2016 Arizona Cardinals season

The 2016 season was the Arizona Cardinals' 97th in the National Football League (NFL), their 118th overall, their 29th in Arizona, their 11th at University of Phoenix Stadium and their fourth under head coach Bruce Arians.

2016 Arizona Cardinals season
Owner	Bill Bidwill
General manager	Steve Keim
Head coach	Bruce Arians
Home stadium	University of Phoenix Stadium
Results
Record	7–8–1
Division place	2nd NFC West
Playoffs	Did not qualify
All-Pros	3 FLEX David Johnson (1st team) RB David Johnson (2nd team) DE Calais Campbell (2nd team)
Pro Bowlers	3 WR Larry Fitzgerald RB David Johnson CB Patrick Peterson
Uniform
← 2015 Cardinals seasons 2017 →

In free agency, they signed veteran defensive back Tyvon Branch and veteran lineman Evan Mathis, while re-signing several key players. They traded for Chandler Jones from the New England Patriots, sending Jonathan Cooper and a late second-round pick to New England.

The Cardinals came into the 2016 season with expectations of improving on their 2015 campaign and reaching the Super Bowl. However, after a 1–3 start, they suffered injuries to quarterback Carson Palmer and most of the offensive line. On October 23, the Cardinals and the Seattle Seahawks played out a 6–6 tie; this was the Cardinals' first tie since 1986 when they were the St. Louis Cardinals. It was also the lowest-scoring NFL tie since overtime was introduced in 1974. The Cardinals were eliminated from playoff contention for the first time since 2013 in Week 15 after a loss to the New Orleans Saints. Despite winning their final two games, the Cardinals ended the season with a losing record at 7–8–1. Because the Chicago Cubs won the 2016 World Series, their first title in 108 years, the Cardinals also finished the season with the longest active championship drought in the four major American professional sports, with their last championship in 1947 as the Chicago Cardinals.

Free agents

Position	Player	Tag	2016 Team	Notes
WR	Jaron Brown	RFA	ARI	one-year deal
TE	Jermaine Gresham	UFA	ARI	one-year deal
TE	Darren Fells	UFA	ARI	one-year deal
TE	Ifeanyi Momah	ERFA	ARI	one-year deal
QB	Drew Stanton	UFA	ARI	two-year deal
RB	Chris Johnson	RFA	ARI	one-year deal
P	Drew Butler	UFA	ARI	two-year deal
LS	Mike Leach	UFA	---	retired
G	Ted Larsen	UFA	CHI	one-year deal
C	Lyle Sendlein	UFA	---	retired
T	Bobby Massie	UFA	CHI	three-year deal
T	Kelvin Palmer	UFA	TB	one-year deal
T	Bradley Sowell	UFA	SEA	one-year deal
S	Tony Jefferson	RFA	ARI	one-year deal
S	D. J. Swearinger	RFA	ARI	one-year deal
S	Rashad Johnson	UFA	TEN	one-year deal
S	Chris Clemons	UFA	ARI	one-year deal
CB	Jerraud Powers	UFA	BAL	one-year deal
CB	Corey White	UFA	BUF	one-year deal
DE	Billy Winn	RFA	DEN	one-year deal
ILB	Sean Weatherspoon	UFA	ATL	one-year deal
ILB	Kenny Demens	ERFA	ARI	one-year deal
OLB	LaMarr Woodley	UFA	TBA
OLB	Dwight Freeney	UFA	ATL	one-year deal
DE	Josh Mauro	ERFA	ARI	one-year deal
DE	Red Bryant	UFA	ARI	one-year deal

Player re-signed by the Cardinals

Draft

Main article: 2016 NFL draft

2016 Arizona Cardinals Draft

Round	Selection	Player	Position	College
1	29	Robert Nkemdiche	DE	Ole Miss
3	92	Brandon Williams	CB	Texas A&M
4	128	Evan Boehm	C	Missouri
5	167	Marqui Christian	S	Midwestern State
5	170	Cole Toner	OT	Harvard
6	205	Harlan Miller	CB	Southeastern Louisiana

Notes

• The Cardinals traded their second-round selection (No. 61 overall) and guard Jonathan Cooper to the New England Patriots in exchange for defensive end Chandler Jones.
• The Cardinals traded a conditional seventh-round selection to the Philadelphia Eagles in exchange for quarterback Matt Barkley; the Eagles will only receive this selection if Barkley is on the Cardinals' roster for at least six games during the 2015 season.
• The Cardinals received a sixth-round compensatory pick (No. 170 overall) as the result of a negative differential of free agent signings and departures that the Cardinals experienced during the 2015 free agency period.

Staff

2016 Arizona Cardinals staff

Front office 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 Assistant director of pro scouting – Malik Boyd Director of football administration – Mike Disner Head coaches Head coach – Bruce Arians Assistant head coach/offense – Tom Moore Offensive coaches 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 – Kevin Garver

Defensive coaches Defensive coordinator – James Bettcher Defensive line – Brentson Buckner Outside linebackers – Bob Sanders Inside linebackers – Larry Foote Defensive backs – Nick Rapone Cornerbacks – Kevin Ross Defensive assistant/defensive backs – Mike Chiurco Pass rush specialist – Tom Pratt Special teams coaches Special teams coordinator – Amos Jones Assistant special teams – Anthony Blevins Strength and conditioning Strength and conditioning – Buddy Morris Assistant strength and conditioning – Roger Kingdom

Final roster

2016 Arizona Cardinals roster

Quarterbacks (QB)  4 Zac Dysert  3 Carson Palmer  5 Drew Stanton Running backs (RB) 38 Andre Ellington 31 David Johnson 30 Stepfan Taylor 33 Kerwynn Williams Wide receivers (WR) 12 John Brown 18 Marquis Bundy 11 Larry Fitzgerald 10 Brittan Golden 14 J. J. Nelson 16 Jeremy Ross Tight ends (TE) 85 Darren Fells 84 Jermaine Gresham 89 Hakeem Valles

Offensive linemen (OL) 70 Evan Boehm G/C 74 D. J. Humphries T 76 Mike Iupati G 63 Givens Price T 53 A. Q. Shipley C 61 Cole Toner T 78 Earl Watford G 73 John Wetzel T Defensive linemen (DL) 93 Calais Campbell DE 95 Rodney Gunter DE 96 Kareem Martin DE 97 Josh Mauro DE 90 Robert Nkemdiche DE 72 Olsen Pierre DE 98 Corey Peters NT 92 Frostee Rucker DE 91 Ed Stinson DE 94 Xavier Williams NT

