# 2002 Arizona Cardinals season

The 2002 Arizona Cardinals season was the franchise’s 83rd year with the National Football League (NFL), 15th season in Arizona and the second full season under head coach Dave McGinnis. It was Jake Plummer’s final season with the Cardinals as he went to the Denver Broncos in the 2003 off-season.
This was the Cardinals' first season in the NFC West. The realignment put the team in the same division as the Rams, which at the time played in the Cardinals' former home of St. Louis. The Cardinals thus played one game in their former city every year from this season until 2015, after which the Rams returned to the Los Angeles metropolitan area.

## Offseason

| Additions | Subtractions |
| G Raleigh Roundtree (Chargers) | CB Corey Chavous (Vikings) |
| TE Freddie Jones (Chargers) | FS Pat Tillman (U. S. Army) |
| CB Duane Starks (Ravens) | |

### NFL Draft

| Round | Pick | Player | Position | School/Club Team |
| 1 | 12 | Wendell Bryant | Defensive Tackle | University of Wisconsin |
| 2 | 49 | Levar Fisher | Linebacker | North Carolina State University |
| 3 | 81 | Josh McCown | Quarterback | Sam Houston State University |
| 3 | 98 | Dennis Johnson | Defensive End | University of Kentucky |
| 4 | 113 | Nate Dwyer | Defensive Tackle | University of Kansas |
| 5 | 149 | Jason McAddley | Wide Receiver | University of Alabama |
| 6 | 185 | Josh Scobey | Running Back | Kansas State University |
| 7 | 223 | Mike Banks | Tight End | Iowa State University |

### Undrafted free agents

2002 Undrafted Free Agents of note :
| Player | Position | College |
| Damien Anderson | Running back | Northwestern |
| Eric Joyce | Defensive back | Tennessee State |
| Preston Parsons | Quarterback | Northern Arizona |
| Jake Soliday | Wide receiver | Northern Iowa |

### Pat Tillman

In May 2002, eight months after the September 11, 2001, attacks and after completing the fifteen remaining games of the 2001 season which followed the attacks (at a salary of $512,000 per year), Pat Tillman turned down a contract offer of $3.6 million over three years from the Cardinals to enlist in the U.S. Army.

## Regular season
### Schedule

In the 2002 regular season, the Cardinals’ non-divisional, conference opponents were primarily from the NFC East, although they also played the Carolina Panthers from the NFC South, and the Detroit Lions from the NFC North. Their non-conference opponents were from the AFC West, the second consecutive season the Cardinals faced the AFC West.
| Week | Date | Opponent | Result | Record | Venue | Attendance |
| 1 | September 8 | at Washington Redskins | L 23–31 | 0–1 | FedExField | 85,140 |
| 2 | September 15 | at Seattle Seahawks | W 24–13 | 1–1 | Seahawks Stadium | 63,104 |
| 3 | September 22 | San Diego Chargers | L 15–23 | 1–2 | Sun Devil Stadium | 28,980 |
| 4 | September 29 | New York Giants | W 21–7 | 2–2 | Sun Devil Stadium | 30,014 |
| 5 | October 6 | at Carolina Panthers | W 16–13 | 3–2 | Ericsson Stadium | 72,286 |
| 6 | Bye | Bye | Bye | Bye | Bye | Bye |
| 7 | October 20 | Dallas Cowboys | W 9–6 (OT) | 4–2 | Sun Devil Stadium | 59,702 |
| 8 | October 27 | at San Francisco 49ers | L 28–38 | 4–3 | 3Com Park | 67,173 |
| 9 | November 3 | St. Louis Rams | L 14–27 | 4–4 | Sun Devil Stadium | 47,819 |
| 10 | November 10 | Seattle Seahawks | L 6–27 | 4–5 | Sun Devil Stadium | 29,252 |
| 11 | November 17 | at Philadelphia Eagles | L 14–38 | 4–6 | Veterans Stadium | 64,990 |
| 12 | November 24 | Oakland Raiders | L 20–41 | 4–7 | Sun Devil Stadium | 58,814 |
| 13 | December 1 | at Kansas City Chiefs | L 0–49 | 4–8 | Arrowhead Stadium | 77,809 |
| 14 | December 8 | Detroit Lions | W 23–20 (OT) | 5–8 | Sun Devil Stadium | 28,640 |
| 15 | December 15 | at St. Louis Rams | L 28–30 | 5–9 | Edward Jones Dome | 65,939 |
| 16 | December 21 | San Francisco 49ers | L 14–17 | 5–10 | Sun Devil Stadium | 44,051 |
| 17 | December 29 | at Denver Broncos | L 7–37 | 5–11 | Invesco Field at Mile High | 75,164 |
Note: Intra-division opponents are in bold text.

