The facts: The Arizona Cardinals fell to 4-1 with a 17-3 road defeat to the St. Louis Rams in Week 5.
The upside: Even the worst defeats tend to feature a bright spot or two.
- The Cardinals have nine days between games, time that should be valuable as a long list of players treat injuries.
- Quarterback Kevin Kolb withstood punishment better than he did last season, when injuries limited him to nine games. He also avoided interceptions.
- Patrick Peterson made a leaping interception in the end zone. He also averaged 15.2 yards on five punt returns.
- Second-year tight end Rob Housler made positive contributions in the receiving game, continuing a recent trend. He had three catches for 45 yards and wasn't afraid to take on defenders.
- Arizona held the Rams to 12 first downs and 242 yards. Sam Bradford completed only 7 of 21 passes.
- The Cardinals held a nine-minute advantage in time of possession.
- Inside linebacker Daryl Washington collected a sack, his fourth of the season. He and outside linebacker O'Brien Schofield had two quarterback hits apiece.
- This is only the third "silver linings" file for Arizona in the last 340 days. The other NFC West teams have had 20, counting playoffs.
Mike Sando | email
NFL- NFC West Blogger
- Joined ESPN in 2007
- Lives in the Seattle-Tacoma area with his wife and two sons
ABOUT THIS BLOG
Mike Sando
Sando joined ESPN.com in 2007 after nine seasons covering the Seattle Seahawks for the Tacoma (Wash.) News Tribune. He lives in the Seattle-Tacoma area with his wife and two sons.
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