The
2008 Arizona Cardinals season was the
89th season for the team in the National Football League and their
21st season in Arizona
. The
season marked the Cardinals' first-ever
Super
Bowl appearance, coming as a result of their defeat of the
Philadelphia Eagles in the
NFC Championship.
The Cardinals began their season strong, compiling a 7–3 record by
Week 11. However, they finished off the regular season struggling
with a 9–7 record. This was still enough to win the
NFC West, and the Cardinals, for the first time
since 1947, hosted a playoff game. In that
wild card game, the Cardinals defeated
the
Atlanta Falcons.
The next
week, for the Divisional round of the playoffs, the Cardinals
traveled to Charlotte, North Carolina
, where they upset the heavily-favored Carolina Panthers. Then, because
the Philadelphia Eagles also achieved an upset the same week
(against the top-seeded
New York
Giants), the number-four seed Cardinals hosted the NFC
Championship game, where they defeated the Eagles and qualified for
the Super Bowl. In
Super Bowl
XLIII, the Cardinals' winning streak ended. Though they led the
Pittsburgh Steelers with less
than a minute left to play in the game, in the end they were
defeated, 27–23.
The 2008 Cardinals were just the second 9–7 team to reach the Super
Bowl, joining the
Los Angeles Rams in
Super Bowl XIV, who also lost to the
Pittsburgh Steelers; however,
the Rams had to win only two playoff games, rather than three, to
reach the Super Bowl.
Coaching staff
2008 NFL Draft selections
Roster
|
Arizona Cardinals 2008 final roster |
Quarterbacks
Running Backs
Wide Receivers
Tight Ends
|
|
Offensive
Linemen
Defensive Linemen
|
|
Linebackers
Defensive Backs
Special Teams
|
|
Reserve
Lists
Practice Squad
Rookies in italics
|
|
Schedule
Preseason
Regular season
Miami Dolphins
| Week |
Date |
Time |
Opponent |
Result |
Game site |
TV |
NFL Recap |
Record |
|
| 1 |
September 7, 2008 |
1:15 p.m. |
at San Francisco 49ers |
W 23–13 |
Candlestick Park |
Fox |
Recap |
1–0 |
|
|
| W 31–10 |
University of Phoenix Stadium |
CBS |
Recap |
2–0 |
|
|
| 3 |
September 21, 2008 |
10:00 a.m. |
at Washington Redskins |
L 24–17 |
FedEx Field |
Fox |
Recap |
2–1 |
|
|
| 4 |
September 28, 2008 |
10:00 a.m. |
at New York Jets |
L 56–35 |
Giants Stadium |
Fox |
Recap |
2–2 |
| 5 |
October 5, 2008 |
1:15 p.m. |
Buffalo Bills |
W 41–17 |
University of Phoenix Stadium |
CBS |
Recap |
3–2 |
|
|
| 6 |
October 12, 2008 |
1:15 p.m. |
Dallas Cowboys |
W 30–24OT |
University of Phoenix Stadium |
Fox |
Recap |
4–2 |
| 7 |
Bye week |
|
| 8 |
October 26, 2008 |
10:00 a.m. |
at Carolina Panthers |
L 27–23 |
Bank of America Stadium |
Fox |
Recap |
4–3 |
| 9 |
November 2, 2008 |
11:00 a.m. |
at St. Louis Rams |
W 34–13 |
Edward Jones Dome |
Fox |
Recap |
5–3 |
|
| 10 |
November 10, 2008 |
6:30 p.m. |
San Francisco 49ers |
W 29–24 |
University of Phoenix Stadium |
ESPN |
Recap |
6–3 |
|
| 11 |
November 16, 2008 |
2:05 p.m. |
at Seattle Seahawks |
W 26–20 |
Qwest Field |
Fox |
Recap |
7–3 |
| 12 |
November 23, 2008 |
2:15 p.m. |
New York Giants |
L 37–29 |
University of Phoenix Stadium |
Fox |
Recap |
7–4 |
| 13 |
November 27, 2008 |
6:15 p.m. |
at Philadelphia Eagles |
L 48–20 |
Lincoln Financial Field |
NFLN |
Recap |
7–5 |
| 14 |
December 7, 2008 |
2:15 p.m. |
St. Louis Rams |
W 34–10 |
University of Phoenix Stadium |
Fox |
Recap |
8–5 |
| 15 |
December 14, 2008 |
2:05 p.m. |
Minnesota Vikings |
L 35–14 |
University of Phoenix Stadium |
Fox |
Recap |
8–6 |
| 16 |
December 21, 2008 |
11:00 a.m. |
at New England
Patriots |
L 47–7 |
Gillette Stadium |
Fox |
Recap |
8–7 |
| 17 |
December 28, 2008 |
2:15 p.m. |
Seattle Seahawks |
W 34–21 |
University of Phoenix
Stadium |
Fox |
Recap |
9–7 |
Postseason
Standings
Regular season results
Week 1: at San Francisco 49ers
at
Candlestick
Park, San Francisco, California
The Cardinals began their 2008 campaign on the road against their
NFC West rival, the
San Francisco
49ers. In the first quarter, Arizona took flight as kicker
Neil Rackers got a 25-yard field goal.
