2015 Arizona Cardinals season

NFL team season August 2023 March 2026 Arizona Cardinals 2015 13–3 1st NFC West Bruce Arians Harold Goodwin James Bettcher Bill Bidwill Steve Keim University of Phoenix Stadium Won Divisional Playoffs(vs. Packers) 26–20 (OT Overtime) Lost NFC Championship(at Panthers) 15–49 8 QB Carson Palmer WR Larry Fitzgerald G Mike Iupati DE Calais Campbell CB Patrick Peterson FS Tyrann Mathieu ST Justin Bethel RB (alternate) Chris Johnson 4 CB Patrick Peterson (1st team) S Tyrann Mathieu (1st team) QB Carson Palmer (2nd team) G Mike Iupati (2nd team) File:Arizona Cardinals Uniforms 2010-2016.png Cardinals seasons The 2015 season was the Arizona Cardinals' 96th in the National Football League (NFL), their 117th overall, their 28th in Arizona, their 10th playing home games at University of Phoenix Stadium and their third under head coach Bruce Arians. The Cardinals clinched their first NFC West title since 2009, in addition to a franchise best 13 wins. They also clinched a first round bye for the first time in franchise history. The second-seeded Cardinals began their playoff run by defeating the fifth-seeded Green Bay Packers 26–20 in overtime in the divisional round, giving quarterback Carson Palmer his first career playoff win. However, they were defeated by the top-seeded 15-1 Carolina Panthers in the NFC championship by a score of 49–15, played in Bank of America Stadium, in Charlotte, North Carolina, with the Cardinals committing seven turnovers, tied for the most turnovers in a conference championship game since the Los Angeles Rams were defeated by the Dallas Cowboys abruptly in the 1978 season by a score of 28–0. The 2015 NFC Championship Game was a rematch of the 2008 NFC Divisional Round, which saw the 9–7 fourth-seeded Cardinals upset the 12–4 second-seeded Panthers in their home stadium. Until 2021, this was the last season in which the Cardinals would have a winning season or postseason appearance. The season was covered by the Amazon Original sports docuseries All or Nothing. The Cardinals also played (as of ) their last game in St. Louis, which had been home to the Cardinals from 1960 until 1987 and the Rams since 1995, with the latter team becoming the Cardinals' divisional rivals in 2002. The Rams returned to the Los Angeles metropolitan area after the 2015 season. Also as of 2025, this remains the most recent season the Cardinals have won a playoff game, having gone 0–2 (including the NFC Championship Game loss) since. 3 2015 draft class 2015 NFL draft 2015 Arizona Cardinals Draft Round Selection Player Position College 1 24 D. J. Humphries OT Florida 2 58 Markus Golden DE Missouri 3 86 David Johnson RB Northern Iowa 4 116 Rodney Gunter DT Delaware State 5 158 Shaquille Riddick DE West Virginia 159 J. J. Nelson WR UAB 7 white 256 Gerald Christian TE Louisville Compensatory selection – Mr. Irrelevant Staff 2015 Arizona Cardinals Owner/chairman – Bill Bidwill President – Michael Bidwill general manager – Steve Keim Vice president of player personnel – Terry McDonough Director of college scouting – Dru Grigson Director of pro scouting – Quentin Harris Head coach – Bruce Arians Assistant head coach/offense – Tom Moore Offensive coordinator/offensive line – Harold Goodwin Quarterbacks – Freddie Kitchens Running backs – Stump Mitchell Wide receivers – Darryl Drake Tight ends – Rick Christophel Assistant tight ends/assistant special teams – Steve Heiden Assistant offensive line – Larry Zierlein Offensive assistant – David Diaz-Infante Offensive quality control – Kevin Garver Defensive coordinator – James Bettcher Defensive line – Brentson Buckner Linebackers – Bob Sanders Assistant linebackers – Larry Foote Defensive backs – Nick Rapone Cornerbacks – Kevin Ross Pass rush specialist – Tom Pratt Special teams coordinator – Amos Jones Assistant special teams – Anthony Blevins Strength and conditioning – Buddy Morris Assistant strength and conditioning – Roger Kingdom Final roster 2015 Arizona Cardinals 53 14 10  9 Matt Barkley  3 Carson Palmer  5 Drew Stanton 38 Andre Ellington 31 David Johnson running back y 30 Stepfan Taylor 33 Kerwynn Williams 13 Jaron Brown 12 John Brown wide receiver 11 Larry Fitzgerald 15 Michael Floyd 10 Brittan Golden 14 J. J. Nelson y 85 Darren Fells 84 Jermaine Gresham 87 Troy Niklas 61 Jonathan Cooper G 74 D. J. Humphries y T 76 Mike Iupati G 62 Ted Larsen G 70 Bobby Massie T 63 Lyle Sendlein C 53 A. Q. Shipley C 79 Bradley Sowell T 68 Jared Veldheer T 71 Red Bryant DE 93 Calais Campbell DE 54 Dwight Freeney DE 95 Rodney Gunter NT y 96 Kareem Martin DE 97 Josh Mauro NT/DE 90 Cory Redding DE 92 Frostee Rucker DE 91 Ed Stinson DE 94 Xavier Williams NT y 20 Deone Bucannon ILB 59 Alani Fua OLB y 44 Markus Golden OLB y 51 Kevin Minter ILB 57 Alex Okafor OLB 47 Shaquille Riddick OLB y 55 Sean Weatherspoon ILB 28 Justin Bethel CB 29 Chris Clemons safety SS 22 Tony