Cardinals notebook: Controversial calls don't faze team

The Cardinals put together an epic win Sunday.

But this was no thanks to a reversed call and a once-in-a-decade penalty, two plays that might have added up to an epic loss.

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With 4:12 left in the first half, the Cardinals knocked the ball loose from Tony Romo and recovered for what appeared to be a touchdown and a 14-0 lead.

Even on replay, the play looked suspiciously like a fumble.

But the officials, after a review, called "the tuck rule," saying Romo was trying to pull the ball back from a throw. And the Cardinals lost the touchdown.

And sure enough, the Cowboys drove 91 yards for a touchdown to tie the score at 7-7.

"I don't know exactly what happened," coach Ken Whisenhunt said, adding he would review the play.

"If it's something I disagree with, we'll turn it in (to NFL officials)," he said.

Then, with the Cardinals protecting a 24-21 lead in the final seconds, Romo spiked the ball. The Cowboys would have been left with a 57-yard field-goal try, or else they would have had to complete a pass and get out of bounds in three seconds.

Instead, the Cardinals were called for offside, because - way down the field - the Cardinals' Travis LaBoy, hobbled by a groin injury, failed to get off the field in time.

"I didn't even realize it," Whisenhunt said.

"I think we were about 60 yards offside."

LaBoy had little to say about why he didn't get off the field.

"We won," he said.

Asked about his injury, he replied, "I'm outstanding, dude."

Whisenhunt said, "It didn't seem like the bounces or the calls were going our way. "Sometimes you have to overcome those things. I think our team did that. That's part of growing up and getting mentally tougher."

Said defensive tackle Darnell Dockett, "You got to expect that when you play America's Team. They got every call."

HOME COOKING

The Cardinals have won six straight at home, their longest since 1975-87, when they won the final home game of '75 and the first five of the '76 season.

The Cards are 9-2 at home under Whisenhunt.

TRIP IN RETROSPECT

The Cardinals went 0-2 on their well-chronicled 10-day Eastern trip.

But Whisenhunt is making the case that the trip is where things started to come together for them.

"It made us a mentally stronger team," the coach said.

In particular, they fell behind the New York Jets 34-0 at halftime, but rallied to at least make a game of it.

"That helped us grow as a team," Whisenhunt said.

"We were in a situation where our character was being tested against the Jets," linebacker Karlos Dansby said. "We responded in the second half. We didn't get the job done. But today, we finished."

HOOD LIMITS T.O.

Cornerback Rod Hood helped limit the Cowboys' Terrell Owens to four catches for 36 yards.

Hood and Owens are close friends thanks to their time playing together in Philadelphia.

More important for the Cardinals, "My experience in Philly playing against him in practice helped me today," Hood said.

DEPTH PAYS OFF

The Cardinals flexed their beefed-up depth by rotating in rookies Calais Campbell and Kenny Iwebema along with veteran Gabe Watson on the defensive line.

They also had Bertrand Berry, LaBoy, Chike Okeafor and Clark Haggans rushing from outside linebacker.

This kept the Cardinals fresh to rush Romo, who was sacked for a 7-yard loss in overtime.

"That's one of the things we said from the start, that we'll have an opportunity in the fourth quarter to still put pressure on the quarterback," Whisenhunt said. "That was a big factor."

HEALTHY CARDS

The only injury reported by the Cardinals was LaBoy's sore groin.

Hood came out of the game with cramps but managed to return.

The only Cardinals who missed the game with injuries were receiver Anquan Boldin and tight end Ben Patrick.

Berry returned from a groin injury and recorded a forced fumble and a sack.