The 49ers responded with RB
Frank Gore's
41-yard TD run. In the second quarter, the Cardinals responded with
QB
Kurt Warner completing a one-yard TD
pass to WR
Larry Fitzgerald, yet
San Francisco tied the game with kicker
Joe
Nedney getting a 39-yard field goal. In the third quarter, the
Cardinals began to soar as Rackers got a 31-yard field goal, along
with rookie RB
Tim Hightower getting a
two-yard TD run. In the fourth quarter, the 49ers tried to respond
with Nedney getting a 30-yard field goal. Afterwards, Rackers'
30-yard field goal sealed the victory for Arizona.
With the win, the Cardinals began their season at 1–0.
Week 2: vs. Miami Dolphins
at
University
of Phoenix Stadium, Glendale, Arizona
Coming off their divisional road win over the 49ers, the Cardinals
played their Week 2 home opener against the
Miami Dolphins. In the first quarter, the
Cardinals scored first as QB
Kurt Warner
threw 2 TD passes (a 79-yarder and a three-yarder) to WR
Anquan Boldin. In the second quarter, Arizona
increased their lead with a 45 yard field goal by Neil Rackers. In
the third quarter, the Cardinals increased its lead to 24–0 with
rookie RB
Tim Hightower getting a
one-yard TD run. In the process, he became the first Cardinals
rookie running back to ever score in each of his first two games.
The Dolphins finally got on the board when kicker
Dan Carpenter nailed a 32-yard field goal. The
Cardinals replied with Warner and Boldin hooking up with each other
for a third time on an eight-yard TD pass. In the fourth quarter,
Miami tried to rally as RB
Ronnie Brown
got a one-yard TD run, but Arizona held on for a dominating
win.
With the win, the Cardinals improved to its first 2–0 start since
1991. This game was also one of three times that Kurt Warner
finished a game with a perfect passer rating.
Week 3: at Washington Redskins
at
FedEx
Field, Landover, Maryland
Coming
off their home win over the Dolphins, the Cardinals flew to
FedEx
Field for a Week 3 duel with the Washington Redskins. In the first
quarter, Arizona trailed early as Redskins RB
Clinton Portis got a three-yard TD run. In
the second quarter, the Cardinals continued to trail as kicker
Shaun Suisham got a 48-yard field
goal. The Cardinals would end the half with QB
Kurt Warner completing a four-yard TD pass to WR
Anquan Boldin. In the third quarter,
the Cardinals tied the game with kicker
Neil Rackers nailing a 26-yard field goal, yet
Washington responded with QB
Jason
Campbell completing a two-yard TD pass to TE
Todd Yoder. Afterwards, Arizona answered with
Warner completing a 62-yard TD pass to WR
Larry Fitzgerald. However, in the fourth
quarter, the Redskins pulled away with Campbell's 17-yard TD pass
to WR
Santana Moss.
With the loss, the Cardinals fell to 2–1.
