| 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 | 2ndNFC West |
| Playoffs | Did not qualify |
| All-Pros | 3
|
| Pro Bowlers | |
| Uniform | |
 | |
The2016 season was theArizona Cardinals' 97th in theNational Football League (NFL), their 118th overall, their 29th inArizona, their 11th atUniversity of Phoenix Stadium and their fourth underhead coachBruce Arians.
In free agency, they signed veterandefensive backTyvon Branch and veteran linemanEvan Mathis, while re-signing several key players. They traded forChandler Jones from theNew England Patriots, sendingJonathan 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 quarterbackCarson Palmer and most of the offensive line. On October 23, the Cardinals and theSeattle Seahawks played out a 6–6 tie; this was the Cardinals' first tie since1986 when they were the St. Louis Cardinals. It was also the lowest-scoringNFL tie since overtime was introduced in1974. The Cardinals were eliminated from playoff contention for the first time since2013 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 theChicago Cubs won the2016 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.
| 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 |
| 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
Front office
Head coaches
Offensive coaches
| Defensive coaches
Special teams coaches
Strength and conditioning
|
| 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 | atSan Diego Chargers | L 3–19 | 0–2 | Qualcomm Stadium | Recap |
| 3 | August 28 | atHouston Texans | L 24–34 | 0–3 | NRG Stadium | Recap |
| 4 | September 1 | Denver Broncos | W 38–17 | 1–3 | University of Phoenix Stadium | Recap |
| 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 | atBuffalo 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 | atSan 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 | atCarolina 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 | atMinnesota Vikings | L 24–30 | 4–5–1 | U.S. Bank Stadium | Recap |
| 12 | November 27 | atAtlanta 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 | atMiami 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 | atSeattle Seahawks | W 34–31 | 6–8–1 | CenturyLink Field | Recap |
| 17 | January 1 | atLos Angeles Rams | W 44–6 | 7–8–1 | Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum | Recap |
Note: Intra-division opponents are inbold text.
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Patriots | 10 | 0 | 7 | 6 | 23 |
| Cardinals | 0 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 21 |
atUniversity of Phoenix Stadium,Glendale, Arizona
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
With Patriots quarterbackTom Brady suspended andJimmy 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]
| 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
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cardinals | 0 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 18 |
| Bills | 10 | 7 | 13 | 3 | 33 |
atNew Era Field,Orchard Park, New York
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
| 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
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cardinals | 0 | 7 | 14 | 12 | 33 |
| 49ers | 0 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 21 |
atLevi's Stadium,Santa Clara, California
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
| 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
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
This was the Cardinals' first win over the Jets since1975, when the Cardinals were based in St. Louis, Missouri.
| 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
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
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.
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cardinals | 0 | 7 | 7 | 6 | 20 |
| Panthers | 14 | 10 | 6 | 0 | 30 |
atBank of America Stadium,Charlotte, North Carolina
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
In a rematch of theNFC championship, the Panthers led by as much as 24 points until Arizona ended the game by cutting the lead to 10.
| 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
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
| 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
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cardinals | 7 | 6 | 0 | 6 | 19 |
| Falcons | 7 | 10 | 7 | 14 | 38 |
atGeorgia Dome,Atlanta, Georgia
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
| 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
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cardinals | 6 | 3 | 0 | 14 | 23 |
| Dolphins | 7 | 7 | 7 | 5 | 26 |
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
This was the Cardinals' first loss to the Dolphins since1999.
| 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
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
With the close loss, the Cardinals were eliminated from the playoffs for the first time since 2013.
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cardinals | 7 | 7 | 0 | 20 | 34 |
| Seahawks | 0 | 3 | 7 | 21 | 31 |
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cardinals | 3 | 13 | 14 | 14 | 44 |
| Rams | 0 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 6 |
atLos Angeles Memorial Coliseum,Los Angeles, California
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
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.
| NFC West | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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 |
| # | 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] | |||||||||||
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| Franchise | |
| Stadiums | |
| Culture | |
| Lore | |
| Rivalries | |
| Division championships (7) | |
| Conference championships (1) | |
| League championships (2) | |
| Retired numbers | |
| Current league affiliations |
|
