# 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.
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 2025) their last game in St. Louis, which had been home to the Cardinals from 1960 until 1987 and the Rams since 1995, with the latter team becoming the Cardinals' divisional rivals in 2002. The Rams returned to the Los Angeles metropolitan area after the 2015 season.
Also as of 2024, this remains the most recent season the Cardinals have won a playoff game, having gone 0–2 (including the NFC Championship Game loss) since.

## 2015 draft class

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 |
| 5 | 159 | J. J. Nelson | WR | UAB |
| 7 | 256 | Gerald Christian | TE | Louisville |
* Compensatory selection – Mr. Irrelevant

## 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 | Bye | Bye | Bye | Bye | 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

| Quarter | 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

| Quarter | 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

| Quarter | 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

| Quarter | 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

| Quarter | 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

| Quarter | 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

| Quarter | 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

| Quarter | 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

| Quarter | 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

| Quarter | 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

| Quarter | 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

| Quarter | 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

| Quarter | 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

| Quarter | 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

| Quarter | 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

| Quarter | 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

| Round | Date | Opponent (seed) | Result | Record | Venue | Recap |
| Wild Card | First-round bye | First-round bye | First-round bye | First-round bye | First-round bye | 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

| Quarter | 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.
The game is considered one of the greatest playoff games in modern NFL history.

#### NFC Championship: at (1) Carolina Panthers

| Quarter | 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 :
| viewtalkedit | 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

NFCvte :
| # | 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 | Green Bay Packers | North | 10 | 6 | 0 | .625 | 3–3 | 7–5 | .531 | .450 | L2 |
| 6 | 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 | St. Louis Rams | West | 7 | 9 | 0 | .438 | 4–2 | 6–6 | .527 | .482 | L1 |
| 9 | Detroit Lions | North | 7 | 9 | 0 | .438 | 3–3 | 6–6 | .535 | .429 | W3 |
| 10 | Philadelphia Eagles | East | 7 | 9 | 0 | .438 | 3–3 | 4–8 | .508 | .473 | W1 |
| 11 | New Orleans Saints | South | 7 | 9 | 0 | .438 | 3–3 | 5–7 | .504 | .402 | W2 |
| 12 | New York Giants | East | 6 | 10 | 0 | .375 | 2–4 | 4–8 | .500 | .396 | L3 |
| 13 | Chicago Bears | North | 6 | 10 | 0 | .375 | 1–5 | 3–9 | .547 | .469 | L1 |
| 14 | 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 ||||||||||||
| 1 2 Green Bay finished ahead of Seattle based on head-to-head victory. 1 2 3 4 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. 1 2 3 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. ||||||||||||