The formidable Giants defense was able to throw Warner off his game. So were the Vikings, who sacked him four times last week. The Jets and Eagles weren't bad at turning up the heat in Warner's kitchen, either. But not many other NFL defenses have ruffled the four-time Pro Bowl quarterback and two-time league MVP, as Warner has been sacked just 24 times this season and allowed to operate with his usual precision.

As such, the Cardinals boast the NFL's second-ranked offense in passing yardage (299 per game). Their strength looms like a guillotine over the Patriots' chief weakness: a soft secondary.

On Sunday, Bill Belichick's team will have to find a way to be like the Giants and Vikings. They must get to Warner and take away his comfort zone in the pocket if they want to keep their postseason hopes alive.

Obviously, cornerbacks Ellis Hobbs and Jonathan Wilhite and the rest of the secondary are going to have their hands full trying to contain Pro Bowl receivers Anquan Boldin and Larry Fitzgerald on their own. That's where the pass rush comes in. That's also where there's a bit of Russian roulette thrown into the equation.

Warner still has one of the quickest releases in the game. He's also proficient at picking up the blitz and reading defenses so you have to hinder him enough to throw off the timing of his receivers' patterns or he'll kill you.

Warner's 22-game touchdown streak and his passing average (306.4 yards per game), second-best in the NFL behind New Orleans' Drew Brees, are proof of that.

``There's a lot of quarterbacks you just can't risk to do that (blitz), but you have to put pressure on him,'' Pats linebacker Junior Seau said of Warner. ``You got to get him to worry about the rush, but more importantly, to disguise the coverage so you can have the ball in his hands longer than he wants it to be.''

Through 14 games, the Pats have been inconsistent in the pass rush. With just 26 sacks, they're tied for 17th in the league.

The teams that have fared best against the Cardinals offense - the Vikings, Eagles, Giants and Jets - all rank in the top five with 40-plus sacks.

``No question, we have to get some pressure on (Warner),'' defensive end Richard Seymour said, ``but he doesn't take many sacks if he sees you coming. Very seldom do you get a clear shot at him.''

Belichick knows the dangers Warner presents.

``Warner does a good job of reading defenses. He knows where to go with the ball,'' Belichick said. ``He knows blitzes. He does a decent amount of audibling on the line of scrimmage when he sees weaknesses in the defense. He can get to those plays. He has that kind of flexibility in his offensive system. He is not wrong too often.''

Without question, Warner is having a resurgence to the MVP days that saw him win one Super Bowl with the Rams and take St. Louis to a second, losing to the Patriots.

``I've always pushed myself to want to be great,'' Warner said during a conference call yesterday, ``and I don't think that's ever wavered or that's ever changed no matter what circumstance I'm in.''

The forecasted foul weather will favor the Pats. But they must hinder the 38-year-old veteran to have a chance.

- kguregian@bostonherald.com

STAFF PHOTOS BY MATTHEW WEST