Cardinals give fans a game they will never forget
 
After impressive game, Warner deflects retirement questions

by Dan Bickley - Jan. 11, 2010 12:00 AM

The Arizona Republic

[img_r]http://i.azcentral.com/i/sized/C/2/D/e298/j350/PHP4B4AC6D9A7D2C.jpg[/img_r]Kurt Warner took a victory lap and a shower. Then he grabbed his Bible and tried to make sense of it all.

"Whew," the Cardinals quarterback said. "Anybody else tired?"

Exhausted. Exhilarated. Ecstatic.

Relieved.

Imagine losing this game - and be glad your team didn't.

In one of the wildest NFL playoff games on record, the Cardinals eliminated the Green Bay Packers 51-45 in overtime Sunday at University of Phoenix Stadium. Next up is an NFC divisional playoff game against the top-seeded Saints in New Orleans, a city where Warner once lost a Super Bowl.

No matter what happens next, the 2009 season is now a smashing success. Football fans across the Valley will never forget this contest, where two potent teams refused to quit or play defense, combining to set a record for most points scored in a playoff game.

"That's got to be one of the best games ever played in the playoffs," Cardinals head coach Ken Whisenhunt said.

Of course, that depends on what colors you're wearing.

"It's personally one of the toughest losses I've been part of," Packers coach Mike McCarthy said.

For Arizona, sporting heroes abounded. In one of his best games as a professional, Warner threw more touchdown passes (five) than incomplete passes (four). The Cardinals' receivers more than compensated for the loss of the injured star Anquan Boldin. Meanwhile, Whisenhunt atoned for his blunder in Week 17 - playing some of his starters too long in a meaningless game - with a masterful offensive game.

Goats were absolved. Entering overtime, the Packers had scored on their seven previous possessions, including six touchdowns. The tackling was porous, and defensive back Michael Adams was burnt like a tourist who forgot to pack sunscreen. It culminated with a giant civic groan, when the Cardinals lost the most important coin toss in this region since the Suns lost a chance to draft Lew Alcindor.

At that point, it felt like playground football, where the last team with the ball was destined to win the game.

"It was almost like we will flip the coin, and whoever wins the toss, wins the game," Whisenhunt said.

That's exactly how it felt. And that's when the defense stole the victory, with Adams causing the key fumble.

"Throughout the game, I was just praying to God, asking him for a fighting chance," Adams said.

The victory unleashed a torrent of emotions. The Packers crushed the hosts in two previous meetings in Glendale this season, embarrassing the Cardinals in their own building. But by the end of the game, the quest for vengeance was no longer meaningful.

The Packers had rallied from a 31-10 deficit with alarming ease, turning a raucous party into a white-knuckle adventure. The Cardinals again witnessed the pedigree of their talented opponent and what it meant to finally beat Green Bay. In hindsight, there was no shame in losing to this team in the past.

It also means the Cardinals are free to go and win the Super Bowl, and that kicker Neil Rackers won't have to wear a disguise when dining in public.

Surely, Rackers was more relieved than anyone in the stadium. He gagged on a short field-goal attempt that would have won the game at the end of regulation. He was late getting on the field in the first place, as if he wanted no part of a high-pressure kick. His attempt was so painfully bad that a defeat would have turned him into a local pariah, like former Diamondbacks reliever Byung-Hyun Kim, who blew two potential wins in the 2001 World Series.

"Neil is one of the greatest kickers, the best kicker I've been around," defensive lineman Darnell Dockett said. "I thought he had it. When he missed it, I was like, 'Come on, man.' "

But mostly, this game was a testament to the brilliance of Warner, who carved up the opposing defense with pinpoint passing, then deftly deflected questions about his retirement. Warner said he will make the decision after the season but admitted that "there's no question I continue to think about it."

Gulp.

"I'm just glad he's on my squad," said linebacker Karlos Dansby, who scored the winning touchdown off the Adams-forced fumble. " If he decides to stay, it will be a blessing to this team and organization."

Clearly, Warner is a man of many talents. Earlier in the week, he played basketball with Larry Fitzgerald, and beat his star receiver in a game of H-O-R-S-E.

"You know what's funny? His kids were cheering for me, and he still got me," Fitzgerald said.

Now, the saint of Arizona football must face a team of Saints. The New Orleans offense makes the Packers look dull. Buckle up, folks. The fun has just begun.