2009: Cards Overcome Rally & Defeat Eagles for NFC Championship

The NFC Championship game on January 18, 2009 featured two teams that had won fewer than ten games during the regular season and were hardly expected to get so far. The Arizona Cardinals, winners of the mediocre NFC West with a 9-7 record, which made them the fourth-seeded team in the conference, hosted the Philadelphia Eagles, who were the sixth-seeded team after finishing second in the NFC East and qualifying as a Wild Card at 9-6-1.

Under Head Coach Ken Whisenhunt, the Cardinals were a pass-oriented team on offense with QB Kurt Warner (pictured above) throwing to wide receivers Larry Fitzgerald, Anquan Boldin, and Steve Breaston, all three of whom reached a thousand receiving yards. RB Edgerrin James, once an outstanding runner with the Colts, was on the downside at age 30. The defense was suspect and ranked 28^th in points allowed. The Cards had been long-time underachievers and, after getting off to a 7-3 start, seemed to revert to form as they lost four of their last six games. Some of those defeats had been by lopsided scores, including a 48-20 blowout at the hands of the Eagles when they met on Thanksgiving night in Philadelphia. However, with expectations low as the postseason commenced, Arizona defeated the Falcons in the Wild Card round and then dominated the 12-4 Panthers on the road at the Divisional level to advance to the NFC title game.

The Eagles, under Head Coach Andy Reid, had been inconsistent and were 5-5-1 after being routed by the Ravens before winning four of five to make it into the playoffs. QB Donovan McNabb passed for a career-high 3916 yards, but was benched during the second half of the loss to Baltimore and not as much the running threat he had been in his early years. RB Brian Westbrook was an outstanding all-purpose back and rookie WR DeSean Jackson was developing into a big-play receiver. The heart of the defense was still FS Brian Dawkins, who had been joined in the backfield by Pro Bowl CB Asante Samuel. Philadelphia defeated the Vikings in the Wild Card round and then the top-seeded Giants at the Meadowlands and was back in the conference championship game for the fifth time under Coach Reid.

There were 70,650 fans present at University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, AZ. While the weather was pleasant, the stadium’s retractable roof was closed in order to amplify the sound of the partisan crowd. The Cardinals took the opening kickoff and drove 79 yards in nine plays. Kurt Warner completed his first three passes, two of them to Anquan Boldin for a total of 16 yards and one to Larry Fitzgerald (pictured at right) for 19. Edgerrin James then ran three straight times, the last two for 16 and 12 yards to the Philadelphia 12 yard line. A short gain by RB Tim Hightower was followed by a Warner throw to Fitzgerald for a nine-yard touchdown. Neil Rackers added the extra point and Arizona had the early 7-0 lead.

The Eagles came right back with a long drive of their own that covered 33 yards in eight plays. Starting at their own 40 after Rackers kicked off out of bounds, Donovan McNabb scrambled for 21 yards to the Arizona 39. Short passes by McNabb interspersed with carries by Brian Westbrook got the ball to the 22, but with the crowd roaring, a five-yard penalty for a false start backed the Eagles up five yards to force third-and-nine and, after McNabb threw an incomplete pass, David Akers kicked a 45-yard field goal.

The Cards went three-and-out on their next series and the Eagles, following the punt, regained possession at their 33. Facing third-and-10 after two incomplete passes, McNabb’s next throw was intercepted by FS Aaron Francisco, but he fumbled at the end of a 27-yard return and OT Jon Runyan recovered for Philadelphia. Given a reprieve, the Eagles moved into Arizona territory as McNabb threw to WR Hank Baskett for 14 yards, Westbrook had a 14-yard run, and RB Correll Buckhalter carried twice for 12 yards to the Arizona 35. Now into the second quarter, the drive finally stalled at the 29, but this time Akers was wide on a 47-yard field goal try and the visitors came up empty.

On the next play, Warner went long for Fitzgerald on a flea-flicker and it was good for a 62-yard touchdown.  Rackers added the extra point for a 14-3 lead. Philadelphia came back with a seven-play, 65-yard series. A third down sack was negated by defensive holding and McNabb then threw to WR Kevin Curtis for a 47-yard gain to the Arizona 19. Once again, the visitors couldn’t reach the end zone, but this time Akers was successful on a field goal attempt from 33 yards.

The Cardinals started off their next drive with James running for 22 yards up the middle to his own 49. Warner completed passes to RB J.J. Arrington for 16 yards, TE Leonard Pope for 12, and Steve Breaston for 10 yards, with running plays interspersed, to reach the Philadelphia four. Warner connected with Fitzgerald for a third TD, this time from a yard out as the wide receiver outmaneuvered CB Sheldon Brown in the corner of the end zone. Arizona was ahead by 21-6.

The Eagles had to punt following their next series and the Cards again drove to a score, going 80 yards in nine plays. A Warner pass to Boldin that was initially ruled complete for a 32-yard gain was overturned following a challenge, but the Cardinals managed to overcome a third-and-15 situation as Warner threw complete to WR Jerheme Urban for 18 yards to the Arizona 49. A pass to Fitzgerald picked up 14 yards but DE Trent Cole sacked Warner two plays later and the Cards settled for a 49-yard Rackers field goal. Still, they went into halftime with a commanding 24-6 lead.