Linebackers (LB) 44 Markus Golden OLB 52 Zaviar Gooden ILB 55 Chandler Jones OLB 51 Kevin Minter ILB 54 Sio Moore ILB 57 Alex Okafor OLB 58 Scooby Wright ILB Defensive backs (DB) 28 Justin Bethel CB 25 Christian Bryant SS 41 Marcus Cooper CB 37 Brian Dixon CB 45 Trevon Hartfield FS 34 Harlan Miller FS 21 Patrick Peterson CB 36 D. J. Swearinger S 26 Brandon Williams CB Special teams (ST) 46 Aaron Brewer LS  7 Chandler Catanzaro K  6 Matt Wile P

Practice squad 56 Cap Capi OLB 42 Reshard Cliett OLB 79 Aaron Epps T 17 Marvin Hall WR 19 Chris Hubert WR 71 Kaleb Johnson G 86 Brian Leonhardt TE 62 Daniel Munyer C 35 Elijhaa Penny RB 29 Ronald Zamort CB Reserve 65 Taylor Boggs G (IR) 39 Elie Bouka CB (IR) 27 Tyvon Branch SS (IR) 13 Jaron Brown WR (IR) 20 Deone Bucannon ILB (IR) 59 Alani Fua OLB (IR) 22 Tony Jefferson SS (IR) 43 Mike Jenkins CB (IR) 75 Ulrick John T (IR) 23 Chris Johnson RB (IR) 50 Gabe Martin ILB (IR) 32 Tyrann Mathieu FS (IR) 69 Evan Mathis G (IR) 80 Ifeanyi Momah TE (IR) 87 Troy Niklas TE (IR) 68 Jared Veldheer T (IR) 58 Daryl Washington ILB (Susp.) Rookies in italics 53 active, 17 reserve, 10 practice squad

Preseason

Week	Date	Opponent	Result	Record	Venue	Recap
1	August 12	Oakland Raiders	L 10–31	0–1	University of Phoenix Stadium	Recap
2	August 19	at San Diego Chargers	L 3–19	0–2	Qualcomm Stadium	Recap
3	August 28	at Houston Texans	L 24–34	0–3	NRG Stadium	Recap
4	September 1	Denver Broncos	W 38–17	1–3	University of Phoenix Stadium	Recap

Regular season

Schedule

Week	Date	Opponent	Result	Record	Venue	Recap
1	September 11	New England Patriots	L 21–23	0–1	University of Phoenix Stadium	Recap
2	September 18	Tampa Bay Buccaneers	W 40–7	1–1	University of Phoenix Stadium	Recap
3	September 25	at Buffalo Bills	L 18–33	1–2	New Era Field	Recap
4	October 2	Los Angeles Rams	L 13–17	1–3	University of Phoenix Stadium	Recap
5	October 6	at San Francisco 49ers	W 33–21	2–3	Levi's Stadium	Recap
6	October 17	New York Jets	W 28–3	3–3	University of Phoenix Stadium	Recap
7	October 23	Seattle Seahawks	T 6–6 (OT)	3–3–1	University of Phoenix Stadium	Recap
8	October 30	at Carolina Panthers	L 20–30	3–4–1	Bank of America Stadium	Recap
9	Bye
10	November 13	San Francisco 49ers	W 23–20	4–4–1	University of Phoenix Stadium	Recap
11	November 20	at Minnesota Vikings	L 24–30	4–5–1	U.S. Bank Stadium	Recap
12	November 27	at Atlanta Falcons	L 19–38	4–6–1	Georgia Dome	Recap
13	December 4	Washington Redskins	W 31–23	5–6–1	University of Phoenix Stadium	Recap
14	December 11	at Miami Dolphins	L 23–26	5–7–1	Hard Rock Stadium	Recap
15	December 18	New Orleans Saints	L 41–48	5–8–1	University of Phoenix Stadium	Recap
16	December 24	at Seattle Seahawks	W 34–31	6–8–1	CenturyLink Field	Recap
17	January 1	at Los Angeles Rams	W 44–6	7–8–1	Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum	Recap

Note: Intra-division opponents are in bold text.

Game summaries

Week 1: vs. New England Patriots

Week One: New England Patriots at Arizona Cardinals – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Patriots	10	0	7	6	23
Cardinals	0	7	7	7	21

at University of Phoenix Stadium, Glendale, Arizona

• Date: September 11
• Game time: 5:30 p.m.
• Game weather: Played indoors (retractable roof closed)
• Game attendance: 64,864
• Referee: Tony Corrente
• TV announcers (NBC): Al Michaels, Cris Collinsworth and Michele Tafoya
• Recap, Gamebook

Game information

First quarter NE – Chris Hogan 37-yard pass from Jimmy Garoppolo (Stephen Gostkowski kick), 7:34. Patriots 7–0. Drive: 8 plays, 74 yards, 4:13. NE – Stephen Gostkowski 47-yard field goal, 1:00. Patriots 10–0. Drive: 12 plays, 63 yards, 5:12. Second quarter ARI – Larry Fitzgerald 3-yard pass from Carson Palmer (Chandler Catanzaro kick), 4:06. Patriots 10–7. Drive: 11 plays, 54 yards, 6:20. Third quarter NE – LeGarrette Blount 8-yard run (Stephen Gostkowski kick), 10:00. Patriots 17–7. Drive: 9 plays, 75 yards, 5:00. ARI – David Johnson 1-yard run (Chandler Catanzaro kick), 4:29. Patriots 17–14. Drive: 5 plays, 33 yards, 1:51. Fourth quarter NE – Stephen Gostkowski 53-yard field goal, 12:35. Patriots 20–14. Drive: 11 plays, 40 yards, 6:54. ARI – Larry Fitzgerald 1-yard pass from Carson Palmer (Chandler Catanzaro kick), 9:46. Cardinals 20–21. Drive: 7 plays, 79 yards, 2:49. NE – Stephen Gostkowski 32-yard field goal, 3:44. Patriots 23–21. Drive: 13 plays, 61 yards, 6:02. Top passers NE – Jimmy Garoppolo – 24/33, 264 yards, TD ARI – Carson Palmer – 24/37, 271 yards, 2 TD Top rushers NE – LeGarrette Blount – 22 rushes, 70 yards, TD ARI – David Johnson – 16 rushes, 89 yards, TD Top receivers NE – Julian Edelman – 7 receptions, 66 yards ARI – Larry Fitzgerald – 8 receptions, 81 yards, 2 TD

With Patriots quarterback Tom Brady suspended and Jimmy Garoppolo starting, the Cardinals were huge favorites to win. The game was close, but was lost last minute, with a missed game-winning Cardinals field goal.^[1]

