The Cardinals are seeking their first road win this season.
BALTIMORE – The Cardinals had hung on to the win at the Edward Jones Dome, and while it was far from pretty, it wasn't unexpected.
The team had done well on the road. In 2009 – the franchise's lone 10-win season in Arizona – the Cardinals actually did better on the road, winning six of eight games. Beginning 2010 with a road win sounded right.
A season-and-a-half later, however, the Cardinals are chasing their next road victory. Beginning with Sunday's game against the Ravens, the Cards will spend four of their next five games away from home. The Rams visit Arizona next week, but then come three straight games in Philadelphia, San Francisco and St. Louis, a difficult stretch.
Struggling this long on the road, "I really can't imagine it," linebacker Daryl Washington said. "It's like, 'Are we really satisfied with winning just one game?'
"Right now, we just want a win. Losing five straight … when you lose two in a row, it's 'OK, we're close.' Then you lose two more, and it's 'Hold on, hold on.' We should be better. But we're not."
That's the greater concern for the Cardinals (1-5), their overall five-game losing streak.
"We're trying to win every game we are on the field," center Lyle Sendlein said. "It just so happens we're going to be in Baltimore this week. Everyone can say whatever they want about East coast trips or whatever, but it's not on our minds when we go out there on Sundays."
The Cards have had 10 road chances since that 17-10 win in St. Louis last season. Finishing has certainly cost them a handful of road wins, whether it was in Minnesota last season or the games in Washington and Seattle this year.
"We haven't been as successful as we would like," coach Ken Whisenhunt said.
The Ravens (4-2) are arguably the most difficult team the Cardinals will see. Always tough to play at M&T Bank Stadium, the Ravens also are irritated with themselves after losing to a bad Jacksonville team on "Monday Night Football."
The Ravens played well defensively but offensively were terrible, scoring just seven points – and that came late – and going without a first down the entire first half.
"Everybody knows how it is in this league," Ravens receiver Anquan Boldin said. "You play one bad week and everybody is on your neck, and then you come back and have a great performance and you're the greatest in the league."
As far as performances, the Cardinals aren't picky with their own, as long as it leads to a win. Wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald said if the Cards can win, 6-3, it would be fine with him. The Cards are making an effort to make some changes, such as using young linebackers like Sam Acho and O'Brien Schofield more often, and may be stuck with other forced changes, like Alfonso Smith at running back if the gimpy Beanie Wells is unable to play.
There have been many comments this week from the Cards about how tough it is to win on the road. It's been tough, period, so far this season.
"I have never been in this position before and nobody wants to be in this position," quarterback Kevin Kolb said. "It's not really what I dreamed up in the summertime."
