2015 Arizona Cardinals season

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 the first 13-win season in franchise history. They also clinched a first round bye for the first time in franchise history.

2015 Arizona Cardinals season
Owner	Bill Bidwill
General manager	Steve Keim
Head coach	Bruce Arians
Home field	University of Phoenix Stadium
Results
Record	13–3
Division place	1st NFC West
Playoff finish	Won Divisional Playoffs (vs. Packers) 26–20 (OT) Lost NFC Championship (at Panthers) 15–49
Pro Bowlers	7 QB Carson Palmer WR Larry Fitzgerald G Mike Iupati DE Calais Campbell CB Patrick Peterson FS Tyrann Mathieu ST Justin Bethel
AP All-Pros	4 CB Patrick Peterson (1st team) S Tyrann Mathieu (1st team) QB Carson Palmer (2nd team) G Mike Iupati (2nd team)
Uniform
← 2014 Cardinals seasons 2016 →

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 top-seeded 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 Cardinals upset the 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 2024) 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.

2015 draft class

Main article: 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	256	Gerald Christian	TE	Louisville

Compensatory selection – Mr. Irrelevant

Staff

2015 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 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 – David Diaz-Infante Offensive quality control – Kevin Garver

Defensive coaches 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 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

2015 Arizona Cardinals final roster

	Quarterbacks  9 Matt Barkley  3 Carson Palmer  5 Drew Stanton Running backs 38 Andre Ellington 31 David Johnson 30 Stepfan Taylor 33 Kerwynn Williams Wide receivers 13 Jaron Brown 12 John Brown 11 Larry Fitzgerald 15 Michael Floyd 10 Brittan Golden 14 J. J. Nelson Tight ends 85 Darren Fells 84 Jermaine Gresham 87 Troy Niklas		Offensive linemen 61 Jonathan Cooper G 74 D. J. Humphries 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 Defensive linemen 71 Red Bryant DE 93 Calais Campbell DE 54 Dwight Freeney DE 95 Rodney Gunter NT 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		Linebackers 20 Deone Bucannon ILB 59 Alani Fua OLB 44 Markus Golden OLB 51 Kevin Minter ILB 57 Alex Okafor OLB 47 Shaquille Riddick OLB 55 Sean Weatherspoon ILB Defensive backs 28 Justin Bethel CB 29 Chris Clemons 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 CB Special teams  2 Drew Butler P  7 Chandler Catanzaro K 82 Mike Leach LS		Reserve lists 83 Gerald Christian TE (IRTooltip Injured reserve)   54 Kenny Demens ILB (IRTooltip Injured reserve)   75 John Fullington G (IRTooltip Injured reserve)   23 Chris Johnson RB (IR-DFR)   32 Tyrann Mathieu FS (IRTooltip Injured reserve)   80 Ifeanyi Momah TE (IRTooltip Injured reserve)   45 Brandon Person SS (IRTooltip Injured reserve)   98 Corey Peters NT (IRTooltip Injured reserve)   86 Damond Powell WR (NF-Inj.Tooltip Non-football injury and illness)   49 Zack Wagenmann OLB (IRTooltip Injured reserve)   78 Earl Watford G (IRTooltip Injured reserve)   58 Daryl Washington ILB (Suspended) 56 LaMarr Woodley OLB (IRTooltip Injured reserve)   Practice squad 43 Carrington Byndom CB 67 Rob Crisp T (IRTooltip Injured reserve)   37 Durell Eskridge FS 41 Marion Grice RB 39 Robert Hughes RB 50 Gabe Martin ILB 60 Antoine McClain G 72 Olsen Pierre DE 16 Jaxon Shipley WR 73 John Wetzel T 34 Kevin White CB Rookies in italics 53 active, 14 inactive, 10 practice squad

