Looking ahead at the NFC Championship game

by Paul Needell/The Star-Ledger

Sunday January 11, 2009, 10:22 PM

William Perlman/The Star-LedgerReports that Eagles quarterback Donovan McNabb is washed up appear to slightly premature.

PHILADELPHIA EAGLES (11-6-1)
AT ARIZONA CARDINALS (11-7)

Sunday, 3 p.m., Ch. 5

What to expect: Either Cardinals QB Kurt Warner will have a field day picking apart the blitz-crazed Eagles or they'll make him look like Eli Manning with a ton of INTs headed their way. It's pretty simple, really.

Everybody knows what Arizona wants to do. It involves old man Warner dropping back to pass and his offensive line giving him time to find WRs Larry Fitzgerald, Anquan Boldin (if healthy) and Steve Breaston. Occasional handoffs to RBs Edgerrin James and rookie Tim Hightower are just for show. If they're effective, it's icing on the cake.

When Philly pounded the Cards, 48-20, on Nov. 27 at The Linc, Warner completed 21 of 39 passes for 235 yards, three TDs and three INTs. It wasn't pretty. Especially when Arizona tried stopping RB Brian Westbrook. He scored four TDs -- two rushing, two receiving -- and ran for 110 yards.

Warner wasn't sacked once. But he was forced to throw before he wanted to throughout. His friends up front have to do much better this time around.

Why it's good for the Eagles: The high-flying Birds have won six of their last seven after being left for dead at 5-5-1 in the NFC East. Lo and behold, their rebirth began on Thanksgiving night vs. the Cardinals. The Eagles, behind four Donovan McNabb TD passes, manhandled Arizona. That was just four days after Andy Reid benched McNabb for Kevin Kolb in a loss to the Ravens. Funny how the NFL works out sometimes, isn't it?

Why it's good for the Cardinals: Arizona wasn't expected to be here, either. But the Cardinals became the last franchise from the 1970 NFL-AFL merger to make it to a conference title game. And the Cards get to play at home, too, as the NFC Worst champs. Arizona is 7-2 at home this season, including the 30-24 wild-card win over the Falcons on Jan. 3. If the Warner air show is going to be effective, it's better to be in the desert than in inclement Philly in January.

Key matchup: Eagles CBs Asante Samuel/Sheldon Brown vs. Cardinals WRs Larry Fitzgerald/Anquan Boldin

The Cardinals go as far as Warner-to-Fitzgerald-and-Boldin can take to them, which has worked out splendidly thus far. Boldin will be a question mark all week with the bum hamstring that kept him out of Saturday's upset over the Panthers. Fitzgerald (8 catches, 166 yards, 1 TD) didn't seem to miss him much. He's a 6-3, 220-pound octopus with suction cups attached to all eight of his arms/hands. You get the idea. Samuel has two INTs in the playoffs, one returned for a TD. He's got the knack for that sort of thing.

Postseason history: The teams have split two playoff games but we're not going to try to sell you on their relevance. The then-Chicago Cardinals and Eagles played for the NFL Championship in 1947 and '48. The Cards took the first clash of the birds, 28-21, in Chicago on Dec. 28, 1947. The Eagles took the rematch, 7-0, on Dec. 19. 1948. Remember? Neither do any of the current coaches or players. Some fans might. Bless you all.

Our take: Eagles 35, Cardinals 21. What, you expected us to wrap our head around the Arizona Cardinals going to Super Bowl XLIII? Sorry. Can't do it. Only negative of Philly going to Tampa is we have to bear witness to Reid growing out that unsightly thing he calls a beard.