Warner Steps In, Leads Cardinals Past Rams

ST. LOUIS (AP) _ Kurt Warner relaunched his career in the town where he became famous. <br/><br/>Warner moved from a relief role in the Arizona Cardinals' two-quarterback rotation to a productive full-timer

Monday, October 8th 2007, 10:43 am

By: News On 6

ST. LOUIS (AP) _ Kurt Warner relaunched his career in the town where he became famous.

Warner moved from a relief role in the Arizona Cardinals' two-quarterback rotation to a productive full-timer after Matt Leinart broke his left collarbone, leading a 34-31 victory over the winless St. Louis Rams on Sunday.

``I felt like I was seeing things, I felt I was putting the ball where I wanted to,'' Warner said. ``Hopefully that becomes typical, but it was a good win for us.

``I think it was a complete game for us, and it was a fun game.''

Rod Hood returned an interception 68 yards for the go-ahead score early in the fourth quarter. Larry Fitzgerald's clinching 7-yard touchdown catch with 3:11 to go capped a big day and helped the Cardinals (3-2) win for the third straight year in their former home base.

Warner got a noisy ovation when he trotted onto the field in the second quarter, many fans standing in appreciation for the quarterback who won two MVP awards and helped the franchise win its only Super Bowl in 2000.

``Not very many guys get to come back to an opposing stadium and receive a standing ovation, so I love the people here, I love the community,'' Warner said. ``I have a lot of great memories in this building.''

Coach Ken Whisenhunt said Leinart, the Cardinals' first-round pick in 2006, will be sidelined indefinitely. Leinart and Warner entered the game in the third week of a job share, with Leinart starting and Warner relieving.

``I thought Kurt stepped up,'' Whisenhunt said. ``The package we had in there was exactly what we wanted.''

Warner scored on 1-yard sneak on the final play of the half to put the Cardinals ahead 17-13, minutes after Leinart was knocked out of the game on a sack by blitzing linebacker Will Witherspoon. Warner played a solid second half, marred only by Fakhir Brown's end zone interception in the third quarter.

Gus Frerotte threw three touchdown passes in place of Marc Bulger, rested this week after two unsuccessful games while playing with two broken ribs. He also threw three interceptions, two in the fourth quarter.

Brown made his season debut following a four-game suspension for violating the NFL's substance abuse policy and also intercepted a pass by Leinart.

That was one of the few highlights for the Rams, who are 0-5 for the second time this decade. Warner was their quarterback the last time it happened in 2002, when the team fought a hangover from a last-second Super Bowl loss to the Patriots and finished 7-9.

The Rams, who play at Baltimore next week, are one loss from tying the franchise record for consecutive defeats to open a season set in 1962. Offensive guard Richie Incognito, whistled for four 15-yard penalties in the second half of his season debut after recovering from a high ankle sprain, accepted his share of the blame.

``We talk about it all the time, that you've got to look at what you can do as an individual to get better,'' Incognito said. ``What I can do is eliminate those stupid penalties and step my game up.''

The game was only the second to be blacked out on local TV since the Rams moved to St. Louis in 1995; the 2006 home finale also was blacked out. Announced attendance of 61,788 was about 4,000 shy of capacity, with the empty seats likely at least doubling that total.

Warner and Edgerrin James scored controversial touchdowns on short runs in the second quarter. Warner's 1-yard sneak was a bonus play after the clock expired; officials ruled the Rams kicked the ball as the Cardinals hurriedly lined up for a play on second-and-goal from the 1, adding the untimed play to the end of the half.

James scored on a 5-yard run, lunging with the ball in one hand and fumbling into the end zone after apparently getting stopped a yard short. Officials first ruled Cardinals lineman Reggie Wells recovered a fumble in the end zone, wresting it away from St. Louis cornerback Jonathan Wade.

Referee Gerry Austin told a pool reporter that a subsequent replay angle showed that James' elbow was down before the ball came out and that play should have resumed with a third-and-goal from the 1.

On the kicked ball call, Austin said another official reported that at least two defensive players made contact with their feet, one of them deliberately.

``You can go on all you want about the calls,'' Linehan said. ``We didn't do enough to win the game.''

Notes: Fitzgerald secured his 11th career 100-yard game in the first half. ... Rams S Jerome Carter broke his right foot in the second half. ... Four Cardinals games have been decided by exactly three points. ... Hood's touchdown was his first since high school.