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 Stadium	Recap
2	September 20	at Chicago Bears	W 48–23	2–0	Soldier Field	Recap
3	September 27	San Francisco 49ers	W 47–7	3–0	University of Phoenix Stadium	Recap
4	October 4	St. Louis Rams	L 22–24	3–1	University of Phoenix Stadium	Recap
5	October 11	at Detroit Lions	W 42–17	4–1	Ford Field	Recap
6	October 18	at Pittsburgh Steelers	L 13–25	4–2	Heinz Field	Recap
7	October 26	Baltimore Ravens	W 26–18	5–2	University of Phoenix Stadium	Recap
8	November 1	at Cleveland Browns	W 34–20	6–2	FirstEnergy Stadium	Recap
9	Bye
10	November 15	at Seattle Seahawks	W 39–32	7–2	CenturyLink Field	Recap
11	November 22	Cincinnati Bengals	W 34–31	8–2	University of Phoenix Stadium	Recap
12	November 29	at San Francisco 49ers	W 19–13	9–2	Levi's Stadium	Recap
13	December 6	at St. Louis Rams	W 27–3	10–2	Edward Jones Dome	Recap
14	December 10	Minnesota Vikings	W 23–20	11–2	University of Phoenix Stadium	Recap
15	December 20	at Philadelphia Eagles	W 40–17	12–2	Lincoln Financial Field	Recap
16	December 27	Green Bay Packers	W 38–8	13–2	University of Phoenix Stadium	Recap
17	January 3	Seattle Seahawks	L 6–36	13–3	University of Phoenix Stadium	Recap

Game summaries

Regular season

Week 1: vs. New Orleans Saints

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

Period	1	2	3	4	Total
Saints	3	7	3	6	19
Cardinals	7	7	3	14	31

at University of Phoenix Stadium, Glendale, Arizona

• Date: September 13
• Game time: 1:05 pm. MST
• Game weather: Played indoors (retractable roof closed)
• Game attendance: 62,903
• Referee: Walt Anderson
• TV announcers (Fox): Kevin Burkhardt, John Lynch and Pam Oliver
• Recap, Gamebook

Game information

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 – 1

With the win, the Cardinals began their season at 1–0.

Week 2: at Chicago Bears

Week Two: Arizona Cardinals at Chicago Bears – Game summary

Period	1	2	3	4	Total
Cardinals	14	14	14	6	48
Bears	7	13	3	0	23

at Soldier Field, Chicago, Illinois

• Date: September 20
• Game time: 12:00 p.m CDT/10:00 am. MST
• Game weather: 70 °F (21 °C), mostly sunny
• Game attendance: 62,351
• Referee: Jerome Boger
• TV announcers (Fox): Thom Brennaman, Charles Davis and Tony Siragusa
• Preview, Gamebook

Game information

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

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

Period	1	2	3	4	Total
49ers	0	7	0	0	7
Cardinals	14	17	9	7	47

at University of Phoenix Stadium, Glendale, Arizona

• Date: September 27
• Game time: 1:05 pm. MST
• Game weather: Played indoors (retractable roof closed)
• Game attendance: 63,663
• Referee: Tony Corrente
• TV announcers (Fox): Thom Brennaman, Charles Davis and Tony Siragusa
• Recap, Gamebook

Game information

First quarter Second quarter Third quarter Fourth quarter 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 Solo

49ers 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

Week Four: St. Louis Rams at Arizona Cardinals – Game summary

Period	1	2	3	4	Total
Rams	7	3	7	7	24
Cardinals	3	6	3	10	22

at University of Phoenix Stadium, Glendale, Arizona

• Date: October 4
• Game time: 1:25 pm. MST
• Game weather: Played indoors (retractable roof closed)
• Game attendance: 63,146
• Referee: John Parry
• TV announcers (Fox): Thom Brennaman, Charles Davis and Tony Siragusa
• Recap, Gamebook

Game information

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

Week Five: Arizona Cardinals at Detroit Lions – Game summary

Period	1	2	3	4	Total
Cardinals	0	28	7	7	42
Lions	7	0	0	10	17

at Ford Field, Detroit, Michigan

• Date: October 11
• Game time: 3:05 p.m CDT/1:05 pm. MST
• Game weather: Played indoors (dome stadium)
• Game attendance: 60,816
• Referee: Gene Steratore
• TV announcers (Fox): Justin Kutcher, Daryl Johnston and Holly Sonders
• Preview, Gamebook

Game information

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 Solo

With the win, the Cards improved to 4–1.

