Familiar foe, unfamiliar record

TEMPE, Ariz. - The Arizona Cardinals and Carolina Panthers are probably about as sick of each other as any non-division foes could be.

Though the Panthers play in the NFC South and the Cardinals the West, Sunday's game will mark the fourth meeting in three seasons between the clubs.

They last played in Carolina for the right to go to the NFC Championship game, with the Cardinals upsetting the heavily favored and second-seeded Panthers 33-13.

Less than a year later the teams seem to be heading in different directions, with the Panthers 2-4 and the Cardinals, winners of three straight, 4-2. The Cardinals, however, are not looking past their Sunday opponent.

"They're a dangerous football team," Head Coach Ken Whisenhunt said. "We certainly have a lot of respect for them, having played them twice in the last year and we know it will be a challenge."

The Cardinals know the Panthers will be coming in not only looking to right the ship, but also exact a bit of revenge for the Cardinals knocking them out of the playoffs last year.

"It would probably make their year if they could beat us," defensive tackle Bryan Robinson said. "It seemed like their problems started to happen right after we beat them last year."

For the Cardinals to win a fourth straight game for the first time since 1999 they will need to shut down the Panthers' running game. DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart combine to form one of the best rushing attacks in the NFL.

"It's another chance for us to kind of show why we're the number one rush defense out there right now," defensive lineman Calais Campbell said.

Sports 620 KTAR's Johnny Villarreal contributed to this report