Super Bowl XLIII - Cards QB Kurt Warner Looks Sharp in Final Practice

By John Czarnecki

The sun came out for the final 45 minutes of practice as the Arizona Cardinals wrapped up their last major day of work in preparation for Super Bowl XLIII. The team plans a final walk-through Saturday morning for about 30 minutes at the Tampa Bay Bucs' facility. They will not be visiting Raymond James Stadium prior to the game.

"I thought it was a good week of work," Cardinals coach Ken Whisenhunt said after practice. "You always wonder when you go on the road and your team is practicing in another facility if your team is going to have the consistency that you've had.

No question that it helped us that we've already done this once this season."

Whisenhunt was referring to the week-long stay the Cardinals made in the Washington, D.C. area between the September 21 game against the Redskins and the following Sunday's a game in the Meadowlands against the New York Jets.

"I think it got us used to staying in a hotel, practicing on someone else's field while also having to bus around all week," he said. "These were very similar conditions this week."

Kurt Warner Cardinals Steelers Super Bowl XLIII Tampa Bay Florida February 1, 2009

Starting quarterback Kurt Warner may have had his best throwing day of the week on Friday, misfiring on only three passes during the two hour and 20-minute practice.

"Kurt looked like he's been looking," Whisenhunt said. "He was consistent and made some good throws. He looked sharp."

The Cardinals spent a concentrated period of time in the middle of practice working on punt protection, but the highlight of special team drills was when kicker Neil Rackers bounced three consecutive 20-yard field goals off the second-floor windows of the Bucs' facility."

"It seemed like it fired up a lot of the guys," Whisenhunt said. "I think some of them wanted to see (a window go)."

Whisenhunt declined to reveal what he said to his players in a three-minute huddle at the end of the day. And also whatever plans he has for the weekend. His team will have a curfew tonight and Saturday night. The last no-curfew night for the players was Tuesday.