Week 2: vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Week Two: Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Arizona Cardinals – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Buccaneers	0	0	7	0	7
Cardinals	0	24	9	7	40

at University of Phoenix Stadium, Glendale, Arizona

• Date: September 18
• Game time: 1:05 p.m.
• Game weather: Played indoors (retractable roof closed)
• Game attendance: 64,230
• Referee: Ronald Torbert
• TV announcers (Fox): Thom Brennaman, Charles Davis and Peter Schrager
• Recap, Gamebook

Game information

First quarter No scoring plays Second quarter ARI – Larry Fitzgerald 4-yard pass from Carson Palmer (Chandler Catanzaro kick), 14:59. Cardinals 7–0. Drive: 11 plays, 57 yards, 5:12. ARI – Chandler Catanzaro 22-yard field goal, 11:48. Cardinals 10–0. Drive: 6 plays, 14 yards, 2:21. ARI – Michael Floyd 1-yard pass from Carson Palmer (Chandler Catanzaro kick), 1:35. Cardinals 17–0. Drive: 8 plays, 68 yards, 1:36. ARI – Jaron Brown 51-yard pass from Carson Palmer (Chandler Catanzaro kick), 0:26. Cardinals 24–0. Drive: 4 plays, 84 yards, 0:45. Third quarter TB – Mike Evans 19-yard pass from Jameis Winston (Roberto Aguayo kick), 10:06. Cardinals 24–7. Drive: 11 plays, 75 yards, 4:59. ARI – Chandler Catanzaro 40-yard field goal, 8:00. Cardinals 27–7. Drive: 5 plays, 53 yards, 2:05. ARI – Marcus Cooper 60-yard interception return (kick failed, wide left), 5:15. Cardinals 33–7. Fourth quarter ARI – Chris Johnson 3-yard run (Chandler Catanzaro kick), 12:15. Cardinals 40–7. Drive: 8 plays, 65 yards, 4:47. Top passers TB – Jameis Winston – 27/52, 243 yards, TD, 4 INT ARI – Carson Palmer – 17/30, 304 yards, 3 TD Top rushers TB – Jacquizz Rodgers – 2 rushes, 29 yards ARI – Chris Johnson – 16 rushes, 54 yards, TD Top receivers TB – Mike Evans – 6 receptions, 70 yards, TD ARI – David Johnson – 3 receptions, 98 yards

Week 3: at Buffalo Bills

Week Three: Arizona Cardinals at Buffalo Bills – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Cardinals	0	7	6	5	18
Bills	10	7	13	3	33

at New Era Field, Orchard Park, New York

• Date: September 25
• Game time: 10:00 a.m.
• Game weather: 64 °F (18 °C), sunny
• Game attendance: 68,647
• Referee: Walt Anderson
• TV announcers (Fox): Kenny Albert, Daryl Johnston and Laura Okmin
• Recap, Gamebook

Game information

First quarter BUF – Dan Carpenter 19-yard field goal, 3:29. Bills 3–0. Drive: 7 plays, 77 yards, 3:51. BUF – LeSean McCoy 24-yard run (Dan Carpenter kick), 0:55. Bills 10–0. Drive: 5 plays, 53 yards, 1:30. Second quarter BUF – LeSean McCoy 5-yard run (Dan Carpenter kick), 10:25. Bills 17–0. Drive: 6 plays, 52 yards, 2:51. ARI – David Johnson 4-yard run (Chandler Catanzaro kick), 1:05. Bills 17–7. Drive: 17 plays, 84 yards, 9:20. Third quarter BUF – Tyrod Taylor 20-yard run (kick failed, wide right), 10:31. Bills 23–7. Drive: 6 plays, 47 yards, 2:49. BUF – Aaron Williams 53-yard fumble return (Dan Carpenter kick), 2:25. Bills 30–7. ARI – David Johnson 22-yard run (pass failed), 0:12. Bills 30–13. Drive: 6 plays, 83 yards, 2:13. Fourth quarter ARI – Chandler Catanzaro 60-yard field goal, 10:36. Bills 30–16. Drive: 5 plays, 4 yards, 2:19. BUF – Dan Carpenter 45-yard field goal, 4:48. Bills 33–16. Drive: 4 plays, 3 yards, 1:42. ARI – LeSean McCoy tackled in the end zone by Corey Peters for a safety, 3:04. Bills 33–18. Top passers ARI – Carson Palmer – 26/50, 287 yards, 4 INT BUF – Tyrod Taylor – 14/25, 119 yards, INT Top rushers ARI – David Johnson – 19 rushes, 83 yards, 2 TD BUF – LeSean McCoy – 17 rushes, 110 yards, 2 TD Top receivers ARI – John Brown – 6 receptions, 70 yards BUF – Robert Woods – 6 receptions, 51 yards

Week 4: vs. Los Angeles Rams

Week Four: Los Angeles Rams at Arizona Cardinals – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Rams	7	3	0	7	17
Cardinals	0	10	3	0	13

at University of Phoenix Stadium, Glendale, Arizona

• Date: October 2
• Game time: 1:25 p.m.
• Game weather: Played indoors (retractable roof closed)
• Game attendance: 64,622
• Referee: Gene Steratore
• TV announcers (Fox): Thom Brennaman, Charles Davis and Peter Schrager
• Recap, Gamebook

Game information

First quarter LA – Brian Quick 65-yard pass from Case Keenum (Greg Zuerlein kick), 1:59. Rams 7–0. Drive: 7 plays, 90 yards, 3:28. Second quarter ARI – Chandler Catanzaro 25-yard field goal, 12:19. Rams 7–3. Drive: 12 plays, 68 yards, 4:40. LA – Greg Zuerlein 29-yard field goal, 8:42. Rams 10–3. Drive: 8 plays, 64 yards, 3:37. ARI – Michael Floyd 5-yard pass from Carson Palmer (Chandler Catanzaro kick), 0:24. Tied 10–10. Drive: 8 plays, 80 yards, 1:24. Third quarter ARI – Chandler Catanzaro 21-yard field goal, 0:00. Cardinals 13–10. Drive: 12 plays, 72 yards, 5:05. Fourth quarter LA – Brian Quick 4-yard pass from Case Keenum (Greg Zuerlein kick), 2:36. Rams 17–13. Drive: 5 plays, 19 yards, 2:33. Top passers LA – Case Keenum – 18/30, 266 yards, 2 TD ARI – Carson Palmer – 23/36, 288 yards, TD, INT Top rushers LA – Todd Gurley – 19 rushes, 33 yards ARI – David Johnson – 17 rushes, 83 yards Top receivers LA – Kenny Britt – 4 receptions, 82 yards ARI – John Brown – 10 receptions, 144 yards

