CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) -Neil Rackers kicked a pair of field goals – including an Arizona playoff record 49-yarder – to help the Cardinals take a 27-7 lead into halftime over the Carolina Panthers in Saturday night’s NFC divisional playoff game.
he Cardinals in opening their surprising lead over the heavily favored Panthers.
Arizona, coming off its first playoff victory since 1998 last week over Atlanta, scored 17 points off of Delhomme’s turnovers.
Delhomme fumbled on a sack deep in Arizona territory to set up Edgerrin James’ first touchdown since Oct. 5, a 4-yard run in the first quarter. Delhomme was then intercepted by rookie Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie on the goal line on the first play of the second quarter.
That set up Rackers’ first field goal, a 49-yarder that made it 17-7. The kick bettered the previous Cardinals record of 46 yards by Chris Jacke in 1999.
After a fruitless three-play possession that saw the Panthers booed off the field by their home crowd, Arizona marched down the field again as Larry Fitzgerald ran free through Carolina’s secondary. He had catches of 25 and 17 yards to set up another Rackers field goal – a 30-yarder that made it 20-7 with 5:28 to play in the half.
Delhomme was then intercepted on his first play back on the field when his pass intended for Muhsin Muhammad was picked off by Gerald Hayes at the Carolina 38.
Kurt Warner immediately looked again to Fitzgerald, tossing a 29-yard TD pass that made it 27-7 with 3:32 to play. Fitzgerald headed to the locker room with six catches for an Arizona playoff record 151 yards.
ar season, seemed shell-shocked as the boos intensified from the disgusted crowd. Hosting their first home playoff game in five years, the Panthers were trying to advance to their third NFC Championship game since the 2003 season.
But the surprising Cardinals, who were a dismal 0-5 on the East Coast this season, weren’t about to roll over despite a history of postseason futility.
Arizona was seeking just its fourth playoff victory in franchise history. The Cardinals’ only other wins were an upset at Dallas in the first round of the 1998 postseason, the 1947 NFL championship game and last week’s 30-24 victory over Atlanta.
A win in Carolina seemed unlikely: The Cardinals were 10-point underdogs, were outscored 202-102 in five East Coast games this season, and lost 27-23 here in October. The Panthers rallied back from down 17-3 in the third quarter to win that game.
The Panthers marched down the field on their opening drive for a quick score. Mark Jones returned the opening kickoff 39 yards to put Delhomme and his high-powered offense at midfield before they even left the sideline. After two short gains set up a third-and-7, Delhomme hit fullback Brad Hoover on a 7-yard catch to keep the drive moving.
ition. He ran through the middle of Arizona’s defense, then bounced outside for a 31-yard gain that put Carolina on the Cardinals 9.
Jonathan Stewart, who finished the regular season tied for the NFL rookie lead with 10 touchdowns, scored on the next play with his 9-yard run up the middle.
Warner heaved a toss-up later in the quarter in Fitzgerald’s direction, and he squeezed between Ken Lucas and Charles Godfrey for a 41-yard gain that moved the Cardinals to the Carolina 10. After a short gain by James and a short Warner pass to Tim Castille, Warner hit Tim Hightower in the left flat for a 3-yard TD catch that tied it 7-7 with 2:43 to play in the quarter.
James gave Arizona the lead after Delhomme’s first turnover. Antonio Smith stripped the ball from Delhomme and recovered it on the Arizona 20. James then took a Warner pass 13 yards to move to the 4, then scored on the next play to make it 14-7. with 1:47 to play.
Add A Comment