Philadelphia came out throwing to start the third quarter. McNabb had completions of 20 yards to FB Dan Klecko, 14 yards to WR Jason Avant, and 8 to DeSean Jackson to reach the Arizona 49. But on third down, McNabb fumbled the ball away when sacked and DE Bertrand Berry recovered at the Philadelphia 43. The Cards were unable to move, however, and punted, seemingly pinning the visitors down at their 10 yard line.

The Eagles drove 90 yards in 13 plays, converting three third downs along the way. Short passes interspersed with runs by Westbrook got the ball to the Philadelphia 39, but after SS Adrian Wilson sacked McNabb for an eight-yard loss, the Eagles faced a third-and-18 situation. McNabb went deep for Curtis, who made the catch for a 50-yard gain to the Arizona 19. The possession ended with McNabb connecting with TE Brent Celek for a six-yard touchdown and, with Akers adding the PAT, Arizona’s lead was narrowed to 24-13.

The Cardinals went three-and-out on their next series, and following the punt the Eagles drove to another score. McNabb threw to Curtis for 14 yards and, on a third-and-six play, tossed to Jackson for nine yards to the Arizona 34. McNabb completed another touchdown pass to Celek, this time covering 31 yards, and while Akers missed the extra point, the Eagles were down by just five points heading into the fourth quarter.

Arizona’s seemingly unstoppable offense of the first half was unable to move effectively thus far in the second, and the Cards punted the ball back to the Eagles early in the final period. It took Philadelphia just four plays to score again. Starting at their 14, McNabb threw to Buckhalter for 12 yards and Avant for nine before Westbrook carried for three yards up the middle. McNabb then went long for Jackson, who was covered by CB Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie. The cornerback tipped the ball as he fell down, but Jackson was able to make the catch and proceed to the end zone for a 62-yard TD (pictured above). The Eagles tried for two points, but McNabb’s pass failed. Still, the Eagles were ahead by a score of 25-24 with just under eleven minutes remaining on the clock.

Breaston returned the ensuing kickoff 29 yards to his 28 yard line. Warner threw to Fitzgerald for 15 yards and Pope for nine before James lost a yard on a running play. Hightower gained the yard back, but the Cards now faced fourth-and-one at the Philadelphia 49. They converted when Hightower ran for six yards around right end. After a short carry by James, Warner connected with Fitzgerald for 18 yards to the 23. A three-yard run by James was followed by Fitzgerald catching a pass for six yards and, on third-and-one, Hightower came through again with a five-yard carry. Runs by James and Hightower netted a yard and it was third-and-goal at the eight. With his receivers spread out, Warner threw to Hightower out of the backfield for a touchdown. The Cards went for two and converted as Warner connected with TE Ben Patrick, putting Arizona back in front by seven points.

Taking over at their 20 with 2:53 remaining, the Eagles drove to the Arizona 47 as McNabb completed three straight passes, the longest to Westbrook for 19 yards. But that was as far as they got. The next four passes fell incomplete and the Cardinals took over on downs, effectively ending the game. Arizona was the winner by a final score of 32-25.

The Eagles had the edge in total yards (454 to 369) and first downs (22 to 21). However, Philadelphia also turned the ball over three times, to one suffered by the Cardinals. The Eagles also were penalized seven times, at a cost of 64 yards, to just three flags thrown on Arizona, for 15 yards.

Kurt Warner completed 21 of 28 passes for 279 yards and four touchdowns with no interceptions. Larry Fitzgerald had 9 catches for 152 yards and three TDs. Edgerrin James ran for 73 yards on 16 carries and Tim Hightower (pictured below) contributed 33 yards on 11 attempts as well as the game-winning touchdown on his lone pass reception. Defensively, Adrian Wilson recorded both of Arizona’s sacks.

For the Eagles, Donovan McNabb came on strong in the second half comeback and was successful on 28 of 47 throws for 375 yards and three TDs with one interception. Brent Celek had 10 pass receptions for 83 yards and two touchdowns while Kevin Curtis gained 122 yards on four catches and DeSean Jackson added 6 receptions for 92 yards and a score. Brian Westbrook was the team’s top rusher with 45 yards on 12 carries.

The Cardinals went on to lose to the Pittsburgh Steelers in a close Super Bowl battle. They had a 10-6 record in 2009, again topping the NFC West but losing to the Saints in the Divisional playoff round. Philadelphia also had a better record in ’09, going 11-5 and qualifying as a Wild Card after placing second in the NFC East. The Eagles lost to Dallas in the first round. 

2010: Cardinals Beat Packers in Wild 51-45 Overtime Thriller

Coming into the NFC Wild Card playoff game at University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Arizona on January 10, 2010, the Green Bay Packers appeared to be the team with the greater momentum as they faced the Arizona Cardinals.

