"Kurt Warner took a victory lap and a shower. Then he grabbed his Bible and tried to make sense of it all.

"Whew," the Cardinals quarterback said. "Anybody else tired?"

Exhausted. Exhilarated. Ecstatic.

Relieved.

Imagine losing this game - and be glad your team didn't.

In one of the wildest NFL playoff games on record, the Cardinals eliminated the Green Bay Packers 51-45 in overtime Sunday at University of Phoenix Stadium. Next up is an NFC divisional playoff game against the top-seeded Saints in New Orleans, a city where Warner once lost a Super Bowl.

No matter what happens next, the 2009 season is now a smashing success. Football fans across the Valley will never forget this contest, where two potent teams refused to quit or play defense, combining to set a record for most points scored in a playoff game.

"That's got to be one of the best games ever played in the playoffs," Cardinals head coach Ken Whisenhunt said.

Of course, that depends on what colors you're wearing.

"It's personally one of the toughest losses I've been part of," Packers coach Mike McCarthy said.

For Arizona, sporting heroes abounded. In one of his best games as a professional, Warner threw more touchdown passes (five) than incomplete passes (four). The Cardinals' receivers more than compensated for the loss of the injured star Anquan Boldin. Meanwhile, Whisenhunt atoned for his blunder in Week 17 - playing some of his starters too long in a meaningless game - with a masterful offensive game."