but slowly bounced into the end zone. Niners begin the drive from their 20, a turnover would be nice here.

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6:41 left in fourth quarter

Cardinals face a 3rd and 1 from their own 34, clinging to a lead and hoping to eat some clock.

I'd run it again, you should EXPECT your line and Wells to be able to get one yard. With under seven minutes left a first down would be huge. Still, need that clock to keep ticking.

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10:03 left in fourth quarter

49rs try to throw deep on 3rd and 2, incomplete pass and they punt it away. Peterson field the punt inside the five, takes it out to the 14.

He won't be praised much, but San Francisco's punter has been a beast today. Andy Lee, I tip my cap to you.

Cardinals have the ball with the lead. Do they have another drive in them? Deep in their own territory, at least need a couple first downs here to turn the field around.

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11:50 left in fourth quarter

Quick pass to Roberts who scores, and the Cardinals take a 21-19 lead. Skelton with three touchdowns on the day to match his three turnovers.

Like I said, the good has been real good, but the bad...

---

12:25 left in fourth quarter

Cards convert a 3rd and 2 with a swing pass to Doucet, and Arizona has the ball at the San Francisco 3 with a fist and goal.

Need a touchdown.

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End of third quarter

Cards well head into the final period down 19-14, but I kind of have a feeling they're going to score another touchdown. Offense has been right there, just not able to finish. Defense has kept them in the game, that side of the ball deserves a win.

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:16 left in third quarter

Defense gets the stop, Niners punt. Peterson can't do much with it and Arizona will start from the 23. Skelton has been meh so far. His good has been real good but the bad has been awful. Offense has shown signs of life this half, can they put it together?

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1:17 left in third quarter

Rashad Johnson flagged for 15 yards after hitting the receiver in the helmet. Right call, bad timing. But then again, is there ever a good time for a personal foul penalty?

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1:21 left in third quarter

Coach Whiz challenged the ruling on the field of an interception. Call stands, Cards lose a timeout.

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1:21 left in third quarter

Skelton scrambles around on 3rd and 2, has a guy open in the end zone but instead throws to Fitz, who sees the high pass bounce off his hands and into those of a 49er. Big interception.

4:00 left in third quarter

Cards fore a punt and begin drive from their own 33, and Skelton immediately finds Fitz for a gain of 15.

Big drive, Cards taking the lead would be huge for their psyche.

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5:52 left in third quarter

Drive stalls, Cards punt. 49ers take over at their 10 and the Cardinals blow a great opportunity. The defense has been on the field quite a bit, and while they're playing well you have to think they'll wear down sooner or later.

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8:06 left in third quarter

Ask and you shall receive? Alex Smith throws wide of Davis and the Niners punt, with Peterson fair catching the ball at the Arizona 35. Solid field position, let's see if Skelton can do something with it. Big plays are nice, but the Cards will need at least a couple of legitimate "drives" if they are to win this game.

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8:58 left in third quarter

49ers begin a huge drive from their 19. The Cardinals have momentum, does the defense have a stop in them? Maybe a three-and-out? Field position has not been Arizona's friend most of the day.

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9:04 left in third quarter

Skelton finds Fitz down the field, with No. 11 making a great play on the ball for the catch before racing to the end zone. Cardinals close the gap to 19-14, and Fitz surpasses the 1,000 yard mark on the season.

Larry Fitzgerald: Making awful QBs look less-awful since 2010.

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12:20 left in third quarter

Akers boots the kickoff out of the end zone and the Cards go to work from their 20. Again.

Hyphen runs for five and, with the game 19-7, the Cards don't need to panic. It almost feels that way, though.

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12:33 left in third quarter

Announcement comes, Kevin Kolb will not return today.

And, following 37-yard touchdown run from Frank Gore, the Cardinals may not return, either.

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12:33 left in third quarter

The holding penalty was followed by a false start on Heap (finally contributing?), a short run, an incomplete pass that almost kills Rob Housler and a sack where Skelton held onto the ball way too long. Not how they drew it up at halftime, I'd imagine.