Week 4: at New York Jets
at
The
Meadowlands, East
Rutherford, New Jersey
Hoping to
rebound from their road loss to the Redskins, the Cardinals flew to
The
Meadowlands for a Week 4
interconference duel with the New York
Jets. After a scoreless first quarter, Arizona started
to trail big in the second quarter. The Jets took flight with QB
Brett Favre completing a 12-yard TD pass
to WR
Laveranues Coles, CB
Darrelle Revis returning an interception 32
yards for a touchdown, Favre completing a 34-yard TD pass to Coles,
kicker
Jay Feely getting 20-yard field
goal, Favre completing a two-yard TD pass to Coles, and Feely
kicking a 30-yard field goal.
In the third quarter, the Cardinals responded with RB
Edgerrin James getting a four-yard and a
two-yard TD run, along with rookie RB
Tim
Hightower getting a one-yard TD run. In the third quarter, New
York answered with Favre's 17-yard TD pass to WR
Jerricho Cotchery. The Cardinals would
reply with QB
Kurt Warner completing an
eight-yard TD pass to WR
Anquan
Boldin, yet the Jets continued their victory march with Favre's
40-yard TD pass to Cotchery. Arizona tried to rally as Warner
completed a 14-yard TD pass to WR
Jerheme
Urban, but New York sealed the win with Favre's 24-yard TD pass
to TE
Dustin Keller.
With the loss, the Cardinals fell to 2–2.
Week 5: vs. Buffalo Bills
at
University
of Phoenix Stadium, Glendale, Arizona
Hoping to rebound from their miserable road loss to the Jets, the
Cardinals went home for a Week 5 interconference duel with the
Buffalo Bills. In the first quarter,
the Cardinals took flight as QB
Kurt
Warner completed a two-yard TD pass to WR
Larry Fitzgerald. In the second quarter,
Arizona increased its lead with rookie RB
Tim Hightower getting a 17-yard TD run. The
Bills responded with QB
J. P. Losman
completing an 87-yard TD pass to WR
Lee Evans, yet the Cardinals
answered right back with RB
Edgerrin
James getting a one-yard TD run. Buffalo would answer with
Losman getting a two-yard TD run, yet the Cardinals continued its
momentum with kicker
Neil Rackers
getting a 47-yard field goal.
In the third quarter, the Bills tried to come back as kicker
Rian Lindell got a 48-yard field goal,
but Arizona kept its intensity up as Warner completed a two-yard TD
pass to Fitzgerald. In the fourth quarter, the Cardinals pulled
away as Rackers nailed a 38-yard field goal, along with Hightower
getting a two-yard TD run.
With the win, the Cardinals improved to 3–2.
Week 6: vs. Dallas Cowboys
at
University
of Phoenix Stadium, Glendale, Arizona
Coming off their rout over the Bills, the Cardinals stayed at home
for a crucial Week 6 showdown with the
Dallas Cowboys. In the first quarter, the
Cardinals immediately took flight as RB
J. J.
Arrington returned the game's
opening kickoff 93 yards for a touchdown. In the second quarter,
the Cowboys tied the game as QB
Tony Romo
completed a 55-yard TD pass to WR
Patrick Crayton. In the third quarter,
Dallas took the lead with Romo completing a 14-yard TD pass to WR
Miles Austin. Arizona would tie the
game with QB
Kurt Warner completing a
two-yard TD pass to WR
Larry
Fitzgerald. In the fourth quarter, the Cardinals regained the
lead as Warner completed an 11-yard TD pass to WR
Steve Breaston, along with kicker
Neil Rackers getting a 41-yard field goal.
However, the Cowboys tied the game as Romo completed a 70-yard TD
pass to RB
Marion Barber, along
with kicker
Nick Folk nailing a 52-yard
field goal. In overtime, after forcing a three-and-out, Arizona got
the win as WR
Sean
Morey blocked a
Mat McBriar punt
attempt, allowing LB
Monty Beisel to
return it 3 yards for the game-winning touchdown. McBriar would end
up with his foot fractured and put on the IR by the Cowboys.
With the impressive win, the Cardinals entered their bye week at
4–2.
In the NFL's 423rd recorded overtime game, this was the first game
to end with a blocked punt getting returned for a touchdown.
