Three Point Stance 1.19.09: Championship Recaps, The Life and Times of Kurt Warner, Conference Championship Awards, More

Posted by Cody Dalton on 01.19.2009

In the latest edition of the Three Point Stance, 411’s Cody Dalton looks at the AFC and NFC Conference Championship games, and gives out his Conference Championship game awards and more. From there, Cody looks at the journey of Kurt Warner and how he has finally made it back to the Super Bowl! Check out the full column for all the details!




Welcome back everyone to the Three Point Stance! What a great set of games we had this weekend in the AFC and NFC, which culminates in a week with Super Bowl XLIII. This edition, I'm going to talk about all things playoffs and we'll start with game recaps…

LARRY LEGEND 2.0



F. Scott Fitzgerald famously penned "The Great Gatsby" in 1925. 83 years late, Larry Fitzgerald couldn't have written a better story. On Sunday, Fitzgerald and the Arizona Cardinals advanced to their first ever Super Bowl with a gutsy 32-25 win over the Philadelphia Eagles.

Larry has turned himself into a legend these NFL playoffs with some amazing receiving performances. His 419 receiving yards this postseason make him the all-time leading receiver in the NFL playoffs, passing legendary wideout Jerry Rice's 409 yards.

The former Pittsburgh Panther will have a chance to play against the Pittsburgh Steelers in Super Bowl XLIII – the team he watched while in his senior year of Valley Forge Military Academy and at college. Ultimately, whether the Cardinals win the Super Bowl or not, Fitzgerald has written his legacy in the record books and in the hearts of Arizona Cardinal's fans.

"STEEL" PLAYING ON



Sunday night's AFC Championship was everything it was billed to be and more. It was supposed to be two of the best defenses in the league going at one another to see who would have the last laugh. Unfortunately for Baltimore, it was the Steelers who had the last laugh, as Pittsburgh won the AFC Championship, 23-14.

Baltimore started out in the first quarter with three straight three-and-outs. The Steelers capitalized on their possessions, scoring on their first with a Jeff Reed field goal. After another punt, the Steelers regained the ball and scored yet another field goal. It was 6-0.

Both teams traded touchdowns in the second quarter. The Steelers struck first with 65-yard touchdown pass from Santonio Holmes to Ben Roethlisberger. However, the Ravens would come right back at the end of the second quarter. Following a Steelers fumble in their own territory, the Ravens marched 17 yards and capped the drive off with a Willis McGahee 3-yard touchdown run. Heading into halftime, the score was 13-7 and expected to continue to be a slugfest.

The second half was even more defensive than the first. Only three points were scored in the third quarter, as Pittsburgh took its second drive 51 yards to allow Reed to kick another field goal.

Baltimore took their first drive in quarter four all the way to the end zone, cutting the deficit to 16-14. It was all downhill from there, as Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco threw 2 interceptions in the last three drives to sink Baltimore. One interception proved costly, as safety Troy Polamalu returned it 40 yards for the score.

That makes two Super Bowl appearances in four seasons for the Steelers, who look to become the first team to win six Super Bowls and surpass the Cowboys and 49ers for first place.



After a win against Philadelphia on Sunday, Kurt Warner is finally back in the Super Bowl. This will mark the third time that Warner has been to the NFL's biggest game (Super Bowls XXXIV and XXXVI). It hasn't always been easy for him though. Warner has logged many miles during his football career. Let's take a look at just how it began until now…

• Completed his college career at Northern Iowa, where he started just his senior year. He was named the Gateway Conference Offensive Player of the Year.



• After graduation, Warner went undrafted. He would join the Green Bay Packers in training camp, but wouldn't make it past the cuts.



• Warner returned to his alma mater, Northern Iowa, and serve as a graduate assistant coach, but was hopeful of an NFL return.



• Warner couldn't find an NFL team to sign him, but joined the Arena Football League's Iowa Barnstormers. He led the Barnstormers to two AFL Arena Bowl appearances in 1996 and 1997.



• The St. Louis Rams signed Warner in 1998, but sent him off to NFL Europe's Amsterdam Admirals.



• After showing improvement, he was brought to the main roster as the backup quarterback to Trent Green. Green would be injured in the preseason and Warner was named starter. He would go from a "no name" to MVP in one season. Warner threw for 4,353 yards and 41 touchdowns in his MVP season.



• The season culminated in a Super Bowl win, defeating the Titans 23-16. Warner would be named Super Bowl MVP, after throwing for a record 414 passing yards.



• After a lackluster defense of their Super Bowl championship, Warner and the Rams returned to form in the 2001 season. They would go back to the Super Bowl and face the Patriots. However, an upstart group of players, including Tom Brady, would defeat the Rams.



• Warner would lose his form in the 2002-03 seasons, fumbling numerous times. His lackluster play would cost him his starting position to Marc Bulger and eventually his job. The Rams cut Warner on June 1, 2004.



• Looking for quarterback help, the Giants signed Warner just days later. Warner started for the Giants and led them to an early 5-2 record. However, criticism followed after two straight losses and Warner was pulled in favor of rookie Eli Manning.




• After being released from New York, the Arizona Cardinals picked up Warner. He would be named starter, but after injuries and poor play, Warner was once again benched. Warner's replacement, Josh McCown, would falter and Warner returned to the starting role. It wouldn't last long, as Warner tore his MCL in Week 15, which ended his season.



• The 2007 season would be a ride for Kurt Warner. He would battle most of the year with rookie Matt Leinart for playing time.



• Going into the 2008 season, the Cardinals coach Ken Whisenhunt named Matt Leinart starting quarterback. Whisenhunt would change his mind though and just before the season began, Warner was named starter. He started all 16 games this year, throwing for 4,583 yards, 30 touchdowns, and was named to the Pro Bowl as the starting quarterback.

What a journey it has been for the journeyman Warner. From the cornfields of Iowa to Amsterdam to St. Louis to New York to Arizona and now to the Super Bowl in Tampa, Warner has had a ride that he certainly won't forget after he has left the NFL.


TPS PLAYERS OF THE CONFERENCE CHAMPIONSHIPS


OFFENSE: LARRY FITZGERALD, WR, ARIZONA CARDINALS



What more can I say? The guy is electric in the playoffs right now. 3 touchdowns, 152 yards, and a NFL playoff record for yardage. I would like to give an honorable mention to Kurt Warner, who threw for 279 yards, 4 touchdowns, while completing 21 of 28 passes. Great job guys and congrats on the win!

DEFENSIVE: TROY POLAMALU, S, PITTSBURGH STEELERS



For a guy who wasn't expected to be 100%, this guy sure played well. Polamalu had just three tackles, but played all over the field and disrupted Joe Flacco's rhythm. He also had the key play in a big game, a 40-yard interception return for the touchdown. He leads the tough Steelers defense back to the Super Bowl for the second time in four seasons.


Thank you all for joining me in this edition. I'll be back next week with an in-depth look at the Super Bowl. Also, look out for a Special Edition of the TPS, where I look at the Top 10 Super Bowl moments of All Time!

Until then…



Cody Dalton's book on sale now! "Sideline Warriors: The Greatest Sports Coaches and Managers of All Time" – http://www.lulu.com/content/2003212