Cardinals "D" shuts down Falcons offense

With the Arizona Cardinals in need of a spark to begin the second half of Saturday’s NFC Wild Card playoff game against the visiting Atlanta Falcons, defensive tackle Darnell Dockett set the agenda and safety Antrel Rolle rocked the house.

Trailing 17-14 after allowing two touchdowns to the Falcons in the final 2:55 of the second quarter, the NFC West Division champion Cardinals looked to their defense to step up as the third period began. On the second snap from scrimmage after halftime, Dockett and Rolle combined to make the play that would turn the game around.

As running back Michael Turner took a handoff from Atlanta quarterback Matt Ryan, Dockett knocked the football loose. Rolle was there to catch the carom, and he dashed 27 yards to the end zone to put Arizona ahead to stay at 21-17.

The Cardinals would go on to win 30-24 for their first postseason victory since the 1998 season and second since moving from St. Louis to Phoenix in 1988. By prevailing in the franchise’s first home playoff game since 1947, the Cardinals earned the right to advance to the NFC divisional round.

The forced fumble by Dockett and subsequent touchdown return by Rolle highlights our review of the 12 biggest plays for the Cardinals in Saturday’s victory over the Falcons at University of Phoenix Stadium.

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In chronological order, here are the Cardinals’ dynamic dozen from Jan. 3, 2009.

• The situation: On their opening possession, the Falcons faced a third-and-6 from the Arizona 44-yard line. The play: Cardinals defensive back Ralph Brown stepped in front of receiver Roddy White and intercepted a pass thrown by Atlanta quarterback Matt Ryan. It was the first of two interceptions on the day by the Cardinals, who also got one in the third quarter from Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie.
• The situation: The Cardinals took possession at their own 37 following Brown’s first-quarter interception. The play: On Arizona’s first rushing attempt of the game, Edgerrin James found an opening around left end for a tone-setting 6-yard gain. James rushed for 9 and 6 yards on the following two plays and finished the afternoon with 73 yards on 16 carries.
• The situation: The aforementioned three consecutive running plays by James not only gained 21 yards, they also set up an opportunity for a quick strike from the Arizona passing attack. The play: James took a handoff and pitched the ball back to quarterback Kurt Warner on a flea-flicker. Warner then heaved a pass into the left side of the end zone, where Larry Fitzgerald made a leaping catch between two defenders for a 42-yard touchdown that gave the Cardinals a 7-0 lead.
• The situation: Atlanta received the ensuing kickoff for a touchback. The play: Turner was stuffed for no gain as he tried to find running room off left tackle. It was an early statement by the Arizona defense, which would hold Turner (who rushed for 1,699 yards during the regular season) to 42 yards on 18 carries on the day.
• The situation: Following a 30-yard field goal early in the second quarter by Atlanta kicker Jason Elam, the Cardinals faced a third-and-9 at their own 29. The play: Warner fired a quick pass to Anquan Boldin at the Arizona 33. Boldin ran past Atlanta safety Lawyer Milloy near midfield and sprinted down the left sideline for a 71-yard touchdown.
• The situation: After Atlanta rallied to pull ahead 17-14 with a pair of touchdowns late in the second quarter (on a 7-yard scoring run by Turner and a 2-yard TD pass from Ryan to Justin Peelle), the Falcons received the second-half kickoff and faced a second-and-7 from their own 30. The play: Ryan tried to hand the ball off to Turner. Dockett separated the football from the running back. Rolle caught the fumble and returned it for a 27-yard touchdown that put the Cardinals back in the lead at 21-17. “That was big for us because it got our fans back into it, and they were great all day,” Cardinals head coach Ken Whisenhunt said.
• The situation: Late in the third quarter, Arizona was driving but needed to convert on a third-and-3 from the Atlanta 18. The play: Warner, who finished the game with 271 yards passing, found Steve Breaston over the middle for a 14-yard strike to move the chains.
• The situation: Breaston’s catch set up the Cardinals with a first-and-goal. The play: Tim Hightower swept around left end for a 4-yard touchdown run that extended Arizona’s advantage to 28-17 with 2:48 remaining in the third period.
• The situation: Early in the fourth quarter, a punt by the Cardinals’ Ben Graham was downed by Calais Campbell at the 6, and a holding penalty on Atlanta moved the ball back to the 3. The play: Ryan dropped back into the end zone to pass on first down, and he was sacked by defensive end Antonio Smith for a safety. The two-point tackle by Smith increased the Cardinals’ lead to 30-17 with 12:37 left in the game.
• The situation: After the Falcons drew to within 30-24 on a 5-yard scoring pass from Ryan to White with 4:15 remaining, the Cardinals began their ensuing possession at their own 20. The play: Leading by six, the Cardinals came out throwing. “We wanted to be a little more aggressive,” Whisenhunt said. On first down, Warner completed a 15-yard pass to Fitzgerald, who finished with 101 yards on six receptions.
• The situation: Two plays later, the Cardinals faced a second-and-10 from their 35. The play: Warner lofted a pass to Breaston for a 25-yard gain to the Atlanta 40.
• The situation: Three plays later, the Cardinals faced a third-and-16 from the Atlanta 46. The play: Warner found tight end Stephen Spach over the middle for a 23-yard gain. With the clock ticking down to the two-minute warning and with the Falcons having exhausted all three of their timeouts, the Cardinals then were able to line up in their victory formation for three kneel-downs by Warner.

“Our players believed that we could win,” Whisenhunt said. “They believed in what we’re doing, and that showed up today.”

As a result, the Cardinals achieved a milestone victory.

By Tom Kessler
ProFootball-fans.com Staff Writer