### Game summaries
#### Week 1: at Washington Redskins

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Cardinals | 10 | 3 | 3 | 7 | 23 |
| Redskins | 3 | 7 | 14 | 7 | 31 |
at FedEx Field, Landover, Maryland
* Date: September 8
* Game time: 1:05 p.m. EST/11:05 a.m. MST
* Game weather: 76 °F (24 °C)
* Game attendance: 85,140
* Referee: Tom White
* TV announcers (FOX): Pat Summerall, Brian Baldinger, Dave Feldman
* Box Score
Game information :
First quarter
WAS – Brett Conway 35-yard field goal, 8:41. Redskins 3–0.
ARI – Bill Gramática 36-yard field goal, 2:59. Tied 3–3.
ARI – Jake Plummer 7-yard run (Bill Gramática kick), 0:10. Cardinals 10–3.
Second quarter
WAS – Kevin Lockett 26-yard pass from Shane Matthews (Brett Conway kick), 10:10. Tied 10–10.
ARI – Bill Gramática 20-yard field goal, 3:13. Cardinals 13–10.
Third quarter
WAS – Stephen Davis 3-yard run (Brett Conway kick), 9:51. Redskins 17–13.
ARI – Bill Gramática 39-yard field goal, 8:14. Redskins 17–16.
WAS – Rod Gardner 43-yard pass from Shane Matthews (Brett Conway kick), 6:28. Redskins 24–16.
Fourth quarter
WAS – Derrius Thompson 17-yard pass from Shane Matthews (Brett Conway kick), 12:08. Redskins 31–16.
ARI – David Boston 29-yard pass from Jake Plummer (Bill Gramática kick), 10:39. Redskins 31–23.
Top passers
ARI – Jake Plummer – 14/36, 187 yards, TD, INT
WAS – Shane Matthews – 28/40, 327 yards, 3 TD, INT
Top rushers
ARI – Thomas Jones – 17 rushes, 54 yards
WAS – Stephen Davis – 26 rushes, 104 yards, TD
Top receivers
ARI – David Boston – 7 receptions, 138 yards, TD
WAS – Rod Gardner – 7 receptions, 131 yards, TD :

#### Week 2: at Seattle Seahawks

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Cardinals | 3 | 0 | 7 | 14 | 24 |
| Seahawks | 3 | 7 | 0 | 3 | 13 |
at Seahawks Stadium, Seattle, Washington
* Date: September 15
* Game time: 1:05 p.m. PST/2:05 p.m. MST
* Game weather: 62 °F (17 °C)
* Game attendance: 63,104
* Referee: Tony Corrente
* TV announcers (Fox): Curt Menefee, Tim Ryan, Kevin McCabe
* Gamecenter, Gamebook, Box Score
Game information :
First quarter
SEA – Rian Lindell 46-yard field goal, 9:09. Seahawks 3–0.
ARI – Bill Gramática 23-yard field goal, 3:05. Tied 3–3.
Second quarter
SEA – Itula Mili 1-yard pass from Trent Dilfer (Rian Lindell kick), 4:10. Seahawks 10–3.
Third quarter
ARI – Thomas Jones 58-yard run (Bill Gramática kick), 11:59. Tied 10–10.
Fourth quarter
SEA – Rian Lindell 19-yard field goal, 12:52. Seahawks 13–10.
ARI – MarTay Jenkins 95-yard kickoff return (Bill Gramática kick), 12:41. Cardinals 17–13.
ARI – Frank Sanders 4-yard pass from Jake Plummer (Bill Gramática kick), 3:18. Cardinals 24–13.
Top passers
ARI – Jake Plummer – 10/22, 107 yards, TD, INT
SEA – Trent Dilfer – 29/47, 352 yards, TD
Top rushers
ARI – Thomas Jones – 24 rushes, 173 yards, TD
SEA – Shaun Alexander – 17 rushes, 37 yards
Top receivers
ARI – David Boston – 4 receptions, 49 yards
SEA – Darrell Jackson – 10 receptions, 174 yards :