Week 6: at Pittsburgh Steelers

Week Six: Arizona Cardinals at Pittsburgh Steelers – Game summary

Period	1	2	3	4	Total
Cardinals	7	3	0	3	13
Steelers	0	3	12	10	25

at Heinz Field, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

• Date: October 18
• Game time: 1:00 pm. EDT/10:00 am. MST
• Game weather: 45 °F (7 °C), mostly cloudy
• Game attendance: 63,846
• Referee: Ed Hochuli
• TV announcers (Fox): Thom Brennaman, Troy Aikman and Peter Schrager
• Recap, Gamebook

Game information

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 Solo

For 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

Week Seven: Baltimore Ravens at Arizona Cardinals – Game summary

Period	1	2	3	4	Total
Ravens	3	7	0	8	18
Cardinals	7	7	6	6	26

at University of Phoenix Stadium, Glendale, Arizona

• Date: October 26
• Game time: 5:30 pm. MST
• Game weather: Played indoors (retractable roof closed)
• Game attendance: 64,722
• Referee: Ron Torbert
• TV announcers (ESPN): Mike Tirico, Jon Gruden and Lisa Salters
• Recap, Gamebook

Game information

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 Solo

With the win, the Cardinals improved to 5–2.

Week 8: at Cleveland Browns

Week Eight: Arizona Cardinals at Cleveland Browns – Game summary

Period	1	2	3	4	Total
Cardinals	7	3	14	10	34
Browns	7	13	0	0	20

at FirstEnergy Stadium, Cleveland, Ohio

• Date: November 1
• Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST/11:00 a.m. MST
• Game weather: 62 °F (17 °C), sunny
• Game attendance: 67,431
• Referee: Walt Coleman
• TV announcers (Fox): Matt Smith, Chris Cooley and Danielle Trotta
• Recap, Gamebook

Game information

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 assists

The 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

Week Ten: Arizona Cardinals at Seattle Seahawks – Game summary

Period	1	2	3	4	Total
Cardinals	0	22	3	14	39
Seahawks	0	7	10	15	32

at CenturyLink Field, Seattle, Washington

• Date: November 15
• Game time: 6:30 pm. MST/5:30 p.m. PST
• Game weather: 49 °F (9 °C), partly cloudy
• Game attendance: 69,005
• Referee: Clete Blakeman
• TV announcers (NBC): Al Michaels, Cris Collinsworth and Michele Tafoya
• Recap, Gamebook

Game information

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 Solo

Arizona 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

Week Eleven: Cincinnati Bengals at Arizona Cardinals – Game summary

Period	1	2	3	4	Total
Bengals	7	7	0	17	31
Cardinals	0	7	21	6	34

at University of Phoenix Stadium, Glendale, Arizona

• Date: November 22
• Game time: 6:30 pm. MST
• Game weather: 72 °F (22 °C), mostly clear – retractable roof open
• Game attendance: 64,745
• Referee: Terry McAulay
• TV announcers (NBC): Al Michaels, Cris Collinsworth and Michele Tafoya
• Recap, Gamebook

Game information

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

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

Period	1	2	3	4	Total
Cardinals	3	3	7	6	19
49ers	0	3	10	0	13

at Levi's Stadium, Santa Clara, California

• Date: November 29
• Game time: 2:05 pm. MST/1:05 pm. PST
• Game weather: 54 °F (12 °C), sunny
• Game attendance: 70,799
• Referee: Pete Morelli
• TV announcers (Fox): Chris Myers, Ronde Barber and Jennifer Hale
• Recap, Gamebook

