Arians: Cards can win Super Bowl with Stanton

Drew Stanton made quite an entrance Sunday. (USATSI)

Just because the Cardinals lost Carson Palmer to a knee injury Sunday -- Palmer was moved to IR on Monday, ending his season with an ACL tear -- that doesn't mean 8-1 Arizona can't continue to have success with backup quarterback Drew Stanton.

Perhaps the ultimate success.

"We can win the Super Bowl with Drew Stanton," Arians told theMMQB.com's Peter King after the Cardinals dispatched the Rams on Sunday. "There is no doubt in my mind."

That's quite a statement, considering Stanton had started only four games in the first six years of his career before this season. Remember, though, that Arizona has won two of the three games Stanton has started in 2014, and it seems that Cardinals receivers are almost as comfortable with Stanton as they are with Palmer.

That much was evident when Stanton tossed a 48-yard touchdown pass to John Brown almost immediately after replacing Palmer in the third quarter, a score that gave Arizona a lead it would not relinquish.

"All week at practice, Carson loved this deep throw to John Brown," Stanton told King. "We had it in the game plan, and at halftime we said, 'We want to take our shot with this play. It's going to be there.'"

It would have been there for Palmer, and it was for Stanton.

But making matters even more complicated for Stanton on Sunday: His wife, Kristin, gave him a warning before the game. She was due to deliver their baby last Wednesday, and on Sunday, she texted him that he might want to come home quickly after the game because, "She felt like the contractions were coming," Stanton said.

The baby didn't come Sunday. But Stanton will now have to be counted on to continue leading the impressive rebirth of the Cardinals.

NFL Hot News

Broncos RB Montee Ball loses 12 pounds, impresses during Week 10 practice



The potential for Broncos running back Montee Ball to get back to being involved and potentially even regain his starting role is present as the team seems happy with the work he's done to get in better shape while he's been out. He is expected to be active for the team's Week 10 game versus the Raiders. Ball has lost 12 pounds while he's been out nursing a groin injury since Week 5. Head coach John Fox took note of the improved shape Ball is in."He reshaped his body a bit," Fox said. "He did have an earlier issue with an appendectomy. He's had some time here to get back to the weight and condition where he wanted to be, and that's been a positive."



With RB Ronnie Hillman only gaining 16 yards on 10 carries last week, the Broncos want to make sure to leave that door open for Ball to come back. Keeping in mind that Ball was the favored runner in the preseason and has lost the weight, which should help his speed and quickness, it's extremely likely that this turns into a full-fledged committee sooner rather than later.Hillman is still the favored runner for fantasy this week, but don't be surprised if Ball sees a fair share of carries. If he performs well, he could eventually regain his starting job.