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Cardinals vs. Bears: 5 Positives from the Game

Week 15 of the 2012 NFL season ended badly for the Cardinals, as they dropped their 10th game of the season.

USA TODAY Sports

However, as one-sided as the loss to the Chicago Bears was, there were still some positives to be salvaged.

1) Larry Fitzgerald

Fitz's season has been, so to say, tragic. Not because his talent has disappeared or anything, but because the Cardinals QB's have just been unable to get him the ball. However, against the Bears, Fitz had one of his better games of the season, bringing in 8 receptions for 111 yards. Although we know it's not his best by far, it's at least a glimpse at the old "glory" days.

2) The defense

One of the true highlights of the season, the Cardinals defense had another fantastic game. Although the final score doesn't show this at all, if you were to take a look at the stats, you would see that if the offense had put up even somewhat of a decent effort, the game could've easily gone in the Cardinals favor. QB Jay Cutler was held to only 12-26 for 146 yards, and star RB Matt Forte had 12 rushes for only 88 yards. While both of them did score TD's, the defense still deserves credit.

3) Special Teams

The special teams ultimately scored the only TD of the day for the Cardinals. S Justin Bethel picked up a blocked Bears FG attempt, carrying it 82 yards for the score late in the 4th quarter. At least one side of the team can score.

4) Dave Zastudil

All of those offensive turnovers do have a positive side! P Dave Zastudil broke the NFL record for most punts downed inside the opponents 20 in one season, notching 6 of them on Sunday, putting him at 43. So fear not, even in a losing season, the Cardinals can still break records! (Good or bad)

5) Patrick Peterson vs. Brandon Marshall

The premier matchup of the day was the Peterson vs. Marshall showdown, and it's safe to say that Peterson did a superb job against the #1 WR for the Bears. Although Marshall did end the day with 1 TD, of the 14 times he was targeted, he only came away with the ball 6 times for just 68 yards. Peterson is quickly turning into one of the best defenders in the league, which is definitely exciting for the future of the franchise.