The Packers, coached by Mike McCarthy, were a young club that was back on the rise two seasons after the departure of long-time QB Brett Favre. His successor, Aaron Rodgers, was sacked 50 times during the 2009 season but also passed for 4434 yards and 30 touchdowns. Wide receivers Donald Driver (70 catches, 1061 yards) and Greg Jennings (68 catches, 1113 yards) had over a thousand receiving yards and RB Ryan Grant ran for 1253 yards and 11 TDs. Moreover, the Packers scored a then-franchise record 461 points. The defense featured CB Charles Woodson, chosen as NFL Defensive Player of the Year by the Associated Press, and OLB Clay Matthews (10 sacks), the first Green Bay rookie to make it to the Pro Bowl since WR James Lofton in 1978. The Packers had won seven of their last eight games to close out the regular season at 11-5, placing second in the NFC North, and including a win over the Cardinals at the same venue by a 33-7 score the week before – not a fair preview since Arizona, already assured of its spot in the playoffs, had rested many of its key players.

The foremost of those key players for the Cardinals was 38-year-old QB Kurt Warner (pictured above), who had revived his career in Arizona and led the team to an improbable climb through the postseason a year earlier that culminated in a NFC title and close loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers in the Super Bowl. Warner still had an accurate arm and quick release and had thrown for 3753 yards and 26 touchdowns. He also had outstanding targets in wide receivers Larry Fitzgerald and Anquan Boldin, although the latter was sidelined for the playoff contest by injuries. The running game was ordinary as rookie Chris “Beanie” Wells had overcome Tim Hightower to become the club’s top ball carrier. The defense was not special but included Pro Bowlers in DT Darnell Dockett, CB Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, FS Antrel Rolle, and SS Adrian Wilson. Head Coach Ken Whisenhunt’s team had been less consistent than the Packers over the course of the season, but had won the NFC West title with a 10-6 record.

On the first play from scrimmage, Rodgers was intercepted by Rodgers-Cromartie, giving the Cardinals good initial field position at the Green Bay 40 yard line. They scored in seven plays, with Warner converting a third-and-eight situation along the way with a 13-yard completion to WR Jerheme Urban and Wells following up with a 14-yard run. Hightower completed the series with a one-yard scoring carry and Arizona had the early 7-0 lead.

The Packers turned the ball over again on their second play of the ensuing possession, this time on a fumble by Driver, who was stripped by LB Karlos Dansby after catching a short pass, and DT Alan Branch recovered for the Cards at the Green Bay 22. Two plays later, Warner connected with WR Early Doucet for a 15-yard TD.

The Packers managed to not turn the ball over on their next series but still had to punt. Arizona put together a 63-yard scoring drive in nine plays highlighted by Warner completions of 14 yards to Fitzgerald, 22 yards to TE Ben Patrick, and 18 to WR Steve Breaston. Neil Rackers finished things off with a 23-yard field goal and the first quarter ended with the Cardinals ahead by 17-0.

Green Bay had the ball as the second quarter got under way and Rodgers threw to Greg Jennings on a third-and-nine play for a 27-yard gain to the Arizona 35. The drive stalled there and Mason Crosby was wide on a 54-yard field goal attempt. It seemed as though the Cardinals would add to their lead two plays later when Breaston took the ball on an end-around and ran 28 yards to the Green Bay 22. But Fitzgerald fumbled after catching a short pass and Clay Matthews recovered and returned it 29 yards to the Green Bay 48.

Ryan Grant ran off tackle for 10 yards, a penalty on the Cardinals added another 15, and Grant rushed for 20 more to the Arizona seven. The defense stiffened, but a pass interference penalty put the ball on the one, and from there Rodgers kept the ball himself for the final yard and a TD that finally got the Packers on the board.

The Cardinals came right back with an eight-play, 61-yard scoring drive that was capped by Warner connecting with Doucet for a 15-yard touchdown. Green Bay responded with a 74-yard drive that was highlighted by a 44-yard pass play from Rodgers to TE Jermichael Finley in a third-and-five situation and another throw to Finley for 17 yards. With time running out in the first half, Crosby booted a 20-yard field goal and the score stood at 24-10 in favor of Arizona at the intermission. The teams were just getting warmed up.

The Cardinals extended their lead on the first possession of the third quarter, driving 80 yards in six plays that concluded with Warner passing to Fitzgerald for a 33-yard touchdown. If the 31-10 margin appeared comfortable at that point, it proved not to be as the Packers began to mount a comeback.

On the ensuing series, Green Bay put together a 10-play drive that also covered 80 yards and was highlighted by a Rodgers completion to Finley for 18 yards on a third-and-ten play, a pass interference call that converted a third-and-eight situation into a first down, and a pass to Jennings that covered 35 yards. Jennings scored on a six-yard pass from Rodgers and, with Crosby’s extra point, it was 31-17.


It was 31-24 after the Packers successfully executed an onside kick and then capitalized eight plays later when Rodgers threw to WR Jordy Nelson for an 11-yard TD. But the quick-striking Cardinals responded, uncharacteristically getting a big running play as Wells (pictured at right) ran 42 yards to the Green Bay 16. The four-play possession ended with Warner again connecting with Fitzgerald for a touchdown, this time from 11 yards out, and Arizona took a 38-24 lead into the fourth quarter.

