Year in Review - Arizona Cardinals (12-7), NFC West and NFC Champions

Expectations were tempered for the Arizona Cardinals heading into the 2008 season. The previous few seasons were always supposed to be the Cardinals breakout year, and would inevitably end up with disappointment and no playoffs. Some were picking the Cardinals to win the NFC West, but just as many were going with the Seattle Seahawks. The Cardinals entered the preseason not sure who would be their starting QB. But after Matt Leinart embarrassed himself with a 4 interception performance against the Oakland Raiders, Kurt Warner was made the official starter.

The Cardinals got off to a strong start with a 23-13 win at San Francisco. Looking back on what the Cardinals offense would eventually become the numbers they put up in this game were quite pedestrian. Warner passed for 197 yards and 1 TD, and RB Edgerrin James rushed for 100. In Week 2, the Cardinals drilled the Miami Dolphins in their home opener 31-10. Warner was the star in this one, passing for 361 yards and 3 TDs. The defense also came up with a strong performance for the second straight week. The Cardinals undefeated season came to an end with a 24-17 Week 3 loss in Washington to the Redskins. Much like the 49ers game this one was evenly matched but a late Warner interception doomed the Cardinals. Cardinals coach Ken Whisenhunt tried something new in preparation for a Week 4 game at the New York Jets. He had his team stay East. He probably won't ever do that again as the Cardinals were blasted by the Jets 56-35. Warner was a turnover machine, as he threw 3 INTs and fumbled 3 times. The Cardinals defense couldn't bail out their offense as they allowed Jets QB Brett Favre to have his first ever 6 TD game. Also in this game WR Anquan Boldin suffered a vicious hit that would cause him to miss just 3 games. Boldin had to have major reconstructive surgery done to his face and it was amazing he missed such little time. After a fast 2-0 start, the Cardinals were reeling a quarter into the season at 2-2.

The Cardinals were back home in Week 5 against the 4-0 Buffalo Bills. Theyy knocked out Bills QB Trent Edwards early and never looked back, storming to a 41-17 win. Warner had an efficient day and the Cardinals didn't miss a beat without Boldin, as they discovered WR Steve Breaston who led the team with 7 catches for 77 yards. In Week 6, the Cardinals and Dallas Cowboys staged a classic in the desert. JJ Arrington opened the game for the Cardinals with a kickoff return for a TD. The Cardinals led 24-14 with 3:17 remaining in the game and looked well on their way to victory. However, this being the Cardinals, nothing can be done easily, and Dallas was able to tie the game at 24 and send it to overtime. In overtime, the Cardinals defense forced a quick three and out and then Monty Beisel blocked and recovered a punt for a touchdown giving the Cardinals an emotional victory. After a bye week, the Cardinals went East for the third time in 7 games, as they took on the Carolina Panthers. The Cardinals dominated early, as a 2 yard touchdown run by RB Tim Hightower put them up 17-3 in the 3rd quarter. That is when it became the DeAngelo Williams and Steve Smith show, as they combined for 3 TDs, giving the Panthers a 27-23 victory. The leading rusher on the day for the Cardinals was WR Anquan Boldin who had 1 carry for 30 yards. James fumbled and only registered 7 carries for 17 yards that game. After the game Whisenhunt decided to insert rookie Hightower as the starting RB. The Cardinals ended their 3 game road losing streak at hapless St. Louis, crushing the Rams 34-13. Warner passed for 343 yards, and Hightower rushed for 109 in his first career start. The Cardinals were 5-3 at the halfway mark.

The Cardinals had the Monday night stage all to themselves as ESPN continued their strange yearly tradition of having the Cardinals and 49ers play on Monday Night Football. It actually turned out to be a great game. Warner had another fantastic day, 328 yards passing and 3 touchdowns. Breaston came up huge with 7 catches for 124 yards, and Boldin had 2 touchdowns. Despite those efforts, the 49ers hung around and were at the goal line at the end of the game trailing 29-24. If not for poor clock management by the Niners and a terrible play call the Cardinals could have lost. Instead they survived, improving to 6-3 and cementing their stranglehold on the putrid NFC West. The Cardinals then won in Seattle in Week 11, 26-20. The Seahawks were having a down year but this was a huge win for the Cardinals over the team that had dominated the NFC West. The rushing game was once again non existent but the passing game more than made up for it. Warner threw for 395 yards, while Boldin and Fitzgerald had monster games, combining for 23 catches. The Cardinals faced a true test in Week 12 as the defending Super Bowl champion New York Giants came to Arizona. The Giants were missing RB Brandon Jacobs and WR Plaxico Burress but the Cardinals still couldn't take advantage, falling 37-29. Eli Manning picked apart the Cardinals defense and the Cardinals one dimensional attack on offense finally hurt them. Hightower led the team with just 21 yards rushing, while James still sat and didn't play. Things got worse for the Cardinals on Thanksgiving Day when they traveled to Philadelphia to take on the Eagles. The Cardinals had to travel East on a very short week but the Eagles were a team in turmoil at the time. The Eagles came out as the more desperate team, jumping on the Cardinals to take a 21-0 lead early in the second quarter. Warner threw 3 INTs to go with his 3 TDs and Eagles RB Brian Westbrook and QB Donovan McNabb had field days against the Cardinals defense. With four games to go the Cardinals were 7-5, still firmly in control of the NFC West but being taken seriously by no one.

