>>> UNIVERSITY OF PHOENIX, STADIUM IN GLENDALE, ARIZONA. THE RETRACTABLE ROOF IS CLOSED TODAY, SO IT'S GOING TO BE LOUD FOR THE NFC WILD CARD MATCH-UP BETWEEN THE ATLANTA FALCONS AND ARIZONA CARDINALS AND FANS ANTICIPATING THE APPEARANCE OF THEIR HEROES TODAY, THE ARIZONA CARDINALS AND THEIR QUARTERBACK IS KURT WARNER, HE'S 37 YEARS OLD. SOME THOUGHT HIS CAREER WAS FINISHED. ALL HE'S DONE IS HAVE A RECORD-BREAKING SEASON LEADING THE CARDINALS INTO THE PLAYOFFS. NEARLY 14 YEARS HIS JUNIOR, ATLANTA COUNTER PART P-MATT RYAN, ROOKIE QUARTERBACK WHO HAS BEEN SENSATIONAL FOR THE CARDINALS. TELE, EVERYONE, WELCOME TO ARIZONA, TOM HAMMOND WITH CRIS COLLINSWORTH. TWO INCREDIBLE TEAMS FOR THIS FRANCHISE. 60 SEASONS SINCE THEY HOSTED THE PLAYOFF GAME. THEY WERE THE CHICAGO CARDINALS BACK IN 1947 WHEN THEY PLAYED. THEY ARE THE CHAMPIONS OF NFC WEST. CRIS THEY GOT TO THIS POINT BY HAVING ONE OF THE BEST PASSING ATTACKS IN THE LEAGUE. >> Cris: DO THEY EVER. YOU TALKED ABOUT UP AND DOWN CAREER OF KURT WARNER. HE'S ON THE UPSWING NOW, BACK IN THE PRO BOWL. BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY BACK IN THE PLAYOFFS WITH ONE MORE CHANCE TO GET ANOTHER SUPER BOWL RING AND HE CERTAINLY HAS SOME WEAPONS. ACROBATIC LARRY FITZGERALD WHO HAS SOME OF THE BEST HANDS IN FOOTBALL AND ANQUAN BOLDIN, ONE OF THE TOUGHEST PLAYERS IN ANY POSITION IN ALL OF FOOTBALL AS WELL. >> Tom: YOU DO KNOW HE'S A WIDE RECEIVER. >> Randall: I WAS GOING TO THROW THAT IN THERE AS WELL. >> Tom: WHAT ABOUT THE ATLANTA FALCONS. YOU KNOW ABOUT ALL OF THEIR TROUBLES. MICHAEL VICK, CONVICTED, SENT TO PRISON THE NEXT DAY, BOBBY PATRON ANY WENT TO ARKANSAS. THEY SIGNED UNRESTRICTED FREE AGENT, MICHAEL TURNER, THE RUNNING BACK AND THIRD PICK IN THE DRAFT THEY SELECTED MATT RYAN WHO HAS BEEN ALREADY IN SOME POLLS ROOKIE OF THE YEAR. THEY LIKE MORE BALANCE IN THEIR ATTACK TO GET THE RUNNING GAME GOING TOO. >> Cris: YEAH, THEY CERTAINLY DO. THIS IS THE STORY OF MATT RYAN, YOUNG MAN, ONE OF THE MOST SUCCESSFUL ROOKIE QUARTERBACKS IN THE HISTORY OF NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE. YOU TALK TO THEIR COACHES. THEY SAY HE HAS AN AMAZING OFFENSE. TALK TO THE OFFENSIVE LINEMAN, THEY SAY HE'S THE REASON THEY'VE GIVEN UP SO FEW SACKS. MAYBE THE OTHER REASON IS THE OUTSTANDING RUNNING BACK, MICHAEL TURNER, HE'S SO TOUGH. HE CAN BOWL YOU OVER. CERTAINLY RUN AROUND YOU AND COME UP WITH BIG PLAYS AS WELL. SHOULD BE AN EXCITING DAY HERE TODAY. >> Tom: A LOST FIREWORKS. WE'RE EXPECTING A SHOOTOUT IN THE DESERT. >> IF YOU'RE WILLING TO DO IT, THE SKY'S THE LIMIT. >> ONE GOAL, ONE GAME AT A TIME. BIT FASTER, INTENSE, FUN TO PLAY. >> EVERYBODY UNDERSTANDS THE TEMPO PICKS UP MORE. IF YOU THINK THAT WAS FAST, HERE COMES THE PLAYOFFS. CAPTIONS PAID FOR BY
