NFC Championship Game Eagles @ Cardinals Live Blog 1st Half

All right, it's almost time for kickoff in Glendale. Here are the picks from the people at Fox.

Frank: Cardinals
Jimmy: Eagles
Michael: Eagles
Howie: Eagles
Terry: Cardinals

And all 5 of them went with Pittsburgh in the AFC title game. And yes, Curt just confirmed that TB is flying out to Glendale. And we also get the official unveiling of Lebron's "big announcement". Yay, State Farm commercial! (Not that we didn't know that already).

Joe and Troy are coming up after the break.

"One of these teams is 4 quarters away from the Super Bowl and a trip to Tampa, Florida." - Joe Buck stating the obvious.

Not a bad rendition from Jordin Sparks. A bit over the top toward the end, but alas, we've seen worse.

When Joe Buck calls games in Arizona, the road team wins.The Giants were officially the road team in the Super Bowl.The Vikings beat Arizona.I conclude that the Eagles will win. (Via SSR)

Don't forget Philly's record with Buck the past few months. He's done the last 5 Eagles games where the Eagles have a 4-1 record and he called the Phils winning the World Series.

Akers kick is downed in the endzone by Arrington and we are underway! Edge picks up a couple on first down. Warner completes to Boldin for 7. Warner on third down finds Fitzgerald over the middle for a first down and a big gain past the 45! Boldin catches a quick pass from Warner and picks up 9. Edge pushes the pile forward for a first down.

Inside Eagle territory at the 40, Warner hands off to James who bounces it to the outside and picks up 16! James again with another carry and another first down inside the 20! Hightower picks up 4.

"How can a football blow off a tee in a dome? Maybe the noise knocked it off." - Joe Buck before the kickoff. (Via James Craven and Mal)

Kurt Warner finds Fitzgerald over the middle! Fitzgerald breaks a tackle! BREAKS ANOTHER TACKLE AND HE'S IN! TOUCHDOWN ARIZONA! The extra point is good and the Cardinals lead 7-0.

Can I get a "FIRE ANDY REID NOW!" please? (Via James Craven)

FIRE ANDY REID NOW! The kickoff goes out of bounds and the Eagles will have the ball at their own 40. How do you have a kickoff out of bounds in a dome? McNabb on first down is under pressure but he'll take off down the field for a big gain of over 20! That's the McNabb the Eagles need! Penalty was for an offsides on the Cards. Westbrook gets 4 on the carry. And yes, SSR, I think that tight end may be a traitor....

McNabb finds Celek on the completion but Celek gets walloped at the line and Joe Buck is being kind by giving him a yard on that completion. McNabb on 3rd down with all day and he finds Westbrook for 6 and a first down! Good grief! Is this an NFC title game or practice?

Toss to Westbrook gets a couple. LJ Smith catches it in the backfield and breaks a tackle and makes a nice play to turn what looked like a sure loss into a gain of 5. 3rd down and 4 becomes 3rd and 9 on the false start.

"Cardinals are coming." - Joe Buck.

Eww. McNabb has his pass batted down and that will bring up 4th come and on will come Akers to try a 45-yard and make it 18-straight post season field goals. Akers kick is up...AND GOOD! He killed that thing. 7-3 Cardinals still lead.

Joe B on Akers kick: "absolutely funked". (Via Mal
Mal, that came from Mr. Slamma Lamma Ding Dong himself (JamesCraven)

I was wondering what that second word was. Especially when I first heard it, I thought he said it was "absolutely fuc...." The kickoff is taken by Arrington to the 24.

"Eagles and Cardinals banging into each other today." - Joe Buck who clearly has his mind in the gutter today.

Handoff to James goes for a yard. Warner's pass on 2nd down is incomplete. 3rd down, and Warner finds Fitzgerald for 8. The punt by Graham goes 34 yards before going out of bounds.

McNabb can't connect with a wide-open DeSean Jackson on first down. Westbrook is stopped at the line as it seemed like Joe Buck had problems identifying the line of scrimmage. McNabb on 3rd down throws it up and it's TIPPED AND INTERCEPTED BY FRANCISCO! FRANCISCO DOWN THE SIDELINES AND HE LOSES THE BALL! EAGLES RECOVER AND HAVE A NEW SET OF DOWNS! INCREDIBLE!

McNabb on 1st down GOES DEEP FOR LEWIS WHO DROPS IT! Ex-Eagle Roderick Hood makes the play. Thanks for nothing Rod! McNabb puts the buscuit in the Baskett on 2nd down for the 1st and Kendra's happy. Westbrook busts one up the middle for a gain of 14 and into Cardinal territory! Buckhalter takes it and reverses field for a nice gain of 9. Buckhalter takes the carry and has the 1st down at the 35.

Well, that was a fun little quarter of football, wasn't it? 7-3 Arizona after 1.

"And he just tried squeeeezin' one in there." (Via David) Was that Aikman?

Troy, after the INT/Fumble: "good things happen around the football". Not really sure what that means and I don't think he does either (Via Mal)

Westbrook gets nothing. As Joe tells us the Eagles have done an incredible feat of running 4 straight running plays. McNabb's pass is incomplete. 3rd and 10 from the 35, McNabb has alld day dumps it off to Celek, tries to leap over the defender!...and gets taken down for a gain of 5.

