PHOENIX: Carson Palmer threw two touchdown passes as the Arizona Cardinals strengthened their control of the National Football League’s NFC West Division with a 26-18 win over the Baltimore Ravens on Monday.

The Cardinals put their offensive firepower on display as they improved to 5-2 by building a four-point half-time lead, then secured the victory with their NFL-leading 12th interception in the final seconds.

“We executed extremely well,” said coach Bruce Arians, whose team entered the contest leading the league in scoring. “We played to the final whistle. We needed to be in one of these kinds of games and win it.”

Palmer completed 20-of-29 passes for 275 yards and running back Chris Johnson chewed through the Ravens’ defense for 122 yards and a touchdown at the University of Phoenix Stadium.

Palmer, who had no interceptions, has a history of doing well against the Ravens. As a member of the Cincinnati Bengals he went 9-4 against them.

First-place Arizona head to Cleveland next week before getting to rest up for their bye in week nine of the regular season.

Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco was 26-of-40 for 252 yards with a touchdown and an interception. He was also sacked three times.

“This is just where we are. We didn’t play well enough to win a football game,” said Flacco, playing in his 119th straight game.

Baltimore (1-6) lost a third game in a row, but once again had a chance to make something happen at the end.

Down by eight points with 13 seconds to go, Flacco looked for tight end Crockett Gillmore in the end zone but Cardinals defensive back Tony Jefferson intercepted the pass.

In three of their four losses coming into Monday’s game, Baltimore held a lead in the fourth quarter. They also had a chance to tie or take the lead in the final two minutes in each of their first six games.

The Ravens had scored first, utilizing a missed 55-yard field-goal attempt by Arizona’s Chandler Catanzaro and moving 29 yards on eight plays to put Justin Tucker in position to boot a 44-yard field goal for a 3-0 lead.

Arizona’s offense needed only three plays to grab the lead. Palmer hit tight end Jermaine Gresham for a 21-yard gain. He found Michael Floyd deep down the right sideline for a 33-yard gain and then Johnson broke free from tacklers for a 26-yard touchdown.

‘Unfathomable’ findings led judge to rule for Brady

NFL lawyers have told a federal appeals court in New York that a judge made “unfathomable” findings to justify lifting New England quarterback Tom Brady’s four-game suspension in the “Deflategate” controversy.

The lawyers filed the papers late Monday in the 2nd US Circuit Court of Appeals in Manhattan. The lawyers asked the appeals court to conclude that a lower-court judge was mistaken when he reversed a penalty that was supposed to keep Brady out of the first four games of this season. The ruling came down a week before the season began. The Patriots are undefeated through six games.

The appeals court isn’t scheduled to hear oral arguments in the case before February, meaning that this season will not be affected by any outcome.