Playing their first postseason contest in a decade and first home playoff game since 1947, the
Cardinals took on 11-5 Atlanta.
The high-powered Falcons entered the game with the NFL’s second-best rusher (RB Michael Turner) and Offensive
Rookie of the Year (QB Matt Ryan).
But the Cards defense was sensational, limiting Michael Turner to 42 rushing yards and 2.3 yards per carry (both season lows),
harassing Matt Ryan (2 INTs, 1 fumble and 3 sacks), and scoring points on its own with a TD and safety.
The offense was also strong as Edgerrin James led a revitalized Cardinals ground game while Kurt
Warner and Larry Fitzgerald made big plays in the passing game. It all added up to a 6-point Arizona
win before an energetic home crowd.
Arizona Cardinals 30 Atlanta Falcons 24 - Saturday, January 3, 2009
On the Cardinals first scoring drive, it was James’ 3 prior runs that perfectly set-up a flea-flicker.
James took the hand-off, then flipped it back to Warner who fired 42 yards downfield to Fitzgerald
who beat two Falcons defenders to come down with the ball in the end zone.
Early in the 2nd, the Falcons scored on a 30-yard Jason Elam field goal but the Cardinals answered quickly.
On 3rd-and-9, Warner connected on a short pass to Anquan Boldin who turned up field and raced 71 yards down the left
sideline for the TD.
Michael Turner’s 7-yard TD run with 2:55 left in the 1st half capped a 14-play, 77-yard drive. On
the 3rd play of the next drive, Warner’s pass to went off the hands of Jerheme Urban and was intercepted
by Chevis Jackson at the AZ23, setting up a Matt Ryan touchdown pass to TE Justin Peelle to give the
Falcons a 17-14 lead at the half.
On the 2nd play from scrimmage in the second half, Cardinals DT Darnell Dockett made the game’s pivotal play
when he stepped in between a Ryan-to-Turner hand-off. FS Antrel Rolle picked the ball out of mid-air and
returned it 27 yards for the go-ahead TD.
After the next two Atlanta drives went 3-and-out, the Cardinals took over at their own 24 with 10:31 to go
in the 3rd. Through a mix of run & pass, including a 6-yard Warner scramble on 3rd-and-5, the Cardinals consumed 7:43
off the clock on a long drive that ended with Tim Hightower’s 4-yard TD run.
Rookie CB Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie ended the next series intercepting Ryan. That drive ended with a
Ben Graham punt that was downed at the Atlanta 3 and on the next play, Antonio Smith sacked Ryan in the end
zone for a safety. The Falcons scored on a 5-yard
A Matt Ryan to Roddy White touchdown pass with 4:19 left trimmed the lead to 30-24.
On the ensuing kickoff, the Cardinals started with the ball at their own 20 with 4:19 to go.
Two Cardinals first downs forced Atlanta to burn all 3 of their timeouts. Then facing a 3rd-and-16 at the
Atlanta 46 with 2:17 left, Warner hit TE Stephen Spach with a 23 yard pass that effectively ended the
game.
Kurt Warner led the Cardinals to a 30-24 win over the Falcons. The Cardinals set a team record for points in a playoff game in the victory. (Jan. 3)
Falcons
0
17
0
7
24
Cardinals
7
7
14
2
30
Team
Qtr.
Time
Scoring Play
Drive
Score
CARDS
1
10:28
Fitzgerald 42-yard pass from Warner (Rackers kick)
4-63, 2:03
0-7
Falcons
1
10:00
Elam 30-yard FG
14-80, 7:31
3-7
CARDS
2
8:58
Boldin 71-yard pass from Warner (Rackers kick)
3-72, 1:02
3-10
Falcons
2
2:55
Turner 7-yard run (Elam kick)
14-77, 6:03
10-14
Falcons
2
0:23
Peele 2-yard pass from Ryan (Elam kick)
6-23, 1:40
17-14
CARDS
3
14:08
Rolle 27-yard fumble return (Rackers kick)
--
17-21
CARDS
3
2:48
Hightower 4-yard run (Rackers kick)
14-76, 7:43
17-28
CARDS
4
12:37
Ryan sacked in EZ by A. Smith
--
17-30
Falcons
4
4:15
White 5-yard pass from Ryan (Elam kick)
9-58, 3:36
24-30
Statistics
Falcons
Cardinals
First Downs
20
15
Rushes-Yards
24-60
28-86
Net Passing Yards
190
271
Total Net Yards
250
357
Passing (A-C-I)
40-26-2
32-19-1
Sacked by Opp.
3-9
0-0
Punts-Average
5-42.4
6-39.8
Fumbles-Lost
2-1
0-0
Penalties
6-52
6-47
Time of Possession
29:58
30:02
RUSHING
Falcons: Turner 18-42, TD; Norwood 2-12; Ryan 4-6.
Cardinals: James 16-73; Hightower 6-23, TD; Warner 4-0; Arrington 1-(-2).
PASSING
Falcons: Ryan 26-40, 199 yds, 2 TD, 2 INT.
Cardinals: Warner 19-32, 271 yds, 2 TD, 1 INT.
RECEIVING
Falcons: White 11-84, TD; Jenkins 5-51; Peelle 3-11, TD; Finneran 2-11; Pollard 2-7; Norwood 1-28; Turner 1-7; Douglas 1-0.
Cardinals: Fitzgerald 6-101, TD; Spach 3-34; Boldin 2-72, TD; Breaston 2-39; Urban 2-7; James 1-9; Patrick 1-8; T. Smith 1-4; Arrington 1-(-3).
The Baltimore Ravens had the Miami Dolphins and Chad Pennington under pressure throughout the game as they forced
four interceptions, including one returned 64 yards for a touchdown by Ed Reed.
The Chargers rallied from a 17-14 fourth quarter deficit behind an outstanding defensive effort, punter Mike Scifres and the
all-purpose assault by Darren "Tank" Sproles to defeat the Indianapolis Colts, 23-17 in overtime. Sproles played the key
role in the Chargers AFC Wild Card win over Indianapolis, recording 328 all-purpose yards, third-most in an NFL Playoff
game.
Once teams are ranked for the playoffs, positions do not change:
American Football Conference
1. Tennessee Titans (AFC South Division champion)
2. Pittsburgh Steelers (AFC North Division champion)
3. Miami Dolphins (AFC East Division champion)
4. San Diego Chargers (AFC West Division champion)
5. Indianapolis Colts
6. Baltimore Ravens
National Football Conference
1. New York Giants (NFC East Division champion)
2. Carolina Panthers (NFC South Division champion)
3. Minnesota Vikings (NFC North Division champion)
4. Arizona Cardinals (NFC West Division champion)
5. Atlanta Falcons
6. Philadelphia Eagles
NFL 2008 PLAYOFFS DIVISIONAL WEEKEND SCHEDULE
Saturday, January 10
AFC: Baltimore Ravens at Tennessee Titans - 4:30PM ET
NFC: Arizona Cardinals at Carolina Panthers - 8:15PM ET
Sunday, January 11
NFC: Philadelphia Eagles at New York Giants - 1:00PM ET
AFC: San Diego Chargers at Pittsburgh Steelers - 4:45PM ET
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