Dark-Horse Cardinals Have Kurt Warner, Larry Fitzgerald To Thank

The Arizona Cardinals came into the 2008 season as one of the worst franchises to ever set foot in the NFL.

To put it in perspective, this post-season is the first time the team has won two playoff games in a row in 60 years. The Cardinals are also making their first appearance in a championship game since 1948.

A defining moment in franchise history for the Cardinals happened in 2006 against the then 5-0 undefeated Chicago Bears. The Cardinals were the underdogs, but surprisingly that night they held a 23-3 late 3^rd quarter lead.

The Bears' quarterback Rex Grossman turned the ball over an astonishing six times during the game.

I remember Tony Kornheiser saying “If the Cardinals find a way to lose this game, they may as well pack the whole thing up, tear down the stadium and put up a hot dog stand, because this team is cursed”. Harsh words no doubt, but with the way the Cardinals had been playing, no one could deny it.

What happened? The Bears scored two touchdowns on defense and another one on special teams to win the game 24-23 in less than a quarter and a half of football.

The Cardinals didn’t pack up shop for 2007-2008. The Cardinals managed to improve from 5-11 in 2006 to going 8-8 in 2007. However, they once again missed the playoffs.

The Cardinals came into this season with a very strong passing attack thanks mainly to receivers Larry Fitzgerald, Anquan Boldin and veteran quarterback Kurt Warner. In all other facets of the game, the team was a big question mark.

Arizona came out in 2008 better than previous years, starting the season off 5-3 and winning at home, something they couldn’t do in the past.

The reason for winning at home is in part due to their new indoor stadium. Fans are willing to come and cheer at games where they aren’t melting into puddles in the stands.

Towards the end of the season the Cardinals faded, going 9-7 and losing two of their last three games. Not a way to go into your first post season in years.

Another cause for concern is the fact that the Cardinals only won three games played outside of their division, and their division had a terrible regular season record.

Not one NFC West team, besides the Cardinals, finished the season with a winning record.

Many NFL fans didn’t even feel the Cardinals deserved to be in the playoffs, based on the fact that they played in one of the NFL’s weakest divisions and that they really only seemed competitive against teams in their division.

Obviously, the Cardinals were heavy underdogs coming into this season’s playoffs. Their offense had no running game, passing 66% of the time, and their run defense was suspect at best.

Everyone knows that, traditionally, in order to win in January, teams need to be able to defend the run and they need to be able to run the ball, something the Arizona Cardinals had yet to do in 2008.

First up for the Cardinals, in an NFC wild-card game, were the Atlanta Falcons. The Falcons were the wild card team despite putting up an 11-5 record.

The Falcons have a top running back in Michael Turner, who rushed for 1,669 yards, and rookie quarterback Matt Ryan is the NFL’s Offensive Rookie of the Year.

On paper the Falcons looked like a team that could have exposed Arizona’s rushing defense and controlled the game by controlling the clock.

Although it was an exciting second half, the Cardinals pulled out a 30-24 victory. What surprised most people was the fact that the Cardinals managed to run 47%  of the time and that Edgerrin James finally got going with 73 yards on 16 carries.

In addition to finding their running game, the Cardinals stepped up and totally shut down the Atlanta Falcons' running attack, holding them to 60 yards through 4 quarters.

It is no surprise that the Cardinals, whose passing attack is very potent, had another successful outing in the wild-card game against the Falcons. Warner threw for 271 yards and 2 touchdowns. Boldin and Fitzgerald each had big touchdown catches.

Fast forward to week two of the playoffs, where the Cards were slated to face off against the 12-4 NFC South Champion Carolina Panthers.

The Panthers, unlike the Falcons, have a veteran quarterback in Jake Delhomme and pro-bowl wide receiver Steve Smith.

In addition to the passing attack, the Panthers leading rushers DeAngelo Williams and

Jonathan Stewart combined for 2,350 yards rushing and 28 rushing touchdowns.

In addition, Carolina had a more dangerous pass rush and overall tougher defense in comparison to the Atlanta Falcons.

