Arizona Daily Star from Tucson, Arizona • Page B015

NFL WEEK 7- B15 ARIZONA DAILY STAR Monday, October 24, 2011 STEELERS 32, CARDINALS 20 NFC STANDINGS West Division Another game, same old story Pet PF PA Home Away NFC AFC Div San Francisco 5 1 0 .833 167 97 2-1-0 3-0-0 4-1-0 1-0-0 1-0-0 Seattle 2 4 0 .333 97 128 1-1-0 1-3-0 2-2-0 0-2-0 1-1-0 Cardinals 1 5 0 .167 116 153 1-2-0 0-3-0 1-4-0 0-1-0 0-1-0 St. Louis 0 6 0 .000 56 171 0-3-0 0-3-0 0-5-0 0-1-0 0-0-0 East Division Pet PF PA Home Away NFC AFC Div N.Y. Giants 4 2 0 .667 154 147 2-1-0 2-1-0 3-2-0 1-0-0 1-1-0 Dallas 3 3 0 .500 149 128 2-1-0 1-2-0 3-1-0 0-2-0 1-0-0 Washington 3 3 0 .500 116 116 2-1-0 1-2-0 3-3-0 0-0-0 1-2-0 Philadelphia 2 4 0 .333 145 145 0-2-0 2-2-0 2-3-0 0-1-0 1-1-0 South Division Pet PF PA Home Away NFC AFC Div New Orleans 5 2 0 .714 239 158 3-0-0 2-2-0 2-2-0 3-0-0 2-1-0 Tampa Bay 4 3 0 .571 131 169 3-2-0 1-1-0 3-3-0 1-0-0 2-0-0 Atlanta 4 3 0 .571 158 163 2-1-0 2-2-0 4-3-0 0-0-0 1-1-0 Carolina 2 5 0 .286 166 183 2-2-0 0-3-0 1-5-0 1-0-0 0-2-0 North Division Pet PF PA Home Away NFC AFC Div Green Bay 7 0 0 1.000 230 141 3-0-0 4-0-0 6-0-0 1-0-0 2-0-0 Detroit 5 2 0 .714 194 137 2-2-0 3-0-0 4-2-0 1-0-0 2-0-0 Chicago 4 3 0 .571 170 150 3-1-0 1-2-0 4-3-0 0-0-0 1-2-0 Minnesota 1 6 0 .143 148 178 1-3-0 0-3-0 1-4-0 0-2-0 0-3-0 AFC STANDINGS West Division PAUL CONNORS THE ASSOCIATED PRESS Kevin Kolb is pressured by Pittsburgh's LaMarrWoodley in the third quarter. Kolb was flagged for intentional grounding in the end zone, resulting in a safety. Pet PF PA Home Away AFC NFC Div San Diego 4 2 0 .667 141 136 3-0-0 1-2-0 3-2-0 1-0-0 2-0-0 Oakland 4 3 0 .571 160 178 2-2-0 2-1-0 4-3-0 0-0-0 1-1-0 Kansas City 3 3 0 .500 105 150 1-1-0 2-2-0 2-2-0 1-1-0 1-1-0 Denver 2 4 0 .333 123 155 1-2-0 1-2-0 2-3-0 0-1-0 0-2-0 East Division Pet PF PA Home Away AFC NFC Div New England 5 1 0 .833 185 135 3-0-0 2-1-0 4-1-0 1-0-0 2-1-0 Buffalo 4 2 0 .667 188 147 3-0-0 1-2-0 3-1-0 1-1-0 1-0-0 N.Y.

Jets 4 3 0 .571 172 152 4-0-0 0-3-0 3-3-0 1-0-0 1-1-0 Miami 0 6 0 .000 90 146 0-3-0 0-3-0 0-6-0 0-0-0 0-2-0 South Division Pet PF PA Home Away AFC NFC Div Houston 4 3 0 .571 182 131 2-1-0 2-2-0 4-2-0 0-1-0 2-0-0 Tennessee 3 3 0 .500 112 135 2-1-0 1-2-0 3-3-0 0-0-0 0-2-0 Jacksonville 1 5 0 .167 72 132 1-2-0 0-3-0 1-3-0 0-2-0 1-0-0 Indianapolis 0 7 0 .000 111 225 0-3-0 0-4-0 0-5-0 0-2-0 0-2-0 North Division Pet PF PA Home Away AFC NFC Div Baltimore 4 1 0 .800 148 71 3-0-0 1-1-0 3-1-0 1-0-0 1-0-0 Pittsburgh 5 2 0 .714 151 122 3-0-0 2-2-0 3-2-0 2-0-0 0-1-0 Cincinnati 4 2 0 .667 137 111 2-1-0 2-1-0 4-1-0 0-1-0 1-0-0 Cleveland 3 3 0 .500 97 120 2-2-0 1-1-0 2-3-0 1-0-0 0-1-0 By Kent Somers THE ARIZONA REPUBLIC GLENDALE The Cardinals' dismal season descended deeper into darkness Sunday, and after their fifth consecutive loss, they probably would trade a draft pick for a flashlight with fresh batteries No one appears to know if there's a way out of this mess, or if they are even close to hitting bottom. The 32-20 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers at University of Phoenix Stadium was just another mournful recitation of inadequacies. Quarterback Kevin Kolb missed open receivers. The defense couldn't make a stand when it counted. The Steelers made more plays.