Punt is returned to the Arizona 37 where the Niners will begin their drive.

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15:00 left in third quarter

Cards begin their drive from their 20, where a nice Skelton to Fitz pass is nullified by a holding penalty on Jeff King. Great start.

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Halftime

Running out of adjectives with which to describe Arizona's defense, as they hold the 49ers to another field goal and head into the half down just 12-7.

Would feel a lot worse about things if Skelton hadn't shown something in the first half, but he did. Arizona gets the ball to start the second half, we'll see what kind of adjustments they make.

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1:10 left in second quarter

Skelton's pass is batted into the air and intercepted, refs miss a pretty blatant pass interference and suddenly San Francisco is back in business. Can the defense make another stand?

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1:58 left in second quarter

San Francisco puts together a nice drive, but the Cards' D holds once again. Akers kicks the field goal through, and it's 9-7 bad guys.

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6:59 left in second quarter

Niners will begin their drive from the 22, Cardinals have the lead against San Francisco for the first time since..seriously, I don't know when.

Defense is playing great, offense did something. What a sequence of events.

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7:21 left in second quarter

Challenge is...ummm...apparently there was an issue with the cameras and therefore a replay could not be viewed. It's only 2011, why would we expect the cameras to work? Anyway, Akers missed a 50 yard FG and the Cards got the ball.

First play from scrimmage is a perfect throw from Skelton to Doucet, good for a 60-yard touchdown.

Imagine that.

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b>7:38 left in second quarter

49ers successfully run a fake field goal, only Coach Whiz threw a challenge flag right before the ball was snapped. Cards catch a break no matter the result of the challenge, which will determine whether San Francisco completed a pass on 3rd down and long.

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11:50 left in second quarter

Skelton somehow avoids a sack, scrambles for a nice gain and promptly fumbles after taking a big hit. Niners recover at their own 43.

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14:02 left in second quarter

Cards will begin their drive from the 20, looking to build on the 5 total yards of offense gained in the first quarter. Yeah, five.

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14:02 left in second quarter

Defense does a GREAT job, forcing a field goal. This game is eerily similar to the one played in San Francisco a few weeks back, with Arizona's defense doing its job and the offense doing nothing. Visitors are up 6-0.

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End of first quarter

Another three and out and Zastudil punts from the end zone. Ted Ginn returns the ball to the Arizona three. Umm, good luck defense.

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1:29 left in first quarter

Defense, though, rises to the occasion, but not without some help. Ted Ginn lost the ball in the sun or something, costing the Niners an easy touchdown. Punt is downed at the 1 yard line in the safety end zone.

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2:05 left in first quarter

Niners take a timeout and then get a delay of game penalty. Maybe Harbuagh also took a blow to the head?

Anyway, the Cards' defense has been on the field way too much this quarter.

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3:07 left in first quarter

Well that drive was fun, quick. Three-and-out from the Cards and the punt is away, San Francisco will take over at its own 33.

Oh boy.

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4:39 left in first quarter

Kick is a touchback and the announcement comes that Kolb left the game due to a "blow to the head." His return is questionable, and if Skelton isn't better against the Niners this time around the team's chances of winning is doubtful.

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4:39 left in first quarter

Peterson with a sack on third down, Niners settle for an Akers field goal. San Francisco takes a 3-0 lead, but of more concern for the Cardinals is QB Kevin Kolb heading to the locker room.

John Skelton is warming up in a hurry, looks like he's coming in.

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6:50 left in first quarter

Cards come up huge with a sack on third down, but a penalty on Adrian Wilson gives the Niners 15 yards and a first down. Can't afford to make mistakes like that, especially when they keep drives alive for the Niners.

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8:35 left in first quarter

Yep, shows how much I know. Smith scrambles and finds Hunter for a gain of nine and a first down. Carry on.

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8:51 left in first quarter

Adrian Wilson with the big hit on Hunter on 3rd and 3, loss of two. 49ers giving the impression they're going to go for it here, would be really huge early in the game. I'd punt, but I'm also not the NFL coach of the year.

