The Arizona Cardinals weren't easy to figure out last season, when the team lost four of its final six regular-season tests before defying the experts with three straight playoff wins and getting an eyelash from besting the favored Pittsburgh Steelers in Super Bowl XLIII.</p><p>The 2009 campaign has been an even more puzzling one for the defending NFC champions. Arizona is 4-0 on the road at the season's midway point, but has gone just 1-3 at University of Phoenix Stadium, where the club had enjoyed considerable success in head coach Ken Whisenhunt's first two years in charge. The Cardinals have faced five teams with records of .500 or better at the moment, and prevailed in four of those games.</p><p>The enigma that is the Cardinals couldn't have been better illustrated by the performance of Kurt Warner over the past two weeks. After matching a career- worst by throwing five interceptions in a frustrating 34-21 home loss to Carolina the previous week, the veteran quarterback bounced back with a sensational effort that paved the way for a most-impressive 41-21 rout of the Chicago Bears this past Sunday at Soldier Field.</p><p>Warner led an Arizona offense that was unstoppable early on, with the two-time league MVP orchestrating touchdown drives on the team's first four possessions as the Cardinals built a commanding 31-7 halftime lead. By the time the final whistle blew, he had racked up 261 yards and tied a personal-best with five touchdown passes while making good on 22-of-32 throws.</p><p>"That's part of the game," said Warner when asked about his poor showing against the Panthers. "It's one of those things that I've been through a number of times and unfortunately I'll probably go through it again, but so much of this business is how you respond and how you come back."</p><p>Warner's resilience has been crucial for the Cardinals, who now own a two-game advantage atop the NFC West after slumping San Francisco lost over the weekend, as it's becoming clear that his play under center is vital to the team's success. In Arizona's five victories this season, the 38-year-old has tossed 12 touchdowns and only two interceptions while completing better than 71 percent of his throws, for a quarterback rating of 111.7. In the three losses, Warner has been intercepted nine times, with a completion rate of 58.5 percent along with a subpar passer rating of 59.1.</p><p>QUICK HITS: Warner's other five-touchdown game came in a win over San Francisco while with the St. Louis Rams in 1999...Wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald caught two of Warner's scoring strikes in the win and finished with a season-high 123 receiving yards on nine catches...Fellow wideout Anquan Boldin, who's been battling through an ankle sprain for nearly a month, was held out of Sunday's game...Inside linebacker Gerald Hayes was also inactive due to back spasms, with second-year pro Ali Highsmith replacing him in the starting lineup...Arizona, which came in ranked last in the NFL in rushing offense (64.9 ypg), amassed 182 yards on the ground against the Bears, with rookie Beanie Wells putting up a career-best 72 on 13 carries.</p><p>NEXT UP: The Cardinals will attempt to put an end to their home woes in this Sunday's divisional clash with Seattle. Arizona had no problem with the injury-riddled Seahawks back in Week 6, cruising to a 27-3 win in the Emerald City behind a dominating defensive display. The Cards limited Seattle to 128 total yards and a paltry 14 on the ground, while Fitzgerald burned the Seahawks secondary for 13 catches totaling 100 yards along with a touchdown.