Jefferson FS/SS 26 Rashad Johnson SS 21 Patrick Peterson CB 25 Jerraud Powers CB 36 D. J. Swearinger FS 27 Corey White American football CB  2 Drew Butler P  7 Chandler Catanzaro K 82 Mike Leach long snapper LS 83 Gerald Christian TE y IR 54 Kenny Demens ILB IR 75 John Fullington G IR 23 Chris Johnson RB running back IR-DFR 32 Tyrann Mathieu FS IR 80 Ifeanyi Momah TE IR 45 Brandon Person SS y IR 98 Corey Peters NT IR 86 Damond Powell WR y NF-Inj. 49 Zack Wagenmann OLB y IR 78 Earl Watford G IR 58 Daryl Washington ILB Susp. 56 LaMarr Woodley OLB IR 43 Carrington Byndom CB 67 Rob Crisp y T IR 37 Durell Eskridge FS y 41 Marion Grice RB 39 Robert Hughes American football RB 50 Gabe Martin y ILB 60 Antoine McClain G 72 Olsen Pierre DE y 16 Jaxon Shipley WR y 73 John Wetzel American football T 34 Kevin White CB Defensive back y Preseason Schedule Week Date Opponent Result Record Venue Recap 1 August 15 Kansas City Chiefs L 19–34 0–1 University of Phoenix Stadium Recap 2 August 22 San Diego Chargers L 19–22 0–2 University of Phoenix Stadium Recap 3 August 30 at Oakland Raiders W 30–23 1–2 O.co Coliseum Recap 4 September 3 at Denver Broncos W 22–20 2–2 Sports Authority Field at Mile High Recap Regular season Schedule Week Date Opponent Result Record Venue Recap 1 September 13 New Orleans Saints W 31–19 1–0 University of Phoenix Stadiumhttps://www.espn.com/nfl/recap?gameId=400791555 Palmer throws for 3 TDs, Cardinals beat Saints 31-19 September 13, 2015 June 3, 2024 ESPN.com en Recap 2 September 20 at Chicago Bears W 48–23 2–0 Soldier Fieldhttps://www.espn.com/nfl/recap?gameId=400791661 Palmer throws 4 TDs in Cardinals' 48-23 win over Bears September 21, 2015 June 3, 2024 ESPN.com en Recap 3 September 27 San Francisco 49ers W 47–7 3–0 University of Phoenix Stadiumhttps://www.espn.com/nfl/recap?gameId=400791597 Kaepernick throws 4 picks, Cardinals rout 49ers 47-7 September 27, 2015 June 3, 2024 ESPN.com en Recap 4 October 4 St. Louis Rams L 22–24 3–1 University of Phoenix Stadiumhttps://www.espn.com/nfl/recap?gameId=400791718 Rams' Todd Gurley, Nick Foles send Cardinals to 1st loss October 4, 2015 June 3, 2024 ESPN.com en Recap 5 October 11 at Detroit Lions W 42–17 4–1 Ford Fieldhttps://www.espn.com/nfl/recap?gameId=400791554 Carson Palmer throws 3 TDs to help Cardinals dominate Lions October 11, 2015 June 3, 2024 ESPN.com en Recap 6 October 18 at Pittsburgh Steelers L 13–25 4–2 Heinz Fieldhttps://www.espn.com/nfl/recap?gameId=400791621 Steelers rally behind backup Landry Jones, stun Cardinals October 19, 2015 June 3, 2024 ESPN.com en Recap 7 October 26 Monday Baltimore Ravens W 26–18 5–2 University of Phoenix Stadiumhttps://www.espn.com/nfl/recap?gameId=400791574 Cardinals hold off Ravens with late interception of Joe Flacco in end zone October 27, 2015 June 3, 2024 ESPN.com en Recap 8 November 1 at Cleveland Browns W 34–20 6–2 FirstEnergy Stadiumhttps://www.espn.com/nfl/recap?gameId=400791609 Palmer throws 4 TD passes as Cardinals beat Browns 34-20 November 1, 2015 June 3, 2024 ESPN.com en Recap 9 Bye 10 November 15 at Seattle Seahawks W 39–32 7–2 CenturyLink Fieldhttps://www.espn.com/nfl/recap?gameId=400791599 Carson Palmer (363 yards, 3 TDs) leads Cardinals to road win over Seahawks November 15, 2015 June 3, 2024 ESPN.com en Recap 11 November 22 Cincinnati Bengals W 34–31 8–2 University of Phoenix Stadiumhttps://www.espn.com/nfl/recap?gameId=400791710 Catanzaro's field goal after penalty gives Arizona wild win November 23, 2015 June 3, 2024 ESPN.com en Recap 12 November 29 at San Francisco 49ers W 19–13 9–2 Levi's Stadiumhttps://www.espn.com/nfl/recap?gameId=400791526 Palmer's 8-yard TD run leads first-place Cards past 49ers December 1, 2015 June 3, 2024 ESPN.com en Recap 13 December 6 at St. Louis Rams W 27–3 10–2 Edward Jones Domehttps://www.espn.com/nfl/recap?gameId=400791576 Arizona's defense thrives in win over Rams December 6, 2015 June 3, 2024 ESPN.com en Recap 14 December 10 Thursday Minnesota Vikings W 23–20 11–2 University of Phoenix Stadiumhttps://www.espn.com/nfl/recap?gameId=400791513 Dwight Freeney saves win as Cardinals top Vikings, clinch playoff spot December 11, 2015 June 3, 2024 ESPN.com en Recap 15 December 20 at Philadelphia Eagles W 40–17 12–2 Lincoln Financial Fieldhttps://www.espn.com/nfl/recap?gameId=400791692 Johnson runs for 3 TDs, Cardinals beat Eagles 40-17 December 20, 2015 June 3, 2024 ESPN.com en Recap 16 December 27 Green Bay Packers W 38–8 13–2 University of Phoenix Stadiumhttps://www.espn.com/nfl/recap?gameId=400791571 Cardinals sack Rodgers 8 times, rout Packers 38-8 December 27, 2015 June 3, 2024 ESPN.com en Recap 17 January 3 Seattle Seahawks L 6–36 13–3 University of Phoenix Stadiumhttps://www.espn.com/nfl/recap?gameId=400791689 Wilson, Seahawks rout Cardinals 36-6 January 3, 2016 June 3, 2024 ESPN.com en Recap Game summaries Regular season Week 1: vs. New Orleans Saints Arizona Cardinals 