Cardinals-Panthers Live Blogging: Second Quarter

> Second quarter begins with a godawful Delhomme pick as Dominique Rodgers Cromartie makes a nice play in the end zone; he brings it out to the 20. Huge! Two straight turnovers to end drives from the Panthers is a bad way to protect home field, people.

> Cards take a delay penalty -- see, they can still be called! -- to start their drive. Steve Breaston gets 12 on a hook with faulty tackling. James converts the second down with a nice little surge from the O-line. He gets another 6 on a nice little internal cut. Tony Siragusa talks about whatever it is that fat meatheads talk about. The Panthers jump and give the Cardinals their second first down of the drive. James for another 7 on a delay handoff where a fast back gets more, but the power back gets some due to the stiff arm. On second and 3, a Hightower draw fools no one and gains no yards, but a late hit on Carolina adds 15 and another first; it's a really stupid play by CB Richard Marshall on WR Early Doucett. Warner scrambles for positive yards, with Peppers getting crunched by the fullback. James corkscrews for another 3; not much of a hole there, but he fell forward at the close. The first third down of the drive is in long field goal range; the Panthers bring the house, and Warner throws it away for the non-sack. Rackers from 49 yards in rain is dicey, but he gets it, and it's 17-7 with 10:16 left. This game is fairly amazing at this point, really...

> Fox comes out of break to show us the only two Cardinals fans in attendance; they are holding up some sort of sign. Well, whatever. Panther drive starts with one of those offsides penalties that takes the refs 30 seconds to figure out, since Delhomme drew it with a hard count. Jake missed Muhammad on a pump route, which makes you wonder why that ball isn't to Steve Smith. A toss to Williams is a 2 yard loss, and the Cardinals D-line is looking very frisky indeed. Third and seven is a big deal indeed, and Delhomme gets time before a batted ball. A three and out from first and five? Impressive, Arizona... and the nearly blocked punt is another scary moment for the home team. After a decent Breaston return, the Cards start at their own 38.

> Whistles before the snap, as the Cards show you why they were the most penalized offensive team in the league with a false start. The Panthers buy a pump fake for a flanker screen, and Warner throws an easy 25-yarder to Fitz instead. Another terrible play by Marshall. James gets three after an incomplete, and a big third and seven from the Panther 39 results in another big play, this one for 17, to Fitz. America is finally seeing this guy, and he's just huge tonight. Cards are looking scary right now.

> James for two on a slip to the left. From the Panther 20, Warner finds Breaston on a timing curl for 7. These throws are all easy for Warner right now. On third and one, the Panther defense has terrible body language, but the Cardinals have terrible execution, as Warner nearly trips before giving to Castille, who doesn't make it. On fourth and less than a foot, Ken Whisenhunt sends in Rackers, and Moose Johnston hates the call. Hates it! Siragusa says yes, because he doesn't trust a finesse team to convert, basically. Rackers hits, and it's 20-7. For the record, I kick the field goal there too; the chance of a stop and momentum change is too much for me, and if I'm the Cardinals, I just want a consistent drumbeat of badness for the home team. 20-7, Arizona, with 5:30 left.

> A nice 37 yard return from Carolina gives them a little spark, but Delhomme takes care of that with another terrible pick, this one by linebacker Gerald Hayes, who plays it like he was the tight end. Cardinals ball on the Panther 44, and Panther Fan is booing Jake hard, deservedly so.

> Hightower goes for 14 on a toss sweep to the right, and the Cardinals are already in field goal position. A run by James gets 1 after backfield contact, and the Cards may be trying to run a little clock here, as there's less than four minutes left in the half. Warner finds Fitz on a crossing route from a pristine pocket, and Fitz dives for the pylon and converts; so much for clock! With the PAT, it's Cardinals 27, Panthers 7, and good heavens, the only 8-0 home team in the NFC is really not looking like they thought they had to play a game tonight, do they? Fitz has 6 for 151 and a touch in the first half. Yeah, he's good.

> 3:32 left in the half with a 20-point Cardinals lead, in a game that can only be called Shocking. A pooched kick is stopped at the 26, and Panther Fan gives a lovely sarcastic cheer for a 6 yard completion by Delhomme. The gain is wasted with a false start, and followed by a coverage sack. Unless the Panthers convert on a third and 12, the Cards will get to run a two-minute drill, too. Delhomme tries a home-run ball to Smith, and it's nearly picked by Rodgers-Cromartie. For fun, the safety hits Smith at the conclusion of the play. A 53-yard punt changes field position, but the Cards have the ball up 20 at the 2-minute warning; if they score on this drive, we might be at no actual game in the second half. Just not in the way that anyone was, well, expecting.

> No catches for Smith in the first half; I'm finding that harder to believe than the Cards holding a 20-point lead. A run to James seems conservative to me here; he gets 4, and the Cards are in no hurry. He gets another yard, and the clock keeps running. Carolina uses their second with 52 seconds left, and it seems like the Cards are just trying to get the clock ran out. Given the protection they've given Warner, I don't know why they are playing it close to the vest. On third and five from the gun, Warner finds JJ Arrington for a bubble screen and a first down, and that's when the Cards call their timeout.

> Not to put too fine a point on this, but if the Cards score a field goal here, it's a 3-TD game... and they get the ball to start the second half. We could be looking at an awfully large amount of garbage time.

> As some Panther is getting scooped up, Moose Johnston tries to pin the 0-16 Lions year on injuries. Um, OK. How about it's because they might have been the worst team in NFL history? The stretcher comes out, and Fox gives us a useless promo for halftime. I guess I should be glad that it wasn't More Commerce, but honestly, who needs to see the guy go off on the cart? Landon Johnson is the lucky ducky, and he's there because Pro Bowler Jon Beason hit him by accident. Panther Fan knows just how he feels.

> Warner is 13 for 16 with 186 and 2 touchdowns, and even the Johnson injury is working for the Cardinals, as they get their back. An Arrington draw gets 8, and the Cards stop the clock with 36 seconds left, with the ball at midfield.

> Another draw to Arrington for 2, and another timeout. Not to speak ill of the dominant desert overlords, but they're playing this very conservative. Fox is hyping Punt Pass and Kick champs in the third, which is always fun for the opposing jerseys being booed.

> Warner to Breaston for 4, clock running. Warner clocks it with 10 seconds left at the Panther 45, and they need one play to set up the figgie. On third and 6 with 10 seconds left, Arrington gets it, on a 10-yard out. With three seconds left, the Cards call time and send Rackers out to try from 53; he's just short, which is just about the only break the Panthers have gotten so far tonight. It's 27-7 at the half.