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OK, I've heard back on a few inquiries regarding potential fines stemming from Week 10 games involving NFC West teams.

Looks like we had some pretty good damage.

Seahawks at Cardinals

• $7,500 against the Cardinals' Darnell Dockett for elbowing Matt Hasselbeck in the throat.
• $7,500 against Seahawks safety Jordan Babineaux for a horse collar tackle on Anquan Boldin.
• $5,000 against Cardinals cornerback Bryant McFadden for a facemask committed on T.J. Houshmandzadeh.
• $5,000 against Cardinals running back Beanie Wells for hitting Seahawks safety Deon Grant.
• $5,000 against Grant for instigating the incident with Wells.

Bears at 49ers

• $5,000 against Bears tackle Chris Williams for unnecessarily striking an opponent after the play.
• $5,000 against 49ers receiver Arnaz Battle for a facemask violation.
• $5,000 against 49ers cornerback Tarell Brown for taunting.
• $5,000 against 49ers tight end Delanie Walker for kicking an opponent.

By the way, the Bears' Mark Anderson did not incur a fine for striking the 49ers' Chilo Rachal after Frank Gore's fumble. That one generated some interest on the blog previously.

The $7,500 fine against Darnell Dockett seems about right for pressing his elbow into Matt Hasselbeck's throat Sunday.

The lesser fine of $5,000 might seem like more of a slap on the wrist. The $7,500 amount is more like an elbow pressed to the throat -- not enough to do any lasting damage, but enough to get a player's attention.

And that is what I think Dockett was doing on the play in question. He seemed to be sending a message, not trying to injure Hasselbeck seriously.

Additional fines from this game:

• $5,000 against Cardinals cornerback Bryant McFadden for a facemask violation against Seahawks receiver T.J. Houshmandzadeh.
• $5,000 against Cardinals running back Beanie Wells for hitting Seahawks safety Deon Grant.
• $5,000 against Grant for instigating the confrontation.
• $7,500 against Seahawks safety Jordan Babineaux for a horse collar tackle on Anquan Boldin.

These are all coming from Darren Urban of azcardinals.com. I am waiting to hear back from the league on those and others. Will update as new information becomes available.

The Cardinals recorded four of their six longest offensive plays of the season against the Seahawks in Week 10. The best news for Arizona: two of them came with fewer than three wide receivers on the field, and one of them was a run.

This was a hot topic earlier in the season when the Cardinals were having problems striking downfield in the passing game. "You need to run the ball from run sets to force teams to play the run so you can take play-action shots," ESPN analyst Trent Dilfer advised.

That is what the Cardinals have done. Against Chicago in Week 9, they ran the ball eight times in their first 11 snaps with fewer than three wide receivers. Later in the game, they threw two touchdown passes from similar personnel.

Against Seattle, the Cardinals ran the ball on their first three plays with fewer than three wide receivers. They later threw a 28-yard touchdown pass to Steve Breaston from similar personnel.

The Cardinals have changed offensively in the last two weeks. They have used regular personnel -- two backs, two receivers, one tight end -- about 45 percent of the time on first down in each of those games. They had never done so more than a third of the time in any of their seven previous games this season.

Receivers Larry Fitzgerald, Anquan Boldin and Steve Breaston still attract most of the attention from opponents, and rightfully so. But the Cardinals are developing a ground game separate from their three- and four-receiver packages. The Cardinals produced their two longest runs of the season in the last two games, both by Beanie Wells and both from two-receiver personnel (one covering 29 yards, the other 26 yards). Wells has 14 runs of at least 10 yards this season. Twelve of them came with fewer than three wide receivers on the field.

Wells has also been effective in limited carries with three or more wide receivers. Establishing the ground game from run-oriented personnel is important for dictating more favorable coverages. Counting playoffs last season, the Cardinals had 17 plays longer than 40 yards. Eight came with fewer than three wide receivers on the field even though Arizona used three or more 65 percent of the time (compared to 60 percent so far this season and 42 percent Sunday).

I'm working on an item about the Rams' situation at receiver -- Keenan Burton is undergoing surgery -- but first wanted to pass along an officiating note.

Cardinals coach Ken Whisenhunt indicated dissatisfaction with several calls during the Seattle-Arizona game Sunday.

"I'm disappointed that there seemed to be a number of penalties called that were tough to see," Whisenhunt said. "I thought we played a pretty good technical game. Some of those penalties were unfortunate. I wasn't happy with them. There will be a few that we turn in (to the league office) because, as would be the normal case, you don't always agree with them."

