The Arizona Cardinals knew this was a game they had to win. After two weeks of triumphant displays on Sunday Night Football against the top two defenses in the league, losing to San Francisco, even to a team that plays better at home, would be disastrous. Maybe not so much to their season, but to their public image.
The Pittsburgh Steelers didn’t do the team any favors by losing to the Seahawks long after the Arizona Cardinals game was over, but if they had a four game lead would have opened up with five to play. Still, a three game cushion is desirable in the same circumstances, but a loss would have brought that to two and memories of last season come flooding back.