History of the Arizona Cardinals
Encyclopedia
This article details the history of the Arizona Cardinals
American Football Club. The Cardinals are the oldest existing professional football club in the United States
.
in 1898. In 1913, the team turned professional.
O'Brien later moved them to Chicago's Normal Park
and renamed them the Racine Normals, since Normal Park was located on Racine Avenue in Chicago. In 1901, O'Brien bought used maroon
uniforms from the University of Chicago
, the colors of which had by then faded, leading O'Brien to exclaim, "That's not maroon, it's cardinal red!" It was then that the team changed its name to the Racine Cardinals.
The team disbanded in 1906 mostly for lack of local competition, but reformed in 1913. They were forced to suspend operations for a second time in 1918 due to World War I
and the outbreak of the Spanish Flu Pandemic
. They resumed operations later in the year, and have since operated continuously.
, the team became a charter member of the American Professional Football Association (which became the NFL in 1922
), for a franchise fee of $100USD. The Cardinals and the Bears (originally founded as the Decatur Staleys before moving to Chicago in 1921) are the only charter members of the NFL still in existence, though the Green Bay Packers
, who joined the league in 1921, existed prior to the formation of the NFL. The person keeping the minutes of the first league meeting, unfamiliar with the nuances of Chicago football, recorded the Cardinals as from Racine, Wisconsin
. The team was renamed the Chicago Cardinals in 1922 after a team actually from Racine, Wisconsin (the Horlick-Racine Legion
) entered the league. That season the team moved to Comiskey Park
.
The Staleys and Cardinals
played each other twice in 1920 as the Racine Cardinals and the Decatur Staleys, making their rivalry the oldest in the NFL. They split the series, with the home team winning in each. In the Cardinals 7-6 victory over the Staleys in their first meeting of the season, each team scored a TD on a fumble recovery, with the Staleys failing their extra point
try.
The Cardinals' defeat of the Staleys proved critical, since George Halas
's Staleys went on to a 10-1-2 record overall, 5-1-2 in league play. The Akron Pros
were the first ever league champions, they finished with an 8-0-3 record, 6-0-3 in league play, ending their season in a 0-0 tie against the Staleys. Since the Pros merely had to tie the game in order to win the title, they could afford to play not to lose. Had the Staleys not lost to the Cardinals, they would have gone into that fateful game with an 11-0-1 record, 6-0-1 in league play. As it was, it all but assured that the Staleys/Bears and Cardinals would be intense rivals.
The two teams played to a tie in 1921
, when the Staleyes
won all but 2 games, thus the Cardinals
came within 1 point of costing the Staleys a second consecutive championship in the league's first 2 years of existence.
In 1922
, the Bears
went 9-3-0, losing to the Cardinals twice. The Bears still edged the Cardinals
for 2nd place in the league, but those losses dashed all hopes of the Bears repeating as champions.
In 1923
and 1924
, the Bears got the better of the Cardinals all three times the two teams played. But in 1925
, the Bears
went 0-1-1 against the Cardinals
with the tie meaning the Cardinals were only a 1/2 game in front of the Pottsville Maroons
heading into their fateful 1925 showdown.
Thus, in the first 6 years of the NFL's existence, the Bears-Cardinals games had a direct impact on the league championship 4 times. The Bears and Cardinals each took home 1 title during that span. But the Bears nearly cost the Cardinals their title, the Cardinals nearly cost the Bears their title and but for the Cardinals tenacity against the Bears, the Bears very well might have won 2 others. The Bears were a dominant team against everyone but the Cardinals in the leagues early years. From 1920-1925 the Canton Bulldogs
, champions in 1922 and 1923, beat the Bears just 2 times and no other team in the NFL defeated the Bears more than once over that entire 6 year span...except the Cardinals. The Cardinals battled the Bears to 4-4-2 split between 1920–1925 and established the NFL first rivalry.
Legend has it that the Cardinals played the Chicago Tigers
in 1920, with the loser being forced to leave town. While this has never been proven, the Tigers did disband after one season.
The Cardinals won their first NFL championship in 1925, finishing the season with a record of 11-2-1. In a controversial ruling by the league, the Pottsville Maroons, the team with the best record, had their franchise revoked for violating the territorial rights of the Frankford Yellow Jackets
. Thus, the Cardinals won the 1925 title by default. (For more on the controversy, see 1925 NFL Championship controversy
.)
and 1935
); including 10 straight losing seasons from 1936
to 1945
.
Dr. David Jones bought the team from O'Brien in 1929
. In 1932
the team was purchased by Charles Bidwill
, then a vice president of the Chicago Bears
. The team has been under the ownership of the Bidwill family since then.
, owing to player shortages caused by World War II
, the Cardinals and Pittsburgh Steelers
merged for one year and were known as the "Card-Pitt
", or derisively as the "Carpets" as they were winless that season. In 1945, the Cardinals snapped their losing streak by beating the Bears 16-7. It was their only victory of the season. In 1946, the team finished 6-5 for the first winning season in eight years.
In 1947, the NFL standardized on a 12-game season. This would be the most celebrated year in Cardinals history as the team went 9-3, beating Philadelphia in the championship game 28-21 with their "Million-Dollar Backfield", which included quarterback Paul Christman
, halfback Charley Trippi
, halfback Elmer Angsman
, and fullback Pat Harder
, piling up 282 rushing yards. However, Bidwill was not around to see it; he'd died before the season, leaving the team to his wife Violet
. He had, however, beaten the Chicago Rockets
of the upstart All-America Football Conference
for the rights to Trippi. This signing is generally acknowledged as the final piece in the championship puzzle. The next season
saw the Cardinals finish 11-1 and again play in the championship game, but lost 7-0 in a rematch with the Eagles
, played in a heavy snowstorm that almost completely obscured the field. This was the first NFL championship to be televised. The next year, Violet Bidwill married St. Louis businessman Walter Wolfner, and the Cardinals fell to 6-5-1.
, a move which also blocked St. Louis as a market against the new American Football League
.
" to distinguish the two. To avoid confusion, the NFL contemplated changing the Cardinals' name, but then dropped the idea (though in the early years of the NFL, numerous teams were named after local baseball teams, directly or indirectly). They shared Sportsman's Park with the baseball team, but professional football was new to St. Louis, and tickets were difficult to sell. The Cardinals initially held practices in the city park. Their first home game was a loss to the Giants on October 2, 1960, and they finished the year at 6-5-1 (the NFL had expanded to a 14-game season to compete with the upstart AFL). In 1961, they broke even at 7-7 and fell to 4-9 in 1962. Improving to 9-5 in 1963, the Cardinals almost reached the playoffs, but a loss to the Giants prevented that.
During the Cardinals' 28-year stay in St. Louis, they advanced to the playoffs just three times (1974, 1975 & 1982), never hosting or winning in any appearance. In spite of what was considered lackluster performance in St. Louis, their overall record there, of 187 wins, 202 losses, and 13 ties (.481 winning percentage) is easily the highest winning percentage for any of the three locations that the Cardinals have been associated with.
, Charley Johnson
, Jim Bakken
, Sonny Randle
, and Jim Hart. Violet Bidwill Wolfner died in 1962, and her sons, Bill and Charles, Jr. took control. Although the Cardinals were competitive again in the '60s, they failed to achieve a playoff appearance during the decade, as only four teams qualified during this period. In 1964, the Bidwells, unsatisfied with St. Louis, considered moving the team to Atlanta. They wanted a new stadium, and that city was planning the construction of one. However, St. Louis persuaded them to stay with the promise of a stadium (a new expansion team, the Falcons, was eventually created for Atlanta). The Cardinals got off to a good start, and tied the Cleveland Browns 33-33 on the road. They finished 9-4-1 and second in the Eastern Conference, but a victory by the Browns over the New York Giants denied them a playoff berth. The team finished the year with a meaningless win over the Packers.
A 4-1 start to the 1965 season evaporated into a 5-9 finish. In 1966
, the Cardinals
were in first place in the Eastern Conference with an 8-2-1 record, but a loss to the Dallas Cowboys
, which went on to win the conference title, started a three-game losing streak to end the season, leaving St. Louis at 8-5-1. Another middling season followed in 1967, with six wins, seven losses, and one tie.
In 1968
, the Cardinals
swept the Cleveland Browns
and ended the year with a 9-4-1 mark, but a loss to a sub-par San Francisco 49ers
club and a tie against the woeful Pittsburgh Steelers
kept the Cardinals out of the playoffs
.
St. Louis
fell back to 4-9-1 in 1969
, but that season saw the debut of Roger Wehrli
, a star safety at the University of Missouri
who played 14 seasons for the Cardinals and was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame
in 2007
.
, the Cardinals
were placed in the new NFC East division following the merger with the AFL. They posted three consecutive shutouts in November, blanking the Houston Oilers
, Boston Patriots
, and the Cowboys
, the last of those victories coming 38-0 on Monday Night Football
in the Cotton Bowl
. But St. Louis collapsed down the stretch, losing December games to the New York Giants
, Detroit Lions
and Washington Redskins
to finish 8-5-1 and out of the playoffs
. The Cardinals then regressed to three consecutive 4-9-1 seasons from 1971-73. Bill Bidwill became sole owner in 1972 and still owns the team today. Only the New York Giants
and Chicago Bears have been in the hands of one family longer than the Cardinals.
Larry Wilson retired following the 1972 season
, and in 1973
, Don Coryell
, who built a powerhouse program at San Diego State
became head coach. The Cardinals
registered a 7-0 record to open the 1974 season
and won the NFC East championship on the strength of a season sweep of the Redskins
. In the franchise's first playoff game since 1948, St. Louis took an early 7-0 lead against the Minnesota Vikings
in Bloomington, Minnesota
, but a missed field goal just before halftime sapped the Cardinals' momentum. The Vikings scored 16 points in the first seven minutes of the second half and cruised to a 30-14 victory.
The Cardinals
won the NFC East again in 1975
, despite a 32-14 loss to the Buffalo Bills
on Thanksgiving
. The playoff game against the Los Angeles Rams
was a disaster: Lawrence McCutcheon
set an NFL playoff record by rushing for 202 yards, and Jack Youngblood
and Bill Simpson
returned interceptions for touchdowns, staking the Rams to a 28-9 halftime lead en route to a 35-23 victory at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum
.
During this period, the Cardinals boasted an effective offense in the wake of a record-setting offensive line which included standouts Dan Dierdorf
, Conrad Dobler
, and Tom Banks
.
This period for the franchise was characterized by exciting close games, come-from-behind nailbiters, and several frustrating near-misses. The press and league fans began to call the team the "Cardiac Cardinals". Team stars from the 1970s included Wehrli, wide receiver Mel Gray, and running backs Terry Metcalf
and Jim Otis
.
On Thanksgiving Day, 1976
, the Cardinals suffered a controversial loss to the Dallas Cowboys
. Cardinal tight end J. V. Cain
, running an apparent game-winning route, was shoved out of the end zone by Dallas defensive backs Cliff Harris
and Charlie Waters
in what appeared to be obvious interference, but a penalty was not called.http://books.google.com/books?id=Bh12chTOnXMC&pg=PA50&lpg=PA50&dq=%22cliff+harris%22+%22thanksgiving+day%22+cardinals&source=bl&ots=Xy9v5nnzRY&sig=dG0P-gJzxnXoo8DzEMGhXOv7498&hl=en&ei=uRrGS6IskY7yBMDQ9ZoO&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=3&ved=0CAsQ6AEwAg#v=onepage&q&f=false With this loss, the Cardinals were dethroned from the divisional lead and became the first NFC team to reach 10 wins without qualifying for the playoffs
, losing a tiebreaker to the Redskins
due to Washington's sweep of the season series.
In 1977
, the Cardinals
started slowly but won 6 consecutive games before losing the Thanksgiving Day game to the Miami Dolphins
, 55-14. Bob Griese
's record-setting day turned out to be the first of 12 straight losses for the Cardinals (extending into 1978), a streak which included being only the second team ever to lose to the previously winless Tampa Bay Buccaneers
, and the first to lose in Tampa Stadium. Coryell and several key players, including Dobler and Metcalf, departed the team at the end of the 1977 season.
For the 1978 season
, Bidwill hired Bud Wilkinson
, famous for building a football dynasty in 17 seasons at the University of Oklahoma
. But Wilkinson, who had been out of coaching since retiring from the Sooners following the 1963 season, could not turn the Cardinals around. St. Louis started 1978
with eight straight losses and finished at 6-10, and Wilkinson was fired in 1979
with the Cardinals at 3-10 and last in the NFC East. Wilkinson was canned by Bidwill for refusing to bench quarterback Jim Hart in favor of rookie Steve Pisarkiewicz
. Larry Wilson, the Pro Football Hall of Fame
safety who starred for the Cardinals for 13 seasons, coached the final three games of the 1979 season, finishing with a 5-11 record.
The Cardinals experienced several years of notoriously poor drafts and unfortunate personnel moves in the late 1970s, typified by the first-round selection of kicker Steve Little, who was paralyzed in a 1980 automobile accident, and hiring Wilkinson in 1978. The team also suffered a tragic loss during 1979 training camp when Cain died of a heart attack
.
, wide receiver Roy Green
, and running back Ottis Anderson
. Stellar performances by Anderson couldn't salvage the Cardinals' 1980 and 1981 campaigns, which ended at 5-11 and 7-9, respectively.
In 1982
, the Cardinals
qualified for the expanded 16-team playoff field
with a 5-4 mark in the strike-shortened year, but fell 41-16 to the Green Bay Packers
.
St. Louis
finished 1983
at 8-7-1, including victories over the eventual Super Bowl
champion Los Angeles Raiders
and the Seattle Seahawks
, who lost to the Raiders in the AFC championship game.
The Cardinals
entered the final weekend of 1984
with a chance to win the NFC East by defeating the Redskins, but Neil O'Donoghue
missed a game-winning field goal at the gun, giving Washington
a 29-27 victory and the division championship.
St. Louis
started 1985
3-1, but finished 5-11, leading to the termination of coach Jim Hanifan
after six seasons. Hanifan would return triumphantly to St. Louis, serving offensive line coach during the St. Louis Rams
' Super Bowl championship
season
.
Gene Stallings
, formerly the head coach at Texas A&M
and a long-time assistant to Tom Landry
with the Cowboys, replaced Hanifan. The Cardinals finished 4-11-1 in 1986
, but improved to 7-8 in 1987
, falling just one win shy of the playoffs
, losing 21-16 on the final Sunday of the season to the Cowboys
.
The 1987 season is remembered for a stunning comeback, rallying from a 28-3 deficit against the Buccaneers
by scoring 28 points in the fourth quarter for a 31-28 victory. It remains the largest fourth-quarter comeback in NFL history.
The overall mediocrity of the Cardinals, combined with an old stadium, caused game attendance to dwindle, and once again the Bidwills decided to move the team, this time to either Baltimore, Phoenix, or Jacksonville. Nonetheless, Cardinals fans were unhappy at losing their team, and Bill Bidwill, fearing for his safety, stayed away from several of the 1987 home games. Their last home game was on December 13, 1987 (a 27-24 victory over the New York Giants
in front of 29,623 fans on a late Sunday afternoon).
gutted efforts to finance a new stadium, forcing the Cardinals to play at Arizona State University
's Sun Devil Stadium
in Tempe
.
In March 1994, Bill Bidwill renamed the team the Arizona Cardinals due to fan preference (Bidwell had initially resisted the name "Arizona Cardinals" due to the NFL's tradition of team names that identified home cities, although the Minnesota Vikings
was a longstanding exception and the Carolina Panthers
were set to start play the following year.). The rest of the NFL owners quickly approved the name change.
The Cardinals spent most of their first decade in Arizona as a cellar dweller. This was in part because, in defiance of geographic reality, they remained in the NFC East—resulting in some of the longest road trips in the league. Attendance averaged roughly 35,000 in a 73,000-seat stadium, meaning that the Cardinals sold out an average of two home games a year and rarely appeared on local television. Arizona and New Mexico were traditionally a market for the Cowboys, and that team remained far more popular in the area. Bidwill was criticized for his low-budget approach to the team. The high draft picks from those losing years, more often than not, left the franchise and enjoyed greater success with other teams.
