Quick take: Cards only need one good half to dispatch the Bengals, 40-24
In one of the very few bright moments for the Bungles, T.J Houshmandzadeh spins away from a defender and takes it 80 yards for a TD just before halftime
It was over when...
Neil Rackers hit a 52 yard FG with just over 2 minutes left in the fourth quarter to put Arizona up by 16 points and definitely put the game out of Cincinnati's reach. Then of course, you could argue that the game was all but over at halftime with the Cardinals up 34-10... but the Bengals did manage a comeback of sorts, and even pulled within 10 points early in the fourth quarter.
Game ball
Anquan Boldin had a field day against the Bengals secondary, catching 9 balls for 125 yards and 3 TDs - all of them in the first half.
Key stat
Kurt Warner passed for 316 yards in the first half alone. Add to that the fact that the Bengals failed to convert a single third down, and you know why many home fans had seen enough after 2 quarters and left!
Noteworthy
The Bengals' futility in the first half was of epic dimensions, and only the fact that the defense stiffened up a bit in the second half, and that Carson Palmer did eventually manage to find T.J Houshmandzadeh for 3 TDs, prevented a major embarrassment... Want stats? How about a 1.6 yard average per rush, an 18% third down conversion rate, 4 turnovers and 5 sacks allowed? ... The Bengals didn't get any breaks from the officials either. In the first half, coach Lewis challenged a fumble, but despite clear evidence that Cedric Benson was down before the ball came out, the refs somehow failed to overrule their call... With the loss, the Bengals fall to 6-4, and will have to improve dramatically if they want to stay in the race for the AFC North title.
