Notes from the Nest: Arizona Cardinals – Dec. 20
TEMPE, Ariz. — The Cardinals were in their practice bubble Friday. Pity, because an outside practice would have given them a good preview of what kind of weather Seattle has to offer.
Of Note
– Bruce Arians said Larry Fitzgerald, who practiced on a limited basis for the second consecutive day, still had to pass a test from a neurologist independent of the team.
– The coach praised his team’s attention to detail in practice this week.
– An overlooked factor heading into this matchup could be the fact that it is not a Thursday night game. “This time we had a full week of practice, so hopefully it will show up,” Arians said.
Stat of the Day
Cardinals QB Carson Palmer is 65 yards away from passing Kurt Warner’s 2009 campaign for third place on the franchise’s single-season passing yards list.
Quote of the Day
“It’s a big game,” Arians said. “It’s great to have meaningful games at this time of the year.”
This Day in Arizona Cardinals History
On Dec. 20, 2009, the Cardinals went into Detroit and beat the Lions 31-24.
The game started off well for the Cardinals, with the team taking a 7-0 first quarter lead when Kurt Warner hit Larry Fitzgerald from one yard out. The second quarter saw Mike Nugent connect on a 48-yard field goal and Tim Hightower score from one yard out, and it was 17-0 at the half.
However, things went sideways for the Cards in the third quarter, as Louis Delmas returned an interception 100 yards for a touchdown, Maurice Morris ran one in from 64 yards out, and Jason Hanson added a 37-yard field goal to tie things up.
The teams went on to trade touchdowns in the fourth quarter, with Beanie Wells scoring for the Cardinals and Drew Stanton punching one in for the Lions, but it was Anquan Boldin’s five-yard run that proved to be the difference.
For the game, Warner completed 22-of-36 passes for 228 yards with one touchdown and one interception. Wells gained 110 yards and a score on 17 carries and Boldin was the team’s leading receiver with 67 yards.
As for the Lions, quarterbacks Stanton and Daunte Culpepper combined to complete 16-of-31 passes for 136 yards with two interceptions. Morris, the running back, had 126 yards and a touchdown on 17 carries.