Gene Stallings remained the team's coach following the move from St. Louis to the desert. The Cardinals overcame close losses in the first two weeks to the eventual AFC champion Cincinnati Bengals
and Dallas Cowboys
, winning seven of their next nine games to improve to 7-4. The most memorable of these wins came against the San Francisco 49ers
, as Phoenix erased a 23-0 deficit to win 24-23. Unfortunately, the team dropped its last five games, including two to the eventual division champion Philadelphia Eagles
. Stallings announced his intent to resign following the 1989 season
after a 37-14 loss to the Rams
in week 11, but Bidwill instead fired Stallings at this point. Under interim coach Hank Kuhlmann
, the Cardinals repeated their swoon of 1988, losing all five games under the new coach. Stallings returned to college football, leading the Alabama Crimson Tide
to the 1992 national championship.
, the architect of the Redskins' famous "Hogs" offensive line in the 1980s, coached the Cardinals from 1990 to 1993, usually finishing last in the dominant NFC East, which produced the Super Bowl
winner in each of those seasons (Giants
in '90, Redskins
'91, Cowboys
'92-93). Bugel's first three teams finished 5-11 in 1990
and 4-12 in both 1991
and 1992
before improving to 7-9 in 1993. During the 1993 season
, the Cardinals outscored their opponents by 57 points, but suffered eight losses by seven points or less, five of those setbacks coming to playoff teams. A three-game winning streak to close the season, including a 17-6 triumph over the playoff bound Giants
, was not enough to save Bugel's job.
replaced Bugel in 1994, serving as both general manager and head coach, but lasted only two seasons. He guaranteed victory in the 1994
week 3 game at the Cleveland Browns
, which Cleveland subsequently won, 32-0. The Cardinals
, who ranked third in the NFL in total defense in 1994 but suffered from a lack of consistency at quarterback, entered the final week of the season with an outside chance at a playoff berth, but a 10-6 loss to the Atlanta Falcons
ended those hopes as Arizona finished 8-8.
The 1995 season
saw the Cardinals
drop to 4-12, including an embarrassing 27-7 loss to the expansion Carolina Panthers
. Ryan's tenure ended on December 26, less than 24 hours after the Cardinals lost 37-13 to the Cowboys
on Monday Night Football
. Dallas returned to Sun Devil Stadium
34 days later and defeated the Pittsburgh Steelers
in Super Bowl XXX
.
, who improved the Cardinals to 7-9 in 1996
, led by defensive end Simeon Rice
, the third overall pick who became the NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year, and a rejuvenated Boomer Esiason
at quarterback. Esiason threw for 522 yards in an overtime victory over the Redskins
in the Cardinals' final game at RFK Stadium, and two weeks later led a fourth-quarter comeback against the playoff-bound Eagles
. The 1996 season also featured a lowlight: a 31-21 loss at home to the New York Jets
, the only game the Jets won during a 1-15 season.
, but that season saw the debut of rookie quarterback Jake Plummer
, who the previous season guided Arizona State
to a remarkable 11-0 regular season before falling just short of the national championship with a loss to Ohio State
in the Rose Bowl
. The highlight of the 1997 season was a 25-22 overtime victory over the Cowboys
in week 2, ending Dallas' 13-game winning streak over the Cardinals which dated back to 1990. The momentum generated by the victory over the Cowboys was squandered with losses in the next two games, falling to the Redskins 19-13 in overtime in the first-ever game at Jack Kent Cooke Stadium, and an 18-17 setback to the playoff-bound Buccaneers.
enjoyed his greatest stretch of success during his tenure with the franchise, in terms of victories at least, as his quarterback rating was still an average 75.0. The team during that time had once again been dubbed the Cardiac Cards by the local and national media as eight of their 16 regular-season games were decided by three points or less, and seven of those games ended in favor of the Cardinals. Solidifying their status as the team to beat in the clutch, the Cardinals, sporting a 6-7 record going into the 15th week, defated the Philadelphia Eagles
in overtime on a field goal by Chris Jacke
, then returned home to defeat the New Orleans Saints
by two and the San Diego Chargers
by three to clinch a wild-card playoff berth.
The close calls and the fact that none of their victories had been to teams with winning records (New Orleans was the best of the group at 6-10; San Diego was 5-11 and Philadelphia 3-13) made them heavy underdogs going into their Wild Card
Playoff game against the Dallas Cowboys
. Considering their two regular season losses to the Cowboys and the fact that they had been on the losing end of 16 of the last 17 games against their division rivals, including 9 straight losses at Texas Stadium
, the "Team of the Nineties" seemed to have history and ample statistical evidence on their side. To further the situation, the Cardinals franchise had not won a single playoff game since their title year of 1947, resulting in the longest active drought in professional sports
history.
The Cardinals won the game 20-7; however, the final score made the game appear closer than it actually was, as Arizona dominated the Cowboys on both ends of the football throughout the game. At Texas Stadium that afternoon, the Cardinals jumped out to a 10–0 halftime lead. The Cardinals would later increase that lead to 20-0 in the final minutes of the 4th quarter. The Cowboys' only score was a touchdown late in the 4th quarter, and the Cardinals held on for the upset. The Cardinals, who had suffered for 51 years as the NFL's doormat, finally had a playoff win. However, the distinction was short lived as the Cardinals fell in the divisional round of the playoffs to the Minnesota Vikings
who possessed a 15-1 record as well as the highest scoring offense in NFL history at the time. The Vikings won the game 41-21 in the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome
in downtown Minneapolis.
were expected to do bigger and better things in 1999
, but a tough schedule ranked in the top 5 as well as key injuries returned the team to their losing ways, getting off to a 2–6 start. However, the Cards would make another run, winning 4 straight games to get back into the playoff chase, but it was not meant to be; Arizona lost their last 4 games to finish with a disappointing 6–10 record.
and replaced by existing defensive coordinator Dave McGinnis
, who remained head coach until his firing in 2003; McGinnis compiled a win-loss record of 17-40 during his tenure. In McGinnis' second game as head coach, Aeneas Williams
tied an NFL record by returning a fumble 104 yards for a touchdown in a 16–15 victory over the Redskins
. Other notable victories during McGinnis' tenure included a 34–31 overtime victory over the Oakland Raiders
in 2001
in the Cardinals'
first-ever visit to Oakland, and an 18-17 triumph in the final game of the 2003 season
over the Minnesota Vikings
, in which Josh McCown
threw the game-winning touchdown pass to Nate Poole
with no time left on the clock, eliminating the Vikings from the playoffs.
The Cardinals did not win more than seven games in any season between 1999 and 2006, and have had one of the worst yearly attendance records in the NFL. Sun Devil Stadium, during the time the Cardinals were a tenant there, gained a reputation for being one of the quietest stadiums in the NFL (which is a far cry compared to that facility's ASU
home games). The few fans who did show up for games were most often rooting for the away team, partially due to the fact that much of Arizona's population during the winter months is composed of residents whose homestate lies elsewhere, creating such "home games" on the road for opposing teams. In addition, many of Arizona's permanent residents grew up in other states. Such incidents were most noticeable when teams with great national followings, such as the Packers, Bears, 49ers, Raiders, Patriots, Steelers and Cowboys, came into town.
In 2002
, the addition of the Houston Texans caused the NFL to realign into eight divisions of four teams each. The Cardinals were finally moved to the NFC West with the 49ers, Seahawks, and Rams, which made far more sense from a geographical standpoint.
, the Cardinals hired former Vikings coach Dennis Green
as their head coach. Prior to his signing with the Cardinals, he compiled a 97-62 record in ten seasons with Minnesota
(1992–2001), leading that franchise to four NFC Central Division titles and two NFC Championship games. The Cardinals continued their mediocre ways, going 6-10 in 2004 and 5-11 in 2005
, the final two seasons for the team in Sun Devil Stadium.
Tragedy struck the team on April 22, 2004 when former safety Pat Tillman
, a popular player who was an All-American at Arizona State, was killed in Afghanistan while serving in the United States Army
. Tillman left professional football following the 2001 season to serve in the military in the wake of the September 11 terrorist attacks. Tillman became the first NFL player to lose his life in war since Buffalo Bills
offensive tackle Bob Kalsu
died in 1970 during the Vietnam War
. Tillman's jersey number 40 was retired at the Cardinals' first home game of 2004. In early 2005, Cardinals signed Kurt Warner to a one-year, 4 million dollar contract and later extending it to six years. Warner retired on Januaury 29, 2010. Matt Leinart was drafted tenth overall in the 2006 NFL draft
. After four seasons, Leinart was released on September 4, 2010 and signed a one-year contract with the Houston Texans
two days later.
voters passed a ballot initiative by a margin of 51% to 49%, providing funding for a new Cardinals stadium (as well as for improvements to Major League Baseball
spring training
facilities in the greater Phoenix region; and youth recreation). After some legal obstacles, the Cardinals began construction of their new facility in April 2003, in Glendale
, one of the western suburbs of Phoenix. University of Phoenix Stadium
features a retractable roof
and a slide-out grass surface, which is good for the hot desert weather; the new stadium has a state-of-the-art air conditioning system and high-back seats.
For some time, many team officials blamed Sun Devil Stadium for the Cardinals' woes. Being merely a tenant in a college-owned stadium denied the Cardinals access to many revenue streams that other NFL teams took for granted.
The 63,500-seat stadium (expandable to 72,800) opened on August 12, 2006 when the Cardinals
defeated the Pittsburgh Steelers
, 21-13, in a preseason game. The Cardinals then hosted their first regular season opening day game since moving to the Phoenix area in 1988, defeating the San Francisco 49ers
in a rematch of the 2005 blowout in Mexico City
, 34-27, in front of a sellout crowd of 63,407. In February 2008, the stadium hosted Super Bowl XLII
.
Despite the new stadium, the team began the 2006 season
with a 1-8 record, punctuated by a 24-23 loss to the Chicago Bears
on October 16 (before a sellout crowd enjoying a rare Cardinals appearance on Monday Night Football
) in which Arizona blew a 20-point lead in an extremely bizarre game as Chicago scored zero offensive touchdowns and the Cardinals led in several statistical categories including Time of Possession, Passing Yardage, Rushing Yardage, Giveaways, Takeaways, and Interceptions. Despite all the overwhelming statistical evidence the Bears capitalized on the two turnovers the Cardinals did commit, a pair of fumbles, and promptly returned them both for touchdowns. They also converted a punt return into a touchdown. The Cardinals had a chance to redeem themselves with a last minute field goal which would give them the victory, but their offense went into a conservative state and stalled just past midfield, which set up a 40 yard field goal attempt by Neil Rackers
, which was wide left. Afterwards Dennis Green fired off an uncharacteristic, angry tirade in the postgame press conference, stating "The Bears are who we thought they were...and if you want to crown them, then crown their ass! The Bears are who we thought they were...and we let 'em off the hook!"
Following the game against the Bears, Green fired his offensive coordinator, Keith Rowen
, and the focal point was the game's final drive with the conservative play calling being the reason behind the firing. In the first game after the Monday Night debacle, the Cardinals were dominated in a 22-9 loss to the previously winless Raiders, one of only two games Oakland
won in 2006.
offensive coordinator Ken Whisenhunt
was named the Cardinals head coach for the 2007 season.
In the 1st round of the 2007 NFL Draft
, the Cardinals selected offensive tackle Levi Brown from Penn State
with the fifth overall pick. The Cardinals selected cornerback Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie with their first pick in the 2008 NFL Draft
.
The Cardinals
finished 2007
with an 8–8 record, just their third non-losing record since moving to Arizona.
in which Jets quarterback Brett Favre
threw six touchdown passes, and Arizona receiver Anquan Boldin
suffered a fractured sinus and concussion following a helmet-to-helmet hit by Jet cornerback Eric Smith
. Arizona recovered to win five of its next six games to improve to 7-3, but lost two games in a five-day stretch of late November to the Giants
and Eagles
. On Dec. 7, the Cardinals clinched the NFC West Division championship with a 34-10 victory at home over the St. Louis Rams
to ensure the club's first playoff berth since 1998, as well as their first division title since 1975. It also assured the Cardinals of hosting at least one playoff game at home--only the second home playoff game in franchise history (they never played a home playoff game while in St. Louis despite winning two division titles).
The Cardinals followed up winning the division title with two lackluster performances, losing at home 35-14 to the Minnesota Vikings
, then suffering a 47-7 rout to the New England Patriots
at a snowy Gillette Stadium
. The Cardinals then defeated the Seattle Seahawks
at home to clinch their first winning season since 1998, and thus avoided becoming the third team to win a division title with an 8-8 record (after the 1985 Cleveland Browns
and 2008 San Diego Chargers
).
On January 3, 2009 the Cardinals won their first home playoff game in 63 years by defeating the Atlanta Falcons
30-24 in the Wild Card Round. They then upset the Carolina Panthers
33-13 in Charlotte in the Divisional Playoffs. With the Philadelphia Eagles
winning the next day, the Cardinals, as the only remaining division champion, earned the right to host the first Championship Game in team history. On January 18, 2009, the Cardinals defeated the Eagles 32-25 to advance to the Super Bowl
for the first time in franchise history. They lost Super Bowl XLIII 27-23 to the Pittsburgh Steelers
.
started off with high expectations from fans following the team's improbable run to the Super Bowl the previous year. The Cardinals drafted Chris "Beanie" Wells
with the 31st pick in the 2009 NFL Draft
to help improve their lack of a running game with the loss of Edgerrin James
. But, with the Cardinals losing their offensive coordinator, Todd Haley
, to the Kansas City Chiefs
and having contract disputes with certain players, many outsiders thought the Cardinals would not return to the playoffs. The Cardinals started the season with a frustrating loss to their division rival, the San Francisco 49ers
. They regrouped by beating Jacksonville
, but followed that with another embarrassing loss at home to the Indianapolis Colts
. They quickly recovered after their bye-week, winning 6 of their next 7 games. While playing the Rams in Week 11, Kurt Warner sustained a concussion and sat out the game against Tennessee the following week. Matt Leinart took his place as starter in a 20-17 loss. After Warner returned, the Cardinals hosted Minnesota and inflicted a sensational 30-17 defeat on them. After that, they fell again to San Francisco with a score of 24-9 on Monday Night.
Coupled with a win over the Detroit Lions
and loss from San Francisco to the Philadelphia Eagles
, the Cardinals clinched their second straight NFC West division title on December 20, 2009.
The Cardinals finished the season 10-6, which was the team's best record since moving to Arizona. In the final game of the year, they were blown out by the Green Bay Packers
, 33-7. The game was meaningless to both teams in terms of playoff positioning. With a Minnesota victory just shortly before the start the Cardinals and Packers game, the Cardinals learned that they would be playing the same Packers team the following week in a NFC Wild Card game at home. Both teams took a different strategy to the game. The Packers decided to play their starters through three quarters, while the Cardinals played most of their starters for only a few plays.
With injuries being a factor the Cardinals started the NFC Wild Card game as a 2.5 point underdog at home on January 10, 2010. The Cardinals ended up beating the Green Bay Packers 51-45 in overtime in the highest scoring playoff game in NFL history, keeping alive the Packers-Cardinals rivalry which began on Nov. 20, 1921 when the two teams played to a 3-3 tie. With the playoff victory, the Cardinals earned the right to play the New Orleans Saints in the divisional playoff game on January 16, 2010.
The Packers game exposed Arizona's weak defense however, and they were out-gunned by the Saints
during the Divisional playoff game, losing by a lop-sided score of 45-14. Kurt Warner went 17-26 for 205 yards passing, but failed to throw for any touchdowns. The Cardinals went 1-8 on 3rd down conversions. Warner was knocked out of the game in the second quarter when he threw an interception that was caught by Saints DE Will Smith. A few days after the game, Kurt Warner announced his retirement from the NFL. This took the team by surprise, as they had expected him to play for the last year of his contract.
. In the end, the Cardinals got Eagles backup QB Kevin Kolb
in exchange for trading CB Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie. They beat Carolina in Week 1 for Kolb's first regular season game on the team, but lost the next three against Washington, Seattle, and New York despite close scores. In Week 5, they headed to Minnesota seeking their first win there since 1977.
Arizona Cardinals
The Arizona Cardinals are a professional American football team based in Glendale, Arizona, a suburb of Phoenix. They are currently members of the Western Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
American Football Club. The Cardinals are the oldest existing professional football club in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
.
Chicago years (1898–1959)
The Cardinals began as an amateur athletic club team in Chicago named the Morgan Athletic Club, which was founded by Chicago painter/builder Chris O'BrienChris O'Brien (American football)
Christopher O'Brien, was a painting and decorating contractor as well as a pro football franchise owner. He is mostly known as the owner of the Chicago Cardinals, and is known as the “Father of Professional Football in Chicago,”...
in 1898. In 1913, the team turned professional.