Week 5: at San Francisco 49ers

Week Five: Arizona Cardinals at San Francisco 49ers – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Cardinals	0	7	14	12	33
49ers	0	7	7	7	21

at Levi's Stadium, Santa Clara, California

• Date: October 6
• Game time: 5:25 p.m.
• Game weather: 75 °F (24 °C), clear
• Game attendance: 70,178
• Referee: Carl Cheffers
• TV announcers (CBS/NFLN/Twitter): Jim Nantz, Phil Simms and Tracy Wolfson
• Recap, Gamebook

Game information

First quarter No scoring plays Second quarter SF – Jeremy Kerley 9-yard pass from Blaine Gabbert (Phil Dawson kick), 4:12. 49ers 7–0. Drive: 10 plays, 87 yards, 4:46. ARI – Larry Fitzgerald 21-yard pass from Drew Stanton (Chandler Catanzaro kick), 1:40. Tied 7–7. Drive: 1 play, 21 yards, 0:06. Third quarter ARI – David Johnson 4-yard run (Chandler Catanzaro kick), 12:45. Cardinals 14–7. Drive: 4 plays, 14 yards, 2:10. ARI – Larry Fitzgerald 29-yard pass from Drew Stanton (Chandler Catanzaro kick), 7:35. Cardinals 21–7. Drive: 6 plays, 71 yards, 3:19. SF – Carlos Hyde 1-yard run (Phil Dawson kick), 1:54. Cardinals 21–14. Drive: 11 plays, 82 yards, 5:41. Fourth quarter ARI – Chandler Catanzaro 36-yard field goal, 13:39. Cardinals 24–14. Drive: 4 plays, 6 yards, 1:16. ARI – David Johnson 2-yard run (Chandler Catanzaro kick), 4:44. Cardinals 31–14. Drive: 12 plays, 76 yards, 7:12. SF – Blaine Gabbert 1-yard run (Phil Dawson kick), 1:52. Cardinals 31–21. Drive: 13 plays, 75 yards, 2:52. ARI – Blaine Gabbert sacked in the end zone by Calais Campbell for a safety, 1:17. Cardinals 33–21. Top passers ARI – Drew Stanton – 11/28, 124 yards, 2 TD SF – Blaine Gabbert – 18/31, 162 yards, TD, 2 INT Top rushers ARI – David Johnson – 27 rushes, 157 yards, 2 TD SF – Carlos Hyde – 22 rushes, 78 yards, TD Top receivers ARI – Larry Fitzgerald – 6 receptions, 81 yards, 2 TD SF – Jeremy Kerley – 8 receptions, 102 yards, TD

Week 6: vs. New York Jets

Week Six: New York Jets at Arizona Cardinals – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Jets	0	3	0	0	3
Cardinals	7	7	7	7	28

at University of Phoenix Stadium, Glendale, Arizona

• Date: October 17
• Game time: 5:30 p.m.
• Game weather: Played indoors (retractable roof closed)
• Game attendance: 64,709
• Referee: Jerome Boger
• TV announcers (ESPN): Sean McDonough, Jon Gruden and Lisa Salters
• Recap, Gamebook

Game information

First quarter ARI – David Johnson 58-yard run (Chandler Catanzaro kick), 9:51. Cardinals 7–0. Drive: 1 play, 58 yards, 0:12. Second quarter NYJ – Nick Folk 39-yard field goal, 12:06. Cardinals 7–3. Drive: 7 plays, 58 yards, 3:11. ARI – David Johnson 2-yard run (Chandler Catanzaro kick), 6:43. Cardinals 14–3. Drive: 11 plays, 75 yards, 5:23. Third quarter ARI – David Johnson 2-yard run (Chandler Catanzaro kick), 5:24. Cardinals 21–3. Drive: 14 plays, 68 yards, 7:37. Fourth quarter ARI – Michael Floyd 9-yard pass from Carson Palmer (Chandler Catanzaro kick), 8:20. Cardinals 28–3. Drive: 14 plays, 89 yards, 7:26. Top passers NYJ – Ryan Fitzpatrick – 16/31, 174 yards, INT ARI – Carson Palmer – 23/34, 213 yards, TD Top rushers NYJ – Matt Forte – 9 rushes, 19 yards ARI – David Johnson – 22 rushes, 111 yards, 3 TD Top receivers NYJ – Brandon Marshall – 3 receptions, 70 yards ARI – John Brown – 5 receptions, 54 yards

This was the Cardinals' first win over the Jets since 1975, when the Cardinals were based in St. Louis, Missouri.

Week 7: vs. Seattle Seahawks

Week Seven: Seattle Seahawks at Arizona Cardinals – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	OT	Total
Seahawks	0	0	0	3	3	6
Cardinals	0	3	0	0	3	6

at University of Phoenix Stadium, Glendale, Arizona

• Date: October 23
• Game time: 5:30 p.m.
• Game weather: Played indoors (retractable roof closed)
• Game attendance: 65,089
• Referee: Terry McAulay
• TV announcers (NBC): Al Michaels, Cris Collinsworth and Michele Tafoya
• Recap, Gamebook

Game information

First quarter No scoring plays Second quarter ARI – Chandler Catanzaro 46-yard field goal, 3:11. Cardinals 3–0. Drive: 15 plays, 53 yards, 8:24. Third quarter No scoring plays Fourth quarter SEA – Steven Hauschka 40-yard field goal, 4:00. Tied 3–3. Drive: 4 plays, 0 yards, 0:33. Overtime ARI – Chandler Catanzaro 45-yard field goal, 11:23. Cardinals 6–3. Drive: 9 plays, 48 yards, 3:37. SEA – Steven Hauschka 36-yard field goal, 6:42. Tied 6–6. Drive: 9 plays, 57 yards, 4:41. Top passers SEA – Russell Wilson – 24/37, 225 yards ARI – Carson Palmer – 29/49, 342 yards Top rushers SEA – Christine Michael – 16 rushes, 52 yards ARI – David Johnson – 33 rushes, 113 yards Top receivers SEA – Doug Baldwin – 6 receptions, 69 yards ARI – J. J. Nelson – 3 receptions, 84 yards

Cardinals placekicker Chandler Catanzaro and Seahawks placekicker Steven Hauschka each miss game winning field goals as the game finishes in a 6-6 tie and the Cardinals earn their first tie since the 1986 season.

