Cardinals down Eagles to reach first Super Bowl

Kurt Warner threw four touchdown passes, three to Larry Fitzgerald, and the Arizona Cardinals withstood a late rally Sunday to beat Philadelphia 32-25, advancing to their first Super Bowl.

The Cardinals, who won their only National Football League crown in 1947 when they were based in Chicago, will face either Baltimore or Pittsburgh for this season's title in Super Bowl 43 on February 1 in Tampa, Florida.

The 61-season championship drought is the second-longest active span without a title in North American professional sports, eclipsed only by the 100-year gap since baseball's Chicago Cubs won the 1908 World Series crown.

"It was really a team win," Cardinals coach Ken Whisenhunt said. "We're just excited that we get a chance to go to the Super Bowl."

Warner connected with Fitzgerald on scoring tosses of one, nine and 62 yards in the first half to give the Cardinals a 24-6 half-time lead before the Eagles rallied late in the third quarter with two touchdowns just 3:19 apart.

Donovan McNabb connected with Brent Celek on touchdown passes of six and 31 yards to lift Philadelphia back into contention, although kicker David Akers was wide right on the conversion kick for the second score, leaving Arizona ahead 24-19.

Akers had made 45 successful conversion kicks in a row before botching one in the critical situation.

The Eagles struck again on their next possession to grab their first lead of the game.

McNabb launched a long throw to rookie DeSean Jackson, who raced past Arizona defenders, made a juggling catch and high-stepped into the end zone to complete a 62-yard touchdown play.

A two-point conversion pass was incomplete, leaving the Eagles ahead 25-24 with 10:45 remaining.

But Arizona answered with a 14-play, 72-yard march that ended with Warner flipping a nine-yard touchdown pass to Tim Hightower and a two-point conversion toss to Ben Patrick, putting the Cardinals back in front 32-25 with 2:53 to go.

"That drive when we scored a touchdown and took seven minutes off the clock was really the difference in the game," said Whisenhunt, who took a victory lap around the field slapping the hands of supporters.

Needing a touchdown to equalize, the Eagles drove to the Arizona 47-yard line with 1:57 remaining but a fourth-down McNabb pass was incomplete, although the Eagles sought a pass interference penalty on Arizona that was not given.

"What the officials called is what they called. What they called, you go with it," Eagles coach Andy Reid said. "That's part of the game."

Arizona surrendered the ball with time for only one play. The Eagles attempted a rugby-style, razzle-dazzle series of laterals but the Cardinals intercepted the ball and ended Philadelphia's last hope.

"This one hurts," Reid said. "I'm proud of the guys for getting here. They battled their hearts out. There can be only one happy team."

The Eagles fell to 1-4 in National Conference championship games under Reid, whose Eagles lost to New England in the 2005 Super Bowl.

The Cardinals, who had won only two playoff games in their history before this season, have won three in a row to reach what will be Warner's third Super Bowl. He won with the St. Louis Rams in 2000 and lost with them in 2002.

Warner, 37, will be the third-oldest quarterback to play in the Super Bowl after leading an unlikely Arizona squad whose NFC West crown was dismissed by many as coming against the weakest division foes in the league.

"When nobody else believed in us, when nobody else believed in me, you did," Warner told a stadium of screaming supporters. "Now we're going to the Super Bowl."

Momentum shifted to Arizona's favor early in the second quarter after Akers, who had connected earlier from 45 yards, missed a 47-yard field goal attempt to snap his NFL-record streak of 19 successful kicks.

On the next play, Warner connected with Fitzgerald on a 62-yard touchdown pass. Fitzgerald outraced defenders to the ball, stumbled over a fallen rival and ran into the end zone to give the Cardinals a 14-3 lead.

Akers answered with a 33-yard field goal but the Cardinals marched 73 yards in nearly six minutes and Warner found Fitzgerald in the back left corner of the end zone to boost Arizona's edge.

"They did a great job executing plays," Reid said. "They did a nice job with their last drive."

Fitzgerald grabbed a nine-yard touchdown pass from Warner just 5:40 into the game to give the Cardinals the early lead.

Arizona's Neil Rackers kicked a 49-yard field goal on the last play of the second quarter to give the Cardinals a 24-6 lead.