NBC-UNIVERSAL TELEVISION >>> PHYSICAL EDUCATION IS DISAPPEARING FROM SCHOOLS ACROSS AMERICA. THAT'S WHY NFL NETWORK CREATED, KEEP GYM IN SCHOOL. >> IMPROVING FACILITIES, FUNDING TEACHER'S SALARIES. AND INSPIRING KIDS FOR A LIFETIME OF FITNESS. DON'T LET GYM DISAPPEAR, KEEP GYM IN SCHOOL. >> WARNER FOR THE END ZONE, FITZGERALD, TOUCHDOWN. >> THIS OPPORTUNITY IS NOT GUARANTEED TO HAPPEN AGAIN. THIS TEAM IS SPECIAL, YOU REALLY HAVE TO TAKE ADVANTAGE AND WIN IT NOW. >> IT'S BEEN A GOOD SEASON SO FAR. BUT A PERFECT SEASON. >> Tom: SO WE'RE READY TO START THE SECOND HALF WITH ATLANTA LEADING ARIZONA 17-14, IN THE NFC WILD CARD GAME FROM GLENDALE, ARIZONA. FIRST HALF STATS, ONE OF THE GOALS WAS BALL POSSESSION IN ORDER TO KEEP KURT WARNER AND COMPANY OFF THE FIELD AND THEY SUCCEEDED IN THAT. >> Cris: THEY CERTAINLY DID. AND I TELL YOU, DUE IN LARGE PART TO THE FACT THAT MATT RYAN WAS ABLE TO CONVERT SO MANY THIRD DOWNS. HE STARTED OFF NOT SO WELL. COMPLETED HIS LAST FOUR THIRD DOWNS AND THAT REALLY WAS THE DIFFERENCE. >> Tom: RACKERS WITH A SECOND-HALF KICKOFF. NORWOOD TAKES IT IN THE END ZONE. JARIUS NORWOOD FOUND A LITTLE LANE AND CROSSED THE 25 TO THE 27 YARD LINE AS WE GO BACK TO TIKI BARBER. >> Tiki: I TALKED TO ATLANTA HEAD COACH MIKE SMITH RIGHT BEFORE HALFTIME. HE SAID TURNING POINT IN THE SECOND QUARTER CAME WHEN THEY WENT TO THE HURRY-UP OFFENSE. MATT RYAN GOT OFF TO A SLOW START AND CHATTED WITH HIP TO CALM DOWN HIS YARDS. HE ALSO SAID HE'S GOING TO STICK WITH THE ONING GAME, CONTRAST WITH THE ARIZONA HEAD COACH KEN WHISENHUNT SAID THEY NEED TO GET BACK TO THE RUNNING GAME. KICK UPDATE ON ANQUAN BOLDIN, THEY THINK HE HAS A STRAIN IN HIS HAMSTRING, HIS RETURN IS NOW QUESTIONABLE. >> Tom: THANK YOU, TIKI. FIRST DOWN FOR THE FALCONS HERE AND MATT RYAN PASS ON FIRST AND IT'S COMPLETE TO JUSTIN PEELLE. AND AFTER AN INTERCEPTION, FITZGERALD WITH A TOUCHDOWN CATCH. TOUCHDOWN PASS TO BOLDIN, BUT THEN ATLANTA STAYED WITH IT. MATT RYAN FOUND HIS RHYTHM AND LAST TOUCHDOWN AFTER A TURNOVER SCORED BY MICHAEL TURNER ON THE GROUND. JUST TO BACK UP WHAT TIKI WAS STAYING. ATLANTA STAYED WITH THE RUN, TURNER IN THE FIRST QUARTER HAD 11 CARRIES IN THE EIGHT YARDS. AND EIGHT CARRIES FOR 31. ARIZONA, 33 YARDS FOR EDGERRIN JAMES. TURNOVER RIGHT INTO THE HAND OF ROLLE WHO ROLLS IN FOR THE TOUCHDOWN. IT JUST POPPED OUT OF THE ARMS INTO THE HAND OF ANTREL ROLLE WHO HAD TO EASY ARIZONA SCORE. >> Cris: ONE OF THE DEFENSIVE LINEMAN JUST SHOT THE GAP AND COMPLETELY CAUGHT HIM OFF GUARD. DARNELL DOCKETT USED HIS QUICKNESS. BEATING OFFENSIVE LINEMAN OFF THE BALL AND WHAT A WAY TO START THE SECOND HALF. >> Tom: INCREDIBLE. AS ROLLE IS ABOUT TO TAKE THE 27 YARDS FOR THE SCORE. AND SO RACKERS, BACK FOR THE EXTRA POINTS. WOW. THAT BA