Three plays into the final period, Rodgers capped an 80-yard Green Bay drive with a 30-yard TD pass to WR James Jones that again made it a one-touchdown game. The Cards went three-and-out on their next series and, following a punt, the Packers took over at their 33 and quickly closed the gap. Rodgers went deep to Finley for 38 yards and then to Driver, who gained 28 yards to the Arizona one. From there, FB John Kuhn ran the final yard for a touchdown that capped the three-play drive. Crosby’s extra point tied the score at 38-38.

The Cardinals maintained their composure, methodically moving down the field when they regained possession. After tossing an initial incompletion, Warner was successful on his next six passes, including one for a 26-yard gain to Breaston and then a 17-yard scoring pass to the same receiver to finish off the 80-yard drive that took 11 plays.

With just under five minutes remaining in regulation, the Packers put together their own scoring drive in seven plays. Rodgers scrambled for 13 yards and threw to Jennings for 22 into Arizona territory. The 71-yard series ended with Rodgers tossing a TD pass to TE Spencer Havner from 11 yards out and, with Crosby again successfully converting, the contest was tied once more.

There were now less than two minutes to go in the fourth quarter as the Cardinals took over. A pass to Breaston for 24 yards got the ball to midfield and a 15-yard completion to Fitzgerald took it to the Green Bay 35. A short pass that gained three more yards was followed by a 16-yard toss to Doucet that put the ball at the 16 yard line and the Cards called time out with 14 seconds to go. It seemed certain to end there, but in a stunning development, Rackers was wide to the left on the 34-yard field goal attempt, and the game went into overtime with the score at 45-45.

The Packers won the toss and elected to receive. Following a touchback on the kickoff, they took possession at their 20. Rodgers threw an incomplete pass and then an apparent gain for a first down was nullified by a holding penalty. On second-and-20, Jones pulled in a pass for a 14-yard gain, setting up a third-and-six situation. Looking to throw, Rodgers was hit by CB Michael Adams and fumbled. The ball struck the quarterback’s foot and was grabbed by Dansby (pictured at bottom), who ran 17 yards for the winning touchdown. It was all over at 1:18 into sudden death - in stunning fashion, the Cardinals had won by a score of 51-45.

The combined total of 96 points made it the highest-scoring playoff game in NFL history. The clubs also accumulated a total of 1024 yards and 13 touchdowns. Arizona had 531 of those yards to 493 for the Packers, while Green Bay had a 32 to 30 edge in first downs. The Packers turned the ball over three times, to one turnover by the Cardinals. Rodgers was sacked five times while Green Bay got to Warner once. Each team had only one punt apiece.

Kurt Warner threw for more touchdown than incomplete passes as he connected on 29 of 33 throws for 379 yards and five TDs with none intercepted (it was his second five-TD performance in a postseason game). Steve Breaston had 7 catches for 125 yards and a score, and also had a 28-yard run, while Larry Fitzgerald contributed 6 receptions for 82 yards and two touchdowns and Early Doucet pulled in 6 also for 77 yards and a pair of TDs. Beanie Wells led the running attack with 91 yards on 14 carries.


For the Packers, Aaron Rodgers (pictured at left) went to the air 42 times and completed 28 for 423 yards and four touchdowns with one interception. Greg Jennings pulled in 8 of those passes for 130 yards and a TD and Jermichael Finley gained 159 yards on his 6 catches. Ryan Grant ran for 64 yards on 11 attempts.

In Green Bay’s long franchise history, the game marked both the most points scored and the most allowed in a postseason game.

“Whew,” said Warner as he faced the media afterward, “anybody else tired?”

“That’s probably one of the best games ever played in the playoffs,” said Ken Whisenhunt.

“It’s clearly one of the toughest losses I've been a part of,” said Mike McCarthy from the Green Bay perspective. “I’m very proud of our football team and fight. This is a hard game to swallow.”

Arizona’s defense of its NFC title ended the next week in a 45-14 loss in the Divisional round at New Orleans. Kurt Warner retired in the postseason, and his absence was noted as the Cardinals dropped to 5-11 in 2010. Aaron Rodgers and the Packers came back to make the playoffs as a 10-6 wild card entry and advanced all the way to a win over Pittsburgh in the Super Bowl.

2008: Cardinals Beat Cowboys with Blocked Punt in Overtime

The matchup at University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Arizona on October 12, 2008 featured the host Arizona Cardinals (3-2) against the Dallas Cowboys (4-1), the more highly-regarded team.

Arizona was coming off an encouraging 8-8 season in ‘07 under Head Coach Ken Whisenhunt. Veteran QB Kurt Warner had resurrected his career with the Cardinals and had an outstanding receiving corps to throw to in wide receivers Larry Fitzgerald, Anquan Boldin, and Steve Breaston. The defense, however, was a source of concern, especially after having surrendered 56 points to the New York Jets two weeks before.