#### Week 3: vs. San Diego Chargers

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Chargers | 0 | 14 | 0 | 9 | 23 |
| Cardinals | 7 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 15 |
at Sun Devil Stadium, Tempe, Arizona
* Date: September 22
* Game time: 2:05 p.m. MST
* Game weather: 100 °F (38 °C)
* Game attendance: 28,980
* Referee: Ed Hochuli
* TV announcers (CBS): Don Criqui, Steve Tasker
* Box Score
Game information :
First quarter
ARI – MarTay Jenkins 65-yard pass from Jake Plummer (Bill Gramática kick), 10:11. Cardinals 7–0.
Second quarter
SD – LaDainian Tomlinson 4-yard run (Steve Christie kick), 14:56. Tied 7–7.
SD – LaDainian Tomlinson 2-yard run (Steve Christie kick), 5:03. Chargers 14–7.
Third quarter
No scoring plays
Fourth quarter
SD – Team safety, 14:44. Chargers 16–7.
SD – Donnie Edwards 20-yard interception run (Steve Christie kick), 11:23. Chargers 23–7.
ARI – Marcel Shipp 31-yard pass from Jake Plummer (Jake Plummer–Frank Sanders pass), 9:30. Chargers 23–15.
Top passers
SD – Drew Brees – 17/31, 181 yards, INT
ARI – Jake Plummer – 16/36, 229 yards, 2 TD, 2 INT
Top rushers
SD – LaDainian Tomlinson – 26 rushes, 91 yards, 2 TD
ARI – Thomas Jones – 17 rushes, 73 yards
Top receivers
SD – Curtis Conway – 7 receptions, 92 yards
ARI – MarTay Jenkins – 2 receptions, 70 yards, TD :

#### Week 4: vs. New York Giants

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Giants | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 |
| Cardinals | 0 | 7 | 0 | 14 | 21 |
at Sun Devil Stadium, Tempe, Arizona
* Date: September 29
* Game time: 2:05 p.m. MST
* Game weather: 90 °F (32 °C)
* Game attendance: 30,014
* Referee: Mike Carey
* TV announcers (FOX): Dick Stockton, Daryl Johnston, Ron Pitts
* Box Score
Game information :
First quarter
NYG – Tiki Barber 6-yard run (Matt Bryant kick), 8:38. Giants 7–0.
Second quarter
ARI – Justin Lucas 38-yard interception run (Bill Gramática kick), 0:04. Tied 7–7.
Third quarter
No scoring plays
Fourth quarter
ARI – Marcel Shipp 7-yard pass from Jake Plummer (Bill Gramática kick), 10:36. Cardinals 14–7.
ARI – Marcel Shipp 10-yard run (Bill Gramática kick), 2:13. Cardinals 21–7.
Top passers
NYG – Kerry Collins – 19/36, 199 yards, INT
ARI – Jake Plummer – 23/32, 168 yards, TD
Top rushers
NYG – Tiki Barber – 13 rushes, 55 yards, TD
ARI – Marcel Shipp – 17 rushes, 92 yards, TD
Top receivers
NYG – Jeremy Shockey – 4 receptions, 56 yards
ARI – Marcel Shipp – 5 receptions, 39 yards, TD :

#### Week 5: at Carolina Panthers

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Cardinals | 0 | 6 | 0 | 10 | 16 |
| Panthers | 0 | 7 | 6 | 0 | 13 |
at Ericsson Stadium, Charlotte, North Carolina
* Date: October 6
* Game time: 1:00 p.m. PST/11:00 a.m. MST
* Game weather: 74 °F (23 °C)
* Game attendance: 72,286
* Referee: Bob McElwee
* Box Score
Game information :
First quarter
No scoring plays
Second quarter
ARI – Bill Gramática 41-yard field goal, 8:44. Cardinals 3–0.
CAR – Isaac Byrd 31-yard pass from Rodney Peete (Shayne Graham kick), 1:58. Panthers 7–3.
ARI – Bill Gramática 28-yard field goal, 0:16. Panthers 7–6.
Third quarter
CAR – Shayne Graham 32-yard field goal, 8:52. Panthers 10–6.
CAR – Shayne Graham 48-yard field goal, 1:29. Panthers 13–6.
Fourth quarter
ARI – Freddie Jones 15-yard pass from Jake Plummer (Bill Gramática kick), 2:38. Tied 13–13.
ARI – Bill Gramática 50-yard field goal, 0:16. Cardinals 16–13.
Top passers
ARI – Jake Plummer – 18/40, 221 yards, TD, INT
CAR – Rodney Peete – 20/34, 196 yards, TD, 2 INT
Top rushers
ARI – Damien Anderson – 23 rushes, 61 yards
CAR – Lamar Smith – 18 rushes, 49 yards
Top receivers
ARI – Frank Sanders – 4 receptions, 70 yards
CAR – Steve Smith Sr. – 5 receptions, 79 yards :

