NFL Playoffs | Long wait worth it as Arizona stops Atlanta, 30-24

GLENDALE, Ariz. — It had been 61 years since the Cardinals had hosted a playoff game, and almost as long since anyone had seen Edgerrin James.

But James emerged Saturday from months in coach Ken Whisenhunt's doghouse to carry Arizona to a 30-24 victory over the Atlanta Falcons in an NFC wild-card playoff game.

Kurt Warner threw for two touchdowns, Antrel Rolle returned a fumble for a score and Antonio Smith sacked Atlanta quarterback Matt Ryan for a safety as Arizona won its first playoff game since 1998 and its first at home since 1947, when they were the Chicago Cardinals.

"A lot of people coming into this game said we were the worst playoff team ever to get in," Arizona coach Ken Whisenhunt said. "... I think we rallied around that."

The Cardinals clinched the victory when Warner completed a 23-yard pass to tight end Stephen Spach on third-and-16 at the two-minute warning.

"I hope this gives us a lot of confidence," Warner said. "I knew we thought we could win this game. Hopefully we can parlay this into some more confidence and know we can win wherever we have to go."

Arizona will play at either the New York Giants or Carolina Panthers next weekend. Arizona has played both teams this season, losing 27-23 at Carolina on Oct. 26, and 37-29 at home to the Giants on Nov. 23.

But the catalyst for the victory was James, who earlier this season asked to be released and earlier last week said he would not return next season even though he is under contract.

He carried 16 times for 73 yards, but his impact went far beyond those numbers.

"In this league, you do what it takes when it matters," James said. "It's no secret what type of runner I am. I was finally put in a position to be that type of runner."

"I think you have to remember what we did as a team this year and we did some things well," Ryan said. "We made some strides as a team as the year went on. But you have to use this as motivation. You don't want to be here."

The Cardinals engendered so little faith — from bookmakers, analysts or their own fans, who did not make the game a sellout until late Friday — because they had the NFL's worst rushing offense.

Arizona averaged a league-low 3.3 yards a carry and once the season hit mid-October barely made a pretense of running. It was around this time that James lost his starting job to rookie Tim Hightower.

Since then, James had been used mostly as a blocking back (he had 11 carries during an eight-game stretch). But in last week's meaningless season finale, James carried 14 times for 100 yards in a victory over Seattle.

James, 30, looked just as well rested and vigorous on Saturday.

He burst through tacklers, making others miss, and just as he once did for Peyton Manning in Indianapolis, forced defenses to respect the run.

On his first three carries, James ran for 6, 9 and 6 yards — on the last one flattening safety Erik Coleman. On the next play, the Cardinals put the ball in James' hands again. But as he reached the line of scrimmage, James stopped and pitched the ball back to Warner. He fired a 42-yard touchdown pass to Larry Fitzgerald, who made a spectacular catch in the end zone between cornerback Chris Houston and safety Lawyer Malloy, the former Washington Husky.