Week 8: at Carolina Panthers

Week Eight: Arizona Cardinals at Carolina Panthers – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Cardinals	0	7	7	6	20
Panthers	14	10	6	0	30

at Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, North Carolina

• Date: October 30
• Game time: 10:00 a.m.
• Game weather: 85 °F (29 °C), sunny
• Game attendance: 74,088
• Referee: Walt Coleman
• TV announcers (Fox): Sam Rosen, Daryl Johnston and Laura Okmin
• Recap, Gamebook

Game information

First quarter CAR – Thomas Davis 46-yard fumble return (Graham Gano kick), 11:48. Panthers 7–0. CAR – Jonathan Stewart 2-yard run (Graham Gano kick), 2:24. Panthers 14–0. Drive: 9 plays, 75 yards, 3:54. Second quarter CAR – Jonathan Stewart 1-yard run (Graham Gano kick), 11:05. Panthers 21–0. Drive: 7 plays, 65 yards, 3:40. CAR – Graham Gano 43-yard field goal, 2:45. Panthers 24–0. Drive: 13 plays, 35 yards, 6:31. ARI – J. J. Nelson 5-yard pass from Carson Palmer (Chandler Catanzaro kick), 0:20. Panthers 24–7. Drive: 9 plays, 75 yards, 2:25. Third quarter CAR – Graham Gano 52-yard field goal, 11:56. Panthers 27–7. Drive: 8 plays, 41 yards, 3:04. CAR – Graham Gano 21-yard field goal, 7:18. Panthers 30–7. Drive: 9 plays, 55 yards, 3:07. ARI – John Brown 17-yard pass from Carson Palmer (Chandler Catanzaro kick), 1:45. Panthers 30–14. Drive: 10 plays, 75 yards, 5:33. Fourth quarter ARI – J. J. Nelson 4-yard pass from Carson Palmer (pass failed), 5:01. Panthers 30–20. Drive: 14 plays, 92 yards, 4:49. Top passers ARI – Carson Palmer – 35/46, 363 yards, 3 TD, INT CAR – Cam Newton – 14/27, 212 yards Top rushers ARI – David Johnson – 10 rushes, 24 yards CAR – Jonathan Stewart – 25 rushes, 95 yards, 2 TD Top receivers ARI – David Johnson – 7 receptions, 84 yards CAR – Kelvin Benjamin – 2 receptions, 73 yards

In a rematch of the NFC championship, the Panthers led by as much as 24 points until Arizona ended the game by cutting the lead to 10.

Week 10: vs. San Francisco 49ers

Week Ten: San Francisco 49ers at Arizona Cardinals – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
49ers	0	10	3	7	20
Cardinals	7	13	0	3	23

at University of Phoenix Stadium, Glendale, Arizona

• Date: November 13
• Game time: 2:25 p.m. MST
• Game weather: Played indoors (retractable roof closed)
• Game attendance: 65,127
• Referee: Brad Allen
• TV announcers (Fox): Chris Myers, Ronde Barber and Jennifer Hale
• Recap, Gamebook

Game information

First quarter ARI – David Johnson 3-yard pass from Carson Palmer (Chandler Catanzaro kick), 3:55. Cardinals 7–0. Drive: 11 plays, 91 yards, 6:04. Second quarter ARI – David Johnson 18-yard run (Chandler Catanzaro kick), 14:42. Cardinals 14–0. Drive: 1 play, 56 yards, 0:18. SF – Jeremy Kerley 17-yard pass from Colin Kaepernick (Phil Dawson kick), 12:12. Cardinals 14–7. Drive: 6 plays, 75 yards, 2:30. ARI – Chandler Catanzaro 39-yard field goal, 8:28. Cardinals 17–7. Drive: 8 plays, 54 yards, 3:44. SF – Phil Dawson 49-yard field goal, 1:32. Cardinals 17–10. Drive: 15 plays, 56 yards, 6:56. ARI – Chandler Catanzaro 19-yard field goal, 0:00. Cardinals 20–10. Drive: 10 plays, 81 yards, 1:32. Third quarter SF – Phil Dawson 53-yard field goal, 8:40. Cardinals 20–13. Drive: 5 plays, 45 yards, 2:16. Fourth quarter SF – Colin Kaepernick 4-yard run (Phil Dawson kick), 1:55. Tied 20–20. Drive: 7 plays, 57 yards, 1:18. ARI – Chandler Catanzaro 34-yard field goal, 0:00. Cardinals 23–20. Drive: 12 plays, 69 yards, 1:55. Top passers SF – Colin Kaepernick – 17/30, 210 yards, TD ARI – Carson Palmer – 30/49, 376 yards, TD, 2 INT Top rushers SF – Colin Kaepernick – 10 rushes, 55 yards, TD ARI – David Johnson – 19 rushes, 55 yards, TD Top receivers SF – Jeremy Kerley – 7 receptions, 71 yards, TD ARI – Larry Fitzgerald – 12 receptions, 133 yards

Week 11: at Minnesota Vikings

Week Eleven: Arizona Cardinals at Minnesota Vikings – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Cardinals	7	10	0	7	24
Vikings	7	13	10	0	30

at U.S. Bank Stadium, Minneapolis, Minnesota

• Date: November 20
• Game time: 12:00 pm. CST
• Game weather: Played indoors (domed stadium)
• Game attendance: 66,808
• Referee: Clete Blakeman
• TV announcers (Fox): Joe Buck, Troy Aikman and Erin Andrews
• Recap, Game Book

Game information

First quarter MIN – Adam Thielen 16-yard pass from Sam Bradford (Kai Forbath kick), 10:25. Vikings 7–0. Drive: 5 plays, 44 yards, 2:54. ARI – David Johnson 1-yard run (Chandler Catanzaro kick), 4:07. Tied 7–7. Drive: 11 plays, 75 yards, 6:18. Second quarter ARI – Chandler Catanzaro 34-yard field goal, 10:04. Cardinals 10–7. Drive: 12 plays, 78 yards, 6:26. MIN – Matt Asiata 2-yard run (kick blocked), 7:16. Vikings 13–10. Drive: 5 plays, 75 yards, 2:48. MIN – Xavier Rhodes 100-yard interception return (Kai Forbath kick), 3:07. Vikings 20–10. ARI – Jermaine Gresham 29-yard pass from Carson Palmer (Chandler Catanzaro kick), 0:50. Vikings 20–17. Drive: 7 plays, 75 yards, 2:17. Third quarter MIN – Cordarrelle Patterson 104-yard kickoff return (Kai Forbath kick), 14:47. Vikings 27–17. MIN – Kai Forbath 27-yard field goal, 0:04. Vikings 30–17. Drive: 11 plays, 75 yards, 5:06. Fourth quarter ARI – David Johnson 4-yard pass (Chandler Catanzaro kick), 7:24. Vikings 30–24. Drive: 6 plays, 27 yards, 1:46. Top passers ARI – Carson Palmer – 20/38, 198 yards, 2 TD, 2 INT MIN – Sam Bradford – 20/28, 169 yards, TD Top rushers ARI – David Johnson – 22 rushes, 103 yards, TD MIN – Jerick McKinnon – 16 rushes, 44 yards Top receivers ARI – Larry Fitzgerald – 6 rec, 63 yards MIN – Adam Thielen – 5 rec, 65 yards, TD