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week One: New Orleans Saints at Arizona Cardinals – Game summary September 13 1:05 pm. MST Saints 3 7 3 6 Cardinals 7 7 3 14 University of Phoenix Stadium, Glendale, Arizona 62,903 Played indoors (retractable roof closed) Walt Anderson Fox Kevin Burkhardt, John Lynch and Pam Oliver Recap, Gamebook First quarter ARI – John Brown 10-yard pass from Carson Palmer (Chandler Catanzaro kick), 9:46. Cardinals 7–0.Drive: 9 plays, 80 yards, 5:14. NO – Zach Hocker 37-yard field goal, 3:55. Cardinals 7–3. Drive: 11 plays, 61 yards, 5:51. Second quarter ARI – Andre Ellington 1-yard run (Chandler Catanzaro kick), 11:03. Cardinals 14–3. Drive: 5 plays, 88 yards, 3:04. NO – Brandon Coleman 12-yard pass from Drew Brees (Zach Hocker kick), 5:14. Cardinals 14–10. Drive: 12 plays, 80 yards, 5:49. Third quarter NO – Zach Hocker 23-yard field goal, 12:01. Cardinals 14–13. Drive: 5 plays, 71 yards, 2:59. ARI – Chandler Catanzaro 43-yard field goal, 0:04. Cardinals 17–13. Drive: 5 plays, 35 yards, 2:11. Fourth quarter NO – Zach Hocker 45-yard field goal, 12:24. Cardinals 17–16. Drive: 9 plays, 53 yards, 2:40. ARI – Darren Fells 17-yard pass from Carson Palmer (Chandler Catanzaro kick), 9:48. Cardinals 24–16. Drive: 5 plays, 80 yards, 2:36. NO – Zach Hocker 33-yard field goal, 6:45. Cardinals 24–19. Drive: 7 plays, 65 yards, 3:03. ARI – David Johnson 55-yard pass from Carson Palmer (Chandler Catanzaro kick), 1:33. Cardinals 31–19. Drive: 2 plays, 57 yards, 0:16. Top passers NO – Drew Brees – 30/48, 355 yards, TD, INT ARI – Carson Palmer – 19/32, 307 yards, 3 TD Top rushers NO – Mark Ingram II – 9 rushes, 24 yards ARI – Andre Ellington – 12 rushes, 69 yards, TD Top receivers NO – Mark Ingram II – 8 rec, 98 yards ARI – Larry Fitzgerald – 6 rec, 87 yards Turnovers NO – 1 ARI – 1With the win, the Cardinals began their season at 1–0. Week 2: at Chicago Bears Arizona Cardinals 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week Two: Arizona Cardinals at Chicago Bears – Game summary September 20 12:00 p.m CDT/10:00 am. MST Cardinals 14 14 14 6 Bears 7 13 3 0 Soldier Field, Chicago, Illinois 62,351 70 F C, mostly sunny Jerome Boger Fox Thom Brennaman, Charles Davis and Tony Siragusa Preview, Gamebook First quarter ARI – David Johnson 108-yard kickoff return (Chandler Catanzaro kick), 14:47. Cardinals 7–0. CHI – Joshua Bellamy 48-yard pass from Jay Cutler (Robbie Gould kick), 3:20. Tied 7–7. Drive: 6 plays, 89 yards, 3:02. ARI – Jaron Brown 6-yard pass from Carson Palmer (Chandler Catanzaro kick), 1:13. Cardinals 14–7. Drive: 6 plays, 65 yards, 2:07 Second quarter CHI – Jeremy Langford 1-yard run, (Robbie Gould kick), 10:02. Tied 14–14. Drive: 11 plays, 80 yards, 6:11 ARI – Larry Fitzgerald 8-yard pass from Carson Palmer (Chandler Catanzaro kick), 3:51. Cardinals 21–14. Drive: 9 plays, 80 yards, 6:11 ARI – Tony Jefferson 26-yard interception return (Chandler Catanzaro kick), 2:59. Cardinals 28–14. Drive: 2 plays, 1 yard, 0:52 CHI – Robbie Gould 40-yard field goal, 0:59. Cardinals 28–17. Drive: 4 plays, 0 yards, 0:16 CHI – Robbie Gould 23-yard field goal, 0:01. Cardinals 28–20. Drive: 4 plays, 7 yards, 0:54 Third quarter ARI – Larry Fitzgerald 28-yard pass from Carson Palmer (Chandler Catanzaro kick), 12:41. Cardinals 35–20. Drive: 2 plays, 32 yards, 0:52 ARI – David Johnson 13-yard run (Chandler Catanzaro kick), 6:06. Cardinals 42–20. Drive: 8 plays, 75 yards, 4:23 CHI – Robbie Gould 51-yard field goal, 2:26. Cardinals 42–23. Drive: 7 plays, 47 yards, 3:40 Fourth quarter ARI – Larry Fitzgerald 9-yard pass from Carson Palmer, 2:42. Cardinals 48–23. Drive: 9 plays, 46 yards, 5:04 Top passers ARI – Carson Palmer – 17/24, 185 yards, 4 TD, INT CHI – Jimmy Clausen – 14/23, 121 yards, INT Top rushers ARI – Chris Johnson – 20 rushes, 72 yards CHI – Matt Forte – 15 rushes, 61 yards Top receivers ARI – Larry Fitzgerald – 8 rec, 112 yards, 3 TD CHI – Joshua Bellamy – 1 rec, 48 yards, 1 TD Turnovers ARI – 2 CHI – 2 With the win, the Cardinals improved to 2–0. With losses by the 49ers and Rams, they remain in first place in the NFC West. Week 3: vs. San Francisco 49ers Arizona Cardinals 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week Three: San Francisco 49ers at Arizona Cardinals – Game summary September 27 1:05 pm. MST 49ers 0 7 0 0 Cardinals 14 17 9 7 University of Phoenix Stadium, Glendale, Arizona 63,663 Played indoors (retractable roof closed) Tony Corrente Fox Thom Brennaman, Charles Davis and Tony Siragusa Recap, Gamebook First quarter ARI – Justin Bethel 21 Yd Interception Return (Chandler Catanzaro Kick), 11:06. Cardinals 7–0. Drive: 3 plays, -1 yard, 1:04. ARI – Tyrann Mathieu 33 Yd Interception Return (Chandler Catanzaro Kick), 9:03. Cardinals 14–0. Drive: 4 plays, 11 yards, 2:03. Second quarter ARI – Chris Johnson 6 Yd Run (Chandler Catanzaro Kick), 14:56. Cardinals 21–0. Drive: 