Yad-da, yadda, and blah, blah. "We have to look at everything we are doing and look at the guys we're doing it with," said coach Ken Whisenhunt, who said pretty much the same thing two weeks ago after the fourth loss. "It's not just one position; it's anumber of positions." Sunday's loss caused the Cardinals a special kind of pain. Thanks to an off week, the Cardinals had two weeks to prepare for the Steelers and to repair themselves. That included a couple emotional team meetings.

But as is usually the case, those meetings were about symptoms of a problem, not the cure. As if they didn't know already, the Cardinals are finding out that it's hard to win if your quarterback doesn't play better than his counterpart. Kolb completed 18 of 34 for 272 yards and two touchdowns, but he also had an interception early that set up a Steelers score, and he missed tight end Rob Housler for a touchdown in the second quarter. "We have to be able to make those plays," Whisenhunt said. "Everybody wants to point to one thing, but we have had a number of situations where we have had chances to make plays, and we are not getting it done." Steelers quarterback Ben Roeth-lisberger constantly brought life to CHIEFS RAIDERS 28 I COWBOYS 0 I RAMS UPCOMING GAMES trailed 14-0.

The Cardinals fought back in the second half, despite playing without running back Beanie Wells, who left because of a knee sprain late in the second quarter. Kolb dumped a short pass to running back LaRod Stephens -Howling, who beat linebacker James Far-rior, picked up a block by tight end Jeff King and scored from 73 yards to close the gap to 17-14 with 9:26 left in the third quarter. The Steelers answered again, driving 80 yards for a touchdown. On the next play, Kolb was called for intentional grounding while in the end zone, and just like that, the Steelers led 26 -14. "Nice response by our offense in terms of putting that fire out," Steelers coach Mike Tomlin said.

It was a crushing few minutes for the Cardinals, who couldn't get closer than 12 points afterward. "I thought today that we battled," Kolb said. "We fought back and got into good position. If we would have got that lead, it would have changed everything." UP NEXT What: Cardinals at Ravens When: 10 a.m. Sunday TV: Ch 11 broken-down plays.

The Cardinals applied reasonable pressure but sacked Roethlisberger just twice. Roethlisberger completed 26 of 39 for 361 yards and three touchdowns. "Their quarterback played at a very high level," Whisenhunt said. "He made some plays, and that was the difference in the game, from that perspective." Two sequences told the story of Sunday's game, and of the season. Down 7-0 in the second quarter, the Cardinals had a chance to tie the score when Housler, a rookie, ran open down the middle of the field.

But Kolb missed badly on the throw, and the Cardinals punted. On the first play, Roethlisberger threw a 95-yard touchdown pass to receiver Mike Wallace, who beat cornerback Richard Marshall. Instead of being tied at 7, the Cardinals 34 I BEARS 7 I BUCCANEERS WEEK 7 LEADERS Passing Ben Roethlisberger Pittsburgh 26-39, 3 TDs.OINTs Receiving Greg Jennings Green Bay Rushing DeMarco Murray Dallas 27 I PACKERS 21 I VIKINGS 5 Today Baltimore at Jacksonville, 5:30 p.m. Sunday Cardinals at Baltimore, 10 a.m. Indianapolis atTennessee, 10 a.m.

New Orleans at St. Louis, 10 a.m. Jacksonville at Houston, 10 a.m. Miami at N.Y. Giants, 10 a.m.

Minnesota at Carolina, 10 a.m. Detroit at Denver, 1:05 p.m. Washington vs. Buffalo atToronto, 1:05 p.m. Cleveland at San Francisco, 1:15 p.m.

Cincinnati at Seattle, 1:15 p.m. New England at Pittsburgh, 1:15 p.m. Dallas at Philadelphia, 5:20 p.m. Open: Atlanta, Chicago, Green Bay, N.Y. Jets, Oakland, Tampa Bay Next Monday San Diego at Kansas City, 5:30 p.m.

33 I SAINTS 27 I COLTS 62 7 24 I JETS 18 I CHARGERS.