O'Brien later moved them to Chicago's Normal Park
Normal Park
Normal Park is the name of a former football field in Chicago, Illinois. It was on Racine Avenue between 61st and 63rd Streets. Normal Avenue is also sometimes given as one of its bordering streets, although Normal Avenue is about 7 blocks east of Racine , at least under the current city grid...
and renamed them the Racine Normals, since Normal Park was located on Racine Avenue in Chicago. In 1901, O'Brien bought used maroon
Maroon (color)
Maroon is a dark red color.-Etymology:Maroon is derived from French marron .The first recorded use of maroon as a color name in English was in 1789.-Maroon :...
uniforms from the University of Chicago
Chicago Maroons
The Maroons are the intercollegiate sports teams of the University of Chicago. They are named after the color maroon, one of the school's colors. They compete in the NCAA's Division III. They are primarily members of the University Athletic Association and were co-founders of the Big Ten...
, the colors of which had by then faded, leading O'Brien to exclaim, "That's not maroon, it's cardinal red!" It was then that the team changed its name to the Racine Cardinals.
The team disbanded in 1906 mostly for lack of local competition, but reformed in 1913. They were forced to suspend operations for a second time in 1918 due to World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
and the outbreak of the Spanish Flu Pandemic
Spanish flu
The 1918 flu pandemic was an influenza pandemic, and the first of the two pandemics involving H1N1 influenza virus . It was an unusually severe and deadly pandemic that spread across the world. Historical and epidemiological data are inadequate to identify the geographic origin...
. They resumed operations later in the year, and have since operated continuously.
1920s
In 19201920 NFL season
The 1920 APFA season was the inaugural regular season of the National Football League which was called the American Professional Football Association in 1920 and 1921...
, the team became a charter member of the American Professional Football Association (which became the NFL in 1922
1922 NFL season
The 1922 NFL season was the 3rd regular season of what was now called National Football League . The NFL fielded 18 teams during the season, including new league teams such as the Milwaukee Badgers, the Oorang Indians, the Racine Legion, and the Toledo Maroons...
), for a franchise fee of $100USD. The Cardinals and the Bears (originally founded as the Decatur Staleys before moving to Chicago in 1921) are the only charter members of the NFL still in existence, though the Green Bay Packers
Green Bay Packers
The Green Bay Packers are an American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Packers are the current NFL champions...
, who joined the league in 1921, existed prior to the formation of the NFL. The person keeping the minutes of the first league meeting, unfamiliar with the nuances of Chicago football, recorded the Cardinals as from Racine, Wisconsin
Racine, Wisconsin
Racine is a city in and the county seat of Racine County, Wisconsin, United States. According to 2008 U.S. Census Bureau estimates, the city had a population of 82,196...
. The team was renamed the Chicago Cardinals in 1922 after a team actually from Racine, Wisconsin (the Horlick-Racine Legion
Racine Legion/Tornadoes
The Racine Legion was a professional American football team based in Racine, Wisconsin of the National Football League from 1922 to 1924. Its official name was the Horlick-Racine Legion. The team then operated as the Racine Tornadoes in 1926....
) entered the league. That season the team moved to Comiskey Park
Comiskey Park
Comiskey Park was the ballpark in which the Chicago White Sox played from 1910 to 1990. It was built by Charles Comiskey after a design by Zachary Taylor Davis, and was the site of four World Series and more than 6,000 major league games...
.
The Staleys and Cardinals
1920 Chicago Cardinals season
The 1920 Chicago Cardinals season was their inaugural season in the National Football League. The team finished 6-2-1, earning fourth in the league...
played each other twice in 1920 as the Racine Cardinals and the Decatur Staleys, making their rivalry the oldest in the NFL. They split the series, with the home team winning in each. In the Cardinals 7-6 victory over the Staleys in their first meeting of the season, each team scored a TD on a fumble recovery, with the Staleys failing their extra point
Extra Point
Extra Point is a twice-daily, two-minute segment on ESPN Radio that covers generic sports-related topical news and opinion. The AM edition airs Monday through Saturday at various times between 6 a.m. and 10 a.m. ET, and the PM edition airs Monday through Friday between 3 p.m. and 7 p.m. ET...
try.
The Cardinals' defeat of the Staleys proved critical, since George Halas
George Halas
George Stanley Halas, Sr. , nicknamed "Papa Bear" and "Mr. Everything", was a player, coach, owner and pioneer in professional American football. He was the iconic longtime leader of the NFL's Chicago Bears...
's Staleys went on to a 10-1-2 record overall, 5-1-2 in league play. The Akron Pros
1920 Akron Pros season
The Akron Pros were an American football team that played in the American Professional Football Association . The team originally formed as the Akron Indians in 1908 in the Ohio League. In their twelfth year in 1920, they became a charter member of the AFPA, which subsequently changed its name to...
were the first ever league champions, they finished with an 8-0-3 record, 6-0-3 in league play, ending their season in a 0-0 tie against the Staleys. Since the Pros merely had to tie the game in order to win the title, they could afford to play not to lose. Had the Staleys not lost to the Cardinals, they would have gone into that fateful game with an 11-0-1 record, 6-0-1 in league play. As it was, it all but assured that the Staleys/Bears and Cardinals would be intense rivals.
The two teams played to a tie in 1921
1921 NFL season
The 1921 APFA season was the 2nd regular season of the National Football League, which was then called the American Professional Football Association....
, when the Staleyes
1921 Chicago Staleys season
The 1921 Chicago Staleys season was their second regular season completed in the young American Professional Football Association. The club posted a 9-1-1 record under head coach/player George Halas earning them a first place finish in the team standings and their first league championship. The...
won all but 2 games, thus the Cardinals
1921 Chicago Cardinals season
The 1921 Chicago Cardinals season was their second in the National Football League. The team failed to improve on their previous output of 6-2-2, winning only three NFL games...
came within 1 point of costing the Staleys a second consecutive championship in the league's first 2 years of existence.
In 1922
1922 NFL season
The 1922 NFL season was the 3rd regular season of what was now called National Football League . The NFL fielded 18 teams during the season, including new league teams such as the Milwaukee Badgers, the Oorang Indians, the Racine Legion, and the Toledo Maroons...
, the Bears
1922 Chicago Bears season
The 1922 Chicago Bears season was their third regular season completed in the National Football League, which changed its name from the APFA, and the first under the new franchise name...
went 9-3-0, losing to the Cardinals twice. The Bears still edged the Cardinals
1922 Chicago Cardinals season
The 1922 Chicago Cardinals season was their third in the league. The team improved on their previous output of 3-3-2, winning eight games. They finished third in the league.-Schedule:-Standings:-References:...
for 2nd place in the league, but those losses dashed all hopes of the Bears repeating as champions.
In 1923
1923 NFL season
The 1923 NFL season was the 4th regular season of the National Football League. For the first time, all of the clubs that were considered to be part of the NFL fielded teams. The new teams that entered the league included the Duluth Kelleys, the St. Louis All Stars , and a new Cleveland Indians team...
and 1924
1924 NFL season
The 1924 NFL season was the 5th regular season of the National Football League. The league had 18 teams play during the season, including the new clubs Frankford Yellow Jackets, Kansas City Blues, and Kenosha Maroons. The Louisville Brecks, Oorang Indians, St...
, the Bears got the better of the Cardinals all three times the two teams played. But in 1925
1925 NFL season
The 1925 NFL season was the 6th regular season of the National Football League. Five new teams entered the league: New York Giants, Detroit Panthers, Pottsville Maroons, Providence Steam Roller, and a new Canton Bulldogs team...
, the Bears
1925 Chicago Bears season
The 1925 Chicago Bears season was their sixth regular season completed in the National Football League. The club posted a 9-5-3 record under head coach George Halas earning them a seventh place finish in the team standings, their worst showing to that date...
went 0-1-1 against the Cardinals
1925 Chicago Cardinals season
The 1925 Chicago Cardinals season resulted in the Cardinals winning their first NFL Championship.The end of the Cardinals season was centered around two historic, but controversial, situations. The first was a team scandal with the Milwaukee Badgers...
with the tie meaning the Cardinals were only a 1/2 game in front of the Pottsville Maroons
1925 Pottsville Maroons season
The 1925 Pottsville Maroons season was their inaugural season in the National Football League. The team finished a 10-2 league record and a 13-2 overall record....
heading into their fateful 1925 showdown.
Thus, in the first 6 years of the NFL's existence, the Bears-Cardinals games had a direct impact on the league championship 4 times. The Bears and Cardinals each took home 1 title during that span. But the Bears nearly cost the Cardinals their title, the Cardinals nearly cost the Bears their title and but for the Cardinals tenacity against the Bears, the Bears very well might have won 2 others. The Bears were a dominant team against everyone but the Cardinals in the leagues early years. From 1920-1925 the Canton Bulldogs
Canton Bulldogs
The Canton Bulldogs were a professional American football team, based in Canton, Ohio. They played in the Ohio League from 1903 to 1906 and 1911 to 1919, and its successor, the National Football League, from 1920 to 1923 and again from 1925 to 1926. The Bulldogs would go on to win the 1917, 1918...
, champions in 1922 and 1923, beat the Bears just 2 times and no other team in the NFL defeated the Bears more than once over that entire 6 year span...except the Cardinals. The Cardinals battled the Bears to 4-4-2 split between 1920–1925 and established the NFL first rivalry.
Legend has it that the Cardinals played the Chicago Tigers
1920 Chicago Tigers season
The 1920 Chicago Tigers season was their sole season in the National Football League. The team finished 2-5-1, tying them for eleventh in the league.-Schedule:* Game in italics was against a non-NFL team.-References:...
in 1920, with the loser being forced to leave town. While this has never been proven, the Tigers did disband after one season.
The Cardinals won their first NFL championship in 1925, finishing the season with a record of 11-2-1. In a controversial ruling by the league, the Pottsville Maroons, the team with the best record, had their franchise revoked for violating the territorial rights of the Frankford Yellow Jackets
Frankford Yellow Jackets
The Frankford Yellow Jackets were a professional American football team, part of the National Football League from 1924 to 1931, though its origin dates back to as early as 1899 with the Frankford Athletic Association. The Yellow Jackets won the NFL championship in 1926...
. Thus, the Cardinals won the 1925 title by default. (For more on the controversy, see 1925 NFL Championship controversy
1925 NFL Championship controversy
The 1925 National Football League Championship, officially held by the Chicago Cardinals, has been the subject of controversy since it was awarded. The controversy centers around the suspension of the Pottsville Maroons by NFL commissioner Joseph Carr, which prevented them from taking the title.The...
.)
1930s
The Cardinals posted a winning record only twice in the twenty years after their 1925 championship (19311931 NFL season
The 1931 NFL season was the 12th regular season of the National Football League. The league decreased to 10 teams due to financial hardships caused by the Great Depression. While the Cleveland Indians joined as an expansion team, the league lost the Minneapolis Red Jackets and the Newark Tornadoes...
and 1935
1935 NFL season
The 1935 NFL season was the 16th regular season of the National Football League. The season ended when the Detroit Lions defeated the New York Giants in the NFL Championship Game....
); including 10 straight losing seasons from 1936
1936 NFL season
The 1936 NFL season was the 17th regular season of the National Football League. For the first time since the league was founded, there were no team transactions; neither a club folded nor did a new one join the NFL. 1936 was also the first year in which all league teams played the same number of...
to 1945
1945 NFL season
The 1945 NFL season was the 26th regular season of the National Football League. The Pittsburgh Steelers and the Chicago Cardinals resumed their traditional operations....
.
Dr. David Jones bought the team from O'Brien in 1929
1929 NFL season
The 1929 NFL season was the 10th regular season of the National Football League. The league increased back to 12 teams with the addition of Orange Tornadoes and Minneapolis Red Jackets and the re-entry of the Buffalo Bisons...
. In 1932
1932 NFL season
-League leaders:-References:* NFL Record and Fact Book * * * Total Football: The Official Encyclopedia of the National Football League...
the team was purchased by Charles Bidwill
Charles Bidwill
Charles W. Bidwill , sometimes known as Charley Bidwill, was an owner of the NFL's Chicago Cardinals. He owned the team for 14 seasons from 1933 until 1947. His interest in sports was demonstrated by his two aims in life: to win an NFL Championship and the Kentucky Derby...
, then a vice president of the Chicago Bears
Chicago Bears
The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
. The team has been under the ownership of the Bidwill family since then.
1940s
In 19441944 NFL season
The 1944 NFL season was the 25th regular season of the United States National Football League. The Boston Yanks joined the league as an expansion team. Also, the Brooklyn Dodgers changed their name to Brooklyn Tigers. Meanwhile, both the Cleveland Rams and the Philadelphia Eagles resumed their...
, owing to player shortages caused by World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, the Cardinals and Pittsburgh Steelers
Pittsburgh Steelers
The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional football team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The team currently belongs to the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Founded in , the Steelers are the oldest franchise in the AFC...
merged for one year and were known as the "Card-Pitt
Card-Pitt
Card-Pitt was the name for the team created by the temporary merger of two National Football League teams, the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Chicago Cardinals, during the 1944 season. The teams were forced to merge, because both had lost many players to World War II military service...
", or derisively as the "Carpets" as they were winless that season. In 1945, the Cardinals snapped their losing streak by beating the Bears 16-7. It was their only victory of the season. In 1946, the team finished 6-5 for the first winning season in eight years.
In 1947, the NFL standardized on a 12-game season. This would be the most celebrated year in Cardinals history as the team went 9-3, beating Philadelphia in the championship game 28-21 with their "Million-Dollar Backfield", which included quarterback Paul Christman
Paul Christman
Paul Joseph Christman was an American football player and a member of the College Football Hall of Fame. He played college football for the University of Missouri and professionally for the Chicago Cardinals and Green Bay Packers.-Collegiate career:A St...
, halfback Charley Trippi
Charley Trippi
Charles Louis Trippi is a former professional American football player for the Chicago Cardinals. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1968.Mr. Trippi currently resides in Athens, Georgia...
, halfback Elmer Angsman
Elmer Angsman
Elmer Angsman was an American football running back in the NFL.He was born on the south side of Chicago in 1925, the son of Elmer and Helen Angsman...
, and fullback Pat Harder
Pat Harder
Marlin M. "Pat" Harder was a college and professional football player, playing fullback and kicker. He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1993....
, piling up 282 rushing yards. However, Bidwill was not around to see it; he'd died before the season, leaving the team to his wife Violet
Violet Bidwill Wolfner
Violet Bidwill Wolfner was owner of the Chicago/St. Louis Cardinals of the National Football League from 1947 to 1962. She inherited the team when her husband, longtime Cardinals owner Charles Bidwill, died before the 1947 season...
. He had, however, beaten the Chicago Rockets
Chicago Rockets
The Chicago Rockets was an American football team that played in the All-America Football Conference from 1946 to 1949. During the 1949 season, the team was known as the Chicago Hornets...
of the upstart All-America Football Conference
All-America Football Conference
The All-America Football Conference was a professional American football league that challenged the established National Football League from 1946 to 1949. One of the NFL's most formidable challengers, the AAFC attracted many of the nation's best players, and introduced many lasting innovations...
for the rights to Trippi. This signing is generally acknowledged as the final piece in the championship puzzle. The next season
1948 NFL season
The 1948 NFL season was the 29th regular season of the National Football League. During the season, Halfback Fred Gehrke painted horns on the Los Angeles Rams' helmets, making the first modern helmet emblem in pro football. The season ended when the Philadelphia Eagles defeated the Chicago...
saw the Cardinals finish 11-1 and again play in the championship game, but lost 7-0 in a rematch with the Eagles
1948 Philadelphia Eagles season
The 1948 Philadelphia Eagles season, their 16th in the league, resulted in winning the NFL Championship.-Off Season:The Eagles travel to New York state to hold Training Camp at Saranac High School Field in Saranac Lake, New York in upper New York state near Lake Placid and in Adirondack Park-NFL...
, played in a heavy snowstorm that almost completely obscured the field. This was the first NFL championship to be televised. The next year, Violet Bidwill married St. Louis businessman Walter Wolfner, and the Cardinals fell to 6-5-1.