Much more was expected of the Cowboys, under Head Coach Wade Phillips. They had won the NFC East with a 13-3 record in 2007, only to be upset at home in the Divisional round by the Giants. The team had stars in QB Tony Romo, RB Marion Barber, WR Terrell Owens, and TE Jason Witten on offense and LB DeMarcus Ware on defense. They won their first three games, lost a close contest to Washington, and bounced back to beat the Bengals the previous week.

The home crowd got an immediate treat when RB J.J. Arrington ran the opening kickoff back 93 yards for a touchdown and quick 7-0 lead for the Cardinals. That was it for the first quarter scoring, but the Cowboys put together a 91-yard drive in the second quarter, highlighted by two Romo passes to WR Patrick Crayton, one for a 24-yard gain and the other for a 55-yard touchdown. The score remained tied at 7-7 at halftime.

Dallas started off the second half with a long drive that covered 77 yards in 12 plays. Romo completed five passes along the way, including three to Owens that covered 27 yards and one to WR Miles Austin for a 14-yard TD. Arizona came right back with an 11-play possession that was kept alive when, on a third-and-seventeen play, a tipped pass by Warner was still caught by RB Tim Hightower, who gained the necessary 17 yards before being pushed out of bounds at the 50. Another third down was converted thanks to a pass to Breaston that gained 22 yards to the Dallas 24. The drive culminated in a two-yard scoring pass from Warner to Fitzgerald, and the game was once again tied at 14-14.

Following a Dallas punt, the Cardinals put together another scoring drive that extended into the fourth quarter. Warner completed a pass to a leaping Fitzgerald for a 39-yard gain to the Cowboys’ 38 along the way, and an 11-yard touchdown throw to Breaston finished off the 89-yard possession and put Arizona back in front at 21-14.

Dallas went three-and-out and punted, and the Cardinals scored again as they drove 43 yards in nine plays, with Neil Rackers giving them a ten-point lead thanks to a 41-yard field goal. The Cowboys got the ball back with 3:12 remaining in regulation but struck quickly when Romo completed two short passes before connecting with Marion Barber for a 70-yard TD.

Arizona had to punt following a short possession and, down by three, the Cowboys took over at their 32 yard line. A holding penalty set them back further, and following two incomplete passes and a short throw for a four-yard gain, Dallas faced a third-and-16 situation. An offside penalty on the defense gained five yards, and Romo then threw to Crayton for a 30-yard gain and a first down. Another offside call, on an injured Arizona linebacker who couldn’t get down the field quickly enough, proved critical as Folk booted a 52-yard field goal that was just long enough to clear the crossbar with no time left to tie the game at 24-24 and send it into overtime.

Dallas got the ball first in the extra period, but after a sack and two incomplete passes, the Cowboys had a fourth-and-17 situation and were forced to punt from their own 15. WR Sean Morey blocked Mat McBriar’s kick (pictured at top) and LB Monty Beisel grabbed the ball for the Cardinals at the three and ran it in for a stunning 30-24 win. It was the first time since the NFL had instituted sudden death play for the regular season in 1974 that a game was decided by a touchdown on a blocked punt.

The Cowboys outgained Arizona (374 yards to 276) and had the edge in first downs (15 to 14). Neither team ran the ball with much effectiveness, with Dallas gaining 73 yards on 22 running plays and the Cardinals just 50 on 19 attempts. Dallas had fewer turnovers, with one to three suffered by the Cardinals. There were plenty of flags flown, as both teams were penalized 12 times, for a total of 163 yards.


Kurt Warner completed 22 of 30 passes for 236 yards with two touchdowns and one interception. Steve Breaston (pictured above) led the receivers with 8 catches for 102 yards and a TD while Larry Fitzgerald contributed 5 receptions for 79 yards and a score. 30-year-old veteran RB Edgerrin James was the top rusher with 29 yards on 9 attempts; Tim Hightower gained 20 yards on 7 carries.

For the Cowboys, Tony Romo went to the air 38 times and had 24 completions for 321 yards with three touchdowns and none picked off. Marion Barber (pictured below) caught 11 passes out of the backfield for 128 yards and the one long TD, and also was the team’s leading rusher with 45 yards on 17 carries. Patrick Crayton gained 84 yards on his three catches that included a touchdown.


“It didn't seem like the bounces or the calls were going our way and sometimes you have to overcome those things,” said Arizona’s Coach Whisenhunt afterward. “I think our team did that. That's part of growing up and getting mentally tougher.”

“Today I got hit blindside for the first time in awhile,” said Tony Romo, who dealt with a great deal of pressure from the Arizona defense. “But they're good. Their D-line played an outstanding football game. You've got to give them credit. That was, I thought, the difference of the game.”

The Cardinals won three of their next four games before losing four of five (and looking especially bad in losses on the East Coast) to finish at 9-7, which was good enough to win the mediocre NFC West. Lightly regarded going into the postseason, they defeated the Falcons, Panthers, and Eagles on the way to winning the NFC Championship and narrowly lost the Super Bowl to the Pittsburgh Steelers. Dallas also ended up with a 9-7 record, but was eliminated from the playoffs in the final week and placed third in the NFC East.