#### Week 7: vs. Dallas Cowboys

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | OT | Total |
| Cowboys | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 6 |
| Cardinals | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 9 |
at Sun Devil Stadium, Tempe, Arizona
* Date: October 20
* Game time: 2:15 p.m. MST
* Game weather: 81 °F (27 °C)
* Game attendance: 59,702
* Referee: Dick Hantak
* Box Score
Game information :
First quarter
ARI – Bill Gramática 41-yard field goal, 10:50. Cardinals 3–0.
Second quarter
ARI – Bill Gramática 23-yard field goal, 0:00. Cardinals 6–0.
Third quarter
DAL – Antonio Bryant 78-yard pass from Quincy Carter (kick failed), 7:50. Tied 6–6.
Fourth quarter
No scoring plays
Overtime
ARI – Bill Gramática 40-yard field goal, 3:10. Cardinals 9–6.
Top passers
DAL – Quincy Carter – 13/22, 202 yards, TD, 4 INT
ARI – Jake Plummer – 23/46, 232 yards
Top rushers
DAL – Emmitt Smith – 22 rushes, 82 yards
ARI – Thomas Jones – 22 rushes, 68 yards
Top receivers
DAL – Antonio Bryant – 3 receptions, 96 yards, TD
ARI – David Boston – 6 receptions, 110 yards :

#### Week 8: at San Francisco 49ers

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Cardinals | 0 | 7 | 14 | 7 | 28 |
| 49ers | 17 | 14 | 0 | 7 | 38 |
at 3Com Park, San Francisco, California
* Date: October 27
* Game time: 1:05 p.m. PST/2:05 p.m. MST
* Game weather: 62 °F (17 °C)
* Game attendance: 67,173
* Referee: Larry Nemmers
* Box Score
Game information :
First quarter
SF – José Cortez 45-yard field goal, 13:12. 49ers 3–0.
SF – Terrell Owens 21-yard pass from Jeff Garcia (José Cortez kick), 7:19. 49ers 10–0.
SF – Tai Streets 47-yard pass from Jeff Garcia (José Cortez kick), 4:13. 49ers 17–0.
Second quarter
SF – Kevan Barlow 5-yard run (José Cortez kick), 14:05. 49ers 24–0.
ARI – Marcel Shipp 7-yard run (Bill Gramática kick), 9:22. 49ers 24–7.
SF – Terrell Owens 61-yard pass from Jeff Garcia (José Cortez kick), 0:12. 49ers 31–7.
Third quarter
ARI – Jake Plummer 34-yard run (Bill Gramática kick), 11:18. 49ers 31–14.
ARI – Marcel Shipp 11-yard run (Bill Gramática kick), 3:27. 49ers 31–21.
Fourth quarter
SF – Kevan Barlow 9-yard pass from Jeff Garcia (José Cortez kick), 14:55. 49ers 38–21.
ARI – Thomas Jones 7-yard run (Bill Gramática kick), 8:23. 49ers 38–28.
Top passers
ARI – Jake Plummer – 24/36, 286 yards, 3 INT
SF – Jeff Garcia – 18/28, 252 yards, 4 TD
Top rushers
ARI – Thomas Jones – 15 rushes, 54 yards, TD
SF – Kevan Barlow – 18 rushes, 51 yards, TD
Top receivers
ARI – David Boston – 6 receptions, 83 yards
SF – Terrell Owens – 8 receptions, 132 yards, 2 TD :

#### Week 9: vs. St. Louis Rams

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Rams | 7 | 10 | 0 | 10 | 27 |
| Cardinals | 0 | 7 | 0 | 7 | 14 |
at Sun Devil Stadium, Tempe, Arizona
* Date: November 3
* Game time: 2:15 p.m. MST
* Game weather: 76 °F (24 °C)
* Game attendance: 47,819
* Referee: Ron Blum
* Box Score
Game information :
First quarter
STL – Ricky Proehl 31-yard pass from Marc Bulger (Jeff Wilkins kick), 11:18. Rams 7–0.
Second quarter
STL – Jeff Wilkins 24-yard field goal, 13:09. Rams 10–0.
ARI – Frank Sanders 8-yard pass from Jake Plummer (Bill Gramática kick), 2:31. Rams 10–7.
STL – Torry Holt 7-yard pass from Marc Bulger (Jeff Wilkins kick), 0:53. Rams 17–7.
Third quarter
No scoring plays
Fourth quarter
ARI – Justin Lucas 35-yard interception run (Bill Gramática kick), 10:36. Rams 17–14.
STL – Jeff Wilkins 42-yard field goal, 3:46. Rams 20–14.
STL – Marshall Faulk 13-yard run (Jeff Wilkins kick), 1:53. Rams 27–14.
Top passers
STL – Marc Bulger – 20/29, 245 yards, 2 TD, 2 INT
ARI – Jake Plummer – 19/30, 193 yards, TD, INT
Top rushers
STL – Marshall Faulk – 27 rushes, 178 yards, TD
ARI – Thomas Jones – 12 rushes, 25 yards
Top receivers
STL – Troy Edwards – 4 receptions, 63 yards
ARI – Frank Sanders – 6 receptions, 67 yards, TD :

