ESPN NFL

	Mark J. Rebilas/US Presswire
	Despite all the early season hype about quarterback Kurt Warner and the Arizona offense, the Cardinals enter the playoffs in search of an identity.

Posted by ESPN.com's Mike Sando

GLENDALE, Ariz. -- The first 10 games of the 2008 NFL season showed how far the Arizona Cardinals have progressed under second-year coach Ken Whisenhunt.

The final six weeks showed how much further there is to go.

The Cardinals remain a bit of a mystery heading into their home playoff game against the Atlanta Falcons in the NFC wild-card round Saturday.

They probably weren't as good as their 7-3 record suggested in November, or as bad as they appeared after winning the NFC West became a formality.

"I don't know what our identity is going to be going into the playoffs," Whisenhunt said Sunday after a 34-21 victory over the Seattle Seahawks. "If we play like we did today for three quarters, then I think we can go far."

The victory over Seattle gave the Cardinals their first winning record since 1998, a one-game improvement over last season, a 6-0 record in the division and needed confidence after four defeats in their previous five games.

But the Cardinals' late-season struggles with nothing to gain in the standings raised valid questions about the team's playoff readiness. Those questions remain unanswered.

That's why Whisenhunt found meaning in what Seahawks coach Mike Holmgren told him on the field at University of Phoenix Stadium before kickoff.

Holmgren, coaching his final game for the Seahawks, drew parallels between his first season in Seattle and the Cardinals' flawed journey to the NFC West title this season.

The 1999 Seahawks went from 8-2 to 9-7 before losing a wild-card home game to the Miami Dolphins. Like Whisenhunt, Holmgren had a hard time keeping an unproven team motivated down the stretch. Like Whisenhunt, Holmgren had yet to establish his program in full.

"That was difficult and we learned from it," Holmgren told Whisenhunt, "and that is what you are going through right now."

Whisenhunt needed to hear it from a more established coach. The last five weeks had threatened to undo much of what the Cardinals had accomplished this season.

"It's nice to hear a guy with Mike Holmgren's credentials who has been successful like him share that with you, and I appreciate it," Whisenhunt said.

The best teams in the league play at a high level just about every week, regardless of circumstances. The New England Patriots have been that way for years. The New York Giants became that type of team last season. The Cardinals hope to get there some day.

"We've made a lot of progress in a year of a half and that is part of the progression," Whisenhunt said. "You can't just snap your fingers and say, 'OK, we're going to win every game now.' This league is too good for that."

Ten questions the Cardinals must answer to advance in the playoffs:

1. What is their identity on offense?

Whisenhunt, offensive line coach Russ Grimm and offensive coordinator Todd Haley expected to bring a hard-nosed, run-first mentality to the Cardinals.

Those plans took a detour this season once the team made Kurt Warner the starting quarterback.

As much as Warner enjoys spreading the field and throwing the football, even he realizes the limitations of a one-dimensional offense.

The Cardinals attempted to find more balance against the Seahawks by installing Edgerrin James at running back. James carried 14 times for 100 yards, the first time James has reached 100 yards since the regular-season opener at San Francisco.

2. Can this defense tackle well enough?

The Cardinals allowed more than 400 points this season in part because they haven't tackled consistently.

They blew a 17-3 lead at Carolina in Week 8 largely because the Panthers' Steve Smith and others broke tackles in the second half.

Two weeks ago, the Minnesota Vikings' Adrian Peterson ran through Arizona arm tackles on his way to 165 yards rushing. Chester Taylor carried 10 times for 66 yards.

The Falcons' Michael Turner and Jerious Norwood will run all over the Cardinals if Arizona gets sloppy in its tackling.

3. Can the Cardinals protect Warner?

Opponents had hit Warner a league-high 136 times entering Week 17, according to Elias Sports Bureau.

That helps explain why Warner's play deteriorated late in the season. And while Warner threw four touchdown passes Sunday, he appeared shaky when the Seahawks hit him early in the game.

Warner can still play at a high level if he's comfortable. His age shows when opponents put pressure on him.

4. Can the Cardinals play with discipline?

Arizona ranked among the most penalized teams in the league this season even though Whisenhunt made that area a point of emphasis.

Ten penalties for 100 yards hurt the Cardinals against Seattle.

Personal-foul penalties have been particularly troublesome. The Cardinals need to maintain their aggressiveness without losing their composure.

5. Will home-field advantage matter?

The Cardinals' long-suffering fans have remained a bit skeptical through the team's recent struggles.

Fans wearing visiting teams' jerseys have made themselves seen and heard in the stands at University of Phoenix Stadium for games against more established teams.

Fans booed the Cardinals early in their game Sunday. Noise wasn't a problem for Seattle until the outcome was pretty much decided.

Drawing the Falcons in the first round should help Arizona keep the visiting fans to a minimum. A rematch against the Cowboys would have complicated those efforts given how many Dallas fans filled the stadium in Week 6.

6. Is Edge the answer?

Yes.

Rookie Tim Hightower didn't get enough chances in recent weeks to establish a rhythm. That wasn't his fault. But now that the playoffs are here, James' experience and fresh legs should serve the Cardinals well.

It's not like the NFL's last-ranked running game is going to get worse.

"What he brings to the table is toug
hness," Warner said. "The fact that he's always falling forward, that's the one great thing you love about Edge. He never goes backwards. He never puts you in a hole. He's always getting the tough yards for you even if there's not a lot there for you."

7. Can opponents rattle Warner?

It's tough to find fault with a quarterback following a four-touchdown performance, but the Seahawks' pass rush gave Warner problems early.

The Cardinals' passing game made a few big plays without showing the precision that made Warner so difficult to stop for much ofthe season.

Teams with stronger pass-rush ability can make Warner uncomfortable and force him into the types of mistakes that become more costly in the playoffs.

8. Do the Cardinals have a playmaker on defense?

Rookie cornerback Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie picked off another pass Sunday. He has four interceptions in his last seven games, and he runs well enough to score once he gets the ball in his hands.

Pro Bowl strong safety Adrian Wilson hasn't been as dynamic while fighting through injuries in recent weeks, but offenses still must fear him as a blitzer.

Wilson is a threat to knock out inexperienced quarterbacks. He altered Buffalo's season when Bills quarterback Trent Edwards failed to account for Wilson off the edge.

The Atlanta Falcons' Matt Ryan has shown more moxie than the typical rookie quarterback, but if Wilson can fool him even once, the game could turn for Arizona.

9. Can playoff teams contain Larry Fitzgerald?

Seattle had no chance once its pass rush faltered.

Fitzgerald caught five passes for 130 yards and two touchdowns, but how has he fared against playoff teams?

He caught seven passes for 115 yards and no touchdowns at Carolina. He finished with 6-153-0 against the Miami Dolphins, 5-71-0 against the Giants, 5-65-2 against the Philadelphia Eagles and 5-52-0 against the Vikings.

Give Warner time and Fitzgerald can become unstoppable. He wins at the ball better than any receiver in the league.

10. Who are the real Cardinals?

A tougher late-season schedule seemed to expose them. But the Cardinals did play better against the good teams before the NFC West title became a formality.

"A lot of guys didn't want to play today," defensive tackle Darnell Dockett said. "We were looking ahead and it's all or nothing in the playoffs, but we shut it down and we went out and focused and played well.

"We're going to be ready in that playoff week and I can taste it."