The Saints punched a ticket to their second NFC championship game appearance in four years by throttling the Cardinals. New Orleans survived a 70-yard rushing score by Arizona on the first play of the game to score three straight first quarter touchdowns, including runs by RBs Lynell Hamilton and Reggie Bush and a 17-yard TD pass from QB Drew Brees to TE Jeremy Shockey. After Arizona RB Beanie Wells closed the score to 21-14 with a second quarter four-yard TD run, the Saints ran up 24 unanswered points, punctuated by an 83-yard punt return for a score by Bush. After giving up the initial touchdown run, the Saints' defense would only allow 31 more yards on the ground and forced two turnovers. The Saints controlled the ball for more than 36 minutes and rolled up 27 first downs and 418 yards in the win.
Arizona Cardinals 7 7 0 0 * 14*
New Orleans Saints 21 14 10 0 * 45*
* ARZ NO*
Total First Downs 15 27
Total Net yards 359 418
Rushes-yards 15-101 34-171
Net yards Passing 258 247
Passing (A-C-I) 36-24-1 32-23-0
Sacked-yards 1-8 0-0
Punts-Average 6-43.5 4-42.8
Fumbles-Lost 3-1 0-0
Penalties-yards Lost 3-22 6-44
Time of Possession 23:33 36:27
RUSHING
ARZ: Hightower 6-87, 1 TD; Wells 5-7, 1 TD; Stephens-Howling 2-4; Wright 1-3; Warner 1-0
NO: Bush 5-84, 1 TD; P.Thomas 13-52; Hamilton 5-23, 1 TD; Bell 6-11; Meachem 1-4; D.Thomas 1-0; Brees 3-(-3)
PASSING
ARZ: Warner 26-17-1, 205 yards; Leinart 10-7-0, 61 yards
NO: Brees 32-23-0, 247 yards, 3 TDs
RECEIVING
ARZ: Doucet 8-68; Fitzgerald 6-77; Breaston 4-52; Hightower 3-27; Urban 2-34; Becht 1-8
NO: Colston 6-83, 1 TD; Henderson 4-80, 1 TD; Bush 4-24; P.Thomas 4-18; Shockey 3-36, 1 TD; Moore 2-6