#### Week 10: vs. Seattle Seahawks

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Seahawks | 10 | 17 | 0 | 0 | 27 |
| Cardinals | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 6 |
at Sun Devil Stadium, Tempe, Arizona
* Date: November 10
* Game time: 2:05 p.m. MST
* Game weather: 76 °F (24 °C)
* Game attendance: 29,252
* Referee: Walt Coleman
* TV announcers (Fox): Curt Menefee, Tim Ryan, Brent Ringenbach
* Gamecenter, Gamebook, Box Score
Game information :
First quarter
SEA – Rian Lindell 23-yard field goal, 8:55. Seahawks 3–0.
ARI – Bill Gramática 40-yard field goal, 6:04. Tied 3–3.
SEA – Shaun Alexander 5-yard run (Rian Lindell kick), 3:16. Seahawks 10–3.
Second quarter
SEA – Rian Lindell 30-yard field goal, 10:47. Seahawks 13–3.
SEA – Ryan Hannam 16-yard pass from Matt Hasselbeck (Rian Lindell kick), 8:38. Seahawks 20–3.
ARI – Bill Gramática 27-yard field goal, 3:50. Seahawks 20–6.
SEA – Shaun Alexander 1-yard run (Rian Lindell kick), 0:16. Seahawks 27–6.
Third quarter
No scoring plays
Fourth quarter
No scoring plays
Top passers
SEA – Matt Hasselbeck – 23/31, 260 yards, TD
ARI – Jake Plummer – 17/29, 226 yards, 2 INT
Top rushers
SEA – Maurice Morris – 15 rushes, 72 yards
ARI – Marcel Shipp – 16 rushes, 85 yards
Top receivers
SEA – Koren Robinson – 7 receptions, 96 yards
ARI – Jason McAddley – 5 receptions, 113 yards :

#### Week 11: at Philadelphia Eagles

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Cardinals | 7 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 14 |
| Eagles | 7 | 21 | 3 | 7 | 38 |
at Veterans Stadium, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
* Date: November 17
* Game time: 1:05 p.m. EST/11:05 a.m. MST
* Game weather: 43 °F (6 °C)
* Game attendance: 64,990
* Referee: Bill Leavy
* Box Score
Game information :
First quarter
ARI – Jason McAddley 12-yard pass from Jake Plummer (Bill Gramática kick), 9:18. Cardinals 7–0.
PHI – James Thrash 2-yard pass from Donovan McNabb (David Akers kick), 6:25. Tied 7–7.
Second quarter
PHI – Dorsey Levens 3-yard pass from Donovan McNabb (David Akers kick), 9:56. Eagles 14–7.
ARI – Joel Makovicka 2-yard pass from Jake Plummer (Bill Gramática kick), 7:43. Tied 14–14.
PHI – Todd Pinkston 27-yard pass from Donovan McNabb (David Akers kick), 3:11. Eagles 21–14.
PHI – Duce Staley 9-yard pass from Donovan McNabb (David Akers kick), 1:02. Eagles 28–14.
Third quarter
PHI – David Akers 34-yard field goal, 5:55. Eagles 31–14.
Fourth quarter
PHI – James Thrash 4-yard run (David Akers kick), 8:21. Eagles 38–14.
Top passers
ARI – Jake Plummer – 20/35, 163 yards, 2 TD, INT
PHI – Donovan McNabb – 20/25, 255 yards, 4 TD, INT
Top rushers
ARI – Marcel Shipp – 9 rushes, 76 yards
PHI – Duce Staley – 31 rushes, 135 yards
Top receivers
ARI – Marcel Shipp – 5 receptions, 50 yards
PHI – Duce Staley – 3 receptions, 82 yards, TD :

