Bell: Dangerously deep Cardinals look like NFL’s best team

Yet the manner in which the Cardinals disposed of Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers during a 38-8 rout at the University of Phoenix Stadium on Sunday – with balance, explosiveness and killer instinct – was the impression that sticks. Even if the Cardinals don’t get the top seed, there’s a good argument to make that they’re the best team in the NFL.

But the Cardinals then drove for a TD before intermission and got a fumble and two-play TD drive in the first minute of the second half, making it 24-0 in a total of one minute, 55 seconds of game time. He threw one touchdown pass but had three turnovers, again looking nothing like a two-time MVP quarterback – a stark contrast to Arizona quarterback Carson Palmer.

Without starting left tackle David Bakhtiari (ankle) to protect him, Rodgers was sacked three times in the first half and threw for 58 yards while under constant pressure.

Priceless? Not exactly, as the three sacks triggered another $300,000 in bonus money for Freeney, whose spin move is still giving opponents problems and whose presence is something that gives the rest of his teammates confidence.

Arizona defensive lineman Cory Redding scooped it up, tossed Packers running back Eddie Lacy to the ground and rumbled 36 yards for a touchdown.

“We’re blessed to play this game”, Cardinals inside linebacker Deone Bucannon said. It still can take the No. 1 seed with a win over Seattle and a Carolina loss to Tampa Bay next weekend. Rodgers was 15 of 28 for 151 yards with one touchdown and one interception.

On the first play from scrimmage in the second half, Green Bay’s James Starks fumbled and Powers recovered at the Packers 28.

Get ready for the Green Bay Packers vs Arizona Cardinals game in the afternoon time slot of the Week 16 National Football League schedule.

“That was a huge swing”, Packers coach Mike McCarthy said. Aaron Rodgers was sacked on a play near the end zone and the ball popped loose.

The nine sacks were the most for the Cardinals since they had 10 against Philadelphia on December 7, 1986, two years before the franchise moved to Arizona.

The Cardinals and Packers are both in the playoffs, so now the question over the final two weeks is how high they can position themselves in the standings to maximize their home games. Wide receiver Michael Floyd led the Cardinals with six catches for 111 yards. Also, on Johnson’s 14-yard touchdown run, Fitzgerald sealed off the inside wall as a blocker.

Arizona’s next drive stalled at the 1-yard line, where Chandler Catanzaro’s 19-yard field goal put Arizona up 10-0. That made it 31-0. Arizona is about to find out just how much they’re going to miss defensive back Tyrann Mathieu, who was lost to a torn ACL a week ago.