Seahawks coach Jim Mora also had issues with the game referee Walt Coleman's crew called. According to Danny O'Neil of the Seattle Times, Mora said he turned in 17 plays for league review, the most he has ever submitted as an NFL head coach.

If that is what the head coaches are saying publicly, imagine what they must be saying in private.

Coleman's crew called 26 penalties, an extremely high number.

Teams with dominant pass rushers give Kurt Warner and the Cardinals big problems.

The Seattle Seahawks are no longer one of those teams.

Carolina, Indianapolis and San Francisco beat the Cardinals this season because they won one-on-one matchups up front. The Steelers beat the Cardinals in the Super Bowl because James Harrison won those one-on-one battles. The Vikings beat the Cardinals late last season because they won those matchups.

The Seahawks' inability to win those matchups stood out to me as the single biggest reason they could not beat the Cardinals in Week 10 even after building a 14-0 lead.

This should trouble the Seahawks deeply because the team has invested significant resources to win those battles:

• The organization paid and continues to pay huge money to Patrick Kerney, but the Cardinals' Levi Brown matched up with him pretty evenly Sunday.
• The organization used the fourth overall choice in the 2009 draft for Aaron Curry, then lauded his pass-rush skills. I didn't notice those skills Sunday.
• The team invested a 2008 first-round choice in defensive end Lawrence Jackson. I doubt Warner could pick him out of a photo lineup featuring Seattle pass rushers.
• The team used a 2006 second-round choice for defensive end Darryl Tapp. How much time does Warner spend preparing to face him?
• The team adjusted 2007 third-round choice Brandon Mebane's role in hopes he would become a poor man's Warren Sapp. Mebane, though occasionally disruptive, has one sack all season.

The Seahawks have lost six of their last seven games against the Cardinals. Kerney dominated as a pass rusher in the last Seattle victory between the teams. Seattle lacks that element and it was the biggest problem facing the team Sunday.

The facts: The Seahawks fell to 3-6 with a 31-20 road defeat to the Cardinals in Week 10.

The upside: Even the worst defeats tend to feature a bright spot or two.

• Seattle scored seven first-quarter points against Arizona after managing only six in the five previous first quarters combined. Jumping to a 14-0 lead was impressive and critical for the Seahawks after they fell behind early against the Cardinals in the previous meeting.
• The defense made a momentum-turning goal-line stand to prevent the Cardinals from taking a 7-0 lead. The stop spurred Seattle's offense, which responded with a six-play, 99-yard touchdown drive.
• The offense finished with 472 yards, the Seahawks' most since a 501-yard game against Atlanta in Week 17 of the 2007 season. This was the Seahawks' third-highest regular-season yardage total since the start of the 2003 season. The 2004 team gained 507 yards against Dallas.
• Justin Forsett played an exceptional game at running back. His 123-yardage total was only part of the story. The block he made in blitz pickup against Cardinals safety Adrian Wilson was tremendous.
• Receiver T.J. Houshmandzadeh caught nine passes for 165 yards in his finest game with the Seahawks. Houshmandzadeh made big plays down the field, pushing his per-catch average for the season to 11.6 yards.
• Defensive tackle Brandon Mebane showed flashes early in the game, particularly on a 4-yard tackle for loss.
• Fullback Justin Griffith made excellent blocks leading Forsett on inside runs. The zone running game looked good. Line coach Mike Solari has done a good job under the circumstances and that showed Sunday.

Looking ahead: The Seahawks face the Vikings on the road in Week 11.

Darren Urban of azcardinals.com says Arizona responded to a tough home crowd. Urban: "The Cards had 122 yards rushing. The defense had four sacks and two interceptions and, for all the yards the Seahawks piled up, gave up just two field goals after that gulp-inducing 14-0 start."

Also from Urban: Beanie Wells runs with bad intentions. The photo accompanying this story shows a snarling Wells about to plant Seahawks cornerback Josh Wilson. There is much to like about how Wells runs the football. Larry Fitzgerald: "They don’t want to hit him straight on, because honestly he’s breaking guys' facemasks when he runs through them. He’s 230 pounds running a 4.4, that’s pretty rough. I get the heck out of the way."

More from Urban: Arizona's defense tightened when it needed to. Urban: "The Cardinals weren’t thrilled with their defensive performance, although (Darnell) Dockett emphasized over and over that he was impressed with the Seahawks and their game plan. After holding the Seahawks to 128 total yards in the first meeting, the Cards surrendered 472 Sunday. But Seattle scored just that lone field goal in the second half, and twice came up with interceptions -- one by safety Antrel Rolle, one by safety Adrian Wilson -- to short-circuit any Seattle comeback hopes."