Week 12: at Atlanta Falcons

Week Twelve: Arizona Cardinals at Atlanta Falcons – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Cardinals	7	6	0	6	19
Falcons	7	10	7	14	38

at Georgia Dome, Atlanta, Georgia

• Date: November 27
• Game time: 11:00 am. MST
• Game weather: Played indoors (dome stadium)
• Game attendance: 69,233
• Referee: John Parry
• TV announcers (Fox): Kevin Burkhardt, John Lynch and Pam Oliver
• Recap, Gamebook

Game information

First quarter ARI – Jermaine Gresham 1-yard pass from Carson Palmer (Chandler Catanzaro kick), 9:39. Cardinals 7–0. Drive: 9 plays, 75 yards, 5:21. ATL – Devonta Freeman 1-yard run (Matt Bryant kick), 3:38. Tied 7–7. Drive: 11 plays, 72 yards, 6:01. Second quarter ARI – Chandler Catanzaro 25-yard field goal, 12:52. Cardinals 10–7. Drive: 11 plays, 68 yards, 5:46. ATL – Matt Bryant 45-yard field goal, 8:30. Tied 10–10. Drive: 9 plays, 48 yards, 4:22. ATL – Taylor Gabriel 35-yard pass from Matt Ryan (Matt Bryant kick), 2:19. Falcons 17–10. Drive: 2 plays, 45 yards, 0:51. ARI – Chandler Catanzaro 54-yard field goal, 0:00. Falcons 17–13. Drive: 4 plays, 27 yards, 0:25. Third quarter ATL – Tevin Coleman 2-yard run (Matt Bryant kick), 2:56. Falcons 24–13. Drive: 13 plays, 77 yards, 6:05. Fourth quarter ATL – Taylor Gabriel 25-yard pass from Matt Ryan (Matt Bryant kick), 8:48. Falcons 31–13. Drive: 10 plays, 60 yards, 5:29. ARI – David Johnson 3-yard pass from Carson Palmer (pass failed), 4:44. Falcons 31–19. Drive: 13 plays, 75 yards, 4:04. ATL – Devonta Freeman 5-yard run (Matt Bryant kick), 2:07. Falcons 38–19. Drive: 6 plays, 46 yards, 2:37. Top passers ARI – Carson Palmer – 25/45, 289 yards, 2 TD, INT ATL – Matt Ryan – 26/34, 269 yards, 2 TD, INT Top rushers ARI – David Johnson – 13 rushes, 58 yards ATL – Devonta Freeman – 16 rushes, 60 yards, 2 TD Top receivers ARI – David Johnson – 8 receptions, 103 yards, TD ATL – Taylor Gabriel – 4 receptions, 75 yards, 2 TD

Week 13: vs. Washington Redskins

Week Thirteen: Washington Redskins at Arizona Cardinals – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Redskins	0	6	14	3	23
Cardinals	7	3	7	14	31

at University of Phoenix Stadium, Glendale, Arizona

• Date: December 4
• Game time: 2:25 pm. MST
• Game weather: 68 °F (20 °C), sunny - retractable roof open
• Game attendance: 64,939
• Referee: Walt Anderson
• TV announcers (Fox): Dick Stockton, Chris Spielman and Kristina Pink
• Recap, Gamebook

Game information

First quarter ARI – David Johnson 1-yard run (Chandler Catanzaro kick), 6:43. Cardinals 7–0. Drive: 15 plays, 75 yards, 8:17. Second quarter WAS – Dustin Hopkins 47-yard field goal, 9:48. Cardinals 7–3. Drive: 7 plays, 40 yards, 3:33. WAS – Dustin Hopkins 20-yard field goal, 1:52. Cardinals 7–6. Drive: 11 plays, 47 yards, 5:26. ARI – Chandler Catanzaro 28-yard field goal, 0:07. Cardinals 10–6. Drive: 12 plays, 65 yards, 1:45. Third quarter WAS – Kirk Cousins 1-yard run (Dustin Hopkins kick), 12:36. Redskins 13–10. Drive: 5 plays, 74 yards, 2:24. ARI – Michael Floyd 6-yard pass from Carson Palmer (Chandler Catanzaro kick), 4:10. Cardinals 17–13. Drive: 3 plays, 10 yards, 0:51. WAS – Jamison Crowder 26-yard pass from Kirk Cousins (Dustin Hopkins kick), 1:06. Redskins 20–17. Drive: 8 plays, 75 yards, 3:04. Fourth quarter ARI – David Johnson 25-yard pass from Carson Palmer (Chandler Catanzaro kick), 11:09. Cardinals 24–20. Drive: 10 plays, 75 yards, 4:57. WAS – Dustin Hopkins 53-yard field goal, 6:01. Cardinals 24–23. Drive: 10 plays, 40 yards, 5:08. ARI – J. J. Nelson 42-yard pass from Carson Palmer (Chandler Catanzaro kick), 1:56. Cardinals 31–23. Drive: 8 plays, 75 yards, 4:05. Top passers WAS – Kirk Cousins – 21/37, 271 yards, TD, INT ARI – Carson Palmer – 30/46, 300 yards, 3 TD Top rushers WAS – Robert Kelley – 14 rushes, 63 yards ARI – David Johnson – 18 rushes, 84 yards, TD Top receivers WAS – Pierre Garçon – 7 receptions, 78 yards ARI – David Johnson – 9 receptions, 91 yards, TD

Week 14: at Miami Dolphins

Week Fourteen: Arizona Cardinals at Miami Dolphins – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Cardinals	6	3	0	14	23
Dolphins	7	7	7	5	26

at Hard Rock Stadium, Miami Gardens, Florida

• Date: December 11
• Game time: 11:00 am. MST
• Game weather: 77 °F (25 °C), cloudy
• Game attendance: 65,750
• Referee: Jerome Boger
• TV announcers (Fox): Chris Myers, Ronde Barber and Jennifer Hale
• Recap, Gamebook