2009: Steelers Come Back to Defeat Cardinals in Super Bowl XLIII

That the Pittsburgh Steelers were representing the AFC in Super Bowl XLIII on February 1, 2009 was of little surprise. That their NFC opponent was the Arizona Cardinals came as a shock to many pro football fans. The club had not appeared in a league title game since 1948 and hardly seemed likely to do so in 2008.

The Cardinals, coached by Ken Whisenhunt, had won the AFC West in ‘08, but with a lackluster 9-7 record. Moreover, after taking command of the division at 7-3 midway through November, the team went 2-4 the rest of the way and looked especially bad when blown out at Philadelphia and New England. But in the postseason, where it was greatly anticipated that they would be eliminated quickly, they defeated Atlanta at home in the Wild Card round, dominated the 12-4 Carolina Panthers at Charlotte, and then returned to University of Phoenix Stadium and held off the Eagles to win the NFC title.

37-year-old QB Kurt Warner revived his career in Arizona and had the outstanding wide receiver corps of Larry Fitzgerald, Anquan Boldin, and Steve Breaston to throw to. The defense ranked 28th in the league in points surrendered during the regular season, but stepped up in the playoffs. DT Darnell Dockett, linebackers Karlos Dansby and Gerald Hayes, FS Antrel Rolle, and Pro Bowl SS Adrian Wilson were the featured players on the unit.

The Steelers, under Head Coach Mike Tomlin, were far more formidable in winning the AFC North at 12-4. They beat the Chargers in the Divisional playoff round and then won a hard-hitting battle with division-rival Baltimore for the AFC Championship. QB Ben Roethlisberger’s statistics dropped in 2008, primarily as a result of suffering a shoulder separation in the season-opening game, but he still was able to lift the offense in clutch situations – he guided the Steelers to six game-winning drives during the regular season, either in the fourth quarter or in overtime. The running game was hindered by injuries to veteran RB Willie Parker and rookie Rashard Mendenhall. But WR Santonio Holmes had come on strong late in the regular season and playoffs. The defense was outstanding and included NT Casey Hampton, SS Troy Polamalu, and an excellent group of linebackers led by the NFL Defensive Player of the Year, James Harrison.

There were 70,774 fans in attendance at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa for what was expected to be a classic mismatch. Pittsburgh got the ball first and drove 72 yards in nine plays. Roethlisberger completed passes of 38 yards to WR Hines Ward and 21 yards to TE Heath Miller along the way. The big quarterback (6’5”, 240 pounds) attempted to cap the drive himself by running the final yard on a third-and-goal play, and it initially appeared that he had been successful when a TD was signaled. However, the Cardinals successfully challenged the play and the Steelers settled for an 18-yard Jeff Reed field goal instead.

Arizona punted following its first possession of the game and once again the Steelers put together a long drive that started off with a 25-yard pass completion from Roethlisberger to Holmes. Pittsburgh went 69 yards in 11 plays and, on the second play of the second quarter, scored a touchdown on a one-yard carry by RB Gary Russell to take a 10-0 lead.

The Cardinals came back as Warner completed five short passes and then threw long to Boldin for a 45-yard gain down to the Pittsburgh one yard line. Warner tossed a pass to TE Ben Patrick for the final yard and a TD to again make it a three-point game.

The teams traded punts, until a tipped pass by Roethlisberger was intercepted by Dansby to give Arizona the ball at the Pittsburgh 34 with two minutes remaining in the half. Again Warner completed short passes to move the Cardinals along, and they once more faced a first-and-goal situation at the one yard line. But Warner’s pass that was intended for Boldin was instead intercepted by Harrison at the goal line, who proceeded to return it 100 yards for a touchdown (pictured below), just barely falling across the goal line at the end with no time remaining. The longest (and arguably most thrilling) play in Super Bowl history made the score 17-7 as the teams went into halftime.


Following a punt by the Cardinals, Pittsburgh put together yet another long drive in its first possession of the second half. Moving from their 18 yard line (the Steelers had nearly gotten the ball in Arizona territory upon recovering what was initially ruled a fumble by Warner, but the play was overturned upon challenge), they reached the Cardinals’ nine yard line and kicked a field goal. However, an unnecessary roughness penalty on Adrian Wilson gave Pittsburgh a first down at the Arizona four instead. Parker ran for two yards, but then Roethlisberger threw an incomplete pass and was dropped for the loss of a yard on third down. They ended up settling for a 21-yard field goal by Reed.

The game entered the fourth quarter with the Steelers ahead by 20-7, and the clubs traded punts as time appeared to be running out for the Cardinals. Arizona had not been able to move the ball effectively thus far, and Larry Fitzgerald had been particularly quiet, but that all changed as the Cardinals went into a no-huddle offense and put together a scoring drive. Warner passed on every down and was successful on all eight of his throws, including four to Fitzgerald. A one-yard touchdown pass from Warner to Fitzgerald brought the Cardinals to within six points of the Steelers.

Pittsburgh went three-and-out on the following possession, with the key play being Darnell Dockett’s sack of Roethlisberger for an eight-yard loss. The Cardinals had to punt as well, but pinned the Steelers back at their one yard line. On a third-and-ten play, it appeared that Roethlisberger had completed a 19-yard pass to Holmes to get out of trouble, but a holding penalty in the end zone not only nullified the first down but gave Arizona two more points on a safety.


