(My Sportsbook) - The alarm sounded a little sooner for the Arizona Cardinals this past Sunday. This time, the team made sure not to hit the snooze button.

Evidently having learned from some of their mistakes of the past, the Cardinals answered the bell quickly in their Week 2 visit to Jacksonville's Municipal Stadium and didn't let up until the game's late stages to earn their first victory of the 2009 campaign, a 31-17 triumph over the Jaguars in front of a sporadic crowd. Arizona used a remarkably efficient performance out of quarterback Kurt Warner and an opportunistic showing on defense to rebound strongly from a disappointing display in last Sunday's season-opening home loss to fellow NFC West member San Francisco.

In 2008, five of Arizona's seven regular-season defeats came in games played in the Eastern Time Zone at a 1 p.m. start time, including a pair of dreadful losses to AFC inhabitants New England (47-7) and the New York Jets (56-35). And although the reigning NFC champions did win a road game in the East over Carolina in last January's Divisional Playoffs, that contest was played in prime time.

The Cardinals -- and Warner in particular -- were ready to go right from the opening kickoff on Sunday. Arizona scored on its first two possessions to build a 10-3 lead after one quarter, putting together drives of 75 and 53 yards that consumed a combined 11 1/2 minutes off the clock.

Warner connected on his first 15 passes en route to a record-setting day. The two-time league MVP shattered an NFL single-game record by hitting on a tremendous 92.3 percent (24-of-26) of his throws while finishing with 243 yards and two touchdowns without being intercepted.

On defense, the Cardinals forced three turnovers and sacked Jaguars quarterback David Garrard four times in addition to providing a momentum- shifting play early in the second quarter. Six-foot-seven defensive end Calais Campbell blocked a field goal attempt from Jacksonville's Josh Scobee and safety Antrel Rolle returned the live ball 83 yards for a touchdown that abruptly turned a potential four-point game into a commanding 17-3 advantage.

The Jaguars never recovered and Arizona's margin eventually swelled to 28 points (31-3), allowing head coach Ken Whisenhunt to give Warner -- playing through a shoulder stinger incurred during last week's loss to the 49ers -- some needed rest in the fourth quarter.

"I'm happy to get that win," said Whisenhunt. "I know there were a lot of crazy plays, but I like the way our team responded on both sides of the ball as far as making some plays."

QUICK HITS: Warner surpassed the NFL's previous mark of a 91.3 completion rate set by Vinny Testaverde, who went 21-of-23 for Cleveland against the Los Angeles Rams on December 26, 1993...Wide receivers Anquan Boldin (hamstring) and Steve Breaston (PCL sprain), each listed as questionable coming, were both active and productive in Sunday's win. Breaston, who sat out the San Francisco game with his knee issue, had a team-high 83 yards on five catches, while Boldin ended with eight grabs for 69 yards...Outside linebacker Chike Okeafor did not play against the Jaguars due to a sore shoulder, with fellow veteran Bertrand Berry taking his spot in the starting lineup...The Cardinals fumbled three times on Sunday, two coming from rookie running back and first-round draft pick Chris Wells.

NEXT UP: Arizona heads back home this week for a Sunday night showdown with Peyton Manning and the Indianapolis Colts, who came through with their second straight close win to begin the season with Monday's 27-23 edging of Miami. The teams will be meeting one other for the first time since the 2005 regular- season finale, a 20-17 Colts' win in Indiana.

SEATTLE: After enduring more than their fair share of injuries during a four- win disaster last season, the Seattle Seahawks may already be feeling an early sense of deja vu.

An extensive number of Seattle players either missed last Sunday's 23-10 road loss to San Francisco or got hurt during the course of the game, with the most notable member of that list being quarterback Matt Hasselbeck. The three-time Pro Bowl performer suffered a fractured rib after taking a hard shot from 49ers linebacker Patrick Willis late in the first half and did not return after the break.

The injury, similar to the one that forced Philadelphia signal-caller Donovan McNabb to sit out his team's Week 2 loss to New Orleans, puts Hasselbeck's status for this Sunday's matchup with Chicago in serious limbo, although the soon-to-be 34-year-old is hopeful he'll be able to give it a go.

"What I have is a painful injury, but I have definitely woken up on a Monday feeling worse," Hasselbeck said on Monday. "I don't feel that bad, and that's very encouraging."

Hasselbeck was limited to only seven games last season due to a lingering disc problem in his back and recorded only 1,216 passing yards and five touchdowns, his lowest totals since joining the Seahawks in a trade with Green Bay in 2001.

Backup Seneca Wallace played the entire second half against the 49ers and completed 15-of-23 passes for 123 yards and one touchdown along with an interception.

Seattle also saw cornerback Josh Wilson and left offensive tackle Sean Locklear exit Sunday's contest with high ankle sprain, while standout middle linebacker was forced to leave in the first quarter after aggravating a hamstring strain that had kept him out of practice all week. Locklear was filling in for perennial All-Pro Walter Jones, who's missed the first two weeks while recovering from offseason knee surgery but is expected to be back for the Chicago game.

QUICK HITS: Defensive tackle Brandon Mebane (calf) and outside linebacker Leroy Hill (groin) were also inactive for Sunday's loss, in which a short- handed Seattle stop unit was gashed for 256 rushing yards by San Francisco...Running back Julius Jones mustered only 11 rushing yards on eight carries against the Niners, one week after racking up 117 and a touchdown on 19 attempts in the team's Week 1 win over St. Louis...Fellow back Justin Forsett posted career bests of six catches and 57 receiving yards in Sunday's defeat...Second-year defensive end Lawrence Jackson had two of Seattle's four sacks versus San Francisco and forced a fumble as well.

