The Arizona Cardinals have gone from chumps to champs in the NFC
West.
Kurt Warner threw for 279 yards, the defense scored twice and the Cardinals
clinched their first division title in 33 years by beating the woeful St. Louis
Rams 34-10 on Sunday.
The Cardinals, long the league’s doormat franchise with just one winning season
in the last 24 years, earned their first playoff berth since 1998 and first
divisional title since they won the NFC East in 1975. As NFC West champions,
they will host a playoff game for the first time since, as the Chicago
Cardinals, they defeated Philadelphia to win the NFL title in 1947.
Arizona’s defense scored both of the team’s second-half touchdowns, including a
team record-tying 99-yard interception return by rookie Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie
with 3:11 to play.
Arizona (8-5) beat St. Louis (2-11) for the fifth straight time and extended the
Rams’ losing streak to seven games. After losses to the New York Giants and
Philadelphia Eagles, the Cardinals improved to 5-0 against NFC West foes.
Warner completed 24 of 33 passes against a Rams team he once led to a Super Bowl
title. In the process, he reached 347 completions for the season, breaking the
Cardinals’ record of 345 set by Neil Lomax in 1984...
Tim Hightower rushed up the middle for 1 yard gain (Neil
Rackers made PAT)
0 - 7
4:13
ARI
TD
Kurt Warner passed to Larry Fitzgerald to the left for
12 yard gain (Neil Rackers made PAT)
0 - 14
2nd Quarter
14:14
STL
TD
Marc Bulger passed to Steven Jackson to the right for 3
yard gain (Josh Brown made PAT)
7 - 14
7:00
ARI
FG
Neil Rackers kicked a 44-yard field goal
7 - 17
0:59
ARI
FG
Neil Rackers kicked a 22-yard field goal
7 - 20
3rd Quarter
4:20
ARI
TD
Steven Jackson rushed to the right for 4 yard loss.
Steven Jackson fumbled. Darnell Dockett recovered fumble and returned
for 11 yards (Neil Rackers made PAT)
7 - 27
4th Quarter
10:21
STL
FG
Josh Brown kicked a 51-yard field goal
10 - 27
3:11
ARI
TD
Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie intercepted Marc Bulger for
99 yards (Neil Rackers made PAT)
10 - 34
Team Statistics
STL
ARI
First Downs
17
18
Passing
13
12
Rushing
4
6
Penalty
0
0
Third Down Efficiency
5-13
3-9
Fourth Down Efficiency
1-3
0-0
TOTAL NET YARDS
308
335
Total Plays
64
56
Average Gain Per Play
4.8
6.0
NET YARDS RUSHING
85
63
Rushes
25
22
Average Per Rush
3.4
2.9
NET YARDS PASSING
223
272
Completions-Attempts
22-38
24-33
Yards Per Pass Play
5.7
8.0
Times Sacked
1
1
Yards Lost to Sacks
5
7
Had Intercepted
1
1
PUNTS
2
3
Average Punt
55.5
42.0
PENALTIES
1
5
Penalty Yards
5
30
FUMBLES
2
0
Fumbles Lost
2
0
TIME OF POSSESSION
29:27
30:33
Pregame Previews, Storylines,
and News
New Page 1
Preview:
Venturing outside the
comfort zone of the subpar NFC
West has brought the Arizona
Cardinals back down to earth.
Some extra time off and facing a
division rival may be just what
the Cardinals need to get back
on track and clinch their first
division title since 1975 on
Sunday when the St. Louis Rams
visit University of Phoenix
Stadium. "To play a game like
this at home, if there is any
mini-crisis of confidence, I
think it will evaporate pretty
quickly," coach Ken Whisenhunt
told the team's official Web
site...
Prediction: Three very good
reasons why the Cards are 7-5: St. Louis, Seattle, and San Francisco. Living in
the NFC's West has revived Kurt Warner's career and put the Cards on the
doorsteps of the playoffs Cardinals 35 - Rams 17
Video Preview: The Arizona
Cardinals can clinch the NFC West if they can beat the visiting St. Louis Rams.
Greg Amsinger and Charley Casserly preview the game
Matchups: Rams at Cardinals
SportingNews.com
WR Anquan Boldin, Cardinals. Surprisingly, the Rams
have given up only eight receiving TDs to wideouts this season. But that's not
necessarily a credit to ...
Game Scout: Cardinals vs. RamsSeahawks.net
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