1950s
The 1950s were a dismal period for the Cardinals, with records of 5-7 (1950), 3-9 (1951), 4-8 (1952), 1-10-1 (1953), 2-10 (1954), 4-7-1 (1955), 7-5 (1956; the best year of the decade), 3-9 (1957), 2-9-1 (1958), and 2-10 (1959). With just 33 wins in ten seasons, the Cardinals were nearly forgotten in Chicago, being completely overshadowed by the Bears. Attendance at games was sparse and the team was almost bankrupt. The Bidwills engineered a deal with the NFL that sent the Cardinals to St. Louis, Missouri beginning with the 1960 season1960 NFL season
The 1960 NFL season was the 41st regular season of the National Football League. Before the season, Pete Rozelle was elected NFL commissioner as a compromise choice on the twenty-third ballot. Meanwhile, the league expanded to 13 teams with the addition of the Dallas Cowboys. Also, the Cardinals...
, a move which also blocked St. Louis as a market against the new American Football League
American Football League
The American Football League was a major American Professional Football league that operated from 1960 until 1969, when the established National Football League merged with it. The upstart AFL operated in direct competition with the more established NFL throughout its existence...
.
St. Louis years (1960–1987)
The NFL conducted a survey of St. Louis and concluded that it was capable of supporting a team. The league's 12 owners unanimously approved the Cardinals' move. During the Cardinals' stay in St. Louis, two major Cardinal teams (football and baseball) called the city home. Sports fans and local news broadcasters called them "the football Cardinals" or "the baseball CardinalsSt. Louis Cardinals
The St. Louis Cardinals are a professional baseball team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are members of the Central Division in the National League of Major League Baseball. The Cardinals have won eleven World Series championships, the most of any National League team, and second overall only to...
" to distinguish the two. To avoid confusion, the NFL contemplated changing the Cardinals' name, but then dropped the idea (though in the early years of the NFL, numerous teams were named after local baseball teams, directly or indirectly). They shared Sportsman's Park with the baseball team, but professional football was new to St. Louis, and tickets were difficult to sell. The Cardinals initially held practices in the city park. Their first home game was a loss to the Giants on October 2, 1960, and they finished the year at 6-5-1 (the NFL had expanded to a 14-game season to compete with the upstart AFL). In 1961, they broke even at 7-7 and fell to 4-9 in 1962. Improving to 9-5 in 1963, the Cardinals almost reached the playoffs, but a loss to the Giants prevented that.
During the Cardinals' 28-year stay in St. Louis, they advanced to the playoffs just three times (1974, 1975 & 1982), never hosting or winning in any appearance. In spite of what was considered lackluster performance in St. Louis, their overall record there, of 187 wins, 202 losses, and 13 ties (.481 winning percentage) is easily the highest winning percentage for any of the three locations that the Cardinals have been associated with.
1960s
The new St. Louis football Cardinals were much improved, and the team was competitive for much of the 1960s. New stars emerged in Larry WilsonLarry Wilson
Larry Frank Wilson is a former American football free safety who played for the St. Louis Cardinals.Wilson attended Rigby High School, where a plaque now hangs noting his accomplishments...
, Charley Johnson
Charley Johnson
Charley Lane Johnson is a former quarterback in the NFL. During his 15-year career he played for 3 teams; the St. Louis Cardinals, Houston Oilers, and Denver Broncos. During his collegiate career at New Mexico State he became the only person to date to be named Most Valuable Player of the Sun Bowl...
, Jim Bakken
Jim Bakken
James LeRoy Bakken is a former American football punter and placekicker for the St. Louis Cardinals. He was a four-time Pro Bowl selection, and was named by the voters of the Pro Football Hall of Fame to the Professional Football 1960s All Decade Team, which included both NFL and American...
, Sonny Randle
Sonny Randle
-References:...
, and Jim Hart. Violet Bidwill Wolfner died in 1962, and her sons, Bill and Charles, Jr. took control. Although the Cardinals were competitive again in the '60s, they failed to achieve a playoff appearance during the decade, as only four teams qualified during this period. In 1964, the Bidwells, unsatisfied with St. Louis, considered moving the team to Atlanta. They wanted a new stadium, and that city was planning the construction of one. However, St. Louis persuaded them to stay with the promise of a stadium (a new expansion team, the Falcons, was eventually created for Atlanta). The Cardinals got off to a good start, and tied the Cleveland Browns 33-33 on the road. They finished 9-4-1 and second in the Eastern Conference, but a victory by the Browns over the New York Giants denied them a playoff berth. The team finished the year with a meaningless win over the Packers.
A 4-1 start to the 1965 season evaporated into a 5-9 finish. In 1966
1966 NFL season
The 1966 NFL season was the 47th regular season of the National Football League, and the season after which was played Super Bowl I, though it was called the AFL-NFL World Championship Game. The league expanded to 15 teams with the addition of the Atlanta Falcons, thus an odd number of teams...
, the Cardinals
1966 St. Louis Cardinals (NFL) season
The 1966 St. Louis Cardinals season was the 47th season the team was in the league, and the seventh in St. Louis. The team moved its home games from the old Busch Stadium to the new Busch Stadium in downtown St. Louis, and bettered their 1965 record of 5-9, winning eight games...
were in first place in the Eastern Conference with an 8-2-1 record, but a loss to the Dallas Cowboys
1966 Dallas Cowboys season
The 1966 Dallas Cowboys season was the seventh for the franchise in the National Football League. It involved the 10–3–1 Cowboys qualifying for the NFL post-season for the second time in franchise history, by winning the NFL Eastern Conference title, before losing the NFL Championship Game to the...
, which went on to win the conference title, started a three-game losing streak to end the season, leaving St. Louis at 8-5-1. Another middling season followed in 1967, with six wins, seven losses, and one tie.
In 1968
1968 NFL season
The 1968 NFL season was the 49th regular season of the National Football League. As per the agreement made during the 1967 realignment, the New Orleans Saints and the New York Giants switched divisions; the Saints joined the Century Division while the Giants became part of the Capitol Division.The...
, the Cardinals
1968 St. Louis Cardinals (NFL) season
The 1968 St. Louis Cardinals season was the 49th season the team was in the league. The team improved on their previous output of 6-7-1, winning nine games. Despite the improvement, they failed to qualify for the playoffs for the 20th consecutive season....
swept the Cleveland Browns
1968 Cleveland Browns season
The 1968 Cleveland Browns season was the team's 19th season with the National Football League.The Browns made it to the playoffs for the 2nd straight year thanks to a 8-game winning streak and the brillant play of quarterback Bill Nelsen who replaced Frank Ryan as the starting quarterback prior to...
and ended the year with a 9-4-1 mark, but a loss to a sub-par San Francisco 49ers
1968 San Francisco 49ers season
-NFL Draft:-Schedule:-Standings: -External links:* *...
club and a tie against the woeful Pittsburgh Steelers
1968 Pittsburgh Steelers season
The 1968 Pittsburgh Steelers continued the team's descent in the NFL's basement, finishing with a league-worst 2–11–1 record and the dismissal of head coach Bill Austin at the end of the season, leading to the eventual hiring of Chuck Noll....
kept the Cardinals out of the playoffs
NFL playoffs, 1968
The NFL playoffs following the 1968 NFL season determined who would represent the league in Super Bowl III.-Tournament bracket:-Conference championships:-NFL Championship Game:...
.
St. Louis
1969 St. Louis Cardinals (NFL) season
The 1969 St. Louis Cardinals season was the 50th season the team was in the league. The team failed to improve on their previous output of 9-4-1, winning only four games. They failed to qualify for the playoffs for the 21st consecutive season.-Schedule:...
fell back to 4-9-1 in 1969
1969 NFL season
The 1969 NFL season was the 50th regular season of the National Football League, and the last one before the AFL-NFL Merger. To honor the NFL's 50th season, a special anniversary logo was designed and each player wore a patch on their jerseys with this logo throughout the season.As per the...
, but that season saw the debut of Roger Wehrli
Roger Wehrli
Roger Wehrli is a former National Football League cornerback who played his entire 14-year career with the St. Louis Cardinals from 1969 until 1982. He was a seven-time Pro Bowler after playing college football at the University of Missouri, where he was a consensus All-American and a first-round...
, a star safety at the University of Missouri
Missouri Tigers football
The Missouri Tigers football team represents the University of Missouri in NCAA Division I FBS college football. The team has competed in the North Division of the Big 12 Conference since the conference's inception in 1996...
who played 14 seasons for the Cardinals and was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame
Pro Football Hall of Fame
The Pro Football Hall of Fame is the hall of fame of professional football in the United States with an emphasis on the National Football League . It opened in Canton, Ohio, on September 7, 1963, with 17 charter inductees...
in 2007
2007 NFL season
The 2007 NFL season was the 88th regular season of the National Football League.Regular-season play was held from September 6 to December 30....
.
1970s
In 19701970 NFL season
The 1970 NFL season was the 51st regular season of the National Football League, and the first one after the AFL-NFL Merger.The merger forced a realignment between the combined league's clubs. Because there were 16 NFL teams and 10 AFL teams, three teams needed to transfer to balance the two new...
, the Cardinals
1970 St. Louis Cardinals (NFL) season
The 1970 St. Louis Cardinals season was the 51st season the team was in the league. The team improved on their previous output of 4-9-1, winning eight games. Despite them shutting out three consecutive opponents, they failed to reach the playoffs for the 22nd straight...
were placed in the new NFC East division following the merger with the AFL. They posted three consecutive shutouts in November, blanking the Houston Oilers
1970 Houston Oilers season
The 1970 Houston Oilers season was the 11th season overall and its first as part of the league. The team failed to improve on their previous season's output of 6–6–2, winning only three games.-Schedule:-Standings:-References:...
, Boston Patriots
1970 Boston Patriots season
The Boston Patriots finished the National Football League's 1970 season with a record of two wins and twelve losses, and finished last in the AFC East division.-Staff:-Schedule:- Standings :-Roster:...
, and the Cowboys
1970 Dallas Cowboys season
The 1970 Dallas Cowboys season was their 11th in the NFL. The club scored 299 points and allowed 221 points. For the fifth consecutive season, the Cowboys finished first in their division. In 1970, the club made its debut on Monday Night Football. The Cowboys lost to the St. Louis Cardinals 38–0...
, the last of those victories coming 38-0 on Monday Night Football
Monday Night Football
Monday Night Football is a live broadcast of the National Football League on ESPN. From to it aired on ABC. Monday Night Football was, along with Hallmark Hall of Fame, and the Walt Disney anthology television series, one of the longest running prime time commercial network television series...
in the Cotton Bowl
Cotton Bowl (stadium)
The Cotton Bowl is a stadium which opened in 1929 and became known as "The House That Doak Built" due to the immense crowds that former SMU running back Doak Walker drew to the stadium during his college career in the late 1940s. Originally known as Fair Park Stadium, it is located in Fair Park,...
. But St. Louis collapsed down the stretch, losing December games to the New York Giants
1970 New York Giants season
The 1970 New York Giants was the 46th season for the professional American football franchise. This was the first season for the Giants after the AFL-NFL merger, in which ten American Football League teams joined the National Football League. The team was led by second-year head coach Alex Webster...
, Detroit Lions
1970 Detroit Lions season
-References:***...
and Washington Redskins
1970 Washington Redskins season
The 1970 Washington Redskins began with the team trying to improve on their 7-5-2 record from 1969.-NFL Draft:-Schedule:-Division standings:-References:...
to finish 8-5-1 and out of the playoffs
NFL playoffs, 1970-71
The NFL playoffs following the 1970 NFL season led up to Super Bowl V.This was the first playoff tournament after the AFL-NFL Merger. An eight-team playoff tournament was designed, with four clubs from each conference qualifying...
. The Cardinals then regressed to three consecutive 4-9-1 seasons from 1971-73. Bill Bidwill became sole owner in 1972 and still owns the team today. Only the New York Giants
New York Giants
The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in East Rutherford, New Jersey, representing the New York City metropolitan area. The Giants are currently members of the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
and Chicago Bears have been in the hands of one family longer than the Cardinals.
Larry Wilson retired following the 1972 season
1972 NFL season
The 1972 NFL season was the 53rd regular season of the National Football League. The Miami Dolphins became the first NFL team to finish a championship season undefeated and untied when they beat the Washington Redskins in Super Bowl VII.-Major rule changes:...
, and in 1973
1973 NFL season
The 1973 NFL season was the 54th regular season of the National Football League. The season featured O.J. Simpson becoming the first man to rush for 2,000 yards in one season...
, Don Coryell
Don Coryell
Donald David Coryell was an American football coach, who coached in the NFL first with the St. Louis Cardinals from 1973–1977 and then the San Diego Chargers from 1978-1986. He was well known for his innovations to football's passing offense. Coryell's offense was commonly known as "Air Coryell"...
, who built a powerhouse program at San Diego State
San Diego State Aztecs football
The San Diego State football team represents the San Diego State Aztecs in college football. The Aztecs, a Division I FBS team and a member of the Mountain West Conference, play their home games at Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego, California. The field is natural grass and has a maximum capacity of...
became head coach. The Cardinals
1974 St. Louis Cardinals (NFL) season
at Metropolitan Stadium, Bloomington, Minnesota*TV: CBS*Attendance: 44,626-Milestones:*Terry Metcalf, 2000 Combined Net Yards -References:**...
registered a 7-0 record to open the 1974 season
1974 NFL season
The 1974 NFL season was the 55th regular season of the National Football League. The season ended with Super Bowl IX when the Pittsburgh Steelers defeated the Minnesota Vikings...
and won the NFC East championship on the strength of a season sweep of the Redskins
1974 Washington Redskins season
The 1974 Washington Redskins began with the team trying to improve on their 10-4 record from 1973.-NFL Draft:-Schedule:-Playoffs:-Standings:-References:...
. In the franchise's first playoff game since 1948, St. Louis took an early 7-0 lead against the Minnesota Vikings
1974 Minnesota Vikings season
-References:...
in Bloomington, Minnesota
Metropolitan Stadium
Metropolitan Stadium was a sports stadium that once stood in Bloomington, Minnesota, just outside Minneapolis. The area where the stadium once stood is now the site of the Mall of America...
, but a missed field goal just before halftime sapped the Cardinals' momentum. The Vikings scored 16 points in the first seven minutes of the second half and cruised to a 30-14 victory.
The Cardinals
1975 St. Louis Cardinals (NFL) season
at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, Los Angeles, California*TV: CBS*Attendance: 72,650-Milestones:*Terry Metcalf, Second Consecutive 2000 Combined Net Yards Season -References:**...
won the NFC East again in 1975
1975 NFL season
The 1975 NFL season was the 56th regular season of the National Football League. It was also the first time that featured an entire season with no games ending in a tie. The league made two significant changes to increase the appeal of the game:...
, despite a 32-14 loss to the Buffalo Bills
1975 Buffalo Bills season
The 1975 Buffalo Bills season was the 16th season for the club in the National Football League.-NFL Draft:-Schedule:- Standings :-References:* * *...
on Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving Classic
The National Football League's Thanksgiving Classic is a series of games played during the Thanksgiving holiday in the United States. It has been a regular occurrence since the league's inception in 1920. Since 2006, three games are played every Thanksgiving...
. The playoff game against the Los Angeles Rams
1975 Los Angeles Rams season
The 1975 Los Angeles Rams season was the team's 38th year with the National Football League and the 30th season in Los Angeles.-NFL Draft:-Schedule:-Week 1: Dallas Cowboys:-Playoffs:-Standings:-References:*...
was a disaster: Lawrence McCutcheon
Lawrence McCutcheon
Lawrence McCutcheon is a former American football running back for the Los Angeles Rams from 1972–1980, the Denver Broncos & Seattle Seahawks in 1980 and finished his playing career in 1981 with the Buffalo Bills, reuniting with his former Rams coach Chuck Knox.-Professional Career:McCutcheon was...
set an NFL playoff record by rushing for 202 yards, and Jack Youngblood
Jack Youngblood
Herbert Jackson "Jack" Youngblood, III is a former American college and professional football player who was a defensive end for the Los Angeles Rams of the National Football League for fourteen seasons during the 1970s and 1980s. He was a five-time consensus All-Pro and a seven-time Pro Bowl...
and Bill Simpson
Bill Simpson (American football)
William Thomas "Bill" Simpson is a former professional American football defensive back who played in the National Football League from 1974-1982. Before his NFL career, he played defensive back and punted for Michigan State University and was selected by the Los Angeles Rams in the 2nd round of...
returned interceptions for touchdowns, staking the Rams to a 28-9 halftime lead en route to a 35-23 victory at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum
Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum
The Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum is a large outdoor sports stadium in the University Park neighborhood of Los Angeles, California, at Exposition Park, that is home to the Pacific-12 Conference's University of Southern California Trojans football team...
.
