It's over.

All that's left for the Carolina Panthers after a shocking 33-13 loss to the Arizona Cardinals in Saturday night's home playoff game is to clean out their lockers today and start their vacation.

“It's so very disappointing,” said cornerback Ken Lucas.

After compiling an 8-0 record at Bank of America Stadium during the regular season, the Panthers suffered an embarrassing – bordering on nightmarish – defeat to an Arizona team that came in as a 91/2-point underdog with an 0-5 East Coast record this season.

“In a nutshell, we picked a bad day to have a bad day,” said coach John Fox.

Said defensive end Julius Peppers: “If we played that team tomorrow or if we had played them yesterday, it may have been a different outcome. But today they were the better team.”

Gone is Carolina's dream of either hosting the NFC title game next week or traveling to the Meadowlands for a rematch against the New York Giants.

This was hardly the way Charlotte area fans who spent all day Saturday brimming with excitement expected the playoff experience to go.

Remember this as the snapshot moment that told the whole story: Quarterback Jake Delhomme dejectedly walking off the field early in the fourth quarter, putting his hands inside his helmet to rub his face after throwing the fourth of his career-worst five – yes, five! – interceptions.

Delhomme had tried to complete the pass to receiver Steve Smith in the end zone, but as was the case for most of the night, Smith was well-covered and Delhomme tried to force the ball to him anyway.

Delhomme had said last week that if Carolina lost this game, its season would be a waste.

Delhomme, who also fumbled, blamed himself for the loss and said it was his most disappointing game, with no other one close.

“I was apologetic to the guys for not giving us a chance,” he said. “I'm not looking for sympathy one bit. That's the last thing I want. The work I put in this week wasn't good enough.”

Though critics – Delhomme had plenty even before the game – might suggest the Panthers need a new quarterback, Fox voiced an unyielding support for Delhomme.

“I think Jake is a hell of a quarterback who had a rough night,” said Fox.

Fox said “I can promise you” Delhomme's performance wouldn't change his commitment to Delhomme in the future. When asked if that meant Delhomme definitely would be Carolina's quarterback next season, Fox said:

“I can't predict what's going to happen. I don't know where anybody is going to be next year for sure. But that's kind of my thinking, yes.

“But it's a little early to be thinking about next year. I want to get through this one first.”

The Panthers went 12-4 in the regular season and won the NFC South Division, but now will watch – well, maybe they won't be able to bear watching – other teams fight it out for the Super Bowl championship.

Arizona (11-7) moves on to the first NFC title game in franchise history.

These three Cardinals were superb: Quarterback Kurt Warner, receiver Larry Fitzgerald and cornerback Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie.

Warner, Delhomme's former NFL Europe teammate, looked as sharp as he did back in his days with the St. Louis Rams. He completed 21 of 32 passes for 220 yards, two touchdowns and an interception.

Fitzgerald was a Carolina killer, especially in the first half, when he had 151 yards receiving. Fitzgerald finished with eight catches for 166 yards and a touchdown.

Rodgers-Cromartie, a rookie who was a first-round draft pick, put the clamps on Smith, helping hold the Panthers' electrifying Pro Bowl receiver to two catches – and none until the final minute of the third quarter.

The night started with so much promise for Carolina – Mark Jones' 39-yard kickoff return to midfield, DeAngelo Williams' 31-yard run and Jonathan Stewart's 9-yard touchdown run on the game's opening possession.

With three minutes and four seconds elapsed, Carolina led 7-0 and the home fans were in a frenzy, waving white towels and cheering wildly.

At that time, who could have imagined that with 12 – yes, 12! – minutes remaining in the fourth quarter, thousands of fans already would have left because the Cardinals were so much in control of the game.

Arizona took charge when, on third-and-1 from its 49, quarterback Warner completed a 41-yard pass to Fitzgerald, who jumped high to catch the ball over Lucas and Charles Godfrey.

Rookie Tim Hightower scored three plays later to tie the score and the Cardinals got the ball back 10 seconds later when Arizona defensive end forced a Delhomme fumble and recovered it at the Panthers' 13.

A 9-yard pass from Warner to Edgerrin James and James 4-yard touchdown run made it 14-7 and the rout was on.

By halftime, the Cardinals were ahead 27-7 and had put the Panthers in uncharted territory.

Carolina never had come from as many as 20 points behind to win, and it didn't happen on this night either.

Though the Panthers tried to make halftime adjustments, they didn't work well enough for a comeback.

The hard truth is that Delhomme was awful from start to finish. He completed only two passes to Smith, his Pro Bowl receiver, and the first didn't come until the final minute of the third quarter after the Cardinals were ahead by 23.

“The unfortunate thing is those guys in that room have worked their tails off all year,” said Fox. “I wish it could've been a better finish.”

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