On paper, it seemed that the Panthers were going to the NFC Championship game this weekend.

The Cardinals, 10 point under-dogs, totally shut down the Carolina Panthers 33-13.

The first drive of the game saw the Panthers score within the first three minutes, highlighted by a 31-yard run by Williams and a nine-yard touchdown run by Jonathan Stewart.

After watching that first drive by the Panthers, everyone probably thought, "Okay, this game will go the way it was supposed to."

Not giving up, the Cardinals, after exchanging punts, scored on a drive that was highlighted by a 48-yard circus catch by pro-bowl receiver Larry Fitzgerald.

From then on, the Panthers turned the ball over six times and the Cardinals cruised to a comfortable victory, limiting the Panthers to only 75 yards rushing, even though Pro-Bowl receiver Anquan Boldin sat the game out with a sore hamstring.

What is the reason for the Cardinals’ success in the playoffs and proving doubters that they deserve to be here?

The Cardinals have a great passing game with big play potential. Okay, we all knew that. Arizona got their running game going and they have been able to stop the run, definitely a big part of why they are successful now.

However, there are two other big reasons that fans may not be aware of.

The Cardinals have been good at limiting big running plays, and they were fifth in takeaways this season with 30. In the playoffs, they have held steady and lead all other teams with 9 takeaways and a +7 in the turnover category.

As messy as it is, when a team is winning the turnover battle, it is very hard to lose the game, unless it’s a 2006 Cardinals-Bears Monday Night game.

Now the Cardinals find themselves in a battle of the birds for a place in Super Bowl XLIII this coming weekend as they face the Philadelphia Eagles.

Philadelphia is another cagey team that has had its ups and downs this season. In fact it was almost a miracle that the Eagles even made playoffs this season.

McNabb was benched in week 11, but since then he has been making the plays to stay on the field and keep his team in the hunt for a ring.

The Eagles thus-far have managed to get by the Minnesota Vikings and last year’s Super Bowl Champions, the New York Giants.

That being said, McNabb is known for his up-and-down play and the Eagles, for as good as Brian Westbrook is, are not known as a run-first team.

Arizona, if they play like they have been playing this post season should have no problem bottling up the Eagles running game. As for the passing game, McNabb is easily rattled, and history shows that in the clutch, he often times comes up short.

On the other hand, Kurt Warner already has a ring and has been to the big show twice in his career with the St. Lois Rams. Warner is a veteran quarterback who knows how to handle the big situations.

On the other side of the ball, the Eagles' defense has been lights out. When your secondary is made up of guys with the last names Samuel, Sheppard, Dawkins and Brown, you know they will give the best passing attacks their toughest challenge.

The problem for the Eagles is that Anquan Boldin, who was out against Panthers, will most likely be back with the Cardinals for the NFC championship game.

Larry Fitzgerald, with no Anquan Boldin on the field against the Panthers, was still coming down with balls in double coverage as long as he could get a hand on them.

Throw in Boldin and the Philadelphia secondary is going to have their hands full.

The strength of Arizona’s passing attack at full strength could possibly open up the Cardinals running game once again this post season.

I expect a tight game up until the fourth quarter, and a turnover or two by Donovan McNabb later on in the game will probably allow the Cardinals to put the game away.

Of course, the Cardinals are still heavy underdogs for the Super Bowl. The Steelers and Ravens of the AFC have the number one and two defenses in the NFL, respectively.

Yes, the Pittsburgh and especially Baltimore offences aren’t what you would call spectacular. However, the Ravens and Steelers thrive off of keeping their games low scoring and relying on key possessions and plays to put the game away in the fourth quarter.

The Cardinals have come a long way since last season, and although they are the underdogs, don’t be surprised if they manage to pull an upset and come away with their first championship in what must feel like a millennium for Cardinals fans.

Although Kornheiser was harsh in his statements during the 2006 Bears-Cardinals Monday night game, changing stadiums for the Arizona Cardinals seems to have been a good choice for the team.