NFC Champion Arizona Cardinals Super Bowl Bound

The NFL was down to its final four as the Cardinals took on an old adversary in the Philadelphia Eagles in front of a sold-out crowd at University of Phoenix Stadium. Tickets for the game sold out within six minutes of going on sale for the Cardinals first-ever appearance in the NFC title game. Arizona qualified for the postseason by clinching its first division title since 1975 and the teams first-ever NFC West crown. The Cards earned their spot in the NFC Championship by taking down the Carolina Panthers 33-13 at Bank of America Stadium. The Panthers entered the game with a perfect 8-0 record at home in 2008, the only NFL team to go undefeated at home during the regular season. The Cards became the first ever #4 seed to host a conference championship game. In scoring 33 points against the Panthers, Arizona broke its week-old franchise postseason record for points in a game (30), established against Atlanta in an NFC Wild Card game. The Panthers took the opening kickoff to midfield and a 31-yard DeAngelo Williams run took it to the 9 before Jonathan Stewart punched it in. Later in the quarter, Fitzgeralds 41-yard catch-n-run gained 41 on 3rd-n-2 and that led to a 3-yard Tim Hightower TD catch from Kurt Warner that tied it at 7. On the next play from scrimmage, DE Antonio Smith stripped Delhomme on a sack and recovered the fumble himself at the CAR13. That led to a 4-yard Edgerrin James run and a 14-7 score. The Panthers moved to the AZ15 on the next drive thanks to a 45-yard pass interference call but CB Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie picked off Delhomme at the goal line. Neil Rackers then extended the lead to 20-7 with FGs on the next two AZ drives. A Gerald Hayes INT halted Carolinas following drive on the first play. It was followed by Fitzgeralds 29-yard catch and pylon dive that made it 27-7 at intermission. The only points of the 3rd quarter came when Antrel Rolle gathered in a Delhomme pass tipped by Rodgers-Cromartie and WR Steve Smith and returned the INT to the CAR26. Hat set up Rackers 33-yard FG that made it 30-7. Arizona then ended the first two Panther drives of the 4th quarter with INTs by Ralph Brown and Rod Hood, respectively. Rackers fourth FG of the game made it 33-7 with 3:10 to go and only an 8-yard TD catch by Smith in the final minute made it 33-13. In a Divisional Playoff match-up at Carolina, all the numbers were stacked against the Cards. They were 0-5 on the east coast in 08 and were facing the only NFL team that went 8-0 at home. Even before it was known that Pro Bowl WR Anquan Boldin would miss the game with a hamstring injury, few if any gave the Cards a chance against #2 seed Carolina. But when Saturday evening came and the game was played, it was all Arizona. The Panthers produced TDs on their first drive of the game and their last but in between the Cards scored 33 unanswered points. The defense forced 6 Jake Delhomme turnovers (5 INTs and a fumble) and the Cards got 23 of their 33 points off them. WR Larry Fitzgerald was again spectacular, finishing with a team playoff record 166 yards on 8 catches with a TD while the Cards held his Panther all-pro counterpart without a catch until the final minute of the third. The Cardinals earned the victory with an impressive performance on both sides of the ball. Five Arizona defenders intercepted passes and the defense held the NFLs thirdranked rushing attack to just 75 yards on the ground. On offense, the Cardinals were without the services of Pro Bowl receiver Anquan Boldin but used the reliable play-making ability of their other Pro Bowl receiver, Larry Fitzgerald, to build a 27-7 halftime lead. Fitzgerald recorded 155 of his franchise postseason record 166 receiving yards in the first half. The win over the Panthers was the franchises first win in a Divisional Playoff Game. Coming into the game, the Cardinals were 0-3 in Divisional Games. The Cardinals will now be making their first ever appearance in an NFC Championship game. Before this season, the Cardinals were the only team not to reach the NFC Championship Game since the NFL-AFL merger in 1970. The Cardinals were 2-0 in home playoff games in franchise history. Aside from their victory over Atlanta in the Wild Card Game, the only other game played at home was the 12/29/47 win over Philadelphia. The Cardinals won the right to represent the NFC in Super Bowl XLIII against the Pittsburgh Steelers after winning against Philadelphia last Sunday afternoon. The Cardinals and Eagles met for the 115th time overall and the third time in the playoffs. The Eagles led the overall series 54-55-5 (prior to Sundays game) while the teams have split their playoff battles. The rivalry between the two clubs dates back to 1935 and as members