The Cardinals received the ensuing free kick and, after an incompletion on the first play, Warner fired a short pass to Fitzgerald that resulted in a 64-yard touchdown (pictured at right). With the extra point, Arizona was in the lead at 23-20 and there were just under three minutes remaining in the fourth quarter. They had scored 16 unanswered points in the fourth quarter, and seemed on the verge of a stunning upset.

Following the kickoff, Pittsburgh took over at its 22 yard line. A holding penalty backed the Steelers up to the 12, but Roethlisberger hit Holmes twice with passes covering 14 and 13 yards, and an 11-yard completion to WR Nate Washington got them to midfield. After a four-yard run by Roethlisberger, he again threw to Holmes on a play that covered 40 yards to the Arizona six. On second-and-goal, Roethlisberger went to Holmes once more, throwing high into the end zone at the right corner. Holmes stretched just high enough to catch the ball, kept his toes barely in bounds, and scored the six-yard touchdown that put the Steelers back in front (pictured at top).

The Cardinals had one last chance, taking over with 35 seconds on the clock. Warner threw to Fitzgerald for 20 yards and RB J.J. Arrington for 13, but with the ball now at the Pittsburgh 44, Warner fumbled while being sacked by LB LaMarr Woodley and DE Brett Keisel recovered for the Steelers to end the threat. The Steelers won their sixth Super Bowl by a score of 27-23.

The Cardinals significantly outgained Pittsburgh (407 yards to 292) and had the edge in first downs (23 to 20). The also suffered 11 penalties, at the expense of 106 yards, to 7 flags thrown on the Steelers and gave up two turnovers to Pittsburgh’s one. Neither team mounted much of a running attack, with the Steelers gaining just 58 yard on 26 carries while Arizona ran the ball 12 times for 33 yards.

Ben Roethlisberger completed 21 of 30 passes for 256 yards, including a touchdown and an interception, and was at his best in the game-winning drive. Santonio Holmes, the game’s MVP, caught 9 passes for 131 yards and the TD. Willie Parker was the leading rusher with 53 yards on 19 carries.

For the Cardinals, Kurt Warner (pictured below) went to the air 43 times and completed 31 of those passes for 377 yards, three for touchdowns while one was picked off. Anquan Boldin caught 8 passes for 84 yards and Larry Fitzgerald gained 127 yards on 7 receptions that included two TDs, while Steve Breaston contributed 6 catches for 71 yards. RB Edgerrin James accounted for all 33 rushing yards on 9 attempts.

“Was that a 60-minute game, or what?” exclaimed Steelers LB James Farrior. “It came down to the last play, and we made it.”

The sixth Super Bowl victory for the Pittsburgh franchise pulled it ahead of Dallas and San Francisco, although the Steelers were still short of Green Bay’s total of 12 league titles.

The Steelers slumped to 9-7 in 2009 and missed the playoffs. Kurt Warner came back for one last season in ’09 and led the Cardinals to another NFC West title, but after winning a high-scoring thriller in the Wild Card round of the postseason, they were thrashed by New Orleans in the Divisional round.

2008: Warner Passes for 395 Yards and Cards Hold On to Beat Seattle

QB Kurt Warner (pictured above) had experienced a rebirth of his career with the Arizona Cardinals, and the team was now poised to make the most of it. After coming out of nowhere to lead the Rams to a championship in 1999 and putting together three outstanding seasons from ’99 to 2001, Warner’s career had come crashing down over the next two seasons. Losing his starting job to Marc Bulger, he moved on to the Giants for a year and acted as mentor to rookie QB Eli Manning, and then came to Phoenix in 2005 to do the same for QB Matt Leinart.

However, circumstances moved Warner back to the forefront with the Cardinals. Leinart struggled with injuries and ineffectiveness, and the veteran was productive in his appearances. After Leinart went down with a collarbone injury early in the 2007 season, Warner took over the starting role and didn’t relinquish it. With outstanding wide receivers to throw to in Larry Fitzgerald and Anquan Boldin, the 37-year-old quarterback was thriving in 2008 and the team was contending in the mediocre NFC West.

The Cardinals had been perennial underachievers, and since moving to Phoenix in 1988 finished over .500 just once through ’07. That they had gone 8-8 in 2007 under new Head Coach Ken Whisenhunt was cause for celebration. By the time they faced the Seattle Seahawks at Qwest Field on November 16, 2008, they were sporting a 6-3 record.

The Seahawks were in the tenth and final year under the direction of Head Coach Mike Holmgren, who had announced prior to the season that ’08 would be his last. They had experienced success during Holmgren’s tenure, winning the previous four division titles and going to the Super Bowl following the 2005 season. But by the time they faced the Cardinals, they were 2-7. Injuries were a key factor in the club’s collapse, in particular the loss of QB Matt Hasselbeck, who had missed the previous six games due to a back injury.

