Kurt Warner opened with a 42-yard touchdown pass to Larry Fitzgerald and connected with Anquan Boldin on a 71-yard scoring play as the Cardinals beat Atlanta 30-24 before a raucous, white towel-waving crowd in their first home playoff game in 61 years.
Atlanta rookie Matt Ryan was intercepted twice, was tackled in the end zone for a safety and fumbled the ball away on a botched handoff. The fumble was returned 26 yards by Antrel Rolle 52 seconds into the second half to put Arizona ahead for good.
The Cardinals' Edgerrin James outgained Atlanta's Michael Turner, the NFL's No. 2 rusher.
James, who has made it known he will not be back with the Cardinals next season, carried 16 times for 73 yards. Turner, who rushed for 1,699 yards in the regular season, had 42 yards in 18 attempts.
Warner, in the playoffs for the first time since leading St. Louis to a second Super Bowl in 2001, was 19-of-32, 13-for-17 in the second half, for 271 yards. He was intercepted once.
``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.
Ryan, the AP Offensive Rookie of the Year, completed 26 of 40 passes for 199 yards and two scores.
The Cardinals went 9-7 to win a weak NFC West and make the playoffs for the first time in a decade. After clinching the division, they were blown out by Minnesota and New England in the two weeks preceding their regular-season finale victory over Seattle.
Atlanta (11-5) finished a game behind Carolina in the tough NFC South and came in a winner of five of its last six. But from the start Arizona showed that, at least on this afternoon, it belonged in the postseason.
The Cardinals' 30 points were their most in the playoffs, breaking a record set by the then-Chicago Cardinals in the NFL championship victory over Philadelphia in 1947. That was the franchise's last home playoff game before Saturday.
Photo/AP
Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald, top, tries to dive for the first down marker after making a catch as Atlanta Falcons cornerback Domonique Foxworth, bottom, makes the tackle during the fourth quarter of an NFL wild-card playoff footb
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