of the NFC East, the Cardinals and the Eagles faced each other 63 times between 1970 and 2001. Last Meetings Date Site Result 11/27/08 Philadelphia L, 20-48 12/24/05 Arizona W, 27-21 11/17/02 Philadelphia L, 38-14 11/4/01 Arizona L, 21-7 10/7/01 Philadelphia W, 21-20 11/19/00 Philadelphia L, 34-9 10/15/00 Arizona L, 33-14 12/5/99 Arizona W, 21-17 9/12/99 Philadelphia W, 25-24 12/13/98 Philadelphia W, 20-17 (OT) Below is a list of the Cardinals playoff games, opponents, and results: Date Game Opponent Result Dec. 28, 1947 NFL Championship vs. Philadelphia W, 28-21 Dec. 19, 1948 NFL Championship at Philadelphia L, 0-7 Dec. 21, 1974 NFL Divisional Game at Minnesota L, 14-30 Dec. 27, 1975 NFL Divisional Game at L.A. Rams L, 23-35 Jan. 8, 1983 1st Round of Super Bowl Tournament* at Green Bay L, 16-41 Jan. 2, 1999 NFC Wild Card at Dallas W, 20-7 Jan. 10, 1999 NFC Divisional Game at Minnesota L, 21-41 Jan. 3, 2009 NFC Wild Card vs. Atlanta W, 30-24 Jan. 10, 2009 NFC Divisional Game at Carolina W, 33-13 * As a result of the 1982 Players Strike that reduced the regular season to nine games, the NFL conducted a 16-team Super Bowl tournament with the top eight teams from each conference. FACING THE BEST IN THE PLAYOFFS In the Cardinals first two playoff games, they have faced some elite players on both offense and defense and have largely been able to neutralize them on their way to back-to-back postseason wins. Arizonas defense has been tested both on the ground and through the air in the playoffs and the offensive line has passed test going up against two of the leagues premier pass rushers. Against the Panthers (NFC Divisional Game): * Jake Delhomme: The Cardinals intercepted the Carolina QB five times, establishing a new franchise postseason record for INTs in game. The previous record of three was accomplished twice: 12/28/47 vs. Philadelphia and 1/2/99 at Dallas. Five different Cardinals players recorded INTs against the Panthers: Antrel Rolle, Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, Gerald Hayes, Ralph Brown and Rod Hood. The Cardinals force Delhomme into one of the worst passing performances of his career as a starter. The five interceptions are the most he has ever thrown in a game in his career and Delhomme finished the day completing 17-of-34 passes for 205 yards, a TD, five INTs and a QB rating of 39.1. The QB rating is the second-lowest of his career as a starter. * Steve Smith: Carolinas Pro Bowl receiver totaled 1,421 receiving yards in 14 games during the regular season. While being covered by Cardinals rookie cornerback Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, Smith didnt record his first reception of the game until there was less than a minute left in the third quarter. Smith finished the game with two receptions for 43 yards and a TD, which came with 0:50 seconds left in the fourth quarter, long after the game had been decided. Smiths 43 receiving yards represent his second-lowest yardage output of the season. Rodgers-Cromartie had twice as many passes defensed (4) as Smith had receptions (2) in the game, including his INT. The rookie also tipped a Delhomme pass intended for Smith in the third quarter that was intercepted by Antrel Rolle. * Julius Peppers: The Panthers Pro Bowl defensive end was held in check all day. Peppers, who finished the regular season tied for third in the NFC and fifth in the NFL with 14.5 sacks on the season, was held without a sack and recorded just two tackles against the Cardinals. Against the Falcons (NFC Wild Card Game): * Matt Ryan: The regular seasons Offensive Rookie of the Year was sacked three times by the Cardinals, one which resulted in a safety. It was the just the third time this season that Ryan was sacked at least three times. He had only been sacked a total of five times in the final eight regular season games. The Cardinals also intercepted Ryan twice and recovered his botched exchange with RB Michael Turner. It was just the third time this season that Ryan had committed three or more turnovers. * Michael Turner: The Falcons running back was held to just 42 yards rushing on 18 carries. Turner finished the regular season with 1,699 rushing yards, the second-highest total in the NFL. Turners 42 rushing yards matched his season low, when he rushed for 42 yards on 14 carries at Tampa Bay in the second week of the season. His 2.3 yards per carry average ranked as his second lowest average of the season and his lowest average in the last 10 games. He averaged 2.2 yards per carry (25 att., 54 yards) vs. Chicago on 10/12/08. * John Abraham: The Falcons Pro Bowler finished the regular season with 16.5 sacks, the second-highest total in the NFC and the third-highest total in the NFL. He was held without a sack and had just two tackles against the Cardinals.