The Arizona Cardinals earned their fist win of the 2013 season by knocking off the Detroit Lions by a score of 25-21.

It was not a pretty game for the Cardinals, but they got the job done with some excellent defense and timely offense.

The national media took notice, which is why the Cardinals moved up in this week’s power rankings.

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Yahoo! Sports – Seattle is No. 1 after two weeks, but it’s very close

#29

(last week #30)

Nice win over Detroit. Still don’t trust their offensive line or running game, or their quarterback, to carry them very far.

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CBS Sports – Broncos, 49ers look super — but it’s only one week (Prisco)

#20

(last week #25)

If not for a fourth-quarter collapse in St. Louis in Week 1, they would be 2-0. The offense certainly looks much improved with Carson Palmer.

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ESPN – 2013 NFL Power Rankings: Week 2

#21

(last week #25)

What happened to the Cardinals’ pass rush? Arizona has one sack this year, tied for the lowest in the league. Arizona had multiple sacks in 10 games last year.

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Brian Billick – Fox Sports Net – NFL Power Rankings Week 2

#23

(last week #25)

Bruce Arians and Carson Palmer have made an immediate impact on this offense. The 25 points they scored on Sunday would have been the Cardinals’ third-highest output in all of the 2012 season.

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NFL.com – Week 3: Seahawks claim top spot; Giants fall

#19

(last week #26)

While they might have barely escaped with their first win of the season, Bruce Arians’ fellas showed a lot of heart versus the Detroit Lions. Megatron went off early, but then the secondary really tightened its belt. Throw in the outstanding play of some of the ancillary parts with Larry Fitzgerald on the sideline, add a huge blocked field goal attempt, and the Cardinals are 1-1, tied for second place in the NFC West, with a real quarterback. #justsayin’

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SBNation – NFL power rankings, Week 3: Chiefs, Dolphins, Saints climbing the board

#22

(last week #26)

Why didn’t the Cardinals just make Patrick Peterson the quarterback last year?

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Sports Illustrated – NFL Power Rankings Week 2

#21

(last week #28)

On a 4th-and-4, with the game on the line, the Lions tried to beat Tyrann Mathieu inside with a quick slant to Nate Burleson. Bad idea. Mathieu was all over the route and dropped Burleson shy of the marker, wrapping up a come-from-behind victory.

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