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9:55 left in first quarter

Burnsy was right, call was overturned and ruled a fumble. Zastudil with the short punt, San Fran takes over at Arizona's 43. Coach Whisenhunt stressed how important field position would be today, and so far his squad is losing that battle.

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10:14 left in first quarter

Kolb is hit trying to pass on third down, ball comes out and is ruled incomplete on the field. However, the Niners are challenging the call, feeling like it's a fumble. Arizona Sports 620's Dave Burns thinks it was, but the only thing this will affect is field position since the Cards recovered.

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11:39 left in first quarter

Defense gives up a first down but otherwise does its job. A third and medium turns into a third and long after a false start, and Smith throws incomplete to Crabtree.

Peterson fields the punt -- which was a beauty -- and is quickly tackled at the 13.

Offense's turn...

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2 minutes to kickoff

I've got my chocolate lava cake a la mode and am ready for this game. The Cardinals will be kicking to the Niners, giving the surging defense a chance to set the tone early on.

Stadium is about 70 percent full, roof is open and it's a nice day out.

At 5-7, the Arizona Cardinals find themselves just two games out of an NFC Wild Card spot.

Let that sink in for a moment, you know, the fact that the playoffs are not out of the realm of possibility for a team that started the season losing six of its first seven games.

And with three of their final four games at home...OK, they're probably not going to make a late postseason run, but to even be in the conversation is something that didn't seem possible not long ago.

Funny what kind of difference a few weeks can make.

As the dust began to settle after LaRod Stephens-Howling's game-winning 52-yard reception in overtime, one undeniable fact remained:

For a team that had seemingly found every different way to lose a close game, the fact that punt returns, blocked field goals, clutch fourth down conversions and excellent defense have led to success means there's increasingly more reason to believe in Big Red.

Remember, this season does not have to be a waste.

"When we were 1-6 we were fighting just as hard as we're fighting right now, and just as hard as we were fighting the first week," quarterback Kevin Kolb said. "I've said that multiple times, and you don't see that everywhere.

"That's a big reflection of our leadership and our coaching staff and the players we have in the locker room. We just need to keep plugging and keep getting better."

Improvement is really all there is for the team now, and while many were ready to throw dirt on the Cardinal and their head coach (this writer included), the fact remains that the Cardinals, somehow, seem to be coming around.

To wit: Arizona has now equaled its win total from one season ago, and there are still four games left. Sure, five wins is nothing to write home about, but just more than one month ago it appeared that only a miracle would prevent the Cardinals from landing another top-5 pick in the draft.

Now, it seems as if the only thing the team needed was time, especially the defense.

"Without minicamp or OTAs, you're not so comfortable with your teammates and the defensive scheme," linebacker Daryl Washington said, "but now you can see it. "We're all on the same page, everyone's making plays."

"We compliment each other."

The offense is still learning each other, especially after Kolb missed four games due to injury. But of course, his return went pretty well, and maybe now the offense can begin to form an identity, too.

Kolb talked about it, saying he wanted the offense to "get to know ourselves" in the second half Sunday, and Whisenhunt said his quarterback's performance was exciting because it gives the team "something to build on and build with him."

There's optimism now, a belief that he Cardinals may no longer be the team that lost 15 of 18 games dating back to last season. While they may not make the playoffs, simply moving on from that stretch of barely watchable football would be enough to classify this season as a success.

Of course, there are still four games left, and with each one a chance for the Cardinals to take another step forward.

"I think we're really playing well down the stretch of the games we were able to win," receiver Larry Fitzgerald said. "Guys are consistently making plays down the stretch."

That wasn't the case earlier in the season, where fumbles, drops, interceptions and otherwise bad play cost the Cardinals game after game. Things are different these days, and it would be wise to not underestimate the impact each win can have on this team, especially with so many young players who really haven't experienced success as an Arizona Cardinal.

"It was really a great feeling because all year we've been through so much adversity," second-year pro O'Brien Schofield said. "It shows our ability to stick together as a team and everyone has faith that we're going to prevail and win the game."

One week at a time, the Cardinals are doing just that, and with each victory comes a belief that the Cardinals are rising once again.