Game information

First quarter MIA – Kenny Stills 28-yard pass from Ryan Tannehill (Andrew Franks kick), 9:27. Dolphins 7–0. Drive: 4 plays, 52 yards, 2:09. ARI – J. J. Nelson 56-yard run (kick failed, wide left), 8:00. Dolphins 7–6. Drive: 3 plays, 75 yards, 1:27. Second quarter MIA – Dion Sims 7-yard pass from Ryan Tannehill (Andrew Franks kick), 11:41. Dolphins 14–6. Drive: 5 plays, 43 yards, 2:55. ARI – Chandler Catanzaro 56-yard field goal, 1:18. Dolphins 14–9. Drive: 4 plays, 0 yards, 0:21. Third quarter MIA – Damien Williams 3-yard pass from Ryan Tannehill (Andrew Franks kick), 11:17. Dolphins 21–9. Drive: 6 plays, 77 yards, 3:43. Fourth quarter ARI – Brittan Golden 9-yard pass from Carson Palmer, 7:05. Dolphins 21–15. Drive: 12 plays, 99 yards, 6:43. MIA – Walt Aikens defensive two-point conversion, 7:05. Dolphins 23–15. ARI – J. J. Nelson 8-yard pass from Carson Palmer (Carson Palmer–David Johnson pass), 3:01. Tied 23–23. Drive: 7 plays, 50 yards, 2:13. MIA – Andrew Franks 21-yard field goal, 0:00. Dolphins 26–23. Drive: 6 plays, 44 yards, 1:29. Top passers ARI – Carson Palmer – 18/33, 145 yards, 2 TD, 2 INT MIA – Ryan Tannehill – 15/20, 195 yards, 3 TD, INT Top rushers ARI – David Johnson – 20 rushes, 80 yards MIA – Jay Ajayi – 20 rushes, 48 yards Top receivers ARI – Jermaine Gresham – 5 receptions, 45 yards MIA – Jarvis Landry – 4 receptions, 103 yards

This was the Cardinals' first loss to the Dolphins since 1999.

Week 15: vs. New Orleans Saints

Week Fifteen: New Orleans Saints at Arizona Cardinals – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Saints	10	14	3	21	48
Cardinals	7	13	7	14	41

at University of Phoenix Stadium, Glendale, Arizona

• Date: December 18
• Game time: 2:05 pm. MST
• Game weather: 62 °F (17 °C), sunny - retractable roof open
• Game attendance: 65,072
• Referee: Carl Cheffers
• TV announcers (Fox): Chris Myers, Ronde Barber and Jennifer Hale
• Recap, Gamebook

Game information

First quarter ARI – Kerwynn Williams 49-yard run (Chandler Catanzaro kick), 12:27. Cardinals 7–0. Drive: 6 plays, 78 yards, 2:33. NO – Wil Lutz 37-yard field goal, 5:27. Cardinals 7–3. Drive: 14 plays, 56 yards, 7:00. NO – Travaris Cadet 10-yard pass from Drew Brees (Wil Lutz kick), 1:33. Saints 10–7. Drive: 7 plays, 30 yards, 2:59. Second quarter ARI – Calais Campbell 53-yard fumble return (kick failed, wide left), 7:08. Cardinals 13–10. NO – Brandin Cooks 65-yard pass from Drew Brees (Wil Lutz kick), 6:11. Saints 17–13. Drive: 2 plays, 77 yards, 0:57. NO – Brandin Cooks 45-yard pass from Drew Brees (Wil Lutz kick), 1:51. Saints 24–13. Drive: 5 plays, 62 yards, 1:41. ARI – J. J. Nelson 10-yard pass from Carson Palmer (Chandler Catanzaro kick), 0:40. Saints 24–20. Drive: 8 plays, 80 yards, 1:11. Third quarter NO – Wil Lutz 39-yard field goal, 6:06. Saints 27–20. Drive: 14 plays, 68 yards, 5:57. ARI – David Johnson 2-yard run (Chandler Catanzaro kick), 3:19. Tied 27–27. Drive: 5 plays, 62 yards, 2:47. Fourth quarter NO – Tim Hightower 3-yard run (Wil Lutz kick), 12:59. Saints 34–27. Drive: 10 plays, 75 yards, 5:20. ARI – David Johnson 7-yard run (Chandler Catanzaro kick), 8:57. Tied 34–34. Drive: 7 plays, 75 yards, 4:02. NO – Michael Thomas 4-yard pass from Drew Brees (Wil Lutz kick), 5:33. Saints 41–34. Drive: 7 plays, 75 yards, 3:24. NO – Tim Hightower 2-yard run (Wil Lutz kick), 3:27. Saints 48–34. Drive: 6 plays, 29 yards, 1:46. ARI – John Brown 30-yard pass from Carson Palmer (Chandler Catanzaro kick), 2:19. Saints 48–41. Drive: 7 plays, 75 yards, 1:08. Top passers NO – Drew Brees – 37/48, 389 yards, 4 TD ARI – Carson Palmer – 28/40, 318 yards, 2 TD Top rushers NO – Mark Ingram II – 17 rushes, 78 yards ARI – Kerwynn Williams – 3 rushes, 63 yards, TD Top receivers NO – Brandin Cooks – 7 receptions, 186 yards, 2 TD ARI – John Brown – 5 receptions, 81 yards, TD

With the close loss, the Cardinals were eliminated from the playoffs for the first time since 2013.

Week 16: at Seattle Seahawks

Week Sixteen: Arizona Cardinals at Seattle Seahawks – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Cardinals	7	7	0	20	34
Seahawks	0	3	7	21	31

at CenturyLink Field, Seattle, Washington

• Date: December 24
• Game time: 2:25 pm. MST
• Game weather: 39 °F (4 °C), partly cloudy
• Game attendance: 69,050
• Referee: Ronald Torbert
• TV announcers (Fox): Kevin Burkhardt, John Lynch and Pam Oliver
• Recap, Gamebook

Game information

First quarter ARI – David Johnson 2-yard run (Chandler Catanzaro kick), 7:52. Cardinals 7–0. Drive: 5 plays, 23 yards, 2:54. Second quarter ARI – J. J. Nelson 80-yard pass from Carson Palmer (Chandler Catanzaro kick), 3:53. Cardinals 14–0. Drive: 3 plays, 91 yards, 1:30. SEA – Steven Hauschka 27-yard field goal, 0:15. Cardinals 14–3. Drive: 4 plays, 0 yards, 0:17. Third quarter SEA – Jermaine Kearse 2-yard pass from Russell Wilson (Steven Hauschka kick), 8:20. Cardinals 14–10. Drive: 13 plays, 66 yards, 6:40. Fourth quarter ARI – David Johnson 1-yard run (Chandler Catanzaro kick), 13:32. Cardinals 21–10. Drive: 9 plays, 61 yards, 4:59. SEA – Doug Baldwin 42-yard pass from Russell Wilson (Russell Wilson–Marcel Reece pass), 8:49. Cardinals 21–18. Drive: 9 plays, 75 yards, 4:43. ARI – David Johnson 1-yard run (Chandler Catanzaro kick), 6:47. Cardinals 28–18. Drive: 4 plays, 75 yards, 2:02. ARI – Chandler Catanzaro 42-yard field goal, 4:10. Cardinals 31–18. Drive: 4 plays, 6 yards, 0:59. SEA – Jimmy Graham 37-yard pass from Russell Wilson (Steven Hauschka kick), 2:48. Cardinals 31–25. Drive: 6 plays, 75 yards, 1:22. SEA – Paul Richardson 5-yard pass from Russell Wilson (kick failed, wide left), 1:00. Tied 31–31. Drive: 6 plays, 45 yards, 1:22. ARI – Chandler Catanzaro 43-yard field goal, 0:00. Cardinals 34–31. Drive: 8 plays, 50 yards, 1:00. Top passers ARI – Carson Palmer – 16/26, 284 yards, TD SEA – Russell Wilson – 29/45, 350 yards, 4 TD Top rushers ARI – David Johnson – 28 rushes, 95 yards, 3 TD SEA – Russell Wilson – 10 rushes, 36 yards Top receivers ARI – J. J. Nelson – 3 receptions, 132 yards, TD SEA – Doug Baldwin – 13 receptions, 171 yards, TD