Game information

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 Solo

With 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

Week Thirteen: Arizona Cardinals at St. Louis Rams – Game summary

Period	1	2	3	4	Total
Cardinals	7	3	14	3	27
Rams	0	0	3	0	3

at Edward Jones Dome, St. Louis, Missouri

• Date: December 6
• Game time: 12:00 p.m. CST/11:00 am. MST
• Game weather: Played indoors (dome stadium)
• Game attendance: 51,115
• Referee: Bill Vinovich
• TV announcers (Fox): Chris Myers, Ronde Barber and Jennifer Hale
• Recap, Gamebook

Game information

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 Solo

With the win, the Cardinals improved to 10–2.

Week 14: vs. Minnesota Vikings

Week Fourteen: Minnesota Vikings at Arizona Cardinals – Game summary

Period	1	2	3	4	Total
Vikings	7	3	0	10	20
Cardinals	10	0	7	6	23

at University of Phoenix Stadium, Glendale, Arizona

• Date: December 10
• Game time: 6:30 pm. MST
• Game weather: 68 °F (20 °C), mostly clear – retractable roof open
• Game attendance: 64,784
• Referee: Gene Steratore
• TV announcers (NFLN): Jim Nantz, Phil Simms and Tracy Wolfson
• Recap, Gamebook

Game information

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

Week Fifteen: Arizona Cardinals at Philadelphia Eagles – Game summary

Period	1	2	3	4	Total
Cardinals	7	10	13	10	40
Eagles	3	7	0	7	17

at Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

• Date: December 20
• Game time: 8:30 pm. EST/6:30 pm. MST
• Game weather: 37 °F (3 °C), partly cloudy
• Game attendance: 69,596
• Referee: Tony Corrente
• TV announcers (NBC): Al Michaels, Cris Collinsworth and Michele Tafoya
• Recap, Gamebook

Game information

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 Solo

With the win, the Cardinals won 12 games (not including playoffs) in one season for the first time in their 96-year history and clinched their first ever first-round bye in the playoffs.

Week 16: vs. Green Bay Packers

Week Sixteen: Green Bay Packers at Arizona Cardinals – Game summary

Period	1	2	3	4	Total
Packers	0	0	8	0	8
Cardinals	0	17	21	0	38

at University of Phoenix Stadium, Glendale, Arizona

• Date: December 27
• Game time: 2:25 pm. MST
• Game weather: Played indoors (retractable roof closed)
• Game attendance: 64,878
• Referee: Terry McAulay
• TV announcers (Fox): Joe Buck, Troy Aikman and Erin Andrews
• Recap, Gamebook

Game information

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 Solo

A 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.

Week 17: vs. Seattle Seahawks

Week Seventeen: Seattle Seahawks at Arizona Cardinals – Game summary

Period	1	2	3	4	Total
Seahawks	10	20	6	0	36
Cardinals	0	6	0	0	6

at University of Phoenix Stadium, Glendale, Arizona

• Date: January 3, 2016
• Game time: 2:25 pm. MST
• Game weather: Played indoors (retractable roof closed)
• Game attendance: 64,646
• Referee: Brad Allen
• TV announcers (Fox): Joe Buck, Troy Aikman and Erin Andrews
• Recap, Gamebook

Game information

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

See also: 2015–16 NFL playoffs

Round	Date	Opponent (seed)	Result	Record	Venue	Recap
Wild Card	First-round bye
Divisional	January 16, 2016	Green Bay Packers (5)	W 26–20 (OT)	1–0	University of Phoenix Stadium	Recap
NFC Championship	January 24, 2016	at Carolina Panthers (1)	L 15–49	1–1	Bank of America Stadium	Recap

NFC Divisional Playoffs: vs. (5) Green Bay Packers

Main article: Hail Larry

NFC Divisional Playoffs: (5) Green Bay Packers at (2) Arizona Cardinals – Game summary

Period	1	2	3	4	OT	Total
Packers	0	6	7	7	0	20
Cardinals	7	0	3	10	6	26

at University of Phoenix Stadium, Glendale, Arizona

• Date: January 16, 2016
• Game time: 6:15 p.m. MST
• Game weather: Played indoors (retractable roof closed)
• Game attendance: 65,089
• Referee: Clete Blakeman
• TV announcers (NBC): Al Michaels, Cris Collinsworth and Michele Tafoya
• Recap, Gamebook

Game information

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.