Kent Somers of the Arizona Republic says the Cardinals finally found a way to play well at home, outscoring Seattle by a 31-6 margin to end the game. Wilson: "It wasn't the prettiest game, but it wasn't the ugliest game, either. We got the win, ended their season, and we're happy to get the win."

Also from Somers: first impressions of the Cardinals' victory, including recognition for rookie linebacker Will Davis. The team's run defense appeared to miss Gerald Hayes.

Bob McManamon of the Arizona Republic says Anquan Boldin took out his frustrations on the Seahawks. Boldin: "That's the resolve we have in this locker room. No matter what goes on, we know we have enough firepower to get things done, even if we don't start off the way we want to."

Also from McManamon and Somers: Arizona held the Seahawks to one touchdown in four red zone opportunities. Also, punter Ben Graham and linebacker Clark Haggans enjoyed strong games for the Cardinals.

Dan Bickley of the Arizona Republic says Wells' performance stood out for the Cardinals. Bickley: "Four plays after his personal-foul penalty, he took the ball on fourth and 1 from the Seattle 10, bounced outside, burst around the corner and scampered untouched to glory. That play showcased his uncanny speed, tying the score at 17. On his second touchdown, Wells shed three tacklers on his way to the end, showcasing his uncanny strength."

Also from Bickley: Boldin's 37-yard reception stood out as the play of the game, particularly with Jordan Babineaux adding another 15 yards on a horse-collar tackle.

Steve Kelley of the Seattle Times says the Seahawks failed to deliver on promises this season. Kelley: "This season was supposed to be about a seamless transition from former coach Mike Holmgren to new coach Jim Mora." He is right. The Seahawks definitely expected more this season. Last season was supposed to be an injury-induced aberration. Mora had spent two seasons on Holmgren's staff, so he knew the personnel.

Danny O'Neil of the Seattle Times says Matt Hasselbeck felt better about the Seahawks' offensive performance despite the defeat. O'Neil: "The Seahawks weren't rendered road kill until the final period when Beanie Wells ran over Seattle's defense. That wasn't a metaphor. He ran right through safety Deon Grant on a 13-yard touchdown run, spinning out of Grant's hit and putting Arizona ahead for good with 11:20 left in the game. It was Wells' second rushing touchdown of the second half."

Also from O'Neil: Anquan Boldin's 37-yard reception was the play of the game.

Dave Boling of the Tacoma News Tribune says the Seahawks need to start playing for the future. Mora: "I see growth on this football team. I thought coming into this year we would see growth once we had some (lineup) continuity. And we’ve had some and I think it showed up today. Offensively, we were able to move the ball against a very good defense. We were able to run the ball against a defense that was fourth in the NFL against the run. To me, those are all positives." The Cardinals' run defense has fallen off dramatically in recent weeks and I do not think Justin Forsett can carry a full rushing load week after week.

Also from Boling: The Cardinals had a hard time finding the diminutive Forsett.

Eric D. Williams of the Tacoma News Tribune says the Seahawks' T.J. Houshmandzadeh ranks eighth among NFL players in receptions after catching nine passes for 165 yards against the Cardinals.

Also from Williams: The Seahawks appear destined to miss the playoffs for a second consecutive season, something that has not happened since the 2001 and 2002 teams failed to qualify.

John Morgan of Field Gulls liked what he saw from Forsett, Brandon Mebane, Darryl Tapp and Josh Wilson. Mebane was disruptive at times, but the Seahawks failed to sack Kurt Warner or pressure him when it mattered.

GLENDALE, Ariz. -- Football in the NFC West was fun again Sunday.

Two teams with top-tier quarterbacks traded punches, sometimes literally, and the best team won.

Arizona's 31-20 victory at University of Phoenix Stadium had the feel of a last stand for the Seattle Seahawks and an early NFC West coronation for the Cardinals.

"They gave us a helluva dogfight," Cardinals defensive tackle Darnell Dockett said.

Seattle built a 14-0 lead by arming quarterback Matt Hasselbeck with an enterprising plan and a healthier offensive line. Seattle's Justin Forsett rushed for 123 yards. The Seahawks landed their best shot squarely, but they couldn't do any lasting damage, a harsh reminder of where they stand in relation to the defending and likely future division champs.

It felt to me as though Kurt Warner looked at his watch midway through the second quarter, stifled a yawn and then took over the game almost at will.

"I don't think we wanted [the deficit] to get much bigger than that," Warner said after passing for 340 yards and two touchdowns, "but I don't think there was any panic at that point in time."

