OPINION

By Vinnie Iyer

updated 3:52 a.m. ET Jan. 4, 2009

Everyone points to the somewhat surprising success the Arizona Cardinals had running the ball Saturday as the key to their 30-24 playoff victory over the Atlanta Falcons. But it goes much beyond their rather modest 86-yard rushing effort, which was only 12 yards more than their league-worst average.

Arizona's maligned offensive line played the aggressor, taking the game to the Falcons in helping Edgerrin James churn out 73 yards on 16 carries and keeping quarterback Kurt Warner from being sacked.

The Cardinals are known for their high-flying passing game and skilled wide receivers, but coach Ken Whisenhunt's team is at its best when showing a physical style and unrelenting attitude. Those were on display on both sides of the ball, leading to a handful of big plays from which Atlanta couldn't recover.

Offensively, the Cardinals set an important tone with running James often on their second possession. After runs of 6, 9 and 6 yards, it was a perfect time for coordinator Todd Haley to be aggressive. He called for a flea-flicker, where Warner handed James the ball and then James flipped it back to Warner. Warner found Larry Fitzgerald 42 yards downfield for the game's first touchdown.

Peppering in the run early tempered the Falcons' blitz and coverage schemes. For example, safety Lawyer Milloy had to respect the run more. That helped put him in a bad position and forced him to take a bad angle toward the Cardinals' other top receiver, Anquan Boldin, in a key second-quarter play. Boldin beat Milloy for a 4-yard catch and then shot down the sideline for 71 yards and Arizona's second touchdown.

The Cardinals' defense had a similar game plan: Focus on the run first, fly more freely upfield against a rookie quarterback later.

The Cardinals attacked the line of scrimmage to slow Michael Turner and the Falcons' second-ranked running game early, making sure they were aggressive without being overaggressive. They got in good position to contain Turner and finish with good, hard tackles.

Turning the Falcons into a uncomfortable one-dimensional offense allowed Clancy Pendergast to turn his front seven loose against Matt Ryan.

Bertrand Berry, Chike Okeafor and Antonio Smith all sacked Ryan once, with the latter producing a safety. The consistent upfield pressure also led to three Ryan giveaways, including a backbreaking fumble returned for a touchdown on the Falcons' first possession of the second half.

The Cardinals' secondary made things interesting with their inability to consistently handle the Falcons' receivers, so they desperately needed help up front to bend without breaking. It was the expected game plan by Pendergast with the right execution by his pass rushers.

The Cardinals' defense was pushed around in several games this season, most notably in giving up 103 points to the Jets and Patriots. They did the pushing Saturday afternoon.

Arizona can't afford to sit back and be conservative, because that's when the team looks listless and gets blown out of the stadium. Considering the Cardinals will face another strong running team next weekend, they must remain tough and aggressive to upset either the Giants or Panthers.

Also on NBCSports.com PFT: Packers president admits he’s ‘disappointed’ CFT: By the numbers spotlights McCoy  |    Images College hoops: North Carolina will be scary good   Video: Red card? Some rough play in women's soccer Twitter: Follow us @nbc_sports

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