Next win and they're in
Cards keep wild-card edge with last-second win over Saints
Posted: Monday December 21, 1998 07:57 AM
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What a Card: Adrian Murrell scored on a 21-yard run -- Arizona's only touchdown AP |
TEMPE, Arizona (AP) -- Maybe the Arizona Cardinals are
good enough for the playoffs. Any team that has Jake Plummer at
quarterback has a chance.
Plummer led the Cardinals on another last-minute desperation drive, setting
up Chris Jacke's
final-play, 36-yard field goal to give Arizona a 19-17 victory over the New Orleans Saints on
Sunday.
The Cardinals (8-7), who last made the playoffs in the 1982 strike season
after a 5-4 record while playing in St. Louis, can claim the final NFC
wild-card berth with a home victory over the San Diego Chargers next
Sunday.
The Cardinals haven't been to the playoffs in a non-strike year since 1975.
The loss eliminated the Saints (6-9) from contention, leaving only Tampa
Bay and the New York
Giants alive. If the Cardinals lose, they can still make the playoffs
if Philadelphia beats the Giants.
Plummer passed for 394 yards and threw the final block to spring Adrian Murrell on a
21-yard scoring run -- Arizona's only touchdown -- with 8:16 left in the
third quarter.
Saints free safety Sammy Knight returned an interception 39 yards for a TD that gave the Saints a 7-3 lead in the second quarter AP | |
The victory was the eighth for the second-year quarterback in 10 games when
Arizona was tied or trailing in the fourth quarter. He directed the 73-yard
drive in the final 1:16 to set up Jacke's game-winner that went through as
the clock ran out.
Jacke had three earlier field goals, from 21, 38 and 46 yards.
Saints free safety Sammy
Knight returned an interception 39 yards for a TD that gave the Saints
a 7-3 lead in the second quarter. The teams exchanged field goals and the
Saints held a 10-6 halftime lead.
Knight recovered a fumble by Murrell on the Arizona 18-yard line with 12:28
left in the game. But Cardinals linebackers Mark Maddox and Jamir Miller stopped Lamar Smith for no gain on
fourth-and-1 at the 9 to preserve a 13-10 Arizona lead.
After Jacke's field goal with 6:48 to play gave the Cardinals a 16-10 lead,
Kerry Collins took the
Saints on a 14-play, 75-yard drive capped by a 13-yard TD pass to Cameron Cleeland. It was
New Orleans' first offensive touchdown in more than nine quarters and gave
it a 17-16 lead with 1:21 left.
The kickoff return took five more seconds, and Plummer took over on his own
8. He hit Frank Sanders
for 25 and 28 yards on the first two plays, then scrambled for 21 yards as
he moved the Cardinals into position for the winner.
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