The Cardinals have a lot of weapons on both sides of the ball. What’s most amazing to long time fans is the number of top flight players spread throughout their roster. Some are just finding their way to national renown. Other have been household names for several years.

It would be easy to say that Kurt Warner will throw for 300+ yards, 3 TD passes, and have a QB rating of over 100. Or equally simple to say that Larry Fitzgerald will take over the playoffs as he did a year ago.

But every game has a player or two that shines, even though he’s not a ‘star’ in the eyes of the football world.

I’m looking for Cardinals TE Ben Patrick to make an impact. He doesn’t get the ball often, and he doesn’t score a lot of touchdowns, but Patrick usually has at least a play or two that keeps a pivotal drive going, and at times, comes up with a big score when the team needs it the most.

Yet, you see about as much ink on him as you'd see on a nun in a parka.

Everyone remembers Fitz’s 2 touchdowns against the Steelers in what many consider the most exciting Super Bowl ever played. But how many remember that the Cardinals scored their first TD on a short toss from Warner to Ben Patrick, keeping the Big Red within striking distance early?

Others with ‘X-factor’ potential are WR Early Doucet (who had his breakout game in the desert a week ago), and runningback Tim Hightower. Yes, Hightower starts, but he isn’t the ‘star’ lining up behind Warner. It wouldn’t surprise me a bit to see the Cards and Warner use Tim to fill the softened middle early and often.

But I'm going with TE Ben Patrick to ‘make a difference’ this week in N’Awleens.

---SCOTT Z BRADY