Cardinals-Panthers Live Blogging: Fourth Quarter

> Boo, Punt Pass and Kick people! I demand that you return the kids being able to wear clearly visible uniforms, so that fans can boo the kids wearing the wrong laundry! That was one of my favorite things about this timewaste! (That, and thinking Impure Thoughts about the 14-15 girls champion, who usually tarts it up.)

> Delhomme to Rosario, off the back foot, for 12 yards to the 14. Williams can't get more than two yards on first, as Bertrand Berry tracks him down. Williams tries to draw a flag as Delhomme can't get it to him; Another Bad Throw, for all of you tracking such things. On third and 8 from the gun, it's a delay of game. Just sad. And even sadder is the inevitable pick, Delhomme's fourth of the day, as Ralph Brown does the honors in the end zone. Seriously, someone should just put a bullet in Delhomme at this point. It'd be less painful.

> Hightower for five as the Cardinals try to put the Panthers out of their misery. James gets the first on second down as Steve Spach, the tight end, is on the ground and screaming. Fox goes for commerce, and good luck with that, seeing as no one in their right mind is still watching this one.

> Warner throws it away under heavy pressure on first down, and if this game were close, the lack of intentional grounding call would have been strong. James for a few, and why the Cards would be risking Warner on any play right now is questionable. You could win this game with Matt Leinart handing off for the rest of the night. A third and seven pass to Fitz is almost brought in, and why they throw there, I have no idea. The Panthers don't use Steve smith to return the punt, because they'd rather lose with dignity, I guess. They'll start from their own 31 in their quest to have Delhomme turn it over a sixth time.

> A screen to Stewart for 12. You know, this is just a three possession game, with the two point conversion rule. Rodgers-Cromartie nearly gets the TAInt, and would have had it if the ball was on target. Second down gets pick number five and turnover number six, as Rod Hood gets one. It's like Free Pick night, folks, and almost all of them have been terrible plays by Delhomme. The last time a QB threw five picks in a playoff game, it was Rich Gannon in the Super Bowl, and with 10 minutes left in the game and the Panther defense not quitting, I bet he gets the record. Happy 34th birthday, Jake! Enjoy your infamy!

> The Cards get a first down running the football. Fitz is on the sidelines; why not Warner? Eight minutes and counting, and the Cardinals will be the last NFC team to make it to the conference championship game since the AFL merger. (And yes, I was as surprised as you to hear that Lions had been there.)

> Fox is now trying to talk up the Cardinals as a worthy NFC Championship team. Um, even if they are the home team, I can't see them being less than a 7-point dog. If they go to NY, I think the line might be 15.

> Am I pumped up to see "Watchmen"? Well, sure. But I'm also dreading it a little. Honestly, the book is so good, and if they blow it, it'll hurt. A lot.

> Cards laughing it up on the sideline, and why not? There's no earthly way the Panthers are going to win this game. Fox is now talking up the Cardinals running game, as if the fact that they've ran for 140+ yards had any real impact in this game. Folks, when you get the ball five more times than your opponent thanks to a historic pickfest, your play-call balance really doesn't matter.

> Hightower goes for 17 as the Panthers no longer care, not even on third and nine. So, if the Cards win the Super Bowl, does Edge James still want to be around? Warner is tripped for the third time tonight inside the red zone; something to keep in mind for next week, when the game matters. Hightower is stopped in his bid for his second touchdown, and that's the death knell for the suck-out over cover. Rackers hits from 20, and it's 33-7, Cardinals, with their most points in franchise playoff history. Not exactly a big set of games to choose from there.

> Can Delhomme set the all-time record for playoff interceptions? He'll do it in front of a very small percentage of the remaining faithful, and the road teams will be 4-2 so far in the playoffs. Wow.

> It's Pick Watch Time. Come on, Jake, we know you can do it! A tipped ball on the second play of the drive almost gets us there, but no. You also have to love his big jazz hands move, which should be your go-to move to mock him. I'm pretty sure that Panther Fan is rooting for the sixth pick, too. (Oh, and if you had Jake in your post-season playoff fantasy league, he's at -5 points for the night in standard Yahoo scoring.) Come on, Fox, show us his QB rating -- is it the worst ever? Who is he competing against? I need another Todd Marinovich sighting for this postseason.

> A deep ball to Rosario almost gets us there, but the LB doesn't turn in time to break on the ball. Muhammad skies for a ball that was ticketed for the safety; a reflexive "Moose" call from the fans is just sad. For some reason, Fitz likes to attach his gloves to his helmet. Well, OK then. Those things look like they break the No Stick Um rule, though. Delhomme throws a bubble screen to Steve Smith, who simply stiff arms a guy out of his way for the touchdown, and yes, Smith is still a Bad Mother. Delhomme ends his night by missing Williams in the flat for the two-point conversion, and if the Cards cover an onside kick, that's it for this one. They do, with Fitz doing the honors. 33-13 is your final.

> Warner thanks God for the win. Can't you thank Him for letting you face Jake Delhomme? Or, at the very least, express sympathy to Jake for his unfortunate allegiance to some other, clearly inferior, deity?

> So the best division in football this year, the NFC South, goes 0-2 in the playoffs against a wildly weak division winner. A 6 and 4 seeds are in their conference championships. I'm 1-5 ATS in the postseason. And if the Eagles win tomorrow, they'll likely be favored to go the Super Bowl. If you aren't smoking crack by now before you pick these games, feel free to start. I would, but I can no longer afford it. G'night.