They have a chance to grab the No. 2 seed in the NFC and with it, a first-round bye.
That's one fewer game to worry about if they hope to make a return appearance to the Super Bowl. It also is a reason why Whisenhunt has zero plans to rest any of his regulars when the Cardinals host the Rams (1-13) on Sunday.
"There are some scenarios where we can potentially have the Number 2 seed if we win out and get some help," Whisenhunt said. "The only thing I know right now is a win doesn't hurt us. . . . We're going to play our players and I think that's important because we do have something at stake."
The Saints (13-1) need only to win or tie another game or have the Vikings lose or tie a game to lock up the No. 1 seed in the conference. At the moment, the Vikings (11-3) have a firm hold on the No. 2 seed. But should the Cardinals beat the Rams and then the visiting Packers in another week, and the Vikings find a way to lose at Chicago and at home against the Giants, Arizona could sneak into the second spot.
The Cardinals have an advantage in that they hold some of the key tiebreaker scenarios, including having beaten the Vikings earlier this month. But they need some help from afar, too, especially when it comes to how the Eagles (10-4) and Cowboys (9-5) finish.
Suddenly, however, a meaningless game against the Rams doesn't seem so meaningless anymore.
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