Burns: The Jay Feely Show in Glendale on Sunday

To sit here and say I knew it was coming would be a lie.

But a little birdie told me weeks ago that the Cardinals were itching to bust out a Jay Feely fake field goal. That little birdie….was Jay Feely.

So I sat on that little nugget, as you have to, and waited and wondered if the Cardinals would ever have the opportunity to bust it out. The Cardinals busted it out alright…for a touchdown that busted the Broncos, ended the seven-game losing streak and provided respite in this dreary Cardinals season.

It’s not often that kickers get invited to the postgame podium but then how often do you hear kickers admit they wear gloves because they look cool?

Feely alone accounted for 25 of the Cardinals 43 points. He’s only the fourth kicker since the merger to run for a touchdown and for good measure he went 5 for 6 on field goals, including a 55-yarder right before the half. It wouldn’t surprise me at all if this twitpic makes its way to the wall of Feely’s home office.

Despite CBS’s best shot at fun-with-graphics, Sunday wasn’t all about Feely. The expectation level was set so low for quarterback John Skelton, it made it hard not to be impressed with how he played. We were warned he was raw, a project, and may or may not be ready for this moment. His numbers from Sunday won’t light up your smart phone but I thought he made some strong throws. He looked comfortable, confident and relaxed and didn’t freak out when his receivers dropped four passes in the early going. He threw a big block (with his passing shoulder…gotta work on that) and put his head down and ran for a first down.

The word that was often used in the Cardinals locker room: poised. It’s hard not to agree.

I’ll tell you this; for whatever reason I feel a whole lot better about Skelton’s debut than I did about Max Hall’s, even though the latter’s came against a better team. Skelton looks the part of an NFL QB whereas the world needs to be convinced that Hall can play the position in this league.

Mix in six Bronco turnovers, a career day and a bit of redemption for running back Tim Hightower, a near disastrous rookie moment from LB Daryl Washington and a franchise record setting catch from Larry Fitzgerald and all-in-all the home crowd left happy.

Or did they? The missed opportunity is staring you in the eyeballs. Just one more win during this seven game losing streak and suddenly the Cards are relevant in this division. Or are you one of those who were pulling for the Cardinals to lose? Finish with the worst possible record and get the best possible draft pick?

The concept sounds good on paper; during a lost season like this you should want the best draft pick possible. I simply don’t understand how it works when you actually apply it. Are you angry they won today? Disappointed? Were you sitting at the game or on your couch actually rooting against them? I understand the “why” but not the “how”.

Whether you enjoyed it or not is up to you. They certainly did.

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