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Cardinals clinch NFC West title

Dec 8, 2008 - 2:30 AM GLENDALE, Arizona (Ticker) -- The Arizona Cardinals and their long-suffering fans celebrated the franchise's first division title in more than three decades.

Kurt Warner set a franchise single-season record for completions as the Cardinals routed the St. Louis Rams, 34-10, to wrap up the NFC West on Sunday.

Arizona (8-5) secured its first division crown since winning the NFC East in 1975, when the franchise was located in St. Louis.

"It is hard to put in perspective for some people who have been here for 20-plus years," Arizona coach Ken Whisenhunt said. "I am just happy that we did some things that allowed us to win the division."

The win also assured the Cardinals a home playoff game for the first time since 1947, when the franchise was in Chicago.

"A lot of the guys are whooping and hollering but they don't know, over the four years since I've been here, how far we have come," Warner said.

Even though the Cardinals play in the weak NFC West - where the three teams behind them have a combined nine wins - Sunday's victory was a momentous one for the franchise.

Arizona's only previous postseason appearance since the franchise relocated to the desert 20 years ago came in 1998, when the Cardinals posted a 9-7 record and won a wild-card playoff game at Dallas.

"It has been a long time and I was wondering if we were ever going to get into the playoffs,"

said Arizona defensive tackle Darnell Dockett, who is in his fifth season with the Cardinals. "I can't tell you how I feel. I have never been here, so I don't know how to act."

The Cardinals clinched the division in their third attempt, having dropped their previous two games to the New York Giants and Philadelphia Eagles. Arizona improved to 5-0 against division opponents.

"I can only speak for the four years I've been here," Warner added. "I have no idea what it is like to be here for 20-plus years (and not make the playoffs)."

Coming off a 48-25 loss at Philadelphia on Thanksgiving, the Cardinals left nothing to chance against the woeful Rams (2-11), scoring on their first two possessions to open an early 14-0 lead.

"Today, we came in here and I could tell we were going to win the game," added Dockett, who returned Steven Jackson's fumble 11 yards for a touchdown to give the Cardinals a 27-7 lead with four minutes left in the third quarter. "It was in people's eyes. We went out and executed and we dominated."

The Rams, who have been outscored, 117-47, in the first quarter this season, suffered their seventh straight loss.

Warner completed 24-of-33 passes for 279 yards and a touchdown against the team he led to a Super Bowl title in the 1999 season. He has 347 completions this season, breaking Neil Lomax's previous franchise mark of 345 set in 1984.

"(Warner) knows how to win and he is a good addition for that team," Rams quarterback Marc Bulger said of his former teammate.

With the fans in full celebratory mode, rookie Dominique Rogers-Cromartie put the finishing touches on the victory by returning an interception a franchise record-tying 99 yards for a touchdown with 3:11 remaining.

"At the time, I was screaming in my head, 'Touchdown, touchdown,'" Rogers-Cromartie said. "It is a great feeling as a rookie to get your first pick six."

The Cardinals took the opening kickoff and marched 76 yards on 10 plays to go up 7-0 on a 1-yard touchdown run by Tim Hightower, who set a franchise rookie record with his 10th score of the season.

After forcing a three-and-out, Arizona made it 14-0 on Warner's 12-yard TD strike to Larry Fitzgerald.

The Rams halved the deficit on Marc Bulger's 3-yard TD pass to Steven Jackson with 14:14 left in the first half, but Neil Rackers kicked a pair of field goals to give Arizona a 20-7 halftime lead.