Cardinals enjoying dissed 'dog role

Kurt Warner (220 yards and two TDs) carried out the coaches' wishes of giving Larry Fitzgerald plenty of second looks downfield. David Klutho/SI

CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- The Arizona Cardinals in the Super Bowl? The thought used to be as unthinkable as a black man in the White House.

Well ...

Two months after Barack Obama won a landslide election to become this country's first African-American president, the Cardinals are on the brink of perhaps reaching Super Bowl XLIII after thoroughly dominating the favored Carolina Panthers 33-13 Saturday night in an NFC divisional playoff game (Recap | Box).

"Miracles happen," Cardinals cornerback Antrel Rolle said afterward. "I'm trying to go meet Obama at the end of the year (when the Super Bowl winner visits the White House). He led it off, and we're just trying to follow in his footsteps."

Two hours after the Panthers scored a meaningless touchdown on an 8-yard catch by Steve Smith, onlookers were still trying to wipe the rain and the disbelief from their eyes in Bank of America Stadium. Carolina entered the game 8-0 at home this season, while Arizona was 0-5 in the Eastern time zone. The Panthers had scored 28 or more points in seven consecutive games to end the regular season, while the Cardinals had surrendered 35 or more in four of their final six, including 47 or more on two occasions.

When Carolina opened the game by marching 50 yards in five plays for a 7-0 lead, most assumed the contest would be a rout. They were right. They just had the wrong team.

Thanks to an efficient offense and a playmaking defense, the Cardinals grabbed the game by the throat and did not let go. They got 220 yards passing and two touchdowns from QB Kurt Warner, a franchise playoff record 166 yards and one touchdown on eight receptions by Larry Fitzgerald and six takeaways by the defense, which intercepted Jake Delhomme five times and recovered one of his fumbles.

Miracles? The five picks matched Delhomme's total in his seven-game playoff career. The Cardinals converted the six takeaways into 23 points, with 17 coming in the first half when Arizona built a 27-7 lead. The Cardinals in the Super Bowl? Such a thought used to be so ridiculous considering the franchise had managed only one playoff victory since 1947, prior to this season. But the statement no longer elicits belly-aching laughter. It shouldn't, not with the Cardinals being one game from reaching the Roman Numerals -- with the play-in game, the NFC championship, possibly being contested on their home field in Glendale.

If the Eagles beat the Giants Sunday, the conference finale would be in Arizona. If the Giants prevail, the game would be in East Rutherford, N.J. Either scenario is fine with the Cardinals, although you get the sense they would just as soon go to New Jersey because they'd be given virtually zero chance of winning there, against the top-seeded Giants, the defending Super Bowl champs.

The Cardinals have cloaked themselves in a blanket of perceived disrespect, and they like how it feels. The team that once had sand kicked in their faces is now the one flexing for gawking onlookers.

"I think we shocked the world," said defensive end Antonio Smith, who forced and recovered a fumble with a sack of Delhomme. "(Being) 10-point underdogs was an insult. The Cardinals (being called) the worst team in the playoffs was an insult. I don't think that anybody who made those comments watched the film of the first game that we played them."

That game took place in Week 8. In it, the Cardinals squandered a 17-3 third-quarter lead.

The mantra this time was to play four quarters. They did that -- and more. Were it not for Carolina going 79 yards on its final drive, Arizona would have blanked the Panthers on their final 11 possessions.

It's time to stop talking about what the Cardinals did in the regular season and start recognizing what they've done in the postseason. This is a team that suddenly believes. It played Saturday without Pro Bowl wideout Anquan Boldin (hamstring), but it didn't matter. Offensive coordinator Todd Haley came up with a gameplan that took advantage of Fitzgerald's skills, using him in motion and aligning him in different spots more than he had the previous week against the Falcons.

Haley also persuaded Warner to go against what he has been taught his whole career and abandon his read progressions at times. For instance, if Fitzgerald was the first read on a pass play and he was covered, Warner normally would move on to the next receiver. But Haley asked him to stick with Fitzgerald in certain situations, and it resulted in several big plays, including a 41-yard reception and a 29-yard touchdown.

The defense knew it was facing arguably the hottest running game in the league, but for the second straight week it was up for the challenge. The unit limited the Panthers to 75 yards on 15 carries. Take away a 31-yard run by DeAngelo Williams on Carolina's opening series and it's just 44 yards on 14 carries. That's nothing to laugh about, just as the Cardinals are nothing to joke about. At this pace, Rolle may well get his wish of a White House visit.