Cardinals live to play another week

Darnell Dockett (90) celebrates with teammate Bertrand Berry on Saturday. Kevin Terrell/Getty Images

While driving to work early Thursday morning, Cardinals defensive tackle Darnell Dockett felt tears welling in his eyes as he peered through the tinted windows of his Mercedes sedan.

The Cardinals' first playoff game in a decade was still two days away, but the thought of playing on the postseason stage for the first time in his career was almost too much for fifth-year pro to stand. With his heart racing seemingly as fast as car, Dockett took a couple of deep breaths and told himself to relax.

"You have to understand what this means to me," he said later that afternoon. "I've actually got something to play for. Last night was New Year's Eve and I was home asleep by 10 o'clock. I can't remember the last time I stayed home on New Year's Eve. I'm always out when that clock strikes midnight. Last year I was in Vegas. But this time I was asleep by 10 o'clock. When I woke up, I felt good because I kept thinking to myself, 'I've got something to play for. I've actually got something to play for.' "

Dockett's passion and purpose were evident Saturday in the Cardinals' 30-24 victory over favored Atlanta in an NFC wild card game. He provided the play of the game on the second snap of the third quarter, bursting low and inside Falcons right tackle Harvey Dahl to force a fumble as quarterback Matt Ryan was attempting to hand off to running back Michael Turner.

Safety Antrel Rolle grabbed the loose ball out of the air and returned it 27 yards for a 21-17 lead that the Cardinals would not relinquish. Now a team that was ridiculed and left for dead before the opening kickoff awaits the outcome of Sunday's Philadelphia-Minnesota game to determine whether it will play the Giants or Panthers next weekend in the divisional round.

"A lot of people coming into this game said that we were the worst playoff team to ever get in and no one ever gave us a chance," coach Ken Whisenhunt said afterward. "I think we rallied around that. We played well."

As safety Adrian Wilson sat at his locker and reviewed the final stats, he modestly said to no one in particular: "250 total yards (allowed); 60 yards rushing. Pretty good day at the park."

The comment was a dig at all the prognosticators, reporters and fans who said the Falcons would have their way with the Cardinals -- particularly on offense.

Arizona lost four of its final six games to end the regular season, allowing at least 35 points in each of the defeats and 47 or more in two of them. Against Atlanta, it would face a team that finished the season 10th in scoring.

The Cardinals also surrendered 183 yards or more rushing in three of their last five games, including 239 against Minnesota. Against the Falcons, they would face a back (Turner) who finished second in rushing with 1,699 yards and was coming off a 208-yard outing against the Rams.

Pretty good day at the park, indeed.

None of the Cardinals can say with certainty why they struggled at the end of the season, particularly on defense. They ostensibly wrapped up the division in mid-November after beating the Seahawks and officially clinched on Dec. 7 with a defeat of the Rams. So perhaps they did lose focus and their attention to detail.

But in beating the Falcons the Cardinals showed several things that many outsiders doubted they had: a running game, a capable defense and the character to overcome adversity. Let's address them in order:

The running game: The Cardinals had failed to rush for 100 yards in seven consecutive games before gaining 111 against the Seahawks in the season finale. Not coincidentally the breakout performance came with the return of veteran Edgerrin James to the starting lineup for struggling rookie Tim Hightower.

Although James gained just 73 yards on 16 carries against the Falcons, he repeatedly came up with tough yards and kept the Cardinals out of negative situations on first down. His effectiveness early, when he gained 6, 9 and 6 yards on successive carries, set up Arizona's first touchdown because the defense bit on the run when James took the handoff on a fourth straight play. However James turned and flipped the ball back QB Kurt Warner, who then threw a 42-yard touchdown pass to Larry Fitzgerald for a 7-0 lead.

James did not have a negative carry. He was slow and steady, with his carries ranging from 0 to 10 yards. Four of them went for 5 yards, four for 6, and one each of 2, 7, 9 and 10 yards. He three for no gain.

"The key to me going in was, if we could have success running the ball when they were playing pass, we would have a good chance," says offensive coordinator Todd Haley. "I mean success. I don't mean just running it. It gave our guys a chance up front to be physical and beat up on (pass-rush end John Abraham) a little bit."

Capable defense: Despite its previous struggles, the unit was determined to show it could get it done. With the focus on stopping Turner, the Cardinals left their corners in man coverage much of the game, with rookie Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie matched up against Roddy White, and Roderick Hood shadowing Michael Jenkins. Cromartie met the challenge with an acrobatic interception, and reserve corner Ralph Brown also had a pick of Ryan, who ran hot and cold in his first playoff game, finishing 26-of-40 for 1999 yards with two TDs and two picks. He was sacked three times.

Overcoming adversity: After taking a 14-3 lead, the Cardinals surrendered back-to-back touchdowns at the end of the first half, the second following an interception of Warner. Momentum clearly had switched sidelines, and with the Falcons getting the second-half kickoff there was a sense that the Cardinals, who did not have a history of being resilient, might fold if the Falcons took it in for a score.

But on the second play from scrimmage, Dockett burst free and forced the fumble that Rolle returned for a score. The moment was just what Dockett had talked about earlier in the week, after his emotional drive to the training facility.

"I was really feeling it, like this is it," he said that day. "I was thinking to myself that every play is going to be a big play, every play you're going to have to go all out. You've got to have it in the back of your mind that if you don't go all out, if you don't make this play, if you don't dominate this play, what if they run the ball in your gap for a touchdown? It's one of those games where you've got to prepare well and know exactly what you're doing. And you've got to play fast."

Dockett did, and for that the Cardinals live to play another week.