10 plays, 81 yards, 5:58. ARI – Chris Johnson 1 Yd Run (Chandler Catanzaro Kick), 7:49. Cardinals 28–0. Drive: 9 plays, 81 yards, 4:04. SF – Colin Kaepernick 12 Yd Run (Phil Dawson Kick), 2:03. Cardinals 28–7. Drive: 3 plays, 19 yards, 1:05. ARI – Chandler Catanzaro 22 Yd Field Goal, 0:01. Cardinals 31–7. Drive: 5 plays, 21 yards, 0:30. Third quarter ARI – Larry Fitzgerald 4 Yd pass from Carson Palmer (Chandler Catanzaro Kick), 12:29. Cardinals 38–7. Drive: 4 plays, 58 yards, 2:18. ARI – Carlos Hyde tackled by Kevin Minter in the end zone for a safety, 4:18. Cardinals 40–7. Drive: 1 play, -1 yard, 0:06. Fourth quarter ARI – Larry Fitzgerald 8 Yd pass from Carson Palmer (Chandler Catanzaro Kick), 5:15. Cardinals 47–7. Drive: 13 plays, 79 yards, 7:42. Top passers SF – Colin Kaepernick- 9/19, 67 Yds, 4 INT ARI – Carson Palmer- 20/32, 311 Yds, 2 TD, 1 INT Top rushers SF – Carlos Hyde- 15 Rushes. 51 Yds ARI – Chris Johnson- 22 Rushes, 110 Yds, 2 TD Top receivers SF – Garrett Celek- 3 Rec, 29 Yds ARI – Larry Fitzgerald- 9 Rec, 134 Yds, 2 TD Top tacklers SF – NaVorro Bowman- 9 Tackles, 7 Solo ARI – Kevin Minter- 8 Tackles, 7 Solo49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick threw 4 interceptions in this game, with 2 of them being returned for touchdowns. The two "pick sixes" led to the first scores of the game for Arizona. Kaepernick became the first quarterback in the Super Bowl era to throw 2 pick sixes to begin the game. Overall, the Cardinals bombed the 49ers, 47–7. With the win, the Cardinals improved to 3–0 for the second straight season. Week 4: vs. St. Louis Rams background:#000000; color:white; border:2px solid #97233F;text-align:center; autocollapse Week Four: St. Louis Rams at Arizona Cardinals – Game summary October 4 1:25 pm. MST Rams 7 3 7 7 Cardinals 3 6 3 10 University of Phoenix Stadium, Glendale, Arizona 63,146 Played indoors (retractable roof closed) John Parry Fox Thom Brennaman, Charles Davis and Tony Siragusa Recap, Gamebook First quarter Second quarter Third quarter Fourth quarter Top passers STL – Nick Foles- 16/24, 171 Yds, 3 TD ARI – Carson Palmer- 29-46, 352 Yds, 1 TD, 1 INT Top rushers STL – Todd Gurley- 19 Rushes, 146 Yds ARI – Chris Johnson- 16 Rushes, 83 Yds Top receivers STL – Tavon Austin- 6 Rec, 96 Yds, 2 TD ARI – Larry Fitzgerald- 7 Rec, 99 Yds Top tacklers STL – Alec Ogletree- 10 Tackles, 9 Solo ARI – Calais Campbell- 11 Tackles, 10 Solo The Cardinals failed to stop the Rams all game long, only being held to 5 field goals and a touchdown, as a result of ending their three-game winning streak to start the season. With their first loss, the Cardinals drop to 3–1. Week 5: at Detroit Lions Arizona Cardinals 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week Five: Arizona Cardinals at Detroit Lions – Game summary October 11 3:05 p.m CDT/1:05 pm. MST Cardinals 0 28 7 7 Lions 7 0 0 10 Ford Field, Detroit, Michigan 60,816 Played indoors (dome stadium) Gene Steratore Fox Justin Kutcher, Daryl Johnston and Holly Sonders Preview, Gamebook First quarter Second quarter Third quarter Fourth quarter Top passers ARI – Carson Palmer- 11/14, 161 Yds, 3 TD DET – Dan Orlovsky- 21/38, 191 Yds, 1 TD, 1 INT Top rushers ARI – Chris Johnson- 11 Rushes, 103 Yds DET – Zach Zenner- 10 Rushes, 30 Yds Top receivers ARI – John Brown- 4 Rec, 73 Yds, 1 TD DET – Golden Tate- 8 Rec, 74 Yds Top tacklers ARI – Jerraud Powers- 12 Tackles, 10 Solo DET – James Ihedgibo- 6 Tackles, 5 SoloWith the win, the Cards improved to 4–1. Week 6: at Pittsburgh Steelers Arizona Cardinals 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week Six: Arizona Cardinals at Pittsburgh Steelers – Game summary October 18 1:00 pm. EDT/10:00 am. MST Cardinals 7 3 0 3 Steelers 0 3 12 10 Heinz Field, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 63,846 45 F C, mostly cloudy Ed Hochuli Fox Thom Brennaman, Troy Aikman and Peter Schrager Recap, Gamebook First quarter Second quarter Third quarter Fourth quarter Top passers ARI – Carson Palmer- 29/45, 421 Yds, 1 TD, 2 INT PIT – Landry Jones- 8/12, 168 Yds, 2 TD Top rushers ARI – Chris Johnson- 14 Rushes, 40 Yds PIT – Le'Veon Bell- 24 Rushes, 88 Yds Top receivers ARI – John Brown- 10 Rec, 196 Yds PIT – Martavis Bryant- 6 Rec, 137 Yds, 2 TD Top tacklers ARI – Deone Bucannon- 7 Tackles, 5 Solo PIT – Antwon Blake- 12 Tackles, 10 SoloFor the first time in 4 years, head coach Bruce Arians made his first return to Pittsburgh, where he served as wide receiver's coach from 2004 to 2006, as offensive coordinator from 2007 to 2011, and was part of the Steelers' Super Bowl winning teams from 2005 and 2008. The Steelers were led by backup quarterback Landry Jones in this game due to the absence of Ben Roethlisberger. Jones would have a really good game, throwing for 168 yards on only 12 throws. Carson Palmer would throw 2 interceptions while he threw the ball 45 times, completing only 29 