NEXT UP: The Bears will be heading into Qwest Field this Sunday off a thrilling 17-14 home victory over the defending Super Bowl champion Pittsburgh Steelers, with new quarterback Jay Cutler leading the comeback win by throwing for 236 yards and two touchdowns. Cutler made his NFL debut with Denver against Seattle on December 3, 2006, but managed just 143 yards on 10-of-21 passing and was intercepted twice in a 23-20 Seahawks' triumph.

SAN FRANCISCO: A running game that was missing in action in the season opener returned with a vengeance in the 49ers' convincing win over the Seahawks on Sunday. San Francisco averaged a whopping 8.8 yards per rush attempt on a depleted Seattle defense, a complete turnaround from the paltry 21 yards on 25 carries the team delivered in its Week 1 game against Arizona.

Frank Gore did most of the damage in Sunday's victory, with the gritty back torching the Seahawks for 205 yards and two long touchdowns on only 16 totes. The three-time 1,000-yard rusher broke free for a 79-yard score on the Niners' second possession of the day, then later topped that effort with a career-long 80-yard burst in the third quarter that staked San Francisco to a 20-10 lead.

"I don't think I've ever seen anything like that," quarterback Shaun Hill said of Gore's accomplishment. "Frank was running away from people. That guy, he's impressive."

Gore, who had only 30 yards on 22 attempts against the Cardinals the previous week, joined Hall of Famer Barry Sanders as the only player in NFL history to put up a pair of touchdown runs of 79 yards or more in a single game. He also led the Niners with five catches and 39 receiving yards on the afternoon.

"I didn't know that," said Gore of the record. "I have to give the props to my o-line, they did a great job."

The Seahawks, on the other hand, produced just 66 yards rushing against a San Francisco defense that held an opponent to 16 points or less for the sixth time in seven games dating back to last season. The 49ers are 5-1 in those tilts.

Sunday's decision gives the 49ers only their second 2-0 start in the past 11 seasons, joining the 2007 squad in achieving that feat. However, that team wound up losing its next eight games and finished with a 5-11 record.

QUICK HITS: Gore sat out most of the fourth quarter with a mild right ankle sprain and finished seven yards short of his own club single-game record of 212 rushing yards, also set against Seattle on November 19, 2006...With Sunday's win, Hill improved to 6-0 in games he's started at Candlestick Park and 9-3 overall in that capacity. He completed 19-of-26 passes for 144 yards versus the Seahawks...Sanders had touchdown runs of 80 and 82 yards for the Detroit Lions in a win at Tampa Bay on October 12, 1997.

NEXT UP: The 49ers will face arguably their toughest test of the young season when they travel to the Metrodome this Sunday to take on the defending NFC North champion and undefeated Minnesota Vikings, who ran their record to 2-0 with a 27-10 besting of hapless Detroit over the weekend. The trip will be San Francisco's first to Minneapolis since being dealt a 35-7 loss there during Week 4 of the 2003 campaign.

ST. LOUIS: For a team that's garnered a league-low five victories over the previous two seasons and is learning under a first-year head coach, any sign of progress by the St. Louis Rams has to viewed as a positive step. Still, the team probably can't help but view this past Sunday's 9-7 loss to the Washington Redskins at FedEx Field as anything but a missed opportunity.

The Rams were significantly more competitive against the Redskins compared to a 28-0 loss at Seattle in new sideline boss Steve Spagnuolo's first game at the helm, getting a strong outing out of star running back Steven Jackson and a determined showing by an undermanned defense that refused to allow Washington to reach the end zone. However, a costly mistake from wide receiver Donnie Avery in the opening stages of the fourth quarter turned out to be the difference between a possible second road upset of Washington in 11 months and a 12th consecutive loss.

Trailing by what wound up being the final score midway through the third quarter, St. Louis marched from its own 25-yard line deep into Redskins territory in the team's most impressive offensive drive of the season. On the 13th play of the lengthy possession, Avery caught a short third-down pass from quarterback Marc Bulger inside the 10-yard line and was stripped of the football by Redskins safety Chris Horton while attempting to stretch out and move the chains. Cornerback Carlos Rogers recovered the fumble with 12:55 left to play to thwart the Rams' final scoring threat of the day.

"[Horton] made a great play for the ball," a dejected Avery said afterward. "I know better than that, I should have had it high and tight. It's all on me, I lost it for the team."

On the positive side, the Rams did score the first touchdown of the Spagnuolo era, a two-yard hookup from Bulger to wideout Laurent Robinson late in the first half. The play was set up by a 58-yard run by Jackson, who compiled 104 yards on 17 carries for the game.

QUICK HITS: St. Louis registered a 19-17 victory at FedEx Field in Week 6 of last season, the team's last road win...Bulger finished with 125 yards on 15- of-28 passing for the game and now has 1,861 completions in a Rams uniform, which surpassed Jim Everett (1,847) for first place on the franchise's all- time list...Jackson eclipsed the 100-yard mark for the third time in his past four games dating back to last season...Rookie right offensive tackle Jason Smith sprained his left knee on Sunday and is expected to be sidelined from 1- to-2 weeks.

NEXT UP: The Rams will play their first home game of 2009 when the high- powered Green Bay Packers enter the Edward Jones Dome this Sunday. After opening their regular-season slate with a thrilling 21-16 home win over rival Chicago in Week 1, the Pack came out on the short end of a 31-24 decision against Cincinnati at Lambeau Field this past weekend. Green Bay did prevail in its most recent visit to St. Louis, scoring a 33-14 win in December of 2007.