Week 8: at Carolina Panthers
at
Bank of
America Stadium, Charlotte, North Carolina
Coming
off their bye week, the Cardinals flew to Bank of
America Stadium for a Week 8 duel with the Carolina Panthers. In the first
quarter, the Cardinals took flight as kicker
Neil Rackers got a 21-yard field goal. In the
second quarter, Arizona increased its lead as QB
Kurt Warner completed a five-yard TD pass to WR
Anquan Boldin. The Panthers closed out
the half with kicker
John Kasay getting a
23-yard field goal.
In the third quarter, the Cardinals increased their lead as rookie
RB
Tim Hightower got a two-yard TD
run. However, Carolina began to rally as RB
DeAngelo Williams got a 15-yard TD run,
while QB
Jake Delhomme completed an
18-yard TD pass to WR
Steve Smith. The Cardinals
replied with Warner hooking up with Boldin again on a two-yard TD
pass (with a failed PAT), but the Panthers took the lead on
Delhomme's 65-yard TD pass to Smith. In the fourth quarter,
Carolina pulled away as Kasay nailed a 50-yard field goal.
With the tough loss, the Cardinals fell to 4–3.
Week 9: at St. Louis Rams
at
Edward Jones
Dome, St. Louis, Missouri
Hoping to
rebound from their road loss to the Panthers, the Cardinals flew to
the Edward Jones
Dome for a Week 9 NFC West duel with the St. Louis Rams. In the first quarter,
Arizona trailed early as Rams QB
Marc
Bulger completed an 80-yard TD pass to WR
Derek Stanley. In the second quarter, the
Cardinals took flight as Safety
Antrel
Rolle returned an interception 40 yards for a touchdown, kicker
Neil Rackers got a 36-yard field goal,
rookie RB
Tim Hightower got a 30-yard
TD run, and former Rams QB
Kurt Warner
completed a 56-yard TD pass to WR
Jerheme
Urban.
In the third quarter, the Cardinals continued their domination as
Warner completed a seven-yard TD pass to WR
Anquan Boldin. In the fourth quarter, St.
Louis tried to rally as Bulger completed a three-yard TD pass to WR
Torry Holt (with a failed
two-point conversion.) Fortunately,
Arizona pulled away as Rackers nailed a 30-yard field goal.
With the win, the Cardinals improved to 5–3.
Week 10: vs. San Francisco 49ers
at
University
of Phoenix Stadium, Glendale, Arizona
Coming off their divisional road win over the Rams, the Cardinals
went home for a Week 10 NFC West rematch with the
San Francisco 49ers on Monday Night
Football. In the first quarter, Arizona trailed early as 49ers CB
Allen Rossum returned the game's
opening kickoff 104 yards for a touchdown. The Cardinals would
respond as kicker
Neil Rackers got a
28-yard field goal. In the second quarter, San Francisco added onto
their lead as QB
Shaun Hill completed a
31-yard TD pass to WR
Josh Morgan. The
Cardinals would answer with QB
Kurt
Warner completing a 13-yard TD pass to WR
Anquan Boldin, along with Rackers getting a
33-yard field goal. The 49ers would close out the half with Hill
completing an 18-yard TD pass to TE
Vernon
Davis.
In the third quarter, Arizona crept closer again as Warner
completed a five-yard TD pass to WR
Larry Fitzgerald, yet San Francisco replied
with kicker
Joe Nedney getting a 41-yard
field goal. In the fourth quarter, the Cardinals took the lead as
Rackers nailed a 23-yard field goal, along with Warner hooking up
with Boldin again on a five-yard TD pass (with a failed two-point
conversion.) The 49ers would mount a late comeback drive, but
Arizona made a successful goal-line stand as time ran out.
With the win, the Cardinals improved to 6–3.
Week 11: at Seattle Seahawks
at
Qwest
Field, Seattle,
Washington
Coming
off their close MNF home win over the 49ers, the Cardinals flew to
Qwest
Field for a Week 11 NFC West duel with the Seattle Seahawks. In the first
quarter, the Cardinals took flight as kicker
Neil Rackers got a 38-yard field goal, along
with RB
J. J. Arrington
getting a four-yard TD run. In the second quarter, Arizona
increased its lead with Rackers making a 48-yard field goal. The
Seahawks answered with QB
Matt
Hasselbeck completing a 13-yard TD pass to RB
Maurice Morris. The Cardinals would close out
the half with Rackers getting a 54-yard field goal.