During this period, the Cardinals boasted an effective offense in the wake of a record-setting offensive line which included standouts Dan Dierdorf
Dan Dierdorf
Daniel Lee "Dan" Dierdorf is a former American football player and current television sportscaster. He played 13 NFL seasons and has worked for ABC's Monday Night Football and CBS as a color commentator since retiring from football....
, Conrad Dobler
Conrad Dobler
Conrad Francis Dobler is a retired American football offensive lineman in the NFL.-Cardinals:Dobler was drafted in round 5 out of the University of Wyoming in the 1972 NFL Draft by the St. Louis Cardinals. He played right offensive guard for the Cardinals from 1972 to 1977, next to Hall-of-Famer...
, and Tom Banks
Tom Banks (American football)
Thomas Banks is a former American football center who played ten seasons in the National Football League for the St. Louis Cardinals. He later played with the Birmingham Stallions of the United States Football League in 1983 and 1984....
.
This period for the franchise was characterized by exciting close games, come-from-behind nailbiters, and several frustrating near-misses. The press and league fans began to call the team the "Cardiac Cardinals". Team stars from the 1970s included Wehrli, wide receiver Mel Gray, and running backs Terry Metcalf
Terry Metcalf
Terrance Randolph Metcalf is a former professional American football running back who played six total seasons in the National Football League, five of them with the St. Louis Cardinals, and one with the Washington Redskins. He attended Long Beach State University...
and Jim Otis
Jim Otis
James Lloyd "Jim" Otis is a former college and professional American football running back.-College career:Otis was a fullback for the Ohio State University Buckeyes from 1967-69. He led the team in rushing every year of his college career...
.
On Thanksgiving Day, 1976
1976 NFL season
The 1976 NFL season was the 57th regular season of the National Football League. The league expanded to 28 teams with the addition of the Seattle Seahawks and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers...
, the Cardinals suffered a controversial loss to the Dallas Cowboys
1976 Dallas Cowboys season
The 1976 Dallas Cowboys season was their 17th in the league. The team improved on their previous output of 10–4, winning eleven games. They qualified for the playoffs, but lost in the Divisional round.-Schedule:-Playoffs:-Standings:-Roster:...
. Cardinal tight end J. V. Cain
J. V. Cain
James Victor Cain was a tight end in the NFL for the St. Louis Cardinals. He died of congenital heart failure during training camp on his birthday in 1979. His number 88 is retired by the Cardinals....
, running an apparent game-winning route, was shoved out of the end zone by Dallas defensive backs Cliff Harris
Cliff Harris
Clifford Allen Harris is a former professional American football safety who played for the Dallas Cowboys of the National Football League for ten seasons.-Professional career:...
and Charlie Waters
Charlie Waters
Charlie Tutan Waters is a former American football safety for the Dallas Cowboys from 1970-1981 in the National Football League...
in what appeared to be obvious interference, but a penalty was not called.http://books.google.com/books?id=Bh12chTOnXMC&pg=PA50&lpg=PA50&dq=%22cliff+harris%22+%22thanksgiving+day%22+cardinals&source=bl&ots=Xy9v5nnzRY&sig=dG0P-gJzxnXoo8DzEMGhXOv7498&hl=en&ei=uRrGS6IskY7yBMDQ9ZoO&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=3&ved=0CAsQ6AEwAg#v=onepage&q&f=false With this loss, the Cardinals were dethroned from the divisional lead and became the first NFC team to reach 10 wins without qualifying for the playoffs
NFL playoffs, 1976-77
The NFL playoffs following the 1976 NFL season led up to Super Bowl XI.-Bracket:-AFC: Oakland Raiders 24, New England Patriots 21:The Patriots scored first after an 86-yard drive was capped by running back Andy Johnson's 1-yard touchdown run...
, losing a tiebreaker to the Redskins
1976 Washington Redskins season
The 1976 Washington Redskins began with the team trying to improve on their 8-6 record from 1975.-NFL Draft:-Schedule:-Playoffs:-Standings:-References:...
due to Washington's sweep of the season series.
In 1977
1977 NFL season
The 1977 NFL season was the 58th regular season of the National Football League. The Seattle Seahawks were placed in the AFC West while the Tampa Bay Buccaneers were slotted in the NFC Central....
, the Cardinals
1977 St. Louis Cardinals (NFL) season
The 1977 St. Louis Cardinals season was the team's 56th year with the National Football League and the 17th season in St. Louis.-NFL Draft:-Schedule:-Standings:-Roster:-References:**...
started slowly but won 6 consecutive games before losing the Thanksgiving Day game to the Miami Dolphins
1977 Miami Dolphins season
The 1977 Miami Dolphins season was the team's 12th as a member of the National Football League. The Dolphins improved upon their previous season's output of 6–8, winning ten games. Despite the improvement, the team failed to qualify for the playoffs for the third straight...
, 55-14. Bob Griese
Bob Griese
Robert Allen "Bob" Griese is a former American collegiate and Professional Football quarterback who earned All-American honors with the Purdue Boilermakers before being drafted in 1967 by the American Football League's Miami Dolphins...
's record-setting day turned out to be the first of 12 straight losses for the Cardinals (extending into 1978), a streak which included being only the second team ever to lose to the previously winless Tampa Bay Buccaneers
1977 Tampa Bay Buccaneers season
The 1977 Tampa Bay Buccaneers season continued the losing streak that encompassed the entire 1976 season, and extended it to 26 games, which as of remains a record in the modern National Football League. Fear of becoming the Buccaneers' first victim provided motivation to opposing teams...
, and the first to lose in Tampa Stadium. Coryell and several key players, including Dobler and Metcalf, departed the team at the end of the 1977 season.
For the 1978 season
1978 NFL season
The 1978 NFL season was the 59th regular season of the National Football League. The league expanded the regular season from a 14-game schedule to 16. Furthermore, the playoff format was expanded from 8 teams to 10 teams by adding another wild card from each conference...
, Bidwill hired Bud Wilkinson
Bud Wilkinson
Charles Burnham "Bud" Wilkinson was an American football player, coach, broadcaster, and politician. He served as the head football coach at the University of Oklahoma from 1947 to 1963, compiling a record of 145–29–4. His Oklahoma Sooners won three national championships and 14...
, famous for building a football dynasty in 17 seasons at the University of Oklahoma
Oklahoma Sooners football
The Oklahoma Sooners football program is a college football team that represents the University of Oklahoma . The team is currently a member of the Big 12 Conference, which is a Division I Bowl Subdivision of the National Collegiate Athletic Association...
. But Wilkinson, who had been out of coaching since retiring from the Sooners following the 1963 season, could not turn the Cardinals around. St. Louis started 1978
1978 NFL season
The 1978 NFL season was the 59th regular season of the National Football League. The league expanded the regular season from a 14-game schedule to 16. Furthermore, the playoff format was expanded from 8 teams to 10 teams by adding another wild card from each conference...
with eight straight losses and finished at 6-10, and Wilkinson was fired in 1979
1979 NFL season
The 1979 NFL season was the 60th regular season of the National Football League. The season ended with Super Bowl XIV when the Pittsburgh Steelers defeated the Los Angeles Rams...
with the Cardinals at 3-10 and last in the NFC East. Wilkinson was canned by Bidwill for refusing to bench quarterback Jim Hart in favor of rookie Steve Pisarkiewicz
Steve Pisarkiewicz
Stephen John Pisarkiewicz is a former professional American football player who played quarterback for the St. Louis Cardinals and the Green Bay Packers...
. Larry Wilson, the Pro Football Hall of Fame
Pro Football Hall of Fame
The Pro Football Hall of Fame is the hall of fame of professional football in the United States with an emphasis on the National Football League . It opened in Canton, Ohio, on September 7, 1963, with 17 charter inductees...
safety who starred for the Cardinals for 13 seasons, coached the final three games of the 1979 season, finishing with a 5-11 record.
The Cardinals experienced several years of notoriously poor drafts and unfortunate personnel moves in the late 1970s, typified by the first-round selection of kicker Steve Little, who was paralyzed in a 1980 automobile accident, and hiring Wilkinson in 1978. The team also suffered a tragic loss during 1979 training camp when Cain died of a heart attack
Myocardial infarction
Myocardial infarction or acute myocardial infarction , commonly known as a heart attack, results from the interruption of blood supply to a part of the heart, causing heart cells to die...
.
1980s
However, the Cardinals had some success in the early 1980s, posting three consecutive winning seasons from 1982 to 1984. The heart of this squad was the prolific trio of quarterback Neil LomaxNeil Lomax
Neil Vincent Lomax is a former American football quarterback.-College career:Lomax was a standout college player at Portland State University, going from fifth-string freshman quarterback on partial scholarship to emergency starter to NCAA legend...
, wide receiver Roy Green
Roy Green
Roy Calvin Green is a former American football wide receiver in the National Football League who played for the St. Louis Cardinals , Phoenix Cardinals and Philadelphia Eagles ....
, and running back Ottis Anderson
Ottis Anderson
Ottis Jerome "O.J." Anderson is a former American football running back. He was named the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year by the Associated Press with the St. Louis Cardinals in 1979, and the MVP of Super Bowl XXV in 1991 when playing with the New York Giants...
. Stellar performances by Anderson couldn't salvage the Cardinals' 1980 and 1981 campaigns, which ended at 5-11 and 7-9, respectively.
In 1982
1982 NFL season
The 1982 NFL season was the 63rd regular season of the National Football League. A 57-day long players' strike reduced the 1982 season from a 16-game schedule per team to an abbreviated nine game schedule...
, the Cardinals
1982 St. Louis Cardinals (NFL) season
The 1982 St. Louis Cardinals season was the team's 63rd year with the National Football League and the 23rd season in St. Louis. It was the Cardinals first postseason appearance since 1975, and their last before the team's 1988 move to Arizona. The '82 Football Cardinals were 5-4 during the...
qualified for the expanded 16-team playoff field
NFL playoffs, 1982-83
The NFL playoffs following the 1982 NFL season led up to Super Bowl XVII.A players' strike reduced the regular season to nine games. Thus, the league used a special 16-team playoff format , just for this year. Division standings were ignored...
with a 5-4 mark in the strike-shortened year, but fell 41-16 to the Green Bay Packers
1982 Green Bay Packers season
The 1982 Green Bay Packers season was their 62nd season in the National Football League and shortened due to a players strike. The club posted a 5–3–1 record under coach Bart Starr. Due to the strike, the NFL ignored division standing and placed eight teams from each conference into the playoffs....
.
St. Louis
1983 St. Louis Cardinals (NFL) season
The 1983 St. Louis Cardinals season was the 64th season the team was in the league. The team improved on their previous output of 5-4, winning eight games. Despite the improvement the team failed to reach the playoffs.-Schedule:-Standings:-References:...
finished 1983
1983 NFL season
The 1983 NFL season was the 64th regular season of the National Football League. The season ended with Super Bowl XVIII when the Los Angeles Raiders defeated the Washington Redskins.-Major rule changes:...
at 8-7-1, including victories over the eventual Super Bowl
Super Bowl XVIII
Super Bowl XVIII was an American football game played on January 22, 1984, at Tampa Stadium in Tampa, Florida, deciding the National Football League champion following the 1983 regular season. The American Football Conference champion Los Angeles Raiders defeated the National Football Conference...
champion Los Angeles Raiders
1983 Los Angeles Raiders season
-Schedule:-Los Angeles Raiders 38, Pittsburgh Steelers 10:The Raiders scored 3 touchdowns in the third quarter en route to a 38–10 win over the Steelers. In the first quarter, Pittsburgh advanced on a 78-yard drive, but when faced with fourth down and inches near the goal line, they opted for...
and the Seattle Seahawks
1983 Seattle Seahawks season
The 1983 Seattle Seahawks season was the team's eighth season with the National Football League. The 1983 season was the first season head coach Chuck Knox coached the team.-NFL Draft:-Staff:-Schedule:-Playoffs:-External links:* *...
, who lost to the Raiders in the AFC championship game.
The Cardinals
1984 St. Louis Cardinals (NFL) season
The 1984 St. Louis Cardinals season was the team's 65th year with the National Football League and the 25th season in St. Louis.-NFL Draft:-Schedule:-Standings:-Roster:-Milestones:*Franchise led NFC in passing yards, 4,257 yards passing...
entered the final weekend of 1984
1984 NFL season
The 1984 NFL season was the 65th regular season of the National Football League. The Colts relocated from Baltimore, Maryland to Indianapolis, Indiana....
with a chance to win the NFC East by defeating the Redskins, but Neil O'Donoghue
Neil O'Donoghue
Cornelis Joseph Connor Dennis "Neil" O'Donoghue is a former American football placekicker in the National Football League ....
missed a game-winning field goal at the gun, giving Washington
1984 Washington Redskins season
The 1984 Washington Redskins began with the team trying to improve on their 14–2 record from 1983. Art Monk set an NFL record for most receptions in a season.-Schedule:-Playoffs:-Standings:-References:...
a 29-27 victory and the division championship.
St. Louis
1985 St. Louis Cardinals (NFL) season
The 1985 St. Louis Cardinals season was the 66th season the team was in the league. The team failed to improve on their previous output of 9-7, winning only five games. This was the third straight season in which the team did not reach the playoffs.-Schedule:...
started 1985
1985 NFL season
The 1985 NFL season was the 66th regular season of the National Football League. The season ended with Super Bowl XX when the Chicago Bears defeated the New England Patriots.-Major rule changes:...
3-1, but finished 5-11, leading to the termination of coach Jim Hanifan
Jim Hanifan
Jim Hanifan is a longtime American football coach and former head coach of the St. Louis Cardinals and Atlanta Falcons. He compiled a career record of 39-53-1.-Playing career:...
after six seasons. Hanifan would return triumphantly to St. Louis, serving offensive line coach during the St. Louis Rams
St. Louis Rams
The St. Louis Rams are a professional American football team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are currently members of the West Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Rams have won three NFL Championships .The Rams began playing in 1936 in Cleveland,...
' Super Bowl championship
Super Bowl XXXIV
Super Bowl XXXIV featured the National Football Conference champion St. Louis Rams and the American Football Conference champion Tennessee Titans in an American football game to decide the National Football League champion for the 1999 regular season...
season
1999 NFL season
The 1999 NFL season was the 80th regular season of the National Football League. The Cleveland Browns returned to the field for the first time since the 1995 season...
.
Gene Stallings
Gene Stallings
Eugene Clifton Stallings, Jr. is a former American football player and coach. He played college football at Texas A&M University , where he was one of the "Junction Boys", and later served as the head coach at his alma mater from 1965 to 1971. Stallings was also the head coach of the St...
, formerly the head coach at Texas A&M
Texas A&M Aggies football
The Texas A&M Aggies football team represents Texas A&M University in college football. The Aggies have competed in the Big 12 Conference since the conference's inception in 1996. They will join the Southeastern Conference in July 2012. Texas A&M football has earned one national title and 18...
and a long-time assistant to Tom Landry
Tom Landry
Thomas Wade "Tom" Landry was an American football player and coach. He is ranked as one of the greatest and most innovative coaches in National Football League history, creating many new formations and methods...
with the Cowboys, replaced Hanifan. The Cardinals finished 4-11-1 in 1986
1986 NFL season
The 1986 NFL season was the 67th regular season of the National Football League. The season ended with Super Bowl XXI when the New York Giants defeated the Denver Broncos to win their first league title in 30 years.-Major rule changes:...
, but improved to 7-8 in 1987
1987 NFL season
The 1987 NFL season was the 68th regular season of the National Football League. A 24-day players' strike reduced the 16-game season to 15. The games that were scheduled for the third week of the season were canceled, but the games for weeks 4–6 were played with replacement players...
, falling just one win shy of the playoffs
NFL playoffs, 1987-88
The NFL playoffs following the 1987 NFL season led up to Super Bowl XXII.-NFC: Minnesota Vikings 44, New Orleans Saints 10:In the Saints' first playoff game in history, the Vikings dominated the game by recording 2 sacks, forcing 4 turnovers, and allowing only 149 yards...
, losing 21-16 on the final Sunday of the season to the Cowboys
1987 Dallas Cowboys season
The Dallas Cowboys ended the 1987 season with a record of 7 wins and 8 losses, finishing second in the NFC East.The NFL players, unable to reach a contract agreement with the owners, went on strike for the second time in six seasons after the second week of games...
.
