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(SportsNetwork.com) - Despite having the best record in the NFC, the Arizona Cardinals dont have much room for error in their quest to make the playoffs. The Atlanta Falcons, meanwhile, still have the inside edge at winning the NFC South despite checking in at three games under .500. The playoff hopefuls shoot for a much-needed victory this Sunday when the Cardinals visit the Falcons and the Georgia Dome. Arizona had a six-game winning streak halted with a 19-3 loss to the Seattle Seahawks last Sunday. The dropped the Cardinals to 9-2 on the year, but they are in danger of losing more ground this weekend as the Seahawks beat the San Francisco 49ers on Thanksgiving night. That improved Seattle to 8-4 on the year and it could move within a game of first place if Arizona losses to Atlanta. Despite holding an opponent under 20 points for a seventh straight game, the Cardinals were bested by the Seahawks after getting held to just 204 yards of offense and a 23-yard field goal by Chandler Catanzaro in the second quarter. Drew Stanton connected on 14-of-26 passes for 149 yards and an interception for the Cardinals, who lost for the first time since Oct. 5 at Denver. Everybody took turns today. It wasnt one position group or anything like that. Offensively, we didnt play well enough to win, said Stanton. Any time you score three points and come in here and only put up that number, youre not going to be successful. Defensive end Calais Campbell accounted for three of Arizonas season-high seven sacks, but the offense failed to get much done without wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald. Fitzgerald had his consecutive games played streak halted at 110 due to a knee injury as he sat out a contest for the first time since Dec. 2, 2007 versus Cleveland. The setback denied Arizona in its first bid to record double-digit wins in back-to-back seasons for the first time since 1975-76. Atlanta, meanwhile, had a two-game winning streak snapped with Sundays 26-24 setback to Cleveland. The loss dropped the Falcons to 4-7, but they remain tied for first place in the division with the New Orleans Saints. Matt Bryant hit a go-ahead 53-yard field goal for the Falcons with under a minute left to play, but the Browns took over with 44 seconds on the clock and moved close enough to allow Billy Cundiff to convert on a 37-yard field goal try as time expired. Matt Ryan was 27-of-43 passing for 273 yards with one interception and touchdown passes to Julio Jones and Jacquizz Rodgers. This was a tough loss for our team because it felt like it was our game to win, said Atlanta cornerback Desmond Trufant, who had an interception. You have to give the Browns a lot of credit because they found a way to come out on top. I felt like we made a lot of plays in the game but I guess it was not enough. We just couldnt stop them from scoring the last-second field goal. Arizona picked up a 27-13 victory at home over Atlanta on Oct. 27, 2013 and lead the all-time series 15-12. WHAT TO WATCH FOR Ryan and Atlantas seventh-ranked passing offense will try to move the ball against a Cardinals defense that held Seahawks running back Marshawn Lynch to just 39 yards last weekend and also has racked up 17 sacks in the past three games. Arizona had just eight sacks through its first eight games and now ranks 11th in total defense and third against the run at 84.5 yards allowed per game. The Cardinals have now allowed a 100-yard rusher in 21 straight games and has held teams under 100 yards rushing total in 10 of 12 games this season. That leaves a lot of pressure on Ryan, who has been picked off nine times in his past two meetings with the Cardinals. He was intercepted five times in a 2012 meeting and another four times last year, marking the only two times in 105 career games he has thrown four or more picks in a game. Ryan also has posted a passer rating below 50.0 just six times, with two of those coming against Arizona. Theyre playing with a lot of confidence, playing at a high level. Defensively, theyre really good at all three levels, Ryan said of Arizonas defense. Theyve done a great job of playing to their system regardless of whos been in there. Theyre missing some of the guys that have been really productive for them in the past, but the guys that have filled in have played well within the scheme. They put pressure on you with the scheme. Ryan has thrown a touchdown pass in 16 straight games and Jones figures to be one of his main targets as he tries to solve the Arizona defense. Jones has racked up 50 catches for 802 yards and four touchdowns in his past seven games at Georgia Dome. Also, fellow wideout Roddy White has been slowed this week by an ankle injury, but he should play. Atlanta safety William Moore could also return from a shoulder injury that landed him on injured reserve/designated to return after Week 4. Moore has 14 career picks and has 16 tackles in four games this season. The Falcons defense ranks last in total yards (409.9) and passing yards (284.1) allowed per game, but did pick up three interceptions versus the Browns. Trufant and safeties Kemal Ishmael and Dezmen Southward all had picks. Ishmael has intercepted a pass in each of the last three games and leads the team with a career-high four picks, while Trufant has an interception in two consecutive games while leading the team with 12 passes defensed. Their job would be easier this weekend if Fitzgerald didnt play, but the wideout said this week he is much improved. I feel good and everyday its getting stronger and stronger. Im highly likely (to play), but its not my call, said Fitzgerald, who has 46 catches for a team-high 658 yards with two touchdowns. Arizona showed its weakness without Fitzgerald against Seattle as it gained only 64 yards on the ground and ranks 31st in the NFL with 78.4 rushing yards per game. Without running back Jonathan Dwyer since mid-September following his arrest on domestic violence charges, the Cardinals have seen running back Andre Ellington rush for just 648 yards on 196 carries this season while matching Fitzgeralds 46 receptions. Ellington did have 154 yards rushing, including an 80-yard TD, last season versus the Falcons and should finally get some help down the road after Arizona signed veteran Michael Bush for the rest of the season. The 245-pound Bush has not played since last season with Chicago, so there is a pretty solid chance he wont be active against the Falcons. We didnt sign him