Warner fires Arizona to win, Ravens beat Titans

Kurt Warner tossed two touchdowns and the Arizona defiance racked up five interceptions as the Cardinals rolled to a 33-13 playoff win over the Carolina Panthers.

Baltimore became the first road team to win Saturday as the Ravens needed a late field goal to edge the Tennessee Titans 13-10 in a American Football Conference playoff game.

Receiver Larry Fitzgerald hauled in eight catches for the Cardinals who posted their first playoff road victory 10 years to the day of their last one in 1999 against Dallas. Fitzgerald finished with 166 total yards in the National Football Conference divisional game.

"Everybody needed to step up and we did it," Warner said. "We were able to get a big lead in the first half and in the second half it was a matter of chewing up the clock."

Arizona will meet either the sixth-seeded Philadelphia Eagles or top-seeded New York Giants in the NFC Championship game on January 18.
 
After spotting the Panthers a quick touchdown lead on the opening possession, Arizona capitalized on a flurry of turnovers by quarterback Jake Delhomme to reel off 33 unanswered points to hand Carolina (12-5) its first home loss of the season.

"I give everybody credit," Warner said. "There were big plays everywhere."

Playing on his 34th birthday, Delhomme also committed a fumble among his six turnovers - which the Cardinals turned into 20 points in registering their first win on the eastern seaboard in six trips this season.

"I should get the blame," Delhomme said. "I put us in a bind. I didn't give us a chance to win. It is extremely disappointing. I had a hand in six turnovers and you are not going to beat anybody that way." 
 
Titans downed by Ravens
The Ravens (13-5) capitalized on four turnovers by the Titans (13-4), the AFC's top seed, to avenge a regular-season loss by the same score.
"That was a knock-down, drag-out battle," Ravens first-year coach John Harbaugh said. "I think in the end our guys found a way to win. Like they won the first game, we found a way to win the second game."
 
Baltimore held an opponent to 13 points or fewer for the 12th time this season and advanced to play the winner of Sunday's Pittsburgh-San Diego game on January 18 in the AFC championship game.
 
Rookie Chris Johnson scored on an eight-yard run, giving the Titans a 7-0 lead late in the first quarter.

Johnson rushed for 72 yards and one touchdown on 11 carries in the first half before being sidelined with an ankle injury midway through the second quarter.
 
Stover kicked a 21-yard field goal, giving the Ravens a 10-7 lead early in the fourth quarter. Jim Leonhard's 29-yard punt return started the drive at the Titans 41 and Mark Clayton caught a 37-yard pass from rookie quarterback Joe Flacco, putting the ball at the Tennessee four.

The Titans suffered another costly fumble when Alge Crumpler fumbled after a seven-yard pass reception from Kerry Collins and Baltimore recovered at the Ravens' one with 8:57 left.

The Titans tied the score 10-10 on Rob Bironas' 27-yard field goal with 4:23 left.

Former Titan Derrick Mason five catches for 78 yards, including a 48-yard TD pass along the sideline from Flacco on third-and-13 to tie the score 7-7 with 1:20 left in the first quarter.

Tennessee missed three good scoring opportunities in the second quarter with two fumbles and an interception in Baltimore territory.