NFC Championship: at (1) Carolina Panthers

NFC Championship: (2) Arizona Cardinals at (1) Carolina Panthers– Game summary

Period	1	2	3	4	Total
Cardinals	0	7	0	8	15
Panthers	17	7	10	15	49

at Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, North Carolina

• Date: January 24, 2016
• Game time: 6:40 p.m. EST/4:40 pm. MST
• Game weather: 39 °F (4 °C), clear
• Game attendance: 74,294
• Referee: Bill Vinovich
• TV announcers (Fox): Joe Buck, Troy Aikman, Erin Andrews and Chris Myers
• Recap, Gamebook

Game information

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.

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

NFC West
view talk edit	W	L	T	PCT	DIV	CONF	PF	PA	STK
^(2) Arizona Cardinals	13	3	0	.813	4–2	10–2	489	313	L1
^(6) Seattle Seahawks	10	6	0	.625	3–3	7–5	423	277	W1
St. Louis Rams	7	9	0	.438	4–2	6–6	280	330	L1
San Francisco 49ers	5	11	0	.313	1–5	4–8	238	387	W1

Conference

NFC v t e
#	Team	Division	W	L	T	PCT	DIV	CONF	SOS	SOV	STK
Division Leaders
1	Carolina Panthers	South	15	1	0	.938	5–1	11–1	.441	.438	W1
2	Arizona Cardinals	West	13	3	0	.813	4–2	10–2	.477	.457	L1
3	Minnesota Vikings	North	11	5	0	.688	5–1	8–4	.504	.449	W3
4	Washington Redskins	East	9	7	0	.563	4–2	8–4	.465	.403	W4
Wild Cards
5^[a]	Green Bay Packers	North	10	6	0	.625	3–3	7–5	.531	.450	L2
6^[a]	Seattle Seahawks	West	10	6	0	.625	3–3	7–5	.520	.431	W1
Did not qualify for the postseason
7	Atlanta Falcons	South	8	8	0	.500	1–5	5–7	.480	.453	L1
8^[b]	St. Louis Rams	West	7	9	0	.438	4–2	6–6	.527	.482	L1
9^[b]	Detroit Lions	North	7	9	0	.438	3–3	6–6	.535	.429	W3
10^[b]	Philadelphia Eagles	East	7	9	0	.438	3–3	4–8	.508	.473	W1
11^[b]	New Orleans Saints	South	7	9	0	.438	3–3	5–7	.504	.402	W2
12^[c]	New York Giants	East	6	10	0	.375	2–4	4–8	.500	.396	L3
13^[c]	Chicago Bears	North	6	10	0	.375	1–5	3–9	.547	.469	L1
14^[c]	Tampa Bay Buccaneers	South	6	10	0	.375	3–3	5–7	.484	.406	L4
15	San Francisco 49ers	West	5	11	0	.313	1–5	4–8	.539	.463	W1
16	Dallas Cowboys	East	4	12	0	.250	3–3	3–9	.531	.438	L4
Tiebreakers^[d]
Green Bay finished ahead of Seattle based on head-to-head victory. St. Louis and Detroit finished ahead of Philadelphia and New Orleans based on conference record. St. Louis finished ahead of Detroit based on head-to-head victory. Detroit finished ahead of Philadelphia and New Orleans based on head-to-head sweep, while Philadelphia finished ahead of New Orleans based on head-to-head victory. The New York Giants and Chicago each finished ahead of Tampa Bay based on head-to-head victory, while the Giants finished ahead of Chicago based on conference record. 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.

Notes

References

External links

• Official website