In the third quarter, the Cardinals increased their lead as Rackers
nailed a 26-yard field goal and QB
Kurt
Warner completed a six-yard TD pass to Arrington. In the fourth
quarter, Seattle tried to rally as RB
T. J. Duckett got a one-yard TD run (with a failed
two-point conversion) and a two-yard TD run. Fortunately, rookie CB
Dominique
Rodgers-Cromartie came up with the game-winning
interception.
With the win, not only did the Cardinals win three straight for the
first time since 2002, but they improved to 7–3 for the first time
since 1977.
Week 12: vs. New York Giants
at
University
of Phoenix Stadium, Glendale, Arizona
Coming off their divisional road win over the Seahawks, the
Cardinals went home for a Week 12 duel with the defending Super
Bowl champions, the
New York Giants.
In the first quarter, Arizona took fight as kicker
Neil Rackers got a 34-yard field goal. In the
second quarter, the Giants responded with RB
Derrick Ward getting a one-yard TD run. The
Cardinals would regain the lead with rookie RB
Tim Hightower getting a four-yard TD run (with
a failed extra-point attempt), yet New York answered with kicker
John Carney getting
a 33-yard field goal. The Cardinals would reply with Rackers making
a 20-yard field goal, yet the Giants closed out the half with QB
Eli Manning completing a 12-yard TD pass
to WR
Amani Toomer.
In the third quarter, New York increased their lead as Manning
completed a two-yard TD pass to FB
Madison Hedgecock. Arizona would answer
with Hightower getting a one-yard TD run. In the fourth quarter,
the Giants were starting to pull away as Manning completed a
10-yard TD pass to TE
Kevin Boss, while
Carney made a 27-yard field goal. The Cardinals tried to keep pace
as QB
Kurt Warner completed a five-yard
TD pass to WR
Anquan Boldin, yet New
York replied with Carney's 33-yard field goal. Arizona tried to
come back as Rackers nailed a 44-yard field goal, but their
following onside kick failed, preserving the Giants' win.
With the loss, the Cardinals fell to 7–4.
Week 13: at Philadelphia Eagles
at
Lincoln
Financial Field, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Hoping to
rebound from their tough home loss to the Giants, the Cardinals
flew to Lincoln
Financial Field for a Week 13 Thanksgiving battle with the Philadelphia Eagles. In the first
quarter, Arizona trailed early as Eagles QB
Donovan McNabb completed a five-yard TD pass
to RB
Brian Westbrook, while
Westbrook got a one-yard TD run. In the second quarter, the
Cardinals continued to trail as McNabb hooked up with Westbrook
again on a two-yard TD pass. The Cardinals would respond as QB
Kurt Warner completed a one-yard TD pass
to WR
Larry Fitzgerald.
Philadelphia would close out the half with kicker
David Akers making a 42-yard field goal.
In the third quarter, Arizona's struggles continued as Westbrook
got a nine-yard TD run. The Cardinals would answer with Warner
completed a six-yard TD pass to WR
Steve
Breaston (with a failed two-point conversion.) The Eagles would
reply as Akers got a 41-yard field goal. In the fourth quarter, the
Cardinals tried to rally as Warner hooked up with Fitzgerald again
on a seven-yard TD pass. However, Philadelphia replied with McNabb
completing a 5-yard TD pass to WR
DeSean
Jackson, along with an eight-yard TD pass to WR
Jason Avant.
With the loss, the Cardinals fell to 7–5.
Week 14: vs. St. Louis Rams
at
University
of Phoenix Stadium, Glendale, Arizona
Arizona dominated St Louis to win the NFC West and clinch their
first home playoff game since 1947. Arizona took a 14–0 lead in the
first quarter after a one-yard TD run by
Tim Hightower and a
Kurt Warner 12-yard TD pass to
Larry Fitzgerald. In the second quarter the
Rams would score on a three-yard TD pass from
Marc Bulger to
Steven
Jackson, following a Kurt Warner interception. The Cardinals
would respond with two field goals from
Neil Rackers from 44 and 22 yards to make the
halftime score 20–7. In the third quarter, Cardinals linebacker,
Gerald Hayes, would force two Steven
Jackson fumbles, the second one recovered by
Darnell Dockett, who would return it 11
yards to the end zone for a touchdown. Down 27–7, the Rams
attempted to come back in the fourth quarter, starting with a
Josh Brown 51-yard
field goal to make the score 27–10, but a Bulger pass was
intercepted by rookie cornerback,
Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, for
99 yards, for the touchdown that sealed the game and propelled the
Cardinals to their first playoff game since 1998, and their first
division title since the days the Cardinals were in St. Louis in
1975.