The 1987 season is remembered for a stunning comeback, rallying from a 28-3 deficit against the Buccaneers
1987 Tampa Bay Buccaneers season
The 1987 Tampa Bay Buccaneers season was a year of great change for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' organization in the National Football League. The season began with the hiring of former New York Giants and University of Alabama head coach Ray Perkins...
by scoring 28 points in the fourth quarter for a 31-28 victory. It remains the largest fourth-quarter comeback in NFL history.
The overall mediocrity of the Cardinals, combined with an old stadium, caused game attendance to dwindle, and once again the Bidwills decided to move the team, this time to either Baltimore, Phoenix, or Jacksonville. Nonetheless, Cardinals fans were unhappy at losing their team, and Bill Bidwill, fearing for his safety, stayed away from several of the 1987 home games. Their last home game was on December 13, 1987 (a 27-24 victory over the New York Giants
1987 New York Giants season
The 1987 New York Giants season was the 63rd season for the club in the National Football League. The Giants entered the season as the defending Super Bowl champion but failed to qualify for the playoffs...
in front of 29,623 fans on a late Sunday afternoon).
Early years (1988–89)
Not long after the 1987 season, Bidwill agreed to move to the Phoenix area on a handshake deal with state and local officials, and the team became the Phoenix Cardinals. Unfortunately, the savings and loan crisisSavings and Loan crisis
The savings and loan crisis of the 1980s and 1990s was the failure of about 747 out of the 3,234 savings and loan associations in the United States...
gutted efforts to finance a new stadium, forcing the Cardinals to play at Arizona State University
Arizona State University
Arizona State University is a public research university located in the Phoenix Metropolitan Area of the State of Arizona...
's Sun Devil Stadium
Sun Devil Stadium
Sun Devil Stadium is an outdoor football stadium, located on the campus of Arizona State University, in Tempe, Arizona, United States. The stadium's current seating capacity is 71,706 and the playing surface is natural grass...
in Tempe
Tempe, Arizona
Tempe is a city in Maricopa County, Arizona, USA, with the Census Bureau reporting a 2010 population of 161,719. The city is named after the Vale of Tempe in Greece. Tempe is located in the East Valley section of metropolitan Phoenix; it is bordered by Phoenix and Guadalupe on the west, Scottsdale...
.
In March 1994, Bill Bidwill renamed the team the Arizona Cardinals due to fan preference (Bidwell had initially resisted the name "Arizona Cardinals" due to the NFL's tradition of team names that identified home cities, although the Minnesota Vikings
Minnesota Vikings
The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Vikings joined the National Football League as an expansion team in 1960...
was a longstanding exception and the Carolina Panthers
Carolina Panthers
The Carolina Panthers are a professional American football team based in Charlotte, North Carolina. They are currently members of the South Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Panthers, along with the Jacksonville Jaguars, joined the NFL as expansion...
were set to start play the following year.). The rest of the NFL owners quickly approved the name change.
The Cardinals spent most of their first decade in Arizona as a cellar dweller. This was in part because, in defiance of geographic reality, they remained in the NFC East—resulting in some of the longest road trips in the league. Attendance averaged roughly 35,000 in a 73,000-seat stadium, meaning that the Cardinals sold out an average of two home games a year and rarely appeared on local television. Arizona and New Mexico were traditionally a market for the Cowboys, and that team remained far more popular in the area. Bidwill was criticized for his low-budget approach to the team. The high draft picks from those losing years, more often than not, left the franchise and enjoyed greater success with other teams.
Gene Stallings remained the team's coach following the move from St. Louis to the desert. The Cardinals overcame close losses in the first two weeks to the eventual AFC champion Cincinnati Bengals
1988 Cincinnati Bengals season
The 1988 Cincinnati Bengals season was the team's 21st year in professional football and its 19th with the National Football League.The Bengals were a team on the rebound. During the 1987 strike-shortened season, quarterback Boomer Esiason and head coach Sam Wyche had openly feuded, and the team...
and Dallas Cowboys
1988 Dallas Cowboys season
1988 was the final year for Cowboys head coach Tom Landry. After the season, the team would undergo drastic changes including a new head coach, and change of ownership from the late Bum Bright to current owner Jerry Jones. Notable additions to the team that year include wide receiver Michael Irvin,...
, winning seven of their next nine games to improve to 7-4. The most memorable of these wins came against the San Francisco 49ers
1988 San Francisco 49ers season
The San Francisco 49ers 1988 season was their 43rd season in the National Football League. The season was highlighted by their third Super Bowl victory. In 1988, the 49ers struggled. At one point, they were 6-5 and in danger of missing the playoffs but rose to defeat the Washington Redskins on a...
, as Phoenix erased a 23-0 deficit to win 24-23. Unfortunately, the team dropped its last five games, including two to the eventual division champion Philadelphia Eagles
1988 Philadelphia Eagles season
The 1988 Philadelphia Eagles season resulted in an appearance in the postseason for the first time since 1981.-Player Selections:The table shows the Eagles selections and what picks they had that were traded away and the team that ended up with that pick...
. Stallings announced his intent to resign following the 1989 season
1989 NFL season
The 1989 NFL season was the 70th regular season of the National Football League. Before the season, NFL commissioner Pete Rozelle announced his retirement...
after a 37-14 loss to the Rams
1989 Los Angeles Rams season
The 1989 Los Angeles Rams season was the team's 52nd year with the National Football League and the 44th season in Los Angeles.-NFL Draft:-Regular season:In week 16, Jerry Gray returned an interception 27 yards for a touchdown...
in week 11, but Bidwill instead fired Stallings at this point. Under interim coach Hank Kuhlmann
Hank Kuhlmann
Hank Kuhlmann was an American football coach, and was the head coach for the National Football League's Phoenix Cardinals for part of the 1989 season. He assumed the position after Gene Stallings resigned in November. Kuhlmann finished with an 0-5 record, and was replaced by Joe Bugel before the...
, the Cardinals repeated their swoon of 1988, losing all five games under the new coach. Stallings returned to college football, leading the Alabama Crimson Tide
Alabama Crimson Tide football
|TeamName = Alabama football |Image = Alabama Crimson Tide Logo.svg |ImageSize = 110 |Helmet = Alabama Football.png |ImageSize2 = 150 |CurrentSeason = 2011 Alabama Crimson Tide football team...
to the 1992 national championship.
Bugel era (1990–93)
Joe BugelJoe Bugel
Joseph John 'Buges' Bugel was the Offensive line coach for the Washington Redskins from 1981 to 1989 and from 2004 to 2009...
, the architect of the Redskins' famous "Hogs" offensive line in the 1980s, coached the Cardinals from 1990 to 1993, usually finishing last in the dominant NFC East, which produced the Super Bowl
Super Bowl
The Super Bowl is the championship game of the National Football League , the highest level of professional American football in the United States, culminating a season that begins in the late summer of the previous calendar year. The Super Bowl uses Roman numerals to identify each game, rather...
winner in each of those seasons (Giants
1990 New York Giants season
The 1990 New York Giants season was one of the most successful seasons in the professional American football franchise's history. The Giants, who play in the National Football Conference of the National Football League , won their sixth championship—and second Super Bowl—in franchise history...
in '90, Redskins
1991 Washington Redskins season
The 1991 Washington Redskins began with the team trying to improve on their 10-6 record from 1990. The Redskins would finish the season 14-2. They went undefeated in the playoffs and beat the Buffalo Bills 37-24 to win Super Bowl XXVI...
'91, Cowboys
Dallas Cowboys
The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football franchise which plays in the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League . They are headquartered in Valley Ranch in Irving, Texas, a suburb of Dallas...
'92-93). Bugel's first three teams finished 5-11 in 1990
1990 NFL season
The 1990 NFL season was the 71st regular season of the National Football League. To increase revenue, the league changed the regular season so that all NFL teams would play their 16-game schedule over a 17-week period...
and 4-12 in both 1991
1991 NFL season
The 1991 NFL season was the 72nd regular season of the National Football League. The season ended with Super Bowl XXVI when the Washington Redskins defeated the Buffalo Bills....
and 1992
1992 NFL season
The 1992 NFL season was the 73rd regular season of the National Football League.Due to the damage caused by Hurricane Andrew, the New England Patriots–Miami Dolphins game that was scheduled for September 6 at Joe Robbie Stadium was rescheduled to October 18. Both teams originally had that...
before improving to 7-9 in 1993. During the 1993 season
1993 NFL season
The 1993 NFL season was the 74th regular season of the National Football League. For the first time in league history, all NFL teams played their 16-game schedule over a span of 18 weeks. After the success of expanding the regular season to a period of 17 weeks in 1990, the league hoped this new...
, the Cardinals outscored their opponents by 57 points, but suffered eight losses by seven points or less, five of those setbacks coming to playoff teams. A three-game winning streak to close the season, including a 17-6 triumph over the playoff bound Giants
1993 New York Giants season
The 1993 New York Giants season was the 69th season for the club in the National Football League. Following the 1992 season, Ray Handley was replaced by former Broncos coach Dan Reeves, who immediately released Jeff Hostetler and named Phil Simms the team's starting quarterback.-NFL...
, was not enough to save Bugel's job.
Ryan era (1994–95)
Buddy RyanBuddy Ryan
James David "Buddy" Ryan is a former American NFL football coach.-Early years:Ryan was born and reared in a small, agricultural-based community "just outside of Frederick, Oklahoma." Ryan played college football for Oklahoma A&M University where he earned four letters as a guard between 1952 and...
replaced Bugel in 1994, serving as both general manager and head coach, but lasted only two seasons. He guaranteed victory in the 1994
1994 NFL season
The 1994 NFL season was the 75th regular season of the National Football League. To honor the NFL's 75th season, a special anniversary logo was designed and each player wore a patch on their jerseys with this logo throughout the season...
week 3 game at the Cleveland Browns
1993 Cleveland Browns season
The 1993 Cleveland Browns season was the team's 44th season with the National Football League. This season was notable for coach Bill Belichick deciding to bench, and then ultimately release, longtime starting quarterback Bernie Kosar in favor of Vinny Testaverde...
, which Cleveland subsequently won, 32-0. The Cardinals
1994 Arizona Cardinals season
-Roster:-Schedule:-References:**...
, who ranked third in the NFL in total defense in 1994 but suffered from a lack of consistency at quarterback, entered the final week of the season with an outside chance at a playoff berth, but a 10-6 loss to the Atlanta Falcons
1994 Atlanta Falcons season
-Roster:-Schedule:-Awards and records:* Terance Mathis, Franchise Record, Most Receptions in One Season, 111 Receptions -References:...
ended those hopes as Arizona finished 8-8.
The 1995 season
1995 NFL season
The 1995 NFL season was the 76th regular season of the National Football League. The league expanded to 30 teams with the addition of the Carolina Panthers and the Jacksonville Jaguars...
saw the Cardinals
1995 Arizona Cardinals season
-Staff:-Roster:-Schedule:-Awards and records:* Larry Centers, Franchise Record , Most Receptions in One Season, 101 * Greg Davis, Franchise Record, Most Field Goals in One Season, 30 * Garrison Hearst, NFL Comeback Player of the Year...
drop to 4-12, including an embarrassing 27-7 loss to the expansion Carolina Panthers
1995 Carolina Panthers season
-Preseason:-Regular season:-Records:* Most victories by an expansion team * First expansion team to have a winning record at home * First expansion team to have a four game winning streak...
. Ryan's tenure ended on December 26, less than 24 hours after the Cardinals lost 37-13 to the Cowboys
1995 Dallas Cowboys season
The 1995 Dallas Cowboys season would mark their 36th in the NFL and final of the three Super Bowl titles they would win in the 1990s. Dallas would be the first team to ever win three Super Bowls in a span of four seasons...
on Monday Night Football
Monday Night Football
Monday Night Football is a live broadcast of the National Football League on ESPN. From to it aired on ABC. Monday Night Football was, along with Hallmark Hall of Fame, and the Walt Disney anthology television series, one of the longest running prime time commercial network television series...
. Dallas returned to Sun Devil Stadium
Sun Devil Stadium
Sun Devil Stadium is an outdoor football stadium, located on the campus of Arizona State University, in Tempe, Arizona, United States. The stadium's current seating capacity is 71,706 and the playing surface is natural grass...
34 days later and defeated the Pittsburgh Steelers
1995 Pittsburgh Steelers season
The 1995 season saw the Steelers return to the Super Bowl for the first time in sixteen years . The team's 11–5 finish was good enough for the AFC Central championship and the second seed in the conference...
in Super Bowl XXX
Super Bowl XXX
Super Bowl XXX was an American football game played on January 28, 1996 at Sun Devil Stadium in Tempe, Arizona to decide the National Football League champion following the 1995 regular season...
.
1996
Ryan was followed by Vince TobinVince Tobin
Vincent Michael Tobin is a longtime American football coach and former head coach of the Arizona Cardinals. He is currently a special assistant to the Green Bay Packers.-College coaching career:...
, who improved the Cardinals to 7-9 in 1996
1996 NFL season
The 1996 NFL season was the 77th regular season of the National Football League and the season was marked by notable controversies from beginning to end...
, led by defensive end Simeon Rice
Simeon Rice
Simeon James Rice [] is a former American football defensive end, last playing in 2009. He was drafted by the Arizona Cardinals third overall in the 1996 NFL Draft...
, the third overall pick who became the NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year, and a rejuvenated Boomer Esiason
Boomer Esiason
Norman Julius "Boomer" Esiason is a former American football quarterback and current network color commentator. He played for the National Football League's Cincinnati Bengals, New York Jets, and Arizona Cardinals before working as an analyst for ABC and HBO...
at quarterback. Esiason threw for 522 yards in an overtime victory over the Redskins
1996 Washington Redskins season
The 1996 Washington Redskins season began with the team trying to improve on their 6–10 record from 1995. This was the Redskins' last season playing at RFK Stadium, where they had played since 1961.-NFL Draft:-Staff:-Schedule:-References:...
in the Cardinals' final game at RFK Stadium, and two weeks later led a fourth-quarter comeback against the playoff-bound Eagles
1996 Philadelphia Eagles season
The 1996 Philadelphia Eagles season was their 64th in the league. The team matched their previous output of 10–6, again winning ten games and qualifying for the playoffs.-Off Season:...
. The 1996 season also featured a lowlight: a 31-21 loss at home to the New York Jets
New York Jets
The New York Jets are a professional football team headquartered in Florham Park, New Jersey, representing the New York metropolitan area. The team is a member of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
, the only game the Jets won during a 1-15 season.
1997
The Cardinals fell back to 4-12 in 19971997 NFL season
The 1997 NFL season was the 78th regular season of the National Football League. The Oilers relocated from Houston, Texas to Nashville, Tennessee...
, but that season saw the debut of rookie quarterback Jake Plummer
Jake Plummer
Jason Steven "Jake" Plummer is a former American football quarterback in the National Football League. He was drafted by the Arizona Cardinals in the second round of the 1997 NFL Draft. He played college football at Arizona State....
, who the previous season guided Arizona State
1996 Arizona State Sun Devils football team
The 1996 Arizona State Sun Devils football team represented the Arizona State University in the 1996 NCAA Division I-A college football season.-Regular season:...
to a remarkable 11-0 regular season before falling just short of the national championship with a loss to Ohio State
1996 Ohio State Buckeyes football team
The 1996 Ohio State Buckeyes football team represented the Ohio State University in the college football season of 1996-1997. The team's head football coach was John Cooper. The Buckeyes played their home games in Ohio Stadium. The team finished the season with a win-loss record of 11 and 1, and...
in the Rose Bowl
1997 Rose Bowl
The 1997 Rose Bowl Game was a postseason college football bowl game between the Arizona State Sun Devils of the Pacific-10 Conference and the Ohio State Buckeyes of the Big Ten Conference, held on New Year’s Day in the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California. The game resulted in a dramatic 20–17...
. The highlight of the 1997 season was a 25-22 overtime victory over the Cowboys
1997 Dallas Cowboys season
The 1997 Dallas Cowboys season would mark their 38th in the NFL and for the first time since 1990, the team would suffer a losing season and miss the playoffs.-Regular season:...
in week 2, ending Dallas' 13-game winning streak over the Cardinals which dated back to 1990. The momentum generated by the victory over the Cowboys was squandered with losses in the next two games, falling to the Redskins 19-13 in overtime in the first-ever game at Jack Kent Cooke Stadium, and an 18-17 setback to the playoff-bound Buccaneers.