for this week. We signed him for the long haul, so well have him ready when we need him and well go from there, said Cardinals head coach Bruce Arians. It would be hard to have a guy who didnt play in OTAs and didnt have a training camp, for me to give him the ball on Sunday would be pretty hard. OVERALL ANALYSIS Arizona has had success in winning the games it should win, with its lone losses coming against last seasons Super Bowl participants. The Cards responded with a nice winning streak after the loss to Denver and may need the same kind of effort to hold off Seattle. When we lost to Denver, we lost pretty bad, but we bounced back, won six straight, special teamer Justin Bethel told Arizonas website. We knew going into Seattle it would be a tough game. Its one of the hardest places to play in the NFL. This late in the season, Arizona cant afford to look past Atlanta despite upcoming games against Kansas City, San Francisco and Seattle. The Falcons know they are lucky to be in the position they are in as far as playoff chances and could be a motivated team down the stretch. You cant help but understand where youre at. Moving forward weve got everything we want right in front of us, said Ryan. Obviously, we cant change the previous 11 games, and what weve done up until this point; I just hope that we can control what we do moving forward. The Falcons have a chance to pull off the upset if the Cardinals offense struggles for another week in a hostile environment. That will depend on Ryan having a good game, but he has won two of three in his career versus the Cardinals and Atlanta should be able to put up just enough points at home. Sports Network predicted outcome: Falcons 17, Cardinals 10 Marcos Alonso Jersey . -- Golden State Warriors reserve centre Ognjen Kuzmic is expected to miss at least six weeks after undergoing surgery on his fractured right hand. Jorginho Chelsea Jersey . -- The Chicago Bears agreed Tuesday to a one-year contract with defensive lineman Israel Idonije and are bringing him back for a second stint. http://www.chelseasoccerjerseysonline.com/womens-ruben-loftus-cheek-chelsea-jersey/ . The Marlies centre set up three goals, including the game-winner, as Toronto cruised to a 4-1 victory over the Oklahoma City Barons in American Hockey League action. Victor Moses Jersey . Saltalamacchia has agreed to a $21 million, three-year deal with the Miami Marlins, two people familiar with the negotiations said Tuesday. Willian Jersey . Levante, which had lost five straight including a Copa del Rey game last weekend, fell behind at its Ciutat de Valencia stadium when Ionut Sapanura opened the scoring for Elche in the 26th minute.CHICAGO -- A couple of weeks ago, Jeff Samardzija was a symbol of the Chicago Cubs struggles when he was winless despite leading the major leagues in ERA. Now Samardzija has his second win in three starts for a team trying to turn around its season. Samardzija tossed seven solid innings, Junior Lake hit two home runs and Emilio Bonifacio added a two-run shot as the Cubs extended their winning streak to five with a 5-2 victory over the Miami Marlins on Saturday. "The best thing as a starting pitcher you can have is consistency -- that every time you go out there your coach and your teammates know what youre going to give them," Samardzija said. "Thats what I want to do." Saturday certainly was a start. Samardzija (2-5) allowed two runs and five hits in seven innings, striking out eight. Pedro Strop got his second save. Except for his last outing -- eight runs in three innings at Milwaukee last Sunday -- Samardzija has put up similar numbers all season. The Cubs, though, would always come up short in one phase of the game during his outings, whether it was offence or defence. During the winning streak, consistent all-around production has been the norm. "I think everybodys contributing in some shape or form," Chicago manager Rick Renteria said. "Junior adding two solo homers there, those are big runs, obviously. There are a lot of different things, a lot of little things. Theyre just playing the game." Christian Yelich went 2 for 4 with a homer for the Marlins and opened the scoring in the third inning with a solo shot to make it 1-0. "It was a good swing," Marlins manager Mike Redmond said. "He keeps battling. He gives you good at-bats. Hes got power. You see it in there. Its just really just a matter of consistency for him. He keeps having good at-bats. Even though his average is probably not where he would want it, or everyone else would want it, I know hes going to give me a good at-bat." The Cubs wentt in front in the bottom half of the inning when Samardzija singled and Bonifacio hammered a 3-2 pitch from Miami starter Randy Wolf (1-2) into the left-field bleachers for a 2-1 lead.dddddddddddd. It was Bonifacios first homer since July 30 last season. "That was great," Samardzija said. "I got to jog around the bases instead of having to score from first." The Cubs stretched the lead to 3-1 in the fifth when Lake hit a long homer into the shrubbery in centre field, connecting with a 79 mph changeup on a 2-1 count. Miami got to 3-2 in the sixth inning when Giancarlo Stanton doubled with one out, moved to third on a wild pitch and scored on Casey McGehees groundout to first base. The Cubs got a run back in the bottom half when Starlin Castro led off with a double, advanced to third on a fly out and scored when Wolf threw a wild pitch with Mike Olt at the plate. Lake bumped the lead to 5-2 an inning later when he went deep for the second time in the game -- the second multihomer game of his career -- on a line drive to left against reliever Chris Hatcher. "I really love how were playing right now as a team in all phases," Samardzija said. "To win big league ballgames you have to have all three or four phases of the game. "I love the way were swinging it right now, and, as a pitcher, it gives you a lot of confidence to go out and pound the zone." NOTES: Cubs LHP Zac Rosscup (left shoulder soreness) began his rehab assignment with Class AAA Iowa Saturday. He has been on the disabled list since May 10. ... Redmond said C Jarrod Saltalamacchia (concussion) has not participated in baseball activities since being hit on his catching mask by a foul tip on May 31 and that it was likely he would be sent to the 15-day disabled list. ... RHP Jake Arrieta (1-1, 3.00 ERA) will face RHP Henderson Alvarez (3-3, 2.62) Sunday in the finale of the three-game series. Alvarezs three wins are all shutouts. ' ' '