Arizona quarterback Kevin Kolb rose to the occasion on the game-winning drive.(AP Images)

John Skelton won the starting quarterback job in the desert. But Kevin Kolb may have won back the hearts of Arizona Cardinals fans with a 20-16 comeback win over Seattle at University of Phoenix Stadium.

After Skelton suffered an ankle injury on a hit midway through the fourth quarter, Kolb led the Cardinals 68 yards, going 6 of 8 for 66 yards, including a 6-yard, game-winning touchdown pass to Andre Roberts. Kolb completed passes to four receivers on the drive, including two to Larry Fitzgerald for 37 yards, and Arizona benefited from a Richard Sherman pass interference call.

The Cardinals survived a long final drive by Seahawks' rookie QB Russell Wilson and the referees giving Seattle an extra timeout. It didn't matter when a last-second pass slipped through Braylon Edwards' hands. Wilson, who won the starting job in Seattle late in the preseason, was 18 of 34 for 153 yards, a touchdown and an interception.

When the game turned: The second Kolb knelt on the field with a reeling Skelton, near tears because of an ankle injury and about to be carted off, when he presumably told the quarterback derby-winner, "I got this."

Highlight moments: Kolb helped gain the faith of his offense with a 23-yard completion to Fitzgerald on the game-winning drive, then won the game with his touchdown pass to Roberts. Leon Washington had two long returns that set the Seahawks up to score, shifting the momentum -- and the field position -- both times.

Top-shelf performances: WR Andre Roberts -- 5 receptions, 54 yards, touchdown; QB Kolb -- 6 of 8 for 66 yards, touchdown.

What they said about the Skelton injury situation:

  • Kolb -- “An individual will sulk and feel sorry for himself. A team guy can't do that.”

  • And more from Kolb -- “This is a pretty special feeling. It feels good to go out and do it for your teammates.” 
What referee Bruce Hermansen said about the botched timeout situation: "It was my error. We gave (Seattle) the additional timeout because of the incomplete pass stopping the clock before the injury occurred. When in effect, the clock has no bearing on the play at all, whether it's stopped or running. We should not have given (Seattle) the additional timeout."

Numbers you should know: It was not the cleanest of openers as the teams combined for 23 penalties for 192 yards. ... The Arizona running game, expected to shine this year behind Chris "Beanie" Wells and Ryan Williams, managed just 43 yards. ... The Seahawks had 13 more plays but just one more yard than Arizona, 254-253.

Injury update: Skelton's ankle injury could be determined to be more significant, but the Cardinals are hoping it is just a high-ankle sprain. Coach Ken Whisenhunt said afterward that preliminary tests revealed no fractures but the team will have more definitive results in the next couple of days.. ... CB Jamell Fleming suffered a shoulder injury, but his status is undetermined.

Going forward: Cardinals -- With a trip to New England next weekend, the Cardinals can't celebrate too long. Visits by Philadelphia and Miami follow before another divisional matchup at St. Louis, which lost a heartbreaker to Detroit in Jeff Fisher's first game. Seahawks -- Seattle needed the season-opener perhaps even more than Arizona. The Seahawks now have back-to-back home dates with Dallas and Green Bay -- not the ideal start to Russell Wilson's professional career.

For more news and analysis from Cardinals blogger Jon Gold, follow @CBSCardinals on Twitter.