With the win, the Cardinals record improved to 8–5.
Week 15: vs. Minnesota Vikings
at
University
of Phoenix Stadium, Glendale, Arizona
The Cardinals dueled with the
Minnesota Vikings for the #3 seed in the
NFC playoffs. Things looked bleak for the Cardinals from the
beginning. The Vikings began their first quarter attack with a
82-yard punt return for a TD by
Bernard
Berrian. Two turnovers for the Cardinals, Kurt Warner
interception and an
Anquan Boldin
fumble, would lead to two touchdown passes from
Tarvaris Jackson, a 41-yard pass to Berrian
and a 19-yard pass to
Sidney Rice. The
Vikings took a 28–0 lead at halftime after an 11-yard TD pass from
Jackson to
Chester Taylor. The
Cardinals would rally to cut the lead in half with a
Jerheme Urban 50-yard TD catch and a field
goal blocked by
Dominique
Rodgers-Cromartie and recovered by
Roderick Hood, who returned it 68 yards for a
touchdown. The Vikings would pull away at the end of the third
quarter when Jackson threw a 59-yard TD pass to
Bobby Wade.
With the loss, the Cardinals dropped to 8–6.
Kurt Warner was benched on the Cardinals
last drive in the fourth quarter via a coaching decision.
Week 16: at New England Patriots
at
Gillette
Stadium, Foxborough, Massachusetts
Hoping to
rebound from their home loss to the Vikings, the Cardinals flew to
Gillette
Stadium for a Week 16 interconference duel with the
New England Patriots.
Arizona would trail early in the first quarter as Patriots running
back
LaMont Jordan got a one-yard and
a three-yard touchdown run. The Cardinals' east coast struggles
continued in the second quarter as quarterback
Matt Cassel completed a 15-yard touchdown pass
to running back
Kevin Faulk and an
11-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver
Wes
Welker, followed by kicker
Stephen Gostkowski's 38-yard field
goal.
In the third quarter, Arizona's deficit continued to climb as
Cassel completed a 76-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver
Randy Moss, followed by Gostkowski's 35- and
24-yard field goal. In the fourth quarter, New England concluded
its domination with Gostkowski's 30-yard field goal. The Cardinals
would then get a meaningless touchdown as quarterback
Matt Leinart completed a 78-yard touchdown pass
to wide receiver
Larry
Fitzgerald.
With the loss, Arizona fell to 8–7.
Original starting quarterback
Kurt
Warner (6/18 for 30 yards) was pulled in the third quarter via
coach's decision.
Week 17: vs. Seattle Seahawks
at
University
of Phoenix Stadium, Glendale, Arizona
Hoping to close out the regular season on a positive note, the
Cardinals went home for a Week 17 NFC West rematch with the
Seattle Seahawks. Arizona would
trail early in the first quarter as Seahawks running back
T. J. Duckett got a one-yard touchdown run. The
Cardinals would respond in the second quarter with quarterback
Kurt Warner completing a 16-yard
touchdown pass to wide receiver
Jerheme
Urban and a five-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver
Larry Fitzgerald. Seattle would tie the
game at halftime with quarterback
Seneca
Wallace completing a 30-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver
Deion Branch.
Arizona would regain the lead in the third quarter as Warner
completed a 38-yard touchdown pass to Fitzgerald and a 14-yard
touchdown pass to wide receiver
Steve
Breaston. Seattle tried to rally in the fourth quarter as
Wallace completed a two-yard touchdown pass to Branch, yet the
Cardinals would close out the game with kicker
Neil Rackers nailing a 23- and a 32-yard field
goal.