passes in the process. With the loss, the Cardinals fell to 4–2. In this rematch of Super Bowl XLIII, this would turn out to be the Cardinals' only road loss of the season. Week 7: vs. Baltimore Ravens Arizona Cardinals 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week Seven: Baltimore Ravens at Arizona Cardinals – Game summary October 26 Monday 5:30 pm. MST Ravens 3 7 0 8 Cardinals 7 7 6 6 University of Phoenix Stadium, Glendale, Arizona 64,722 Played indoors (retractable roof closed) Ron Torbert ESPN Mike Tirico, Jon Gruden and Lisa Salters Recap, Gamebook First quarter Second quarter Third quarter Fourth quarter Top passers BAL – Joe Flacco- 26/40, 252 Yds, 1 TD, 1 INT ARI – Carson Palmer- 20/29, 275 Yds, 2 TD Top rushers BAL – Justin Forsett- 12 Rushes, 36 Yds, 1 TD ARI – Chris Johnson- 18 Rushes, 122 Yds, 1 TD Top receivers BAL – Steve Smith, Sr.- 5 Rec, 78 Yds ARI – John Brown- 4 Rec, 65 Yds, 1 TD Top tacklers BAL – Daryl Smith, 8 Tackles, 8 Solo ARI – Deone Bucannon- 9 Tackles, 7 SoloWith the win, the Cardinals improved to 5–2. Week 8: at Cleveland Browns Arizona Cardinals 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week Eight: Arizona Cardinals at Cleveland Browns – Game summary November 1 1:00 p.m. EST/11:00 a.m. MST Cardinals 7 3 14 10 Browns 7 13 0 0 FirstEnergy Stadium, Cleveland, Ohio 67,431 62 F C, sunny Walt Coleman Fox Matt Smith, Chris Cooley and Danielle Trotta Recap, Gamebook First quarter ARI – Troy Niklas 11-yard pass from Carson Palmer (Chandler Catanzaro kick), 8:07. Cardinals 7–0. Drive: 11 plays, 82 yards, 7:01. CLE – Brian Hartline 10-yard pass from Josh McCown (Travis Coons kick), 2:45. Tied 7–7. Drive: 3 plays, 9 yards, 0:55. Second quarter CLE – Gary Barnidge 3-yard pass from Josh McCown (Travis Coons kick), 14:53. Browns 14–7. Drive: 6 plays, 66 yards, 2:05. CLE – Brian Hartline 2-yard pass from Josh McCown (kick failed), 5:01. Browns 20–7. Drive: 14 plays, 72 yards, 7:32. ARI – Chandler Catanzaro 37-yard field goal, 0:02. Browns 20–10. Drive: 4 plays, 31 yards, 0:24. Third quarter ARI – Michael Floyd 60-yard pass from Carson Palmer (Chandler Catanzaro kick), 11:56. Browns 20–17. Drive: 4 plays, 71 yards, 2:04. ARI – Troy Niklas 1-yard pass from Carson Palmer (Chandler Catanzaro kick), 7:39. Cardinals 24–20. Drive: 4 plays, 48 yards, 1:50. Fourth quarter ARI – Larry Fitzgerald 6-yard pass from Carson Palmer (Chandler Catanzaro kick), 9:35. Cardinals 31–20. Drive: 12 plays, 80 yards, 5:20. ARI – Chandler Catanzaro 35-yard field goal, 2:20. Cardinals 34–20. Drive: 12 plays, 43 yards, 5:17. Top passers ARI – Carson Palmer – 23/38, 374 yards, 4 TD, INT CLE – Josh McCown – 18/34, 211 yards, 3 TD, INT Top rushers ARI – Chris Johnson – 30 rushes, 109 yards CLE – Josh McCown – 5 rushes, 18 yards Top receivers ARI – Michael Floyd – 4 receptions, 106 yards, TD CLE – Gary Barnidge – 7 receptions, 53 yards, TD Top tacklers ARI – Kevin Minter – 5 tackles, 2 assists CLE – Tramon Williams – 6 tackles, 3 assistsThe Cardinals would trail 20–10 at halftime, but they would come back to win 34–20 behind a 300-yard passing, 4-touchdown game from Carson Palmer. With the comeback victory, the Cards improved to 6–2. Week 10: at Seattle Seahawks Arizona Cardinals 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week Ten: Arizona Cardinals at Seattle Seahawks – Game summary November 15 6:30 pm. MST/5:30 p.m. PST Cardinals 0 22 3 14 Seahawks 0 7 10 15 CenturyLink Field, Seattle, Washington 69,005 49 F C, partly cloudy Clete Blakeman NBC Al Michaels, Cris Collinsworth and Michele Tafoya Recap, Gamebook First quarter Second quarter Third quarter Fourth quarter Top passers ARI – Carson Palmer- 29/47, 363 Yds, 3 TD, 1 INT SEA – Russell Wilson- 14/32, 240 Yds, 1 TD, 1 INT Top rushers ARI – Andre Ellington- 5 Rushes, 61 Yds, 1 TD SEA – Russell Wilson- 6 Rushes, 52 Yds Top receivers ARI – Larry Fitzgerald- 10 Rec, 130 Yds SEA – Doug Baldwin- 7 Rec, 134 Yds, 1 TD Top tacklers ARI – Deone Bucannon- 7 Tackles, 4 Solo SEA – Kam Chancellor- 17 Tackles, 5 SoloArizona would trail 29–25 in the fourth quarter, but they would outscore Seattle 14–3 in the final 5 minutes. Carson Palmer would throw for 300 yards for the second straight week, and threw 3 touchdowns. With the win, Arizona improved to 7–2. Week 11: vs. Cincinnati Bengals Arizona Cardinals 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week Eleven: Cincinnati Bengals at Arizona Cardinals – Game summary November 22 6:30 pm. MST Bengals 7 7 0 17 Cardinals 0 7 21 6 University of Phoenix Stadium, Glendale, Arizona 64,745 72 F C, mostly clear – retractable roof open Terry McAulay NBC Al Michaels, Cris Collinsworth and Michele Tafoya Recap, Gamebook First quarter CIN – 0:22 – Tyler Eifert 3-yd. pass from Andy Dalton. (CIN 7–0). 7 plays, 64 yards in 3:08 Second quarter ARI – 7:39 – Darren Fells 18-yd. pass from Carson Palmer. (Tie 7–7). 