Week 17: at Los Angeles Rams

Week Seventeen: Arizona Cardinals at Los Angeles Rams – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Cardinals	3	13	14	14	44
Rams	0	6	0	0	6

at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, Los Angeles, California

• Date: January 1, 2017
• Game time: 2:25 pm. MST
• Game weather: 59 °F (15 °C), sunny
• Game attendance: 80,729
• Referee: Craig Wrolstad
• TV announcers (Fox): Chris Myers, Ronde Barber and Jennifer Hale
• Recap, Gamebook

Game information

First quarter ARI – Chandler Catanzaro 32-yard field goal, 10:34. Cardinals 3–0. Drive: 10 plays, 61 yards, 4:26. Second quarter ARI – Chandler Catanzaro 34-yard field goal, 12:25. Cardinals 6–0. Drive: 6 plays, 19 yards, 2:07. ARI – Jeremy Ross 4-yard pass from Carson Palmer (Chandler Catanzaro kick), 7:42. Cardinals 13–0. Drive: 7 plays, 65 yards, 3:13. LA – Greg Zuerlein 37-yard field goal, 2:34. Cardinals 13–3. Drive: 9 plays, 56 yards, 5:08. LA – Greg Zuerlein 36-yard field goal, 0:48. Cardinals 13–6. Drive: 4 plays, 1 yard, 1:11. ARI – Chandler Catanzaro 47-yard field goal, 0:00. Cardinals 16–6. Drive: 7 plays, 46 yards, 0:48. Third quarter ARI – Darren Fells 37-yard pass from Carson Palmer (Chandler Catanzaro kick), 13:11. Cardinals 23–6. Drive: 1 play, 37 yards, 0:09. ARI – Kerwynn Williams 1-yard run (Chandler Catanzaro kick), 8:17. Cardinals 30–6. Drive: 8 plays, 57 yards, 3:27. Fourth quarter ARI – Larry Fitzgerald 5-yard pass from Carson Palmer (Chandler Catanzaro kick), 11:35. Cardinals 37–6. Drive: 6 plays, 19 yards, 1:48. ARI – Justin Bethel 66-yard interception return (Chandler Catanzaro kick), 8:06. Cardinals 44–6. Top passers ARI – Carson Palmer – 20/38, 255 yards, 3 TD, INT LA – Jared Goff – 13/20, 120 yards Top rushers ARI – Kerwynn Williams – 12 rushes, 60 yards, TD LA – Todd Gurley – 14 rushes, 40 yards Top receivers ARI – J. J. Nelson – 4 receptions, 75 yards LA – Todd Gurley – 4 receptions, 37 yards

Despite losing running back David Johnson to a knee injury in the first quarter, Arizona still managed to blow out the Rams, 44-6 to finish the year at 7-8-1.

Standings

Division

NFC West
view talk edit	W	L	T	PCT	DIV	CONF	PF	PA	STK
(3) Seattle Seahawks	10	5	1	.656	3–2–1	6–5–1	354	292	W1
Arizona Cardinals	7	8	1	.469	4–1–1	6–5–1	418	362	W2
Los Angeles Rams	4	12	0	.250	2–4	3–9	224	394	L7
San Francisco 49ers	2	14	0	.125	2–4	2–10	309	480	L1

Conference

NFC v t e
#	Team	Division	W	L	T	PCT	DIV	CONF	SOS	SOV	STK
Division leaders
1	Dallas Cowboys	East	13	3	0	.813	3–3	9–3	.471	.440	L1
2	Atlanta Falcons	South	11	5	0	.688	5–1	9–3	.480	.452	W4
3	Seattle Seahawks	West	10	5	1	.656	3–2–1	6–5–1	.441	.425	W1
4	Green Bay Packers	North	10	6	0	.625	5–1	8–4	.508	.453	W6
Wild Cards
5	New York Giants	East	11	5	0	.688	4–2	8–4	.486	.455	W1
6[a]	Detroit Lions	North	9	7	0	.563	3–3	7–5	.475	.392	L3
Did not qualify for the postseason
7[a]	Tampa Bay Buccaneers	South	9	7	0	.563	4–2	7–5	.492	.434	W1
8	Washington Redskins	East	8	7	1	.531	3–3	6–6	.516	.430	L1
9	Minnesota Vikings	North	8	8	0	.500	2–4	5–7	.492	.457	W1
10	Arizona Cardinals	West	7	8	1	.469	4–1–1	6–5–1	.463	.366	W2
11[b]	New Orleans Saints	South	7	9	0	.438	2–4	6–6	.523	.393	L1
12[b]	Philadelphia Eagles	East	7	9	0	.438	2–4	5–7	.559	.518	W2
13	Carolina Panthers	South	6	10	0	.375	1–5	5–7	.518	.354	L2
14	Los Angeles Rams	West	4	12	0	.250	2–4	3–9	.504	.500	L7
15	Chicago Bears	North	3	13	0	.188	2–4	3–9	.521	.396	L4
16	San Francisco 49ers	West	2	14	0	.125	2–4	2–10	.504	.250	L1
Tiebreakers[c]
Detroit finished ahead of Tampa Bay for the No. 6 seed and qualified for the last playoff spot based on record vs. common opponents—Detroit's cumulative record against Chicago, Dallas, Los Angeles and New Orleans was 3–2, while Tampa Bay's cumulative record against the same four teams was 2–3. New Orleans finished ahead of Philadelphia based on better record vs. conference opponents. When breaking ties for three or more teams under the NFL's rules, they are first broken within divisions, then comparing only the highest-ranked remaining team from each division.