Arizona started strong, scoring on its first two possessions. The first was a 13-play drive that resulted in a 38-yard field goal by Neil Rackers and the second covered 89 yards in seven plays that led to a four-yard touchdown run by RB J.J. Arrington. Along the way, Warner had connected with Boldin twice for 54 yards and once to Fitzgerald for 20. The Cardinals had a 10-0 lead after one quarter.

Rackers added a 48-yard field goal in the second quarter before Seattle got on the board. CB Josh Wilson intercepted a Warner pass at his own 23 and returned it 58 yards to the Arizona 19. Shortly thereafter, Hasselbeck threw for a 13-yard touchdown to RB Maurice Morris. The Cardinals got the ball back with less than a minute to go in the half and managed a 54-yard field goal by Rackers as time expired to take a 16-7 lead into halftime.

Arizona appeared to put the game away in the third quarter as Rackers kicked his fourth field goal, of 26 yards, and Warner ended a ten-play drive with a six-yard TD pass to Arrington. The Cardinals’ margin was stretched to 26-7.

However, the Seahawks fought back on their next possession. Josh Wilson returned the kickoff 56 yards to the Arizona 36 yard line. Seattle drove to the three, but it appeared that the Cardinals had extinguished the threat when LB Karlos Dansby intercepted Hasselbeck’s pass in the end zone on a third-and-three play. However, rather than taking a touchback, Dansby returned the interception to the ten yard line and fumbled. It was recovered by OT Walter Jones and the Seahawks had a new set of downs and made the most of it. Five plays later, RB T.J. Duckett scored a touchdown from a yard out. An attempted two-point conversion failed.

Arizona got the ball back, but on the second play Warner fumbled when sacked by DT Brandon Mebane and DE Darryl Tapp recovered at the Cardinals’ 14. Duckett ran for another TD from two yards out after Seattle successfully converted a fourth down as Hasselbeck ran for five yards on a fourth-and-three play. Suddenly, Arizona’s margin was reduced to six points (they kicked the extra point this time) with 9:41 left on the clock.

With the crowd of 67,616 now aroused and unleashing a deafening roar, the Cardinals held the ball for seven plays on their next possession, but an intentional grounding call on Warner forced them to punt. Seattle got the ball back on its own 26 with 5:38 remaining and apparent momentum. However, at this critical juncture the offense went nowhere in three plays and had to punt.

Arizona ran almost two minutes off the clock before punting with just over two minutes remaining. But on the first play, Hasselbeck’s long pass intended for WR Deion Branch was intercepted by CB Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie and the Seattle threat was finally extinguished. The Cardinals held on to win, 26-20.

That Seattle came so close to pulling the game out was nothing short of amazing since Arizona significantly outgained the Seahawks, 458 yards to 196, and had the edge in first downs, 24 to 18. Seattle converted just one of nine third downs and gained a woeful 43 yards rushing on 22 attempts. The Seahawks also gave up four turnovers, to Arizona’s three.

However, considering all of the yards gained, Arizona only got into the end zone twice, benefiting from a perfect four-for-four field goal performance by Neil Rackers. They also were penalized eight times, as opposed to one flag thrown on the Seahawks.


Kurt Warner completed 32 of 44 passes for 395 yards with a touchdown and an interception. It was his fourth straight 300-yard performance (of an eventual five), a club record. Both wide receivers had big days, with Anquan Boldin catching 13 passes for 186 yards and Larry Fitzgerald (pictured at right) adding 10 receptions for 151 yards. J.J. Arrington ran for 40 yards on 8 carries with a TD and RB Tim Hightower had 35 yards on his 11 attempts.

For Seattle, Matt Hasselbeck was good on 17 of 29 passes for 170 yards with a TD and three interceptions (two by Rodgers-Cromartie). Deion Branch was the leading receiver with four catches for 54 yards. RB Julius Jones gained 19 yards on 10 carries to lead the team, and Hasselbeck was right behind with 17 yards on four attempts. While T.J. Duckett scored two short touchdowns, he had a total of five yards on as many carries.

The win for Arizona was as huge as the loss for the Seahawks was devastating. Any hopes for climbing back into the race were eliminated for Seattle, while the Cardinals appeared set to win the division.

It did not go so easily for Arizona the remainder of the regular season, however, as the club lost its next two games and four of the last six to end up at 9-7. While they won the NFC West title, it was widely anticipated that the Cardinals would be dispatched quickly in the postseason, but instead they defeated Atlanta, Carolina, and Philadelphia, respectively, to advance to and win the NFC Championship before barely succumbing to Pittsburgh in the Super Bowl. The Seahawks finished at 4-12 for third place in the division.

Kurt Warner ranked among the league leaders with 4583 yards and 30 touchdown passes while completing 67.1 % of his passes with only 14 interceptions. He was selected to the Pro Bowl for the first time since 2001.

Larry Fitzgerald led the NFL with 12 touchdown receptions (tied with Detroit’s Calvin Johnson) and the NFC with 1431 yards on his 96 catches. Anquan Boldin (pictured below) had 89 pass receptions for 1038 yards and 11 TDs despite missing four games due to injuries. Both also were chosen for the Pro Bowl, and Fitzgerald received All-NFL recognition as well.