10 plays, 80 yards in 5:38 CIN – 1:07 – Jeremy Hill 3-yd. run. (CIN 14–7). 14 plays, 80 yards in 8:37 Third quarter ARI – 11:21 – J. J. Nelson 64-yd. pass from Carson Palmer. (Tie 14–14). 4 plays, 80 yards in 1:41 ARI – 5:32 – John Brown 18-yd. pass from Carson Palmer. (ARI 21–14). 8 plays, 66 yards in 4:45 ARI – 1:26 – David Johnson 16-yd. pass from Carson Palmer. (ARI 28–14). 5 plays, 49 yards in 2:43 Fourth quarter CIN – Jeremy Hill 1-yd. run. (ARI 28–21). 11 plays, 80 yards in 5:00 ARI – Chandler Catanzaro 24-yd. Field Goal. (ARI 31–21). 4 plays, 4 yards in 2:14 CIN – Tyler Eifert 10-yd. pass from Andy Dalton. (ARI 31–28). 8 plays, 50 yards in 2:43 CIN - Mike Nugent 43-yd. Field Goal. (Tie 31–31). 8 plays, 59 yards in 1:42 ARI – Chandler Catanzaro 32-yd. Field Goal. (ARI 34–31). 6 plays, 70 yards in 1:02 Top passers CIN – Andy Dalton- 22/39, 315 Yds, 2 TD ARI – Carson Palmer- 20/31, 317 Yds, 4 TD, 2 INT Top rushers CIN – Jeremy Hill- 13 Rushes, 45 Yds, 2 TD ARI – Chris Johnson- 18 Rushes, 63 Yds Top receivers CIN – Giovani Bernard- 8 Rec, 128 Yds ARI – J. J. Nelson- 4 Rec, 142 Yds, 1 TD Top tacklers CIN – Vontaze Burfict- 8 Tackles, 7 Solo ARI – Kevin Minter- 10 Tackles, 7 Solo The Cardinals would build leads of 28–14 and 31–21 in the third and fourth quarters, but the Bengals would come back to tie the game 31–31 on a Mike Nugent field goal. Arizona would then march down the field to win the shootout on a field goal from Chandler Catanzaro with 1 second left. With the win, the Cardinals improved to 8–2. Week 12: at San Francisco 49ers Arizona Cardinals 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week Twelve: Arizona Cardinals at San Francisco 49ers – Game summary November 29 2:05 pm. MST/1:05 pm. PST Cardinals 3 3 7 6 49ers 0 3 10 0 Levi's Stadium, Santa Clara, California 70,799 54 F C, sunny Pete Morelli Fox Chris Myers, Ronde Barber and Jennifer Hale Recap, Gamebook First quarter Second quarter Third quarter Fourth quarter Top passers ARI – Carson Palmer- 24/40, 271 Yds SF – Blaine Gabbert- 25/36, 318 Yds, 1 TD, 1 INT Top rushers ARI – Andre Ellington- 5 Rushes, 24 Yds SF – Shaun Draughn- 15 Rushes, 51 Yds Top receivers ARI – John Brown- 5 Rec, 99 Yds SF – Anquan Boldin- 8 Rec, 93 Yds Top tacklers ARI – Tyrann Mathieu- 13 Tackles, 11 Solo SF – Navorro Bowman- 8 Tackles, 7 SoloWith the win, Arizona improved to 9–2 and swept the 49ers for the first time since their 2008 Super Bowl season. Week 13: at St. Louis Rams Arizona Cardinals 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week Thirteen: Arizona Cardinals at St. Louis Rams – Game summary December 6 12:00 p.m. CST/11:00 am. MST Cardinals 7 3 14 3 Rams 0 0 3 0 Edward Jones Dome, St. Louis, Missouri 51,115 Played indoors (dome stadium) Bill Vinovich Fox Chris Myers, Ronde Barber and Jennifer Hale Recap, Gamebook First quarter Second quarter Third quarter Fourth quarter Top passers ARI – Carson Palmer- 26/40, 356 Yds, 2 TD STL – Nick Foles- 15/35, 146 Yds, 1 INT Top rushers ARI – David Johnson- 22 Rushes, 99 Yds STL – Todd Gurley- 9 Rushes, 41 Yds Top receivers ARI – John Brown- 6 Rec, 113 Yds STL – Kenny Britt- 2 Rec, 41 Yds Top tacklers ARI – Patrick Peterson, 5 Tackles, 5 Solo STL – Aaron Donald- 7 Tackles, 5 SoloWith the win, the Cardinals improved to 10–2. Week 14: vs. Minnesota Vikings Arizona Cardinals 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week Fourteen: Minnesota Vikings at Arizona Cardinals – Game summary December 10 Thursday 6:30 pm. MST Vikings 7 3 0 10 Cardinals 10 0 7 6 University of Phoenix Stadium, Glendale, Arizona 64,784 68 F C, mostly clear – retractable roof open Gene Steratore NFLN Jim Nantz, Phil Simms and Tracy Wolfson Recap, Gamebook First quarter Second quarter Third quarter Fourth quarter Top passers MIN – Teddy Bridgewater- 25/36, 335 Yds, 1 TD ARI – Carson Palmer- 25/35, 310 Yds, 2 TD Top rushers MIN – Adrian Peterson- 23 Rushes, 69 Yds, 1 TD ARI – David Johnson- 19 Rushes, 92 Yds Top receivers MIN – Kyle Rudolph- 6 Rec, 67 Yds ARI – Michael Floyd- 5 Rec, 102 Yds, 1 TD Top tacklers MIN – Chad Greenway- 8 Tackles, 8 Solo ARI – Tyrann Mathieu- 11 Tackles, 10 Solo With their seventh straight win, the Cardinals improved to 11–2 and clinched a spot in the NFL playoffs. Week 15: at Philadelphia Eagles Arizona Cardinals 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week Fifteen: Arizona Cardinals at Philadelphia Eagles – Game summary December 20 8:30 pm. EST/6:30 pm. MST Cardinals 7 10 13 10 Eagles 3 7 0 7 Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 69,596 37 F C, partly cloudy Tony Corrente NBC Al Michaels, Cris Collinsworth and Michele Tafoya Recap, Gamebook First quarter Second quarter Third quarter Fourth quarter Top passers ARI – Carson Palmer- 20/32, 274 Yds, 1 TD PHI – Sam Bradford- 28/41, 361 Yds, 2 TD, 2 INT Top rushers ARI – David Johnson- 29 Rushes, 187 Yds, 3 TD PHI – Ryan Mathews- 11 Rushes, 