#### Week 12: vs. Oakland Raiders

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Raiders | 14 | 7 | 17 | 3 | 41 |
| Cardinals | 0 | 14 | 0 | 6 | 20 |
at Sun Devil Stadium, Tempe, Arizona
* Date: November 24
* Game time: 2:05 p.m. MST
* Game weather: 75 °F (24 °C)
* Game attendance: 58,814
* Referee: Bill Carollo
* TV announcers (CBS): Kevin Harlan, Randy Cross, Beasley Reece
* Box Score
Game information :
First quarter
OAK – Jerry Porter 7-yard pass from Rich Gannon (Sebastian Janikowski kick), 8:51. Raiders 7–0.
OAK – Charlie Garner 8-yard run (Sebastian Janikowski kick), 1:14. Raiders 14–0.
Second quarter
ARI – Marcel Shipp 3-yard run (Bill Gramática kick), 13:53. Raiders 14–7.
OAK – Jerry Porter 14-yard pass from Rich Gannon (Sebastian Janikowski kick), 5:31. Raiders 21–7.
ARI – Joel Makovicka 1-yard pass from Jake Plummer (Bill Gramática kick), 1:08. Raiders 21–14.
Third quarter
OAK – Tyrone Wheatley 2-yard run (Sebastian Janikowski kick), 9:45. Raiders 28–14.
OAK – Jerry Rice 37-yard pass from Rich Gannon (Sebastian Janikowski kick), 5:02. Raiders 35–14.
OAK – Sebastian Janikowski 37-yard field goal, 0:43. Raiders 38–14.
Fourth quarter
ARI – Arnold Jackson 11-yard pass from Jake Plummer (pass failed), 1:08. Raiders 38–20.
OAK – Sebastian Janikowski 51-yard field goal, 1:56. Raiders 41–20.
Top passers
OAK – Rich Gannon – 27/45, 340 yards, 3 TD, INT
ARI – Jake Plummer – 16/34, 145 yards, 2 TD, 2 INT
Top rushers
OAK – Charlie Garner – 16 rushes, 100 yards, TD
ARI – Marcel Shipp – 16 rushes, 135 yards, TD
Top receivers
OAK – Jerry Rice – 7 receptions, 110 yards, TD
ARI – Frank Sanders – 3 receptions, 55 yards :

#### Week 13: at Kansas City Chiefs

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Cardinals | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Chiefs | 14 | 21 | 7 | 7 | 49 |
at Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, Missouri
* Date: December 1
* Game time: 12:00 p.m. CST/11:00 a.m. MST
* Game weather: 44 °F (7 °C)
* Game attendance: 77,809
* Referee: Dick Hantak
* Box Score
Game information :
First quarter
KC – Priest Holmes 5-yard run (Morten Andersen kick), 1:27. Chiefs 7–0.
KC – Dante Hall 90-yard punt return (Morten Andersen kick), 0:00. Chiefs 14–0.
Second quarter
KC – Tony Richardson 3-yard run (Morten Andersen kick), 5:19. Chiefs 21–0.
KC – Priest Holmes 2-yard run (Morten Andersen kick), 1:14. Chiefs 28–0.
KC – Tony Gonzalez 23-yard pass from Trent Green (Morten Andersen kick), 0:07. Chiefs 35–0.
Third quarter
KC – Marc Boerigter 1-yard pass from Trent Green (Morten Andersen kick), 3:53. Chiefs 42–0.
Fourth quarter
KC – Marc Boerigter 29-yard pass from Trent Green (Morten Andersen kick), 7:57. Chiefs 49–0.
Top passers
ARI – Jake Plummer – 14/31, 88 yards, 3 INT
KC – Trent Green – 14/20, 209 yards, 2 TD
Top rushers
ARI – Marcel Shipp – 14 rushes, 26 yards
KC – Priest Holmes – 16 rushes, 113 yards, 2 TD
Top receivers
ARI – Marcel Shipp – 7 receptions, 37 yards
KC – Tony Gonzalez – 4 receptions, 74 yards, TD :

#### Week 14: vs. Detroit Lions

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | OT | Total |
| Lions | 14 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 20 |
| Cardinals | 7 | 7 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 23 |
at Sun Devil Stadium, Tempe, Arizona
* Date: December 8
* Game time: 2:05 p.m. MST
* Game weather: 67 °F (19 °C)
* Game attendance: 28,640
* Referee: Gerry Austin
* TV announcers (Fox): Ron Pitts, Dwight Clark, Kevin McCabe
* Recap, Box Score
Game information :
First quarter
DET – Eddie Drummond 73-yard punt return (Jason Hanson kick), 13:15. Lions 7–0.
ARI – Joel Makovicka 1-yard pass from Jake Plummer (Bill Gramática kick), 9:47. Tied 7–7.
DET – Mikhael Ricks 6-yard pass from Joey Harrington (Jason Hanson kick), 0:05. Lions 14–7.
Second quarter
DET – Jason Hanson 26-yard field goal, 3:20. Lions 17–7.
ARI – Nate Poole 10-yard pass from Jake Plummer (Bill Gramática kick), 0:38. Lions 17–14.
Third quarter
DET – Jason Hanson 20-yard field goal, 10:48. Lions 20–14.
ARI – Bill Gramática 29-yard field goal, 5:18. Lions 20–17.
Fourth quarter
ARI – Bill Gramática 41-yard field goal, 3:23. Tied 20–20.
Overtime
ARI – Bill Gramática 42-yard field goal, 10:48. Cardinals 23–20.
Top passers
DET – Joey Harrington – 20/37, 152 yards, TD
ARI – Jake Plummer – 24/43, 228 yards, 2 TD, INT
Top rushers
DET – James Stewart – 13 rushes, 52 yards
ARI – Marcel Shipp – 25 rushes, 85 yards
Top receivers
DET – James Stewart – 3 receptions, 34 yards
ARI – Kevin Kasper – 3 receptions, 49 yards :

