Browns at Cardinals
THE STORY: The plan for the Arizona Cardinals is simple: keep winning. The Cards have won five of their last six games and must dispose of the visiting Cleveland Browns on Sunday to keep any hope of the playoffs a reality. Arizona made a statement last week by holding off division rival and already crowned NFC West champion San Francisco 21-19. The win came in large part as a result of a stifling defense that stopped the 49ers twice on the 4-yard line and once on the 6. Cleveland, mired in the basement of the AFC North, lost 14-3 on Dec. 8 to the Pittsburgh Steelers.
TV: CBS, 4:15 p.m. ET. LINE: Cardinals -7, O/U 37.5
ABOUT THE BROWNS (4-9): Cleveland packed little punch against the Steelers. Quarterback Colt McCoy was a feeble 18 for 35 for 209 yards and two interceptions, and running back Peyton Hillis was stuffed for a lowly 25 yards on 10 carries. McCoy sustained a concussion on a helmet-to-helmet hit, an injury that was a hot topic after he was allowed back in the game. If he is unable to play Sunday, the Browns will turn to backup Seneca Wallace. Cleveland will finish the season with matchups against division rivals Baltimore and Pittsburgh.
ABOUT THE CARDINALS (6-7): An early injury made for a brief appearance
for quarterback Kevin Kolb against the 49ers. John Skelton, in as QB
after three plays, threw for 282 yards and three touchdowns. The
performance earned Skelton a little redemption against San Francisco,
who burned him for three interceptions in a 23-7 loss to the 49ers on
Nov. 20. Larry Fitzgerald led the offense for Arizona with seven catches
for 149 yards and a touchdown. Defensively, the Cardinals had five
sacks from five different players for the second straight week.
EXTRA POINTS:
1. It was a special day for Fitzgerald on Sunday against the 49ers. Not only was it the wide receiver’s 30th 100-yard game, he also passed the 1,000-yard plateau on the season. It is the fifth straight year and sixth time in his eight-year NFL career that he reached the milestone, making him the eighth player in NFL history with such an achievement. It also set an Arizona franchise record.
2. If Skelton gets the start on Sunday, it will be his first since back-to-back stints in Weeks 11 and 12 against the 49ers and St. Louis Rams, in which he had a combined QB rating of 19.3.
3. The Browns have struggled on the road winning just once in six games.