58 Yds, Top receivers ARI – Michael Floyd- 5 Rec, 70 Yds PHI – Jordan Matthews- 8 Rec, 159 Yds, 1 TD Top tacklers ARI – Deone Bucannon- 11 Tackles, 9 Solo PHI – Mychal Kendricks- 11 Tackles, 9 SoloWith the win, the Cardinals won 12 games (not including playoffs) in one season for the first time in their 96-year history and clinched the NFC West for the first time since 2009 & a first round bye for the first and only time in franchise history. As of 2025, this remains the last time the Cardinals had clinched the NFC West. Week 16: vs. Green Bay Packers Arizona Cardinals 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week Sixteen: Green Bay Packers at Arizona Cardinals – Game summary December 27 2:25 pm. MST Packers 0 0 8 0 Cardinals 0 17 21 0 University of Phoenix Stadium, Glendale, Arizona 64,878 Played indoors (retractable roof closed) Terry McAulay Fox Joe Buck, Troy Aikman and Erin Andrews Recap, Gamebook First quarter Second quarter Third quarter Fourth quarter Top passers GB – Aaron Rodgers-15/28, 151 Yds, 1 TD, 1 INT ARI – Carson Palmer- 18/27, 265 Yds, 2 TD, 1 INT Top rushers GB – Eddie Lacy, 12 Rushes, 60 Yds ARI – Kerwynn Williams- 8 Rushes, 44 Yds Top receivers GB – James Jones- 5 Rec, 46 Yds ARI – Michael Floyd- 6 Rec, 111 Yds Top tacklers GB – Morgan Burnett- 10 Tackles, 8 Solo ARI – Justin Bethel- 8 Tackles, 8 SoloA defense forcing 4 turnovers and sacking Aaron Rodgers 9 times, combined with Carson Palmer throwing for 265 yards, 2 touchdowns and only 1 interception, gave the Cardinals a 38–8 blowout against the Packers. With the win, the Cardinals improved to 13–2 and swept the NFC North. Week 17: vs. Seattle Seahawks Arizona Cardinals 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week Seventeen: Seattle Seahawks at Arizona Cardinals – Game summary January 3, 2016 2:25 pm. MST Seahawks 10 20 6 0 Cardinals 0 6 0 0 University of Phoenix Stadium, Glendale, Arizona 64,646 Played indoors (retractable roof closed) Brad Allen Fox Joe Buck, Troy Aikman and Erin Andrews Recap, Gamebook First quarter Second quarter Third quarter Fourth quarter Top passers SEA – Russell Wilson- 19/28, 197 Yds, 3 TD ARI – Carson Palmer- 12/25, 129 Yds, 1 TD, 1 INT Top rushers SEA – Christine Michael- 17 Rushes, 102 Yds ARI – David Johnson- 11 Rushes, 25 Yds Top receivers SEA – Doug Baldwin-5 Rec, 46 Yds ARI – Larry Fitzgerald- 6 Rec, 55 Yds, 1 TD Top tacklers SEA – KJ Wright- 6 Tackles, 5 Solo ARI – Deone Bucannon- 9 Tackles, 8 Solo Against the Seahawks, the Cardinals had a chance to move to the #1 spot in the NFC standings with a win and a Carolina Panthers loss to the Buccaneers. At halftime, down by 24 points (and with Carolina leading Tampa Bay 24–3), notable starters including quarterback Carson Palmer were pulled from the game. Postseason 2015–16 NFL playoffs Round Date Opponent (seed) Result Record Venue Recap Wild Card First-round bye Divisional January 16, 2016 Saturday Green Bay Packers (5) W 26–20 (OT) 1–0 University of Phoenix Stadiumhttps://www.espn.com/nfl/recap?gameId=400820433 Aaron Rodgers' Hail Mary forces OT; Cards win on Larry Fitzgerald TD January 17, 2016 June 6, 2024 ESPN.com en Recap NFC Championship January 24, 2016 at Carolina Panthers (1) L 15–49 1–1 Bank of America Stadiumhttps://www.espn.com/nfl/recap?gameId=400820437 Cam Newton, Panthers smother Cards to reach Super Bowl 50 January 24, 2016 June 6, 2024 ESPN.com en Recap NFC Divisional Playoffs: vs. (5) Green Bay Packers Hail Larry Arizona Cardinals 2;text-align:center; autocollapse NFC Divisional Playoffs: (5) Green Bay Packers at (2) Arizona Cardinals – Game summary January 16, 2016 Saturday 6:15 p.m. MST Packers 0 6 7 7 0 Cardinals 7 0 3 10 6 University of Phoenix Stadium, Glendale, Arizona 65,089 Played indoors (retractable roof closed) Clete Blakeman NBC Al Michaels, Cris Collinsworth and Michele Tafoya Recap, Gamebook First quarter ARI – Michael Floyd 8-yard pass from Carson Palmer (Chandler Catanzaro kick), 6:48. Cardinals 7–0. Drive: 11 plays, 42 yards, 6:21. Second quarter GB – Mason Crosby 28-yard field goal, 11:22. Cardinals 7–3. Drive: 17 plays, 85 yards, 7:31. GB – Mason Crosby 34-yard field goal, 0:57. Cardinals 7–6. Drive: 17 plays, 71 yards, 7:55. Third quarter GB – Jeff Janis 8-yard pass from Aaron Rodgers (Mason Crosby kick), 10:17. Packers 13–7. Drive: 6 plays, 81 yards, 3:05. ARI – Chandler Catanzaro 28-yard field goal, 5:05. Packers 13–10. Drive: 10 plays, 74 yards, 5:12. Fourth quarter ARI – Michael Floyd 9-yard pass from Carson Palmer (Chandler Catanzaro kick), 3:44. Cardinals 17–13. Drive: 14 plays, 80 yards, 7:09. ARI – Chandler Catanzaro 36-yard field goal, 2:00. Cardinals 20–13. Drive: 4 plays, 6 yards, 0:43. GB – Jeff Janis 41-yard pass from Aaron Rodgers (Mason Crosby kick), 0:00. Tied 20–20. Drive: 6 plays, 86 yards, 1:55. Overtime ARI – Larry Fitzgerald 5-yard pass from Carson Palmer, 14:00. Cardinals 