Warner throws for 196 in 2nd quarter, Arizona gets 10th win by beating Rams 31-10

Warner’s big quarter leads Cards past Rams 31-10

GLENDALE, Ariz. — Kurt Warner again reminded the St. Louis Rams of the remarkable passer who once was their No. 13.

The 38-year-old quarterback threw for 196 of his 313 yards in the second quarter and the Arizona Cardinals went on to beat the Rams for the seventh time in a row 31-10 on Sunday.

The Cardinals (10-5) reached 10 regular-season wins for the first time since 1976, 12 years before the franchise moved from St. Louis to Arizona.

The victory kept alive the Cardinals’ slim chance of being the NFC’s No. 2 seed.

The Rams (1-14), ravaged by injuries all season, were without the league’s second-leading rusher Steven Jackson because of a sore lower back.

It was the first game missed this season by Jackson, one of four St. Louis starters out because of injuries.

Although Kyle Boller was active, the Rams went with rookie Keith Null at quarterback for the third straight game. Null completed 20 of 31 for 171 yards and one touchdown. He was intercepted three times.

With his sack of Null with 1:52 to play, Adrian Wilson became the 10th player in NFL history to have 20 sacks and 20 interceptions in a career. He got his 23rd interception earlier in the game.

The Cardinals had clinched their second straight NFC West title the previous week, but wanted a more efficient offensive performance, especially in the passing game.

Warner certainly provided that in a second-quarter masterpiece that included touchdown passes of 10 yards to Larry Fitzgerald and 18 to Early Doucet as Arizona took a 17-0 halftime lead.

In the process, Warner reached 100 career touchdown passes with the Cardinals. With his 102 for the Rams, he’s the second player in NFL history to have 100 scoring passes with two teams. The other is Fran Tarkenton.

Anquan Boldin had seven catches for 100 yards by halftime and finished with eight for 116.

After a scoreless first quarter, Arizona started the second with a five-play 80-yard touchdown drive. The score was set up by a 45-yarder to Steve Breaston, the Cardinals’ longest pass play of the season. Warner threw 10 yards for the score to Fitzgerald, who tied his career high of 12 TD catches in a season.

On its next possession, Arizona went a methodical 83 yards in eight plays, Early Doucet getting his first TD catch on an 18-yard pass from Warner.

The Cardinals drove from their 17 to the Arizona 1 on their last possession of the half, but they stalled on the St. Louis 1, and Mike Nugent — playing in place of injured Neil Rackers — kicked a 19-yard field goal with 8 seconds left to make it 17-0.

St. Louis needed to challenge an official’s call to get the touchdown that cut the lead to 17-7. Brandon Gibson was ruled out of the end zone on a 21-yard reception, but a review showed one foot and a knee had come down inbounds.

The touchdown was set up when Warner fumbled on a hard hit by LaJuan Ramsey and Victor Adeyanju recovered at the Arizona 35.

Punter Ben Graham, a former Australian rules football star, forced Danny Amendola’s fumble that Reggie Walker recovered at the Arizona 43. The Cardinals went 57 yards in nine plays with Tim Hightower bowling over from the 2 to make it 24-7 with 4½ minutes left in the third.