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Home » Sports » American Football
Cardinals edge Eagles to book Super Bowl berth
Source: Agencies |
January 19, 2009, Monday
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KURT Warner tossed three first-half touchdowns to Larry Fitzgerald as the Arizona Cardinals edged the Philadelphia Eagles 32-25 in the NFC title game yesterday, booking their first trip to the Super Bowl.
The Cardinals, who last appeared in NFL title game 61 years ago when the team played in Chicago, now await the winner of the AFC championship between the Pittsburgh Steelers and Baltimore Ravens later yesterday.
The 37-year-old Warner, who went from bagging groceries to league and Super Bowl MVP honours with the St Louis Rams before returning to obscurity, has found new life in Phoenix and combined with Fitzgerald on one, nine and 62-yard touchdown strikes in the opening half.
The sure-handed Fitzgerald finished the day with nine catches for 152-yards and earned a line in the NFL record book becoming the first player to score three touchdowns in the first half of conference championship game.
The All-Pro receiver also replaced Jerry Rice as the most successful receiver in a single post-season with 419 yards.
A Neil Rackers 49-yard field goal on the final play of the half gave the Cardinals what appeared to be a commanding 24-6 advantage going into the intermission.
Philadelphia's early points were provided by a pair of David Akers field goals.
EAGLES RALLY
The Eagles, making their fifth appearance in the NFC title game in eight years, finally found the end zone late in the third, Donovan McNabb rifling a six-yard touchdown strike to Brent Celek trimming the Arizona lead to 24-13.
McNabb and Celek hooked up again on a 31-yard touchdown in the final seconds of the quarter to slice the deficit to 24-19 sending a shudder through the capacity crowd of more than 70,000 at University of Phoenix Stadium.
Philadelphia continued their fight back in the fourth, McNabb finding DeSean Jackson with a 62-yard bomb, the wide receiver bobbling the ball before gaining control and racing into the end zone to give the Eagles their first lead of the game 25-24.
The Cardinals finally broke out of their second half slump with just under three minutes to play, Warner capping a 72-yard drive with an eight-yard screen pass to Tim Hightower to retake the lead 32-25 with the help of a two-point convert.
McNabb, who had directed the Eagles to three touchdowns in little more than eight minutes, had no more miracles and could only watch as the final seconds ticked off the clock and the Arizona crowd erupted in celebration.
Arizona will now have a chance to end the second longest championship drought in North American sport when they take the field for Super Bowl XLIII in Tampa Bay on February 1.
The Cardinals' 61-years without a championship is second only to baseball's Chicago Cubs, who have gone 100 years without a title.
The Cardinals, who last appeared in NFL title game 61 years ago when the team played in Chicago, now await the winner of the AFC championship between the Pittsburgh Steelers and Baltimore Ravens later yesterday.
The 37-year-old Warner, who went from bagging groceries to league and Super Bowl MVP honours with the St Louis Rams before returning to obscurity, has found new life in Phoenix and combined with Fitzgerald on one, nine and 62-yard touchdown strikes in the opening half.
The sure-handed Fitzgerald finished the day with nine catches for 152-yards and earned a line in the NFL record book becoming the first player to score three touchdowns in the first half of conference championship game.
The All-Pro receiver also replaced Jerry Rice as the most successful receiver in a single post-season with 419 yards.
A Neil Rackers 49-yard field goal on the final play of the half gave the Cardinals what appeared to be a commanding 24-6 advantage going into the intermission.
Philadelphia's early points were provided by a pair of David Akers field goals.
EAGLES RALLY
The Eagles, making their fifth appearance in the NFC title game in eight years, finally found the end zone late in the third, Donovan McNabb rifling a six-yard touchdown strike to Brent Celek trimming the Arizona lead to 24-13.
McNabb and Celek hooked up again on a 31-yard touchdown in the final seconds of the quarter to slice the deficit to 24-19 sending a shudder through the capacity crowd of more than 70,000 at University of Phoenix Stadium.
Philadelphia continued their fight back in the fourth, McNabb finding DeSean Jackson with a 62-yard bomb, the wide receiver bobbling the ball before gaining control and racing into the end zone to give the Eagles their first lead of the game 25-24.
The Cardinals finally broke out of their second half slump with just under three minutes to play, Warner capping a 72-yard drive with an eight-yard screen pass to Tim Hightower to retake the lead 32-25 with the help of a two-point convert.
McNabb, who had directed the Eagles to three touchdowns in little more than eight minutes, had no more miracles and could only watch as the final seconds ticked off the clock and the Arizona crowd erupted in celebration.
Arizona will now have a chance to end the second longest championship drought in North American sport when they take the field for Super Bowl XLIII in Tampa Bay on February 1.
The Cardinals' 61-years without a championship is second only to baseball's Chicago Cubs, who have gone 100 years without a title.
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