NEW ORLEANS (AP) -Kurt Warner’s pass had just been intercepted, and with the season slipping away, the Arizona quarterback charged over to help make the tackle.
Before he had a chance, Warner was flattened by Bobby McCray, New Orleans’ 260-pound defensive end.
With that as his season’s final enduring image, Warner will have to decide whether to come back or call it a career. A week after one of his finest performances, the veteran quarterback was no match for Drew Brees and the Saints in their divisional playoff game Saturday night. Warner threw for 205 yards and no touchdowns in the Cardinals’ 45-14 loss.
Warner missed a game with a concussion earlier this season, and there’s been widespread speculation that the 38-year-old is about to retire. He was hurt again against the Saints, leaving in the second quarter with a chest injury after he was intercepted by Will Smith and hit by McCray.
reatened after that, and backup Matt Leinart came back in late in the game.
Last weekend, Warner threw for 379 yards and five touchdowns in a 51-45 overtime win over Green Bay. When Arizona’s Tim Hightower ran 70 yards for a touchdown on the first play from scrimmage Saturday night, the Cardinals appeared to be picking up right where they left off.
They did – but only on defense.
After giving up 35 points to Green Bay in the second half, Arizona allowed 35 in the first half against the Saints, a pace Warner and the offense couldn’t match.
Two other key injuries might have done in the Cardinals’ hopes of defending as NFC champs even before Warner went down. Arizona lost two starting defensive backs in the first half as New Orleans built its big lead. Pro Bowl cornerback Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie went out with a sprained left knee, and safety Antrel Rolle left with a head injury.
Warner has played in three Super Bowls, winning one with the St. Louis Rams. If he does decide to retire, his career would end in the same building where he endured one of his toughest defeats, a 20-17 loss to New England in the 2002 Super Bowl.
This game wasn’t nearly that close. After taking a 7-0 lead, Arizona gained only 41 yards the rest of the first quarter in falling behind 21-7. It was 28-14 when Warner got hurt.
Warner finished 17 of 26. His longest pass of the game was his first one, a 28-yarder to Jerheme Urban. Urban fumbled at the end of the play and the Saints recovered. New Orleans drove for a 14-7 lead and never looked back.
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