And with rookie running back Beanie Wells growing into a more prominent role -- he had 85 yards and two touchdowns -- the Cardinals made progress toward fielding the type of offense that can compete and win come playoff time.

Arizona takes a 6-3 overall record and 4-0 road record to St. Louis in Week 11. The Seahawks take a 3-6 record to Minneapolis. The San Francisco 49ers, though still in the race, will have a hard time overcoming their two-game deficit in the standings -- particularly with Warner playing so well.

Five more observations after Arizona defeated Seattle for the fourth consecutive time and sixth time in seven meetings:

1. It's the quarterbacks

Hasselbeck's final numbers suffered from two interceptions he threw while trying to rally Seattle in the final 6 minutes, but he and Warner made this game so much more fun to watch than, say, the Bears-49ers game Thursday night.

"We really set out and did everything that we talked about doing," Hasselbeck said. "We just missed some opportunities in the red zone."

Warner averaged 8.9 yards per attempt against Seattle even though the Seahawks surprised him with their scheme.

"The one thing that really surprised me is that they didn't bring very much pressure," Warner said. "That was something that was different to me from a coach [Jim] Mora team. He likes to change it up and he likes to bring a variety of pressures, and that's one thing we didn't see."

Seattle dropped eight defenders into coverage, sometimes using veteran safety Lawyer Milloy as a linebacker. The Seahawks badly needed defensive end Patrick Kerney to win one-on-one matchups against the Cardinals' tackles, something Kerney did routinely when this rivalry wasn't so lopsided. It didn't happen.

2. Fines could be forthcoming

Any game featuring 934 yards, 51 first downs and 26 called penalties is going to be wild.

Both teams took questionable shots at the quarterbacks, and the Seahawks lost running back Julius Jones to a broken rib.

Dockett appeared to tackle Hasselbeck out of bounds early in the game, though he avoided a penalty. Hasselbeck also accused Dockett of elbowing him in the throat after a sack. Dockett denied the charge.

Seahawks safety Deon Grant shoved Wells after the ninth play of the Cardinals' 13-play touchdown drive to open the third quarter. Wells responded with a roundhouse punch/slap to the helmet, drawing a 15-yard penalty.

Seattle's Cory Redding made a hit on Warner count by laying on the quarterback as if attempting to grind him into the turf. Officials later flagged Cardinals nose tackle Bryan Robinson for a personal foul.

In the end, though, there was respect.

"To come back with all the injuries and adversity and missing some of his line, to go out there and compete, I take my hat off to him," Dockett said of Hasselbeck.

3. Seattle did make progress, but ...

The Seahawks had all 53 players healthy enough to play for the second week in a row. And with Sean Locklear back in the lineup at left tackle, the offensive line was as good as it could be without Walter Jones, who remains on injured reserve.

"It doesn't feel like it right now," Mora said, "but I think when we look back at this, we'll see that we did improve as a football team."

T.J. Houshmandzadeh caught nine passes for 165 yards. The diminutive Forsett hid behind his linemen and gave the Cardinals problems all game. Hasselbeck pushed the offensive tempo effectively throughout, helping Seattle amass 472 yards and 29 first downs while converting 40 percent of its third downs.

I'm torn, though, on what to make of it.

All of those things were true, but the Seahawks still weren't all that close to winning, even with the fast start.

Rookie fourth overall draft choice Aaron Curry did not stand out. Kerney could not dominate a matchup that once prevented the Cardinals from functioning offensively. The Cardinals' offensive linemen sometimes moved Seattle nose tackle Colin Cole off the ball to clear running lanes. Arizona overwhelmed the Seahawks' protection with all-out blitzes.

And with Minnesota on the schedule, it's a stretch to think the Seahawks will build upon this effort right away.

4. An angry Boldin isn't always a bad thing for Arizona.

Anquan Boldin was furious last week when the Cardinals named him inactive at the last possible moment, allegedly without informing him properly. He played with obvious passion Sunday, reaching the ball ahead for extra yardage and avoiding the fumbles that sometimes result from such tactics.

Boldin hurt the Seahawks with eight receptions for 105 yards. The Cardinals have won five of the last six games Boldin has missed, but they needed him Sunday. Boldin's 37-yard catch-and-run in the fourth quarter helped put away Seattle.

5. Nate Burleson should hold off on the predictions.

Seattle's leading receiver entered Week 10 predicted a Seahawks victory.

