Pass-Happy Cards Win with Running Game
NFC Playoffs Wild Card Weekend: Arizona Cardinals 30 Atlanta Falcons 24. Cardinals win in their 1st NFL Playoff game since 1998
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).
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NFL - Pass-Happy Cardinals Win with Running Game - Cardinals 30 Falcons 24 | NFC Wild Card