#### Week 15: at St. Louis Rams

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Cardinals | 0 | 7 | 14 | 7 | 28 |
| Rams | 3 | 21 | 0 | 6 | 30 |
at Edward Jones Dome, St. Louis, Missouri
* Date: December 15
* Game time: 7:35 p.m. CST/6:35 p.m. MST
* Game weather: None (Indoor stadium)
* Game attendance: 65,939
* Referee: Jeff Triplette
* Box Score
Game information :
First quarter
STL – Jeff Wilkins 26-yard field goal, 11:54. Rams 3–0.
Second quarter
STL – Dré Bly 78-yard punt return (Jeff Wilkins kick), 13:24. Rams 10–0.
ARI – Marcel Shipp 5-yard run (Bill Gramática kick), 6:08. Rams 10–7.
STL – Troy Edwards 4-yard pass from Marc Bulger (Jeff Wilkins kick), 1:03. Rams 17–7.
STL – Torry Holt 3-yard pass from Marc Bulger (Jeff Wilkins kick), 0:02. Rams 24–7.
Third quarter
ARI – Marcel Shipp 80-yard pass from Jake Plummer (Bill Gramática kick), 11:33. Rams 24–14.
ARI – Marcel Shipp 1-yard run (Bill Gramática kick), 5:08. Rams 24–21.
Fourth quarter
STL – Jeff Wilkins 37-yard field goal, 11:32. Rams 27–21.
ARI – Steve Bush 1-yard pass from Jake Plummer (Bill Gramática kick), 7:46. Cardinals 28–27.
STL – Jeff Wilkins 26-yard field goal, 0:20. Rams 30–28.
Top passers
ARI – Jake Plummer – 17/27, 258 yards, 2 TD, INT
STL – Marc Bulger – 24/40, 319 yards, 2 TD, 2 INT
Top rushers
ARI – Marcel Shipp – 26 rushes, 79 yards, 2 TD
STL – Marshall Faulk – 9 rushes, 39 yards
Top receivers
ARI – Marcel Shipp – 2 receptions, 79 yards, TD
STL – Torry Holt – 7 receptions, 141 yards, TD :

#### Week 16: vs. San Francisco 49ers

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| 49ers | 7 | 3 | 7 | 0 | 17 |
| Cardinals | 0 | 7 | 0 | 7 | 14 |
at Sun Devil Stadium, Tempe, Arizona
* Date: December 21
* Game time: 3:05 p.m. MST
* Game weather: 50 °F (10 °C)
* Game attendance: 44,051
* Referee: Bob McElwee
* Box Score
Game information :
First quarter
SF – Fred Beasley 25-yard pass from Jeff Garcia (Jeff Chandler kick), 9:57. 49ers 7–0.
Second quarter
ARI – Kevin Kasper 4-yard pass from Jake Plummer (Bill Gramática kick), 7:37. Tied 7–7.
SF – Jeff Chandler 24-yard field goal, 0:45. 49ers 10–7.
Third quarter
SF – Garrison Hearst 8-yard run (Jeff Chandler kick), 13:22. 49ers 17–7.
Fourth quarter
ARI – Kevin Kasper 6-yard pass from Jake Plummer (Bill Gramática kick), 4:08. Cardinals 17–14.
Top passers
SF – Jeff Garcia – 23/39, 256 yards, TD, INT
ARI – Jake Plummer – 16/26, 109 yards, 2 TD, INT
Top rushers
SF – Kevan Barlow – 13 rushes, 50 yards
ARI – Marcel Shipp – 20 rushes, 84 yards
Top receivers
SF – Tai Streets – 8 receptions, 90 yards
ARI – Kevin Kasper – 4 receptions, 33 yards, 2 TD :

