In case any doubt lingered in the minds of pundits, fans or the NFL as a collective whole, this season's Cardinals are decidedly different from a year ago, when a November trip to the Pacific Northwest precipitated their unraveling from sure division titlists to wild-card losers.
It showed Sunday night when they traveled into the depths of the notoriously hostile Land of the 12th Man and survived with a 39-32 win over the two-time reigning division champion Seahawks. And now, at 7-2, the NFC West seems Arizona's for the taking barring a repeat of four losses in six games from last season.
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The game took on a different feel than last season's 19-3 loss to Seattle. For one, this time Cardinals quarterback Carson Palmer was healthy (we think) as he dissected the "Legion of Boom" for 363 yards and three touchdowns, including a pair to Michael Floyd.
The Cardinals defense forced Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson into a first-half safety and an interception to build a 22-7 halftime lead.
Wilson and the Seattle offense overcame a listless first half to make it interesting, and a pair of defensive touchdowns off Palmer fumbles gave the Seahawks a 29-25 lead halfway through the fourth quarter, barely keeping intact their NFL record of 57 games in which they've held a lead.
But Palmer recovered and connected with tight end Jermaine Gresham on a touchdown pass to regain the lead, and Andre Ellington tiptoed 48 yards down the sideline for another score after a Seattle punt to ensure a victory. Floyd and Larry Fitzgerald also each topped 100 yards receiving.
For the Seahawks — who have lost two games at home for the first time in four seasons — if there were to be a late-season rally for the division akin to last year, it probably necessitated a win Sunday.
Instead, as most of the NFL's other divisions struggle to sort themselves out, first place in the NFC West appears to be well in hand, with the Cardinals firmly in the driver's seat over the Seahawks and Rams, both 4-5 after losses Sunday.
It's not all clear skies for the Cardinals, of course, who know all too well how quickly things can go south. They host the potentially undefeated Bengals (who play the Texans on Monday) next week, and will see the Rams and Seahawks again.
Looming also are home games against the Vikings and Packers.
But this year, with the elusive win at CenturyLink Field under their belts, the Cardinals look primed to finish what they couldn't last year.
