Cardinals highlights, lowlights 2012

Arizona and QB Kevin Kolb had one of their few bright spots in an early-season win over Philadelphia. (US Presswire)

Despite a brutal 1-11 finish, the Arizona Cardinals had some exciting moments in 2012. Sure, most happened during a 4-0 start, but that's what happens when injuries become insurmountable, like opposing leads.

Highlights: 

• Winning at New England in Week 2 -- The Cardinals' season-opening win over Seattle was expected, what with a rookie quarterback -- a then rather-unknown Russell Wilson -- under center. But Arizona's Week 2, 20-18 win at New England was a real shock, and the first indication that the Cardinals' brilliant end of 2011 wasn't a fluke. Arizona may have eventually tanked, but at that point, it was all roses.
  
  
• Kolb gets a little payback on Philly -- Ultimately, the win might have meant more for QB Kevin Kolb than the Arizona faithful, but the Cardinals' 27-6 win over Kolb's old squad, Philadeplhia, was a thorough beat-down. Arizona flustered Michael Vick, picking up five sacks, and the Cardinals looked flashy in their all-black uniforms. Kolb looked the flashiest -- 17-of-24 passing for 222 yards and two touchdowns -- while helping Arizona to a 24-0 halftime lead.
  
  
• Cardinals rebound from historical loss in a big way -- Late in the year, the Cardinals knew they were simply relegated to playing for pride. Well, a 58-0 loss at Seattle in Week 14 (more on that later) pretty much ended that. Until one week later, when Arizona rallied behind its coaching staff to pull out the 38-10 win over flailing Detroit.

Lowlights: 

• 58-0 -- Not much to state other than the obvious. The Arizona Cardinal football team played against a Seattle Seahawks football team with a rookie quarterback, and lost 58-0. That's all.
  
  
• Cardinals allow nine sacks in Week 5, win-streak-breaking loss to Rams -- Coming off four straight wins to start the year and flying higher than an actual Cardinal, Arizona laid a huge egg in Week 5 at St. Louis. A harbinger of things to come, the Cardinals managed a paltry three points against an OK Rams defense, while allowing nine sacks, their most since 1998.
  
  
• Arizona goes seven weeks without passing touchdown – The ineptitude of the Cardinals quarterback situation was well-documented, but even the most scathing of words could not capture how truly bad Arizona was. What did capture it? They went nearly two months without a passing touchdown before Brian Hoyer hit Michael Floyd for a score with less than two minutes left in the season-finale.