#### Week 17: at Denver Broncos

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Cardinals | 0 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 7 |
| Broncos | 3 | 6 | 7 | 21 | 37 |
at Invesco Field at Mile High, Denver, Colorado
* Date: December 29
* Game time: 2:15 p.m. MST
* Game weather: 57 °F (14 °C)
* Game attendance: 75,164
* Referee: Larry Nemmers
* Box Score
Game information :
First quarter
DEN – Jason Elam 44-yard field goal, 4:30. Broncos 3–0.
Second quarter
DEN – Jason Elam 54-yard field goal, 14:13. Broncos 6–0.
DEN – Jason Elam 21-yard field goal, 8:06. Broncos 9–0.
ARI – Kevin Kasper 1-yard pass from Jake Plummer (Bill Gramática kick), 0:01. Broncos 9–7.
Third quarter
DEN – Ashley Lelie 5-yard pass from Steve Beuerlein (Jason Elam kick), 6:17. Broncos 16–7.
Fourth quarter
DEN – Rod Smith 10-yard pass from Steve Beuerlein (Jason Elam kick), 12:49. Broncos 23–7.
DEN – Clinton Portis 4-yard run (Jason Elam kick), 7:35. Broncos 30–7.
DEN – Clinton Portis 12-yard run (Jason Elam kick), 4:11. Broncos 37–7.
Top passers
ARI – Jake Plummer – 13/27, 132 yards, TD
DEN – Steve Beuerlein – 16/24, 203 yards, 2 TD
Top rushers
ARI – Marcel Shipp – 17 rushes, 58 yards
DEN – Clinton Portis – 24 rushes, 228 yards, 2 TD
Top receivers
ARI – Freddie Jones – 4 receptions, 45 yards
DEN – Ed McCaffrey – 7 receptions, 112 yards :

### Standings
#### Division

NFC West :
| viewtalkedit | W | L | T | PCT | DIV | CONF | PF | PA | STK |
| $^{(4)}$ San Francisco 49ers | 10 | 6 | 0 | .625 | 5–1 | 8–4 | 367 | 351 | L1 |
| St. Louis Rams | 7 | 9 | 0 | .438 | 4–2 | 5–7 | 316 | 369 | W1 |
| Seattle Seahawks | 7 | 9 | 0 | .438 | 2–4 | 5–7 | 355 | 369 | W3 |
| Arizona Cardinals | 5 | 11 | 0 | .313 | 1–5 | 5–7 | 262 | 417 | L3 |

#### Conference

NFCvte :
| # | Team | Division | W | L | T | PCT | DIV | CONF | SOS | SOV |
| Division leaders |||||||||||
| 1 | Philadelphia Eagles | East | 12 | 4 | 0 | .750 | 5–1 | 11–1 | .469 | .432 |
| 2 | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | South | 12 | 4 | 0 | .750 | 4–2 | 9–3 | .482 | .432 |
| 3 | Green Bay Packers | North | 12 | 4 | 0 | .750 | 5–1 | 9–3 | .451 | .414 |
| 4 | San Francisco 49ers | West | 10 | 6 | 0 | .625 | 5–1 | 8–4 | .504 | .450 |
| Wild Cards |||||||||||
| 5 | New York Giants | East | 10 | 6 | 0 | .625 | 5–1 | 8–4 | .482 | .450 |
| 6 | Atlanta Falcons | South | 9 | 6 | 1 | .594 | 4–2 | 7–5 | .494 | .429 |
| Did not qualify for the postseason |||||||||||
| 7 | New Orleans Saints | South | 9 | 7 | 0 | .563 | 3–3 | 7–5 | .498 | .566 |
| 8 | St. Louis Rams | West | 7 | 9 | 0 | .438 | 4–2 | 5–7 | .508 | .446 |
| 9 | Seattle Seahawks | West | 7 | 9 | 0 | .438 | 2–4 | 5–7 | .506 | .433 |
| 10 | Washington Redskins | East | 7 | 9 | 0 | .438 | 1–5 | 4–8 | .527 | .438 |
| 11 | Carolina Panthers | South | 7 | 9 | 0 | .438 | 1–5 | 4–8 | .486 | .357 |
| 12 | Minnesota Vikings | North | 6 | 10 | 0 | .375 | 4–2 | 5–7 | .498 | .417 |
| 13 | Arizona Cardinals | West | 5 | 11 | 0 | .313 | 1–5 | 5–7 | .500 | .400 |
| 14 | Dallas Cowboys | East | 5 | 11 | 0 | .313 | 1–5 | 3–9 | .500 | .475 |
| 15 | Chicago Bears | North | 4 | 12 | 0 | .250 | 2–4 | 3–9 | .521 | .430 |
| 16 | Detroit Lions | North | 3 | 13 | 0 | .188 | 1–5 | 3–9 | .494 | .375 |
| Tiebreakers |||||||||||
| 1 2 3 Philadelphia finished ahead of Tampa Bay and Green Bay based on conference record (11–1 vs 9–3/9–3). 1 2 Tampa Bay finished ahead of Green Bay based on head-to-head victory. 1 2 St. Louis finished ahead of Seattle based on division record (4–2 to 2–4). 1 2 Washington finished ahead of Carolina based on common games (2–3 to 1–4) 1 2 Arizona finished ahead of Dallas based on head-to-head victory. ↑ 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. |||||||||||