# 2006 Arizona Cardinals season

The 2006 season was the Arizona Cardinals' 87th in the National Football League (NFL), their 19th in Arizona and the third and final under head coach Dennis Green. The season began with the team trying to improve on their 5–11 record in 2005. They also moved into the Cardinals Stadium in Glendale, Arizona (one of the western suburbs of Phoenix), the first-ever stadium in the United States with a retractable playing surface. The stadium was christened University of Phoenix Stadium on September 26, and managed to sell out every home game. Despite a somewhat promising start, the team suffered a few setbacks, including key losses to the Dallas Cowboys and most memorably the eventual NFC Champion Chicago Bears, and ended the season (again) at a disappointing 5–11 record. Head coach Dennis Green was fired after the season, replaced by Ken Whisenhunt.

## Offseason

On March 12, 2006, the Cardinals acquired former Colts