TEMPE, Ariz. — The Arizona Cardinals reached the playoffs behind a prolific passing attack. But running the ball is a big reason they’re one win away from the Super Bowl.

Led by quarterback Kurt Warner and his three 1,000-yard wide receivers — Larry Fitzgerald, Anquan Boldin and Steve Breaston — Arizona ranked second in the NFL at 292.1 passing yards and 39.4 passing attempts per game. Meanwhile, the running game was non-existent, ranking last in the league in yards (73.6) and attempts (21.2) per game and was next-to-last in yards per carry (3.5).

But in two playoff wins, the Cardinals have averaged 115.5 yards on the ground.

A better running game has taken pressure off Warner and given the offense balance, which it will need against the Philadelphia Eagles’ tough defense in the NFC Championship Game on Sunday.

“It gives us a chance to make defenses pick their poison,” running back Edgerrin James said Thursday after practice. “You want to stop the run, we can pass. If you want to stop the pass, we can run it. You don’t want it where you are one-dimensional and teams can just come after you. That’s the beauty of being able to run the ball.”

The Cardinals can thank James’ re-emergence for the running game’s resurgence. After five straight 1,000- yard campaigns in Indianapolis and Arizona, James was limited to 133 carries and a career- low 514 yards this year. During an eight-game midseason stretch, he got benched in favor of rookie Tim Hightower. During that span, James was limited to just 11 carries and didn’t have a touch in three games.

But James, the 11th-leading rusher in NFL history, regained his starting job in the regular-season finale and flashed his old form by rushing for 100 yards on 14 carries in a 34-21 win over the Seattle Seahawks.

In the playoffs, James has rushed for 73 yards on 16 carries in a first-round win over Atlanta and added 57 yards with one touchdown on 20 carries in a 33-13 win at Carolina on Saturday.

James’ 230 yards in the last three games is more than he had in the previous 12 contests combined. He hasn’t broken any big runs — he never was a speedster to begin with — but his small, significant gains have helped the Cardinals control the clock and stay in favorable down and distances.

“Edgerrin is back — back in there and playing very well,” Eagles coach Andy Reid said. “He’s having opportunities and that’s what makes it a great challenge for our defense. When you have a great passing attack and a great running attack, you have to make sure you play at your highest level.”

Coaches and teammates praised James for how he handled the benching. He kept working and stayed ready in case he got another chance.

But James wasn’t sure he’d get a shot to play until he was reinserted into the lineup.

“I just didn’t know when I was getting back in the game, so you just go out and continue to practice and do what you’ve always done and not let whatever is going on take you away from the type of player that you are and the type of person that you are,” he said. “All of a sudden we get to this point and we’re back to doing what is best for the team.”

The Cardinals are more committed to the run than they were in the past. They haven’t been discouraged even when defenses stack the line of scrimmage against them.

The Cardinals average just 3.3 yards per carry in the playoffs but have 71 attempts in two games. They ran 43 times for 145 yards, including 76 by Hightower, against Carolina.

“I don’t think it’s about how much [we run]. I think it’s about doing it successfully,” said Cardinals offensive coordinator Todd Haley. “You’ve got to be able to successfully run the ball when the defense is playing pass. And there are times when you are going to have to successfully run the ball when the defense is playing run like we did in the Carolina game in the whole fourth quarter. They knew we were going to run it and we were able to have success running. That’s a confidence boost.”