Playoff year (1998)
During the 1998 season Jake PlummerJake Plummer
Jason Steven "Jake" Plummer is a former American football quarterback in the National Football League. He was drafted by the Arizona Cardinals in the second round of the 1997 NFL Draft. He played college football at Arizona State....
enjoyed his greatest stretch of success during his tenure with the franchise, in terms of victories at least, as his quarterback rating was still an average 75.0. The team during that time had once again been dubbed the Cardiac Cards by the local and national media as eight of their 16 regular-season games were decided by three points or less, and seven of those games ended in favor of the Cardinals. Solidifying their status as the team to beat in the clutch, the Cardinals, sporting a 6-7 record going into the 15th week, defated the Philadelphia Eagles
Philadelphia Eagles
The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
in overtime on a field goal by Chris Jacke
Chris Jacke
Christopher Lee Jacke is a former professional American football placekicker best known for playing for the Green Bay Packers in the National Football League....
, then returned home to defeat the New Orleans Saints
New Orleans Saints
The New Orleans Saints are a professional American football team based in New Orleans, Louisiana. They are members of the South Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League ....
by two and the San Diego Chargers
San Diego Chargers
The San Diego Chargers are a professional American football team based in San Diego, California. they were members of the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
by three to clinch a wild-card playoff berth.
The close calls and the fact that none of their victories had been to teams with winning records (New Orleans was the best of the group at 6-10; San Diego was 5-11 and Philadelphia 3-13) made them heavy underdogs going into their Wild Card
Wild card (sports)
The term wild card refers broadly to a tournament or playoff berth awarded to an individual or team that has not qualified through normal play.-International sports:...
Playoff game against the Dallas Cowboys
Dallas Cowboys
The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football franchise which plays in the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League . They are headquartered in Valley Ranch in Irving, Texas, a suburb of Dallas...
. Considering their two regular season losses to the Cowboys and the fact that they had been on the losing end of 16 of the last 17 games against their division rivals, including 9 straight losses at Texas Stadium
Texas Stadium
Texas Stadium was a football stadium in Irving, Texas, a suburb of Dallas. The stadium opened on September 17, 1971.Built to replace the aging Cotton Bowl, it was the home field of the NFL's Dallas Cowboys, and had a seating capacity of 65,675...
, the "Team of the Nineties" seemed to have history and ample statistical evidence on their side. To further the situation, the Cardinals franchise had not won a single playoff game since their title year of 1947, resulting in the longest active drought in professional sports
Professional sports
Professional sports, as opposed to amateur sports, are sports in which athletes receive payment for their performance. Professional athleticism has come to the fore through a combination of developments. Mass media and increased leisure have brought larger audiences, so that sports organizations...
history.
The Cardinals won the game 20-7; however, the final score made the game appear closer than it actually was, as Arizona dominated the Cowboys on both ends of the football throughout the game. At Texas Stadium that afternoon, the Cardinals jumped out to a 10–0 halftime lead. The Cardinals would later increase that lead to 20-0 in the final minutes of the 4th quarter. The Cowboys' only score was a touchdown late in the 4th quarter, and the Cardinals held on for the upset. The Cardinals, who had suffered for 51 years as the NFL's doormat, finally had a playoff win. However, the distinction was short lived as the Cardinals fell in the divisional round of the playoffs to the Minnesota Vikings
Minnesota Vikings
The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Vikings joined the National Football League as an expansion team in 1960...
who possessed a 15-1 record as well as the highest scoring offense in NFL history at the time. The Vikings won the game 41-21 in the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome
Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome
The Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome, commonly called the Metrodome, is a domed sports stadium in downtown Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States. Opened in 1982, it replaced Metropolitan Stadium, which was on the current site of the Mall of America in Bloomington and Memorial Stadium on the University...
in downtown Minneapolis.
1999
Coming off their playoff run in 1998, the Cardinals1999 Arizona Cardinals season
The 1999 Arizona Cardinals season was the 80th season the team was in the National Football League and 12th in Arizona. The team was unable to match their previous output of 9-7, instead winning only six games. The Cardinals failed to return to the playoffs....
were expected to do bigger and better things in 1999
1999 NFL season
The 1999 NFL season was the 80th regular season of the National Football League. The Cleveland Browns returned to the field for the first time since the 1995 season...
, but a tough schedule ranked in the top 5 as well as key injuries returned the team to their losing ways, getting off to a 2–6 start. However, the Cards would make another run, winning 4 straight games to get back into the playoff chase, but it was not meant to be; Arizona lost their last 4 games to finish with a disappointing 6–10 record.
McGinnis era (2000–03)
Tobin was fired during the 2000 season2000 NFL season
The 2000 NFL season was the 81st regular season of the National Football League. The season ended with Super Bowl XXXV when the Baltimore Ravens defeated the New York Giants.Week 1 of the season reverted to Labor Day weekend in 2000...
and replaced by existing defensive coordinator Dave McGinnis
Dave McGinnis
Dave McGinnis is the linebackers coach of the Tennessee Titans. He formerly was the head coach of the Arizona Cardinals from 2000 through 2003.-Biography:...
, who remained head coach until his firing in 2003; McGinnis compiled a win-loss record of 17-40 during his tenure. In McGinnis' second game as head coach, Aeneas Williams
Aeneas Williams
Aeneas Demetrius Williams is a former American football cornerback and free safety, who played with the Arizona Cardinals and the St. Louis Rams. Williams attended Fortier High School, where he played football on a team with three future NFL players. Although he was admitted to Dartmouth College,...
tied an NFL record by returning a fumble 104 yards for a touchdown in a 16–15 victory over the Redskins
2000 Washington Redskins season
The 2000 Washington Redskins season began with the team trying to improve on their 10–6 record from 1999.-NFL Draft:-Staff:-Preseason:-Schedule:-Best performances:* Marco Coleman, Week 1, 2.5 Quarterback Sacks vs. Carolina Panthers...
. Other notable victories during McGinnis' tenure included a 34–31 overtime victory over the Oakland Raiders
2001 Oakland Raiders season
-AFC Divisional Playoff:-References:...
in 2001
2001 NFL season
The 2001 NFL season was the 82nd regular season of the National Football League.Following a pattern set in 1999, the first week of the season was permanently moved to the weekend following Labor Day...
in the Cardinals'
2001 Arizona Cardinals season
-NFL Draft:-Staff:-Roster:-Schedule:-Standings:-References:**...
first-ever visit to Oakland, and an 18-17 triumph in the final game of the 2003 season
2003 NFL season
-Milestones:The following teams and players set all-time NFL records during the season:-Team:-Individual:-Awards:-External Links:**-References:*NFL Record and Fact Book *...
over the Minnesota Vikings
2003 Minnesota Vikings season
2003 was the 43rd year of season play for the Minnesota Vikings and the 84th regular season of the National Football League.The Vikings began 2003 with a fast 6-0 start...
, in which Josh McCown
Josh McCown
Joshua Treadwell McCown is an American football quarterback for the Chicago Bears of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Arizona Cardinals in the third round of the 2002 NFL Draft. He played college football at Sam Houston State.McCown has played for the Detroit Lions, Oakland...
threw the game-winning touchdown pass to Nate Poole
Nate Poole
Nathan "Nate" Poole is a former American football wide receiver in the National Football League. He was originally signed by the Arizona Cardinals as an undrafted free agent in 2002...
with no time left on the clock, eliminating the Vikings from the playoffs.
The Cardinals did not win more than seven games in any season between 1999 and 2006, and have had one of the worst yearly attendance records in the NFL. Sun Devil Stadium, during the time the Cardinals were a tenant there, gained a reputation for being one of the quietest stadiums in the NFL (which is a far cry compared to that facility's ASU
Arizona State University
Arizona State University is a public research university located in the Phoenix Metropolitan Area of the State of Arizona...
home games). The few fans who did show up for games were most often rooting for the away team, partially due to the fact that much of Arizona's population during the winter months is composed of residents whose homestate lies elsewhere, creating such "home games" on the road for opposing teams. In addition, many of Arizona's permanent residents grew up in other states. Such incidents were most noticeable when teams with great national followings, such as the Packers, Bears, 49ers, Raiders, Patriots, Steelers and Cowboys, came into town.
In 2002
2002 NFL season
The 2002 NFL season was the 83rd regular season of the National Football League.The league went back to an even number of teams, expanding to 32 teams with the addition of the Houston Texans. The clubs were then realigned into eight divisions, four teams in each...
, the addition of the Houston Texans caused the NFL to realign into eight divisions of four teams each. The Cardinals were finally moved to the NFC West with the 49ers, Seahawks, and Rams, which made far more sense from a geographical standpoint.
Green era (2004–06)
In 20042004 NFL season
The 2004 NFL season was the 85th regular season of the National Football League.With the New England Patriots as the defending league champions, regular season play was held from September 9, 2004 to January 2, 2005...
, the Cardinals hired former Vikings coach Dennis Green
Dennis Green
Dennis "Denny" Green is an American football head coach for the Sacramento Mountain Lions of the United Football League...
as their head coach. Prior to his signing with the Cardinals, he compiled a 97-62 record in ten seasons with Minnesota
Minnesota Vikings
The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Vikings joined the National Football League as an expansion team in 1960...
(1992–2001), leading that franchise to four NFC Central Division titles and two NFC Championship games. The Cardinals continued their mediocre ways, going 6-10 in 2004 and 5-11 in 2005
2005 NFL season
The 2005 NFL season was the 86th regular season of the National Football League.With the New England Patriots as the defending league champions, regular season play was held from September 8, 2005 to January 1, 2006...
, the final two seasons for the team in Sun Devil Stadium.
Tragedy struck the team on April 22, 2004 when former safety Pat Tillman
Pat Tillman
Corporal Patrick Daniel "Pat" Tillman Jr. was an American football player who left his professional career and enlisted in the United States Army in June 2002 in the aftermath of the September 11, 2001, attacks. He joined the Army Rangers and served several tours in combat before he died in the...
, a popular player who was an All-American at Arizona State, was killed in Afghanistan while serving in the United States Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
. Tillman left professional football following the 2001 season to serve in the military in the wake of the September 11 terrorist attacks. Tillman became the first NFL player to lose his life in war since Buffalo Bills
Buffalo Bills
The Buffalo Bills are a professional football team based in Buffalo, New York. They are currently members of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
offensive tackle Bob Kalsu
Bob Kalsu
James Robert "Bob" Kalsu was an All-American tackle at the University of Oklahoma and an eighth-round draft pick by the Buffalo Bills of the American Football League in 1968....
died in 1970 during the Vietnam War
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
. Tillman's jersey number 40 was retired at the Cardinals' first home game of 2004. In early 2005, Cardinals signed Kurt Warner to a one-year, 4 million dollar contract and later extending it to six years. Warner retired on Januaury 29, 2010. Matt Leinart was drafted tenth overall in the 2006 NFL draft
2006 NFL Draft
The 2006 National Football League Draft, the 71st in league history, took place in New York City at Radio City Music Hall on April 29 and April 30, 2006. For the 27th consecutive year, the draft was telecast on ESPN and ESPN2, with additional coverage offered by ESPNU and, for the first time, by...
. After four seasons, Leinart was released on September 4, 2010 and signed a one-year contract with the Houston Texans
Houston Texans
The Houston Texans are a professional American football team based in Houston, Texas. The team is currently a member of the Southern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
two days later.
New stadium (2006)
In 2000, Maricopa CountyMaricopa County, Arizona
-2010:Whereas according to the 2010 U.S. Census Bureau:*73.0% White*5.0% Black*2.1% Native American*3.5% Asian*0.2% Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander*3.5% Two or more races*12.7% Other races*29.6% Hispanic or Latino -2000:...
voters passed a ballot initiative by a margin of 51% to 49%, providing funding for a new Cardinals stadium (as well as for improvements to Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
spring training
Spring training
In Major League Baseball, spring training is a series of practices and exhibition games preceding the start of the regular season. Spring training allows new players to try out for roster and position spots, and gives existing team players practice time prior to competitive play...
facilities in the greater Phoenix region; and youth recreation). After some legal obstacles, the Cardinals began construction of their new facility in April 2003, in Glendale
Glendale, Arizona
Glendale is a city in Maricopa County, Arizona, USA, located about nine miles northwest from Downtown Phoenix. According to 2010 Census Bureau, the population of the city is 226,721....
, one of the western suburbs of Phoenix. University of Phoenix Stadium
University of Phoenix Stadium
University of Phoenix Stadium, opened August 1, 2006, is a multipurpose football stadium located in Glendale, Arizona. It is the home of the Arizona Cardinals of the National Football League and the annual Fiesta Bowl...
features a retractable roof
Retractable roof
A retractable roof is a kinetic architectural element used in many sports venues, in which a roof made of a suitable material can readily be mechanically deployed from some retracted or open position into a closed or extended position that completely covers the field of play and spectator areas...
and a slide-out grass surface, which is good for the hot desert weather; the new stadium has a state-of-the-art air conditioning system and high-back seats.
For some time, many team officials blamed Sun Devil Stadium for the Cardinals' woes. Being merely a tenant in a college-owned stadium denied the Cardinals access to many revenue streams that other NFL teams took for granted.
The 63,500-seat stadium (expandable to 72,800) opened on August 12, 2006 when the Cardinals
2006 Arizona Cardinals season
The 2006 Arizona Cardinals season began with the team trying to improve on their 5-11 record in 2005. They also moved into the Cardinals Stadium in Glendale, Arizona . The stadium was christened University of Phoenix Stadium on September 26...
defeated the Pittsburgh Steelers
2006 Pittsburgh Steelers season
The 2006 Pittsburgh Steelers season began with the team trying to improve on their 11–5 record from 2005 and trying to defend their Super Bowl XL championship.-Offseason:...
, 21-13, in a preseason game. The Cardinals then hosted their first regular season opening day game since moving to the Phoenix area in 1988, defeating the San Francisco 49ers
2006 San Francisco 49ers season
The 2006 San Francisco 49ers season began with the team trying to improve on their 4-12 record in 2005. Despite having improved from their previous two disastrous seasons and were in the top 10 best offense in the league in 2006 ,they missed the playoffs for the fourth straight year, continuing...
in a rematch of the 2005 blowout in Mexico City
Mexico City
Mexico City is the Federal District , capital of Mexico and seat of the federal powers of the Mexican Union. It is a federal entity within Mexico which is not part of any one of the 31 Mexican states but belongs to the federation as a whole...
, 34-27, in front of a sellout crowd of 63,407. In February 2008, the stadium hosted Super Bowl XLII
Super Bowl XLII
Super Bowl XLII was an American football game on February 3, 2008 that featured the National Football Conference champion New York Giants and the American Football Conference champion New England Patriots to decide the National Football League champion for the 2007 season...
.
Despite the new stadium, the team began the 2006 season
2006 NFL season
The 2006 NFL season was the 87th regular season of the National Football League.Regular season play was held from September 7 to December 31, 2006...
with a 1-8 record, punctuated by a 24-23 loss to the Chicago Bears
2006 Chicago Bears season
The 2006 Chicago Bears season was their 87th regular season and 25th post-season completed in the National Football League. The club posted a 13-3 regular season record, the best in the NFC, improving on their previous year’s record of 11-5...
on October 16 (before a sellout crowd enjoying a rare Cardinals appearance on Monday Night Football
Monday Night Football
Monday Night Football is a live broadcast of the National Football League on ESPN. From to it aired on ABC. Monday Night Football was, along with Hallmark Hall of Fame, and the Walt Disney anthology television series, one of the longest running prime time commercial network television series...
) in which Arizona blew a 20-point lead in an extremely bizarre game as Chicago scored zero offensive touchdowns and the Cardinals led in several statistical categories including Time of Possession, Passing Yardage, Rushing Yardage, Giveaways, Takeaways, and Interceptions. Despite all the overwhelming statistical evidence the Bears capitalized on the two turnovers the Cardinals did commit, a pair of fumbles, and promptly returned them both for touchdowns. They also converted a punt return into a touchdown. The Cardinals had a chance to redeem themselves with a last minute field goal which would give them the victory, but their offense went into a conservative state and stalled just past midfield, which set up a 40 yard field goal attempt by Neil Rackers
Neil Rackers
Neil William Rackers is an American football placekicker for the Houston Texans of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Cincinnati Bengals in the sixth round of the 2000 NFL Draft...
, which was wide left. Afterwards Dennis Green fired off an uncharacteristic, angry tirade in the postgame press conference, stating "The Bears are who we thought they were...and if you want to crown them, then crown their ass! The Bears are who we thought they were...and we let 'em off the hook!"
Following the game against the Bears, Green fired his offensive coordinator, Keith Rowen
Keith Rowen
Keith Rowen is an American football coach. He was served as the offensive coordinator for the Arizona Cardinals in 2005 until he was fired in Oct 2006 the day after the Cardinal lost to the Bears after leading by 20 points...