26–20. Drive: 3 plays, 80 yards, 1:05. Top passers GB – Aaron Rodgers – 24/44, 261 yards, 2 TD, Int ARI – Carson Palmer – 25/41, 349 yards, 3 TD, 2 Int Top rushers GB – Eddie Lacy – 12 rushes, 89 yards ARI – David Johnson – 15 rushes, 35 yards Top receivers GB – Jeff Janis – 7 rec, 145 yards, 2 TD ARI – Larry Fitzgerald – 8 rec, 176 yards, TD In a rematch of week 16, the Cardinals once again faced the Packers. This was the first playoff game between the teams since 2009, a game the Cardinals ended up winning 51–45 in overtime, setting the record for the most points scored combined in a playoff game. The Cardinals would strike first when Carson Palmer found Michael Floyd for an 8-yard touchdown to put them up 7–0. On Green Bay's first drive, they would go down the field and get a field goal from Mason Crosby from 28 yards out to make the score 7–3. Green Bay would get another field goal before the half to cut the lead to 7–6. The Packers would then get the lead after Jeff Janis caught an 8-yard touchdown pass to give them a 13–7 lead. Arizona would cut the deficit to 13–10 after Chandler Catanzaro kicked a 28-yard field goal. In the fourth quarter, the Cardinals would take the lead after Michael Floyd caught another touchdown that was tipped by Packers cornerback Demarious Randall in the end zone. The Cardinals would get some insurance with 1:55 left after Catanzaro kicked a 36-yard field goal to make it 20–13. The Packers would get the ball back with a chance to tie the game. With 55 seconds left in regulation, the Packers faced a 4th and 20 from their own 4-yard line. Aaron Rodgers would end up throwing a 61-yard pass to Jeff Janis to put the Packers at the Cardinals 35-yard line. Later, with 5 seconds remaining, Rodgers would throw another Hail Mary pass to Janis to tie the game at 20 and force overtime. Rodgers had thrown a hail mary at Detroit earlier in the season, making him the first quarterback in NFL history to throw 2 Hail Marys in the same season. With the game in overtime, the Cardinals won the toss. On the first play from scrimmage, Palmer threw a 75-yard pass to Larry Fitzgerald to the Packers 4-yard line. Two plays later, Palmer ended the game after he flipped a pass to Fitzgerald on a draw play to end the game and send the Cardinals to the NFC Championship game against 1 seeded Carolina. With the win, the Cardinals improved to 14–3, remain the only team in the NFL to be undefeated at home in the playoffs, and advanced to the NFC Championship game for the first time since 2008. The game is considered one of the greatest playoff games in modern NFL history. The Cardinals last division title sent them to the NFC Championship Game against the Carolina Panthers; the Cardinals lost 49-15. As of 2025, this remains the Cardinals last playoff win. NFC Championship: at (1) Carolina Panthers Arizona Cardinals 2;text-align:center; autocollapse NFC Championship: (2) Arizona Cardinals at (1) Carolina Panthers– Game summary January 24, 2016 6:40 p.m. EST/4:40 pm. MST Cardinals 0 7 0 8 Panthers 17 7 10 15 Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, North Carolina 74,294 39 F C, clear Bill Vinovich Fox Joe Buck, Troy Aikman, Erin Andrews and Chris Myers Recap, Gamebook First quarter Second quarter Third quarter Fourth quarter Top passers ARI – Carson Palmer – 23/40, 235 yards, 1 TD, 4 INT CAR – Cam Newton – 19/28, 335 yards, 2 TD, 1 INT Top rushers ARI – David Johnson – 15 rushes, 60 yards, 1 TD CAR – Jonathan Stewart – 19 rushes, 83 yards Top receivers ARI – David Johnson – 9 rec, 68 yards CAR – Corey Brown – 4 rec, 113 yards, 1 TD Top tacklers ARI – Tony Jefferson – 11 tackles, 5 solo CAR – Luke Kuechly – 8 tackles, 3 solo, 1 INT, 1 TD After the Cardinals called heads to win the coin toss, Carolina dominated the game from start to finish. With the loss, the Cardinals finished the season with an overall record of 14–4. They also turned the ball over 7 times in a Championship game. It would tie the most giveaways in a single conference championship game with the 1978 Rams. Cardinals loss made them their season end, and in 2016 missed the playoffs 7-8-1 the first time since 2013. Records, milestones, and notable statistics Week 2 David Johnson set a Cardinals' record with a 108-yard kick return for a touchdown. David Johnson also became the first NFL player to have a rushing, receiving, and kick return touchdown in their first two games. Week 17 Carson Palmer was a finalist for NFL MVP, coming in 2nd, and receiving 1 vote, which tied him with Tom Brady. Team Most wins in a season in Cardinals history (13 regular season, 14 including playoffs) Most points scored in the regular season: 489 points scored (30.6/game) Standings Division ARI Conference ARI Notes note References External links http://www.azcardinals.com Arizona Category:Arizona Cardinals seasons Arizona Cardinals Category:NFC West championship seasons