The Cardinals needed a win in Week 14 to clinch their first division title in 33 years. They had the perfect opponent in the Rams. The Cardinals lambasted the Rams at home 34-10 to take the division despite having just an 8-5 record. The defense contributed 2 TDs and the offense did what it basically always did, passing well and running horribly. With the division wrapped up the Cardinals last 3 regular season games were essentially meaningless and they played like it. They were embarrassed at home in Week 15 against the Vikings, falling behind 28-0 in the second quarter, and eventually losing 35-14. Things got worse in Week 16 in snowy New England. New England led 47-0 in the 4th quarter before the Cardinals finally got on the scoreboard with a 78 yard touchdown pass from Matt Leinart to Larry Fitzgerald, making the final score 47-7. This game was notable for one reason, James finally got a chance to run the ball again. While he only had 19 yards on 4 carries, he showed Whisenhunt that he still had some gas left in the tank, and was reinserted into his role as the primary RB. Desperate to go into the playoffs with some semblance of momentum the Cardinals came ready to play in the regular season finale against the Seahawks. James rushed for 100 yards on just 14 carries, and Warner threw 4 TD passes giving the Cardinals a 34-21 win at home to close their season at 9-7.

The Cardinals opened the Wild Card round at home against the upstart Atlanta Falcons. Despite being the home team the Cardinals were underdogs. The Cardinals home crowd was jacked up to see their first home playoff game in 61 years and caused all sorts of problems for QB Matt Ryan and the Falcons offense. After jumping out to a 14-3 lead, the Cardinals allowed the Falcons to score two late TDs to end the half, leaving the Cardinals trailing 17-14. Things changed immediately at the start of the 3rd quarter as Antrell Rolle recovered a fumble and returned it 27 yards giving the Cardinals a lead they would never relinquish, holding on to win 30-24. The offense played well but the defense played a huge role in the victory, a sign of things to come. The Cardinals had to travel East in the Divisional Round and take on the Panthers, whom they had to lost to earlier in the season. No one, and I mean no one, gave the Cardinals a shot to win this game. They were 0-5 on the East Coast, and without star WR Boldin. Things started badly as the Panthers easily marched down the field to take a 7-0 lead, but after that it was smooth sailing for the Cardinals. Panthers QB Jake Delhomme threw 5 INTs, which the Cardinals took advantage of and continually turned into points. The Cardinals put up 33 unanswered and went on to a 33-13 win. Fitzgerald had a huge game in Boldin's absence, grabbing 8 catches for 166 yards and a TD as he began to cement himself as the best wide receiver in football. With the Eagles upset victory in New York over the Giants, the Cardinals found themselves hosting the NFC Championship despite finishing witha 9-7 record. Once again underdogs the Cardinals again came out firing. Fitzgerald and Warner connected for 3 TDs in the first half and the Cardinals went into the locker room up 24-6. Any true Cardinals fan knew the game was far from over and somehow the Cardinals would find a way to make it interesting. Arizona's offense went stagnant in the 3rd quarter and the Eagles offense got rolling. A beautiful 62 yard TD pass from McNabb to WR DeSean Jackson put the Eagles up 25-24 in the 4th quarter. In past years Arizona would have folded but this team was different. Warner led the Cardinals down the field and hit Hightower with an 8 yard TD pass giving the Cardinals a 30-25 lead. Warner then hit Ben Patrick for a 2-point conversion, making the lead 32-25. The Cardinals defense had to come up with a stop and they did, clinching the victory for Arizona and their first ever Super Bowl appearance.

There will be no The Week That Was on Monday as I will be on vacation. I will be back next Friday with the final Hail Mary of the year as I analyze and predict Super Bowl XLIII between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Arizona Cardinals.