With the win, the Cardinals closed out the regular season at
9–7.
Postseason results
The Cardinals sent a total of 5 players to the
2009 Pro Bowl. On offense,
Kurt Warner was the starting
quarterback, with Larry Fitzgerald and Anquan
Boldin both at
wide receiver. On
defense,
Adrian
Wilson went as one of the conference's
defensive backs.
Sean Morey would be start on
special teams. This is arguably the
most successful season in modern Cardinals history.
NFC Wild Card round: vs. Atlanta Falcons
at
University
of Phoenix Stadium, Glendale, Arizona
Entering the playoffs at the NFC's fourth seed, the Cardinals began
their playoff run at home against the #5
Atlanta Falcons, in their first home playoff
game since 1947.
Arizona got the early lead in the first quarter as quarterback
Kurt Warner completed a 42-yard
touchdown pass to wide receiver
Larry
Fitzgerald. The Falcons responded with kicker
Jason Elam's 30-yard field goal, yet the
Cardinals struck right back as Warner completed a 71-yard touchdown
pass to wide receiver
Anquan Boldin.
Boldin pulled his hamstring running down the sideline and did not
return. Atlanta took the halftime lead with running back
Michael Turner getting a
seven-yard touchdown run, followed by quarterback
Matt Ryan completing a
two-yard touchdown pass to tight end
Justin Peelle following a Kurt Warner
interception.
Arizona regained the lead in the third quarter as safety
Antrel Rolle returned a Turner fumble 27 yards
for a touchdown, while rookie running back
Tim Hightower got a four-yard touchdown run.
The Cardinals increased their lead in the fourth quarter as
defensive end
Antonio
Smith sacked Ryan in his own endzone for a safety. The Falcons
tried to come back as Ryan completed a five-yard touchdown pass to
wide receiver
Roddy White, yet Arizona's
offense drained any second that Atlanta needed to rally. The
Cardinals ended any chance the Falcons had for a comeback when Kurt
Warner hooked up with tight end
Stephen
Spach for 23 yards on a third and sixteen with 2:16 left in the
game.
With the win, the Cardinals improved their overall record to
10–7.
NFC Divisional Round: at Carolina Panthers
at
Bank of
America Stadium, Charlotte, North Carolina
Coming
off their wild card home win over the Falcons, the Cardinals flew
to Bank of
America Stadium for the NFC Divisional round against the #2
Carolina Panthers, in a rematch of
their Week 8 contest. The Panthers came in 8–0 at home and
the Cardinals were 0–5 on the East Coast.
Arizona would trail early in the first quarter as Panthers running
back
Jonathan Stewart got a
nine-yard touchdown run. The Cardinals would respond with
quarterback
Kurt Warner completing a
three-yard touchdown pass to rookie running back
Tim Hightower, followed by running back
Edgerrin James' four-yard touchdown
run. In the second quarter, Arizona took control as kicker
Neil Rackers got a 49-yard and a 30-yard field
goal, followed by Warner's 29-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver
Larry Fitzgerald.
The Cardinals would add onto their lead in the third quarter as
Rackers made a 33-yard field goal. In the fourth quarter, Arizona
would end its dominating night with Rackers nailing a 20-yard field
goal. Carolina would end the game's scoring with quarterback
Jake Delhomme's eight-yard touchdown
pass to wide receiver
Steve Smith (with a failed
two-point conversion.)
With this upset win, not only did the Cardinals improve their
overall record to 11–7, but they also advanced to their first
NFC Championship Game in
franchise history.
Arizona's defense forced Delhomme into six turnovers (five
interceptions and one fumble), along with holding the Panthers'
running back duo of
Williams and
Stewart to 74 combined rushing yards.
Fitzgerald (8 receptions and a touchdown) would set a franchise
postseason record with 166 receiving yards.
Anquan Boldin did not play due to a hamstring
injury, but Fitzgerald was able to make up the difference.
With the win the Cardinals moved to 11–7. Because the Eagles won
the next day, Arizona hosted the NFC Championship Game. The
Cardinals also won their first game on the East Coast this
season.
NFC Championship: vs. Philadelphia Eagles
at
University
of Phoenix Stadium, Glendale, Arizona
Celebration after Cards win NFC
championship game, January 18, 2009.
