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Cards stay with Warner for Sunday's game at Atlanta

Sep 26, 2006 - 9:28 PM Arizona (1-2) at Atlanta (2-1) Sunday 1:00 pm EDT

ATLANTA (Ticker) -- The Arizona Cardinals think they can contend for a playoff spot in 2006 and they want veteran quarterback Kurt Warner to lead the way.

Coach Dennis Green will stick with that plan and keep Warner at the controls when the Cardinals visit the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday.

The pressure was on Green to make the switch to Matt Leinart, the 2004 Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback from Southern California, after Warner committed four turnovers in a 16-14 loss to St. Louis last week. Warner was intercepted three times and fumbled a snap at the St. Louis 18 in the final two minutes.

It was reported that Leinart would get his first NFL start on Sunday, but that will not be the case. Green made it clear on Tuesday that Warner remains the starter.

"Generally talking about the starting lineup is not something we do," Green said. "However, given the speculation that was out there we want to make it clear. We're disappointed after last week, but we still expect to be a playoff football team and we fully expect Kurt Warner to be the quarterback that leads us. That has not changed."

With two-time rushing champion Edgerrin James in the backfield and Anquan Boldin and Larry Fitzgerald at the wide receiver positions, Arizona has high expectations this season. However, the offense has produced just three touchdowns in the last two games - losses to NFC West rivals Seattle (21-10) and St. Louis.

Warner will now duel Michael Vick, the league's most electrifying quarterback. Vick is coming off a poor performance in the Falcons' 23-3 loss at New Orleans, completing just 12-of-31 passes for 137 yards.

Thanks to Vick's running ability, Atlanta has the league's best rushing attack. Vick scrambled for 57 yards on Monday, but the Falcons got just 60 yards from their backs.

Arizona effectively stopped the run last week, holding Steven Jackson to 62 yards on 24 carries in the loss to the Rams.

James enjoyed his best game as a Cardinal last week, rushing for 94 yards and a touchdown on 24 carries.

The Falcons hope to get three-time Pro Bowl defensive end John Abraham back in the lineup. Abraham has missed the last two games with a groin injury after recording two sacks and two forced fumbles in the season-opening win at Carolina.

Boldin and Fitzgerald will match up against DeAngelo Hall, Atlanta's best cover corner, and Jason Webster. Boldin caught 10 passes for 129 yards last week.

Vick has faced the Cardinals just once in his career and threw for just 115 yards and ran for 68 yards, but was sacked six times in a 6-3 win on September 26, 2004.