It was ugly yes, and whether Bruce Arians did indeed see it coming, I'm not sure there is a way to stem that mindset the Cardinals played with Sunday against the Seahawks. It wasn't anything like the team had played like all season — not like the losses to the Rams and the Steelers, even though they were sluggish in those too.

Larry Fitzgerald said the game reminded him of the Packers finale at the end of the 2009 season, also a home game in which the Cards were hammered because there was nothing to play for, also as the Cards prepared to go into the playoffs (I tweeted the same during today's game.)

But you know what game this really reminded me of, after it was over: The lost trip to New England in 2008. At least in 2009, coach Ken Whisenhunt had basically said the Cardinals were going to pull back if they had nothing to play for. But that trip to New England, it was messy because the players simply weren't ready to play, didn't want to play, didn't want to be in the snow. They lost 47-7, and they were called the worst playoff team ever, and we know how that turned out.

I'm not saying that's exactly what happened Sunday, because I believe this current team is stronger mentally than the 2008 squad. But the Cards didn't show up against the Seahawks, like they didn't against the Patriots, and it means, well, not a whole lot, really.

If the Cards were to be upset in their first playoff game, it won't be because they lost against the Seahawks in the Week 17 game. This team has proven it is very good, and potentially great. For all the chest-pounding some of the Seahawks were doing after the game, they just lost to the Rams at home themselves.

Not the way you want to finish. But as Carson Palmer said, there is no panic, and talking with the veterans, it's not just a brave face. This team understands they must do better. But they are not worried.

(UPDATE: Here's the playoff info.)

-- There were a couple of bright spots. OK, bright moments. Dwight Freeney got his eighth sack. The Cardinals finally had an opponent miss a field goal for the first time all season (which is unbelievable).

-- And there were some record breakers. Smokey Brown surpassed 1,000 yards receiving, finishing with 1,003 on the season (although it was Smoke that was Richard Sherman's target of his taunting penalty, which Sherman said was to mime Brown going to sit on the bench  -- not a faux pulling his pants down.) Fitzgerald broke his own team record for receptions in a season (he finished with 109 catches). Palmer broke the franchise record for passing yards in a season (4,671).

-- Some other cool numbers took a beating — the point differential, the defensive rankings — but no one will care if the Cardinals go on to win a Super Bowl. No one will really care if they don't, in the end.

-- Special teams reared its ugly head, whether it was the punt coverage on Tyler Lockett or a fifth missed extra point by Chandler Catanzaro. Catanzaro missed a field goal as well.

-- After all that, the Cardinals seemed to come out pretty healthy. Center Lyle Sendlein limped off late — Bruce Arians said it was a bone bruise of some kind — but Palmer is OK, as are the top guys. Plus there is two weeks to get ready.

-- That's all for now. There's two weeks to talk about the next game. And not much to say about this one.