, and the focal point was the game's final drive with the conservative play calling being the reason behind the firing. In the first game after the Monday Night debacle, the Cardinals were dominated in a 22-9 loss to the previously winless Raiders, one of only two games Oakland
2006 Oakland Raiders season
The 2006 Oakland Raiders season, which was supposed to improve on a lackluster 4–12 record from 2005, ended with the Raiders suffering through a 2–14 campaign, the worst record in the 2006 NFL season, the worst season since the club went 1–13 in 1962 and their worst since the National Football...
won in 2006.
Whisenhunt era (2007–present)
On January 1, 2007, after a 5-11 season and a 3-year record of 16-32, the Cardinals announced the firing of Green. After a brief period of speculation, Pittsburgh SteelersPittsburgh Steelers
The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional football team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The team currently belongs to the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Founded in , the Steelers are the oldest franchise in the AFC...
offensive coordinator Ken Whisenhunt
Ken Whisenhunt
Kenneth "Ken" Moore Whisenhunt is the current head coach of the Arizona Cardinals NFL football team, leading them to the first Super Bowl in franchise history during the 2008 season...
was named the Cardinals head coach for the 2007 season.
In the 1st round of the 2007 NFL Draft
2007 NFL Draft
The 2007 National Football League Draft took place at Radio City Music Hall in New York City on April 28 and April 29, 2007. The draft was televised for the 28th consecutive year on ESPN and ESPN2. The NFL Network also broadcast coverage of the event, its second year doing so...
, the Cardinals selected offensive tackle Levi Brown from Penn State
Penn State Nittany Lions football
The Penn State Nittany Lions football team represents the Pennsylvania State University in the National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I Football Bowl Subdivision as a member of the Big Ten Conference. It is one of the most tradition-rich and storied college football programs in the...
with the fifth overall pick. The Cardinals selected cornerback Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie with their first pick in the 2008 NFL Draft
2008 NFL Draft
The 2008 NFL Draft took place at Radio City Music Hall in New York City on April 26 and April 27, 2008. For the 29th consecutive year, ESPN televised the draft; the NFL Network also broadcast the event, its third year doing so...
.
The Cardinals
2007 Arizona Cardinals season
The 2007 Arizona Cardinals season was the 88th season for the team in the National Football League, and their 20th season in Arizona. They improved upon their 5–11 record in 2006 after finishing last place in the NFC West, by finishing 8–8, but the failure of the Cardinals to qualify for the Super...
finished 2007
2007 NFL season
The 2007 NFL season was the 88th regular season of the National Football League.Regular-season play was held from September 6 to December 30....
with an 8–8 record, just their third non-losing record since moving to Arizona.
2008
The Cardinals began the 2008 season by splitting their first four games, including a 56-35 loss to the New York Jets2008 New York Jets season
The 2008 New York Jets season was the 49th season for the club and the 39th season in the National Football League. The team succeeded in improving upon their 4–12 record from 2007, but did not make the playoffs.-Signings:...
in which Jets quarterback Brett Favre
Brett Favre
Brett Lorenzo Favre is a former American football quarterback who spent the majority of his career with the Green Bay Packers of the National Football League . He was a 20-year veteran of the NFL, having played quarterback for the Atlanta Falcons , Green Bay Packers , New York Jets and Minnesota...
threw six touchdown passes, and Arizona receiver Anquan Boldin
Anquan Boldin
-Arizona Cardinals:As a rookie Boldin set an NFL record for most receiving yards by a rookie in his first game , tied Billy Sims for most yards from scrimmage by a rookie in his first game , and holds the NFL record for most receptions in the first 26 games of an NFL career...
suffered a fractured sinus and concussion following a helmet-to-helmet hit by Jet cornerback Eric Smith
Eric Smith (American football)
-2006:Smith was selected 97th overall in the 2006 NFL Draft. Smith had been rising on many draft boards in the weeks leading up to the draft as he was praised for his instincts and physicality on the field. The Jets signed Smith to a contract on July 21, 2006....
. Arizona recovered to win five of its next six games to improve to 7-3, but lost two games in a five-day stretch of late November to the Giants
2008 New York Giants season
The 2008 New York Giants season was the franchise's 84th season in the National Football League as the team looked to defend its Super Bowl XLII title. They improved upon their 10–6 record from 2007, becoming NFC East champions and finished with the #1 seed in the NFC playoffs with a 12-4 record...
and Eagles
2008 Philadelphia Eagles season
The 2008 Philadelphia Eagles season was the team's 76th season as a franchise in the National Football League. The Eagles improved upon their 8–8 record and fourth-place finish in the NFC East in the 2007 season by going 9–6–1 and earning the 6th seed in the NFC Playoffs. The team lost in the...
. On Dec. 7, the Cardinals clinched the NFC West Division championship with a 34-10 victory at home over the St. Louis Rams
2008 St. Louis Cardinals season
The St. Louis Cardinals' 2008 season was the 127th season for the franchise in St. Louis, Missouri and the 117th season in the National League. The Cardinals, coming off a 78-84 season that was their worst since 1999, improved by eight games, going 86-76 in 2008...
to ensure the club's first playoff berth since 1998, as well as their first division title since 1975. It also assured the Cardinals of hosting at least one playoff game at home--only the second home playoff game in franchise history (they never played a home playoff game while in St. Louis despite winning two division titles).
The Cardinals followed up winning the division title with two lackluster performances, losing at home 35-14 to the Minnesota Vikings
2008 Minnesota Vikings season
The 2008 season was the Minnesota Vikings' 48th season in the NFL, and the 17th season in which they won their division. They won the NFC North with a 10–6 record, but had to play in the wild card round of the playoffs...
, then suffering a 47-7 rout to the New England Patriots
2008 New England Patriots season
The 2008 New England Patriots season was the 39th season for the team in the National Football League and 49th season overall. Despite finishing the regular season with an 11–5 record, the Patriots did not qualify for the playoffs—becoming the first 11-win team since the expansion to a 12-team...
at a snowy Gillette Stadium
Gillette Stadium
Gillette Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium located in Foxborough, Massachusetts, 21 miles southwest of downtown Boston and from downtown Providence, Rhode Island. It serves as the home stadium and administrative offices for the New England Patriots football team and the New England Revolution...
. The Cardinals then defeated the Seattle Seahawks
2008 Seattle Seahawks season
The 2008 Seattle Seahawks season was the 33rd season for the team in the National Football League. The Seahawks' streak of four consecutive NFC West divisional championships was broken, as they fell to a 4-12 record...
at home to clinch their first winning season since 1998, and thus avoided becoming the third team to win a division title with an 8-8 record (after the 1985 Cleveland Browns
1985 Cleveland Browns season
The 1985 Cleveland Browns season was the team's 36th season with the National Football League.In Marty Schottenheimer's first full year as head coach, the Browns bounced back from a horrible 5–11 season in 1984 to make the playoffs, despite a .500 season...
and 2008 San Diego Chargers
2008 San Diego Chargers season
The 2008 San Diego Chargers season was the franchise's 49th overall season and their 39th in the NFL. While they completed the regular season with only an 8–8 record, they nonetheless captured their third consecutive AFC West championship...
).
On January 3, 2009 the Cardinals won their first home playoff game in 63 years by defeating the Atlanta Falcons
2008 Atlanta Falcons season
The 2008 Atlanta Falcons season was the 43rd season for the team in the National Football League. Overcoming a disappointing 4-12 record, quarterback Michael Vick's dog fighting scandal and head coach Bobby Petrino's abrupt resignation in 2007, the Falcons, who were expected to be in a rebuilding...
30-24 in the Wild Card Round. They then upset the Carolina Panthers
2008 Carolina Panthers season
-Preseason:-Regular season:-Postseason:-Week 1: at San Diego Chargers:The Carolina Panthers and San Diego Chargers were locked in a defensive battle in the first quarter. John Kasay made three field goals while Philip Rivers connected with Chris Chambers on a 44-yard pass to score. At halftime the...
33-13 in Charlotte in the Divisional Playoffs. With the Philadelphia Eagles
2008 Philadelphia Eagles season
The 2008 Philadelphia Eagles season was the team's 76th season as a franchise in the National Football League. The Eagles improved upon their 8–8 record and fourth-place finish in the NFC East in the 2007 season by going 9–6–1 and earning the 6th seed in the NFC Playoffs. The team lost in the...
winning the next day, the Cardinals, as the only remaining division champion, earned the right to host the first Championship Game in team history. On January 18, 2009, the Cardinals defeated the Eagles 32-25 to advance to the Super Bowl
Super Bowl XLIII
Super Bowl XLIII was an American football game pitting the American Football Conference champion Pittsburgh Steelers against the National Football Conference champion Arizona Cardinals to decide the National Football League champion for the 2008 season. The game was played on February 1, 2009,...
for the first time in franchise history. They lost Super Bowl XLIII 27-23 to the Pittsburgh Steelers
2008 Pittsburgh Steelers season
The 2008 Pittsburgh Steelers season was the franchise's 76th season in the National Football League . The season concluded with the team winning Super Bowl XLIII to become the first franchise in the NFL with six Super Bowl titles....
.
2009
The 2009 Cardinals season2009 NFL season
The 2009 NFL season was the 90th regular season of the National Football League.The preseason started with the Pro Football Hall of Fame Game on August 9, 2009, and the regular season began September 10. The season ended with Super Bowl XLIV, the league's championship game, on February 7, 2010 at...
started off with high expectations from fans following the team's improbable run to the Super Bowl the previous year. The Cardinals drafted Chris "Beanie" Wells
Chris Wells (American football)
Chris "Beanie" Michael Wells is an American football running back for the Arizona Cardinals of the National Football League...
with the 31st pick in the 2009 NFL Draft
2009 NFL Draft
The 2009 NFL Draft was the seventy-fourth annual meeting of National Football League franchises to select newly eligible football players. The draft took place at Radio City Music Hall in New York City on April 25 and 26, 2009. The draft consisted of two rounds on the first day starting at 4:00...
to help improve their lack of a running game with the loss of Edgerrin James
Edgerrin James
Edgerrin Tyree James is a former American football running back. He was drafted by the Indianapolis Colts fourth overall in the 1999 NFL Draft. He played college football at the University of Miami....
. But, with the Cardinals losing their offensive coordinator, Todd Haley
Todd Haley
Todd Haley is the head coach of the Kansas City Chiefs of the National Football League . Prior to joining the Chiefs, Haley served as the Arizona Cardinals' offensive coordinator from 2007 to 2008, and was the wide receivers coach for the New York Jets, Chicago Bears, and Dallas Cowboys.-Early...
, to the Kansas City Chiefs
Kansas City Chiefs
The Kansas City Chiefs are a professional American football team based in Kansas City, Missouri. They are a member of the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Originally named the Dallas Texans, the club was founded by Lamar Hunt in 1960 as a...
and having contract disputes with certain players, many outsiders thought the Cardinals would not return to the playoffs. The Cardinals started the season with a frustrating loss to their division rival, the San Francisco 49ers
2009 San Francisco 49ers season
The 2009 San Francisco 49ers season was the franchise's 64th season, and the first full year with Mike Singletary as head coach after being named interim head coach in 2008. It is the seventh year in which the 49ers have their seventh offensive coordinator...
. They regrouped by beating Jacksonville
2009 Jacksonville Jaguars season
The 2009 Jacksonville Jaguars season was the 15th season for the team in the National Football League. This was the first season for new general manager Gene Smith, who hoped to usher in a "rebuilding" era for the Jaguars franchise. The Jaguars improved upon their 5–11 record in 2008, however did...
, but followed that with another embarrassing loss at home to the Indianapolis Colts
2009 Indianapolis Colts season
The 2009 Indianapolis Colts season was the 57th season for the team in the National Football League and the 26th in Indianapolis. It was the first season since 2002 that the Colts did not have Tony Dungy on their coaching staff, due to his retirement from coaching...
. They quickly recovered after their bye-week, winning 6 of their next 7 games. While playing the Rams in Week 11, Kurt Warner sustained a concussion and sat out the game against Tennessee the following week. Matt Leinart took his place as starter in a 20-17 loss. After Warner returned, the Cardinals hosted Minnesota and inflicted a sensational 30-17 defeat on them. After that, they fell again to San Francisco with a score of 24-9 on Monday Night.
Coupled with a win over the Detroit Lions
2009 Detroit Lions season
The 2009 Detroit Lions season was the franchise's 80th season overall in the National Football League. The Lions spent the whole season at the bottom of their division and finished at 2–14. The 2009 season was the first season with the Lions for new head coach Jim Schwartz, and most of his new...
and loss from San Francisco to the Philadelphia Eagles
2009 Philadelphia Eagles season
The 2009 Philadelphia Eagles season was the 77th season for the team in the National Football League. After advancing to their fifth NFC Championship game in eight years, the Eagles improved upon their 9–6–1 record and second-place finish in the NFC East in their 2008 campaign...
, the Cardinals clinched their second straight NFC West division title on December 20, 2009.
The Cardinals finished the season 10-6, which was the team's best record since moving to Arizona. In the final game of the year, they were blown out by the Green Bay Packers
2009 Green Bay Packers season
The 2009 Green Bay Packers season was the 89th season in the National Football League for the Green Bay Packers and the 91st season for the team overall...
, 33-7. The game was meaningless to both teams in terms of playoff positioning. With a Minnesota victory just shortly before the start the Cardinals and Packers game, the Cardinals learned that they would be playing the same Packers team the following week in a NFC Wild Card game at home. Both teams took a different strategy to the game. The Packers decided to play their starters through three quarters, while the Cardinals played most of their starters for only a few plays.
With injuries being a factor the Cardinals started the NFC Wild Card game as a 2.5 point underdog at home on January 10, 2010. The Cardinals ended up beating the Green Bay Packers 51-45 in overtime in the highest scoring playoff game in NFL history, keeping alive the Packers-Cardinals rivalry which began on Nov. 20, 1921 when the two teams played to a 3-3 tie. With the playoff victory, the Cardinals earned the right to play the New Orleans Saints in the divisional playoff game on January 16, 2010.
The Packers game exposed Arizona's weak defense however, and they were out-gunned by the Saints
2009 New Orleans Saints season
The 2009 New Orleans Saints season is the franchise's 43rd season in the National Football League and the most successful in franchise history in which they won Super Bowl XLIV. The Saints recorded a franchise record 13 victories, an improvement on their 8–8 record and fourth place finish in the...
during the Divisional playoff game, losing by a lop-sided score of 45-14. Kurt Warner went 17-26 for 205 yards passing, but failed to throw for any touchdowns. The Cardinals went 1-8 on 3rd down conversions. Warner was knocked out of the game in the second quarter when he threw an interception that was caught by Saints DE Will Smith. A few days after the game, Kurt Warner announced his retirement from the NFL. This took the team by surprise, as they had expected him to play for the last year of his contract.
2010
After Kurt Warner's retirement, Matt Leinart was generally assumed to be his successor, but he was cut from the roster at the end of the preseason and then signed with the Houston Texans. This left Arizona's QB corps consisting of ex-Browns signal caller Derek Anderson and two rookie backups. After winning a close game against the Rams in Week 1, the team was crushed 41-7 in Atlanta before beating Oakland 24-23 in their first home game of the season. Another overwhelming defeat followed in San Diego before the team benched Derek Anderson in favor of rookie Max Hall. The next week however saw a 30-20 win over the defending champion Saints. After the bye week, the Cardinals disintegrated, losing seven in a row before beating 3-9 Denver in Week 14. Their playoff hopes all but evaporated after a 19-12 loss to the 1-10 Panthers.2011
Several QB options were floated for 2011, including veteran Donovan McNabbDonovan McNabb
Donovan Jamal McNabb is an American football quarterback who is currently a free agent. He was the Philadelphia Eagles' quarterback from 1999 to 2009 and spent the 2010 season with the Washington Redskins and a portion of the 2011 season with the Minnesota Vikings. In college, McNabb played...
. In the end, the Cardinals got Eagles backup QB Kevin Kolb
Kevin Kolb
Kevin Benjamin Kolb is an American football quarterback for the Arizona Cardinals of the National Football League . He was drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles in the second round of the 2007 NFL Draft. He played college football at Houston....
in exchange for trading CB Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie. They beat Carolina in Week 1 for Kolb's first regular season game on the team, but lost the next three against Washington, Seattle, and New York despite close scores. In Week 5, they headed to Minnesota seeking their first win there since 1977.