Burleson finished the game Sunday with zero catches. Cardinals cornerback Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie dominated their matchup. And when the Seahawks needed a reception in the fourth quarter, Burleson and Hasselbeck weren't on the same page, resulting in an incomplete pass even though Burleson was open.

Houshmandzadeh had more room to talk after averaging 18.3 yards per reception.

"I don't see nobody on our schedule that can beat us, in my eyes, not if we play the way we should play," Houshmandzadeh said.

The Vikings must be trembling.

GLENDALE, Ariz. -- Items I wanted to pass along before my column posts here in a bit:

• Early Doucet has overtaken Jerheme Urban as the Cardinals' fourth wide receiver. Nothing is permanent, of course, and Doucet did drop a pass Sunday. But it's looking like the Cardinals wanted to make this move. Urban played zero snaps. He did not even play on special teams.
• The Cardinals missed inside linebacker Gerald Hayes far more than I expected. I think that partly explains why Seattle's Justin Forsett enjoyed so much success running inside against Seattle. The Cardinals need to get Hayes back on the field in time to face the Rams' Steven Jackson. Ali Highsmith had problems.
• Seattle running back Julius Jones will stay overnight at an area hospital after suffering a broken rib, coach Jim Mora said. "He's not in any danger," Mora said, "but we're going to play it safe."

GLENDALE, Ariz. -- NFL officiating director Mike Pereira says officials made the right call on a key ruling during the Cardinals' 31-20 victory over the Seahawks.

The Cardinals had gained 3 yards on second-and-2 from the 7. Officials then flagged Arizona running back Beanie Wells for a 15-yard penalty after the play.

In short, the Cardinals faced first-and-10 instead of first-and-goal from the Seattle 19 after officials flagged Wells.

"They made the first down and then got called for the unnecessary roughness," Pereira wrote in an e-mail. "It will always be first-and-10 unless the foul is against an official."

I did not know that. Neither did anyone I spoke with in the press box, including team and league officials.

Referee Walt Coleman got it right.

GLENDALE, Ariz. -- Nothing has come easy for the Cardinals at home this season. The trend continued against Seattle, but the outcome was all that mattered.

A season sweep of the Seahawks all but eliminated Seattle as a realistic challenger within the division.

The game raised questions about the Cardinals' run defense. It demonstrated their tendencies toward undisciplined play. But it also revealed a clear talent differential favoring the Cardinals even though the Seahawks hadn't been this healthy for months.

The Seahawks will now take a 3-6 record into Minneapolis after their best in Week 10 wasn't good enough against Arizona. That's a difficult position for Seattle and I will not be surprised if the Seahawks fall flat against the Vikings. They will have to fight through the realization that the season is likely lost.

Arizona takes a 6-3 overall record and 4-0 road record into St. Louis, where Kurt Warner will presumably treat fans to a brand of offense the Rams generally have not enjoyed since he left. Warner needed time to warm up Sunday, but he finished with 76 percent completions for 340 yards and two touchdowns. He makes the Cardinals a contender.

The Seahawks' inability to win one-on-one pass-rush battles against average offensive tackles was striking. It was arguably the difference in the game.

GLENDALE, Ariz. -- For as well as the Seahawks have played against Arizona, the Cardinals were still pretty much unstoppable.

Kurt Warner has completed nearly 80 percent of his passes for 333 yards, two touchdowns and a 123.7 rating. The Cardinals have 458 yards.

The Seahawks did not need a moral victory in this game. They needed a victory. Barring a comeback from a 31-20 deficit with 4:53 remaining, Seattle will take a 3-6 record to Minnesota.

GLENDALE, Ariz. -- I'm unsure why the Cardinals faced first-and-10 instead of first-and-goal from the Seattle 19 after Beanie Wells' personal foul penalty.

The Cardinals wound up tying the game with Wells' 10-yard scoring run on fourth-and-1.

The Cardinals had gained 3 yards on second-and-2 from the 7. Officials then flagged Wells for a 15-yard penalty after the play.

Arizona then got first-and-10 from the 19. I thought it should have been first-and-goal. Play calling and personnel selection would have changed in a goal-to-go situation. The Cardinals may or may not have scored the tying touchdown.

Am I missing something here?

Update: Officials made the right call.

GLENDALE, Ariz. -- The Seahawks outplayed the Cardinals -- and expectations -- during a mostly impressive first half at University of Phoenix Stadium.

They dominated on third down, which was a problem area for Seattle when the teams played earlier in the season.

And yet the Seattle lead at halftime is a tenuous one (17-10). The Cardinals' Kurt Warner started finding a rhythm before halftime. Arizona gets the ball to start the second half.

This one might be only beginning.