Here comes Akers from 47-yards...NO GOOD! Akers streak is over and it's still 7-3 Arizona.

Warner on first down fires one deep down the field that is CAUGHT BY FITZGERALD WHO WALKS IN FOR THE EASY TOUCHDOWN! The penalty is roughing the passer and the PAT is good and it's 14-3 Arizona.

I'm not sure who...but somebody got absolutely funked on that play. (Via Mal)

There was definitley some funking going on on that play. And kudos to SSR for calling that play. We'd love to have you as our head coach in waiting in Philly.

Buckhalter gets 3 on the carry.

"Sold out this game in 6-minutes." - Joe Buck

That's a far cry from struggling to sell the place out for the wild card game against Atlanta. False start sends the Eagles back 5, but McNabb finds Curtis for 11. 3rd down and McNabb is SACKED! But holding on Arizona gives the Eagles a first down. McNabb finds Curtis over the middle! Curtis bounces it to the outside and he gets 47, all the way to the Cardinal 19!

Buckhalter picks up 7 on the carry up the middle. McNabb's pass for Lewis loses a couple and I have a feeling he won't be back next year. McNabb's 3rd down pass is incomplete and once again we'll see Akers.

Akers kick is up.....IT'S GOOD! No problem on that one and it's 14-6 Arizona.

Eagles may be losing, but I must say, this has been an entertaining game up to this point.

"You can bang them"-Aikman talking about what you can and can't do with the players involved in that defensive holding play. (Via Yet Another Idiot With A Music Blog)

Nice to see the NFL does not discriminate based on sexuality. Arrington takes the kick to the 27. James gets a big gain to the 47! Gain of 5 by Hightower.

"And here's Digger!" - Joe Buck

Arrington catches the pass and gets 17! From the 29, Hightower gets 3 on the carry. Pope makes the catch and he gets 15! Damn, Warner is lighting it up today. From the 14, James gets nothing.

And now a random fact that I just thought of. The Eagles have played 2-road NFC title games. Kurt Warner was the opposing QB in both of those games. Breston makes the completion for the first down by half of a football. 1st and goal from the 4, Arrington gets a yard. If there was ever time for a goal line stand, this is it. 2nd and goal, Warner's pass is incomplete but there's a flag down and that's pass interference and 1st and goal from the 1.

Warner on 1st and goal fires the FADE FOR FITZGERALD AND IT'S CAUGHT IN THE ENDZONE! TOUCHDOWN CARDINALS! The PAT is up and good and it's 21-6 Cardinals.

What on earth did Buck say after the touchdown? It sounded like "Double-Double!"

Snap it McNabb, snap it! That ball was not out of bounds! FUCK! THEY'RE CHALLENGING! (End moment of homerism)

Oh. My. God. Kickoff out of bounds is a dead ball and that's Eagle ball at the 40. What a break for Philadelphia, and as an Eagle fan, I'll admit, that's not what happened.

Oh, they rule it touched Abiamiri. Anyway, that probably should be Cardinal ball ao I'm sure the Eagles will take it regardless. Celek picks up 8 on the completion. McNabb again to Celek and that's a first down. McNabb drops back and throws it to no one and gets called for intentional grounding.

Buck: "Play over, even if the call may not be correct." Ed Hochuli agrees. (Via RJBO)

Great way to officiate. Celek gets 8 on the completion and it's 3rd and 14. McNabb tries to launch one down the field for Avant who can't come up with it. Frankly, I'm just glad that it was not picked off. There were red jersies everywhere. Good punt from Rocca and the Cardinals are pinned inside their own 20. Boldin gets 5 on the completion and there's a penalty on Demps for unnecessary roughness.

Fringe. Sounds like a bad story about the New York Giants offense. (JamesCraven)

Hilarious! Warner fires and it's TIPPED BY MIKELL AND SOMEHOW CAUGHT BY BOLDIN! That ball did hit the ground though. The booth is reviewing it and this one should come back.

The call is reversed and there's not much of a reaction from the Cardinal crowd, which tells you exactly how obvious that one was on replay. Kudos to Boldin though for actually nearly catching it. It's 2nd and 10 form the 36. Arrington loses 6 on the carry and the Eagles call time out.

"Warner and Arrington banged into each other." - Joe Buck

Thank goodness he said "into". 3rd and 15, Warner finds Urban for 18 yards and a first down! Wow. Fitzgerald all alone makes the catch for 14. Warner throws it out of bounds.

"There's some history between these 2. If you go back to 1947...." - Joe Buck

Yeah, I don't think anyone playing this game was alive then. Warner is SACKED! 3rd and 17 and we've seen this before. Warner dumps it to Boldin who gets it to the 40. And on will come Rackers to attempt a field goal and maybe a dagger if this becomes a 3-score game.

From 49-yards out, Rackers kick is up.......IT'S GOOD! That may be a dagger. 24-6 Cardinals at the half.

I'll see you guys in the 2nd half thread.