Posted by ESPN.com's Mike Sando
The facts: The Cardinals fell to 4-3 after a 34-21 home defeat to the Panthers in Week 8.
The upside: Even the worst defeats tend to feature a bright spot or two.
- Rookie running back LaRod Stephens-Howling scored a touchdown on offense and averaged 31.5 yards per kickoff return.
- The Cardinals maintained their first-place lead in the NFC West.
- Arizona ran the ball effectively, rushing 17 times for 94 yards, a 5.5-yard average.
- The Cardinals scored touchdowns on all three red-zone possessions.
- Arizona immediately answered the Panthers' opening drive to a touchdown with a touchdown drive of their own. Beanie Wells carried three times for 21 yards on the drive.
- Anquan Boldin overtook Larry Centers to become the Cardinals' all-time leader in receptions.
- The Cardinals trimmed a 21-point deficit to 10 points with a pair of 1-yard touchdowns in the second half.
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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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