Coming off their east-coast divisional road win over the Panthers,
the Cardinals went home for the
NFC Championship Game against the #6
Philadelphia Eagles, who were
coming off their victory over the #1
New
York Giants, in a rematch of their Thanksgiving game.
Arizona capped off the game's opening kickoff with a nine-yard
touchdown pass from quarterback
Kurt
Warner to wide receiver
Larry
Fitzgerald. The Eagles responded with kicker
David Akers making a 45-yard field goal. With
the score at 7–3, Akers missed a 47-yard field goal attempt, the
first he missed in his last 20 attempts in the postseason, an NFL
Record. The Cardinals answered in the second quarter as Warner
hooked up with Fitzgerald again on a flea-flicker, Warner to
Arrington, back to Warner, who threw it to Fitzgerald for a 62-yard
TD pass. Philadelphia struck back as Akers made a 33-yard field
goal, but Arizona closed out the half with Warner's one-yard
touchdown pass to Fitzgerald and kicker
Neil Rackers' 49-yard field goal in the final
seconds of the half to make the score 24–6.
The Eagles began to rally in the third quarter as quarterback
Donovan McNabb completed a six-yard
and a 31-yard touchdown pass to tight end
Brent Celek with a failed PAT on the latter
touchdown. In the fourth quarter, Philadelphia took the lead on
62-yard touchdown pass from McNabb to rookie wide receiver
DeSean Jackson. The Eagles went for the
two-point conversion, hoping for a three point lead, but failed,
leaving the score 25–24. However, the Cardinals regained the lead
when Warner completed an eight-yard touchdown pass to rookie
running back
Tim Hightower and a
successful two-point conversion pass by Warner to tight end
Ben Patrick. The Arizona defense was
able to prevent Philadelphia from making a comeback, as the Eagles
drove to the Arizona 47, but then McNabb threw four straight
incompletions to turn the ball over on downs. The Cardinals went
three and out on the next possession, giving the Eagles only seven
seconds in the game, but the Eagles were unable to score on a
93-yard hook and ladder play after McNabb completed to Jackson, who
attempted to lateral, but the lateral was picked off by defensive
lineman
Darnell Dockett.
The Cardinals improved their overall record to 12–7, and also won
their first National Football Conference crown, allowing them to
advance to their first Super Bowl appearance in franchise history.
They became the first team since the 1979
Los Angeles Rams to finish the regular season
with 9 wins and make it to the Super Bowl.
Fitzgerald had a stellar performance with 152 yards and three of
Arizona's four touchdowns and setting a new postseason record with
419 receiving yards, surpassing the prior record set by
Jerry Rice in 1988.
Super Bowl XLIII: vs. Pittsburgh Steelers
at
Raymond
James Stadium
, Tampa,
Florida
Two week
following their NFC Championship victory over the Eagles, the
Cardinals flew to Raymond James Stadium for their Super Bowl
XLIII duel with the AFC Champion Pittsburgh Steelers. Arizona
would trail early in the first quarter as Steelers kicker
Jeff Reed got an 18-yard field goal. The Steelers
would add onto their lead as running back
Gary Russell got a one-yard
touchdown run. The Cardinals would answer with quarterback
Kurt Warner completing a one-yard touchdown pass
to tight end
Ben Patrick. Arizona came
close to scoring again nearing the end of the half, but Pittsburgh
linebacker
James
Harrison returned an interception 100 yards for a
touchdown.
The Steelers would increase their lead in the third quarter as Reed
nailed a 21-yard field goal. In the fourth quarter, the Cardinals
would take the lead as Warner completed a one-yard touchdown pass
to wide receiver
Larry Fitzgerald,
Steelers center
Justin Hartwig being
called for holding in his own endzone (giving Arizona a safety),
and Warner hooking up with Fitzgerald again on a 64-yard touchdown
pass. However, Pittsburgh responded with quarterback
Ben Roethlisberger completing a six-yard
touchdown pass to wide receiver
Santonio
Holmes. The Cardinals tried to come back, but the Steelers'
defense forced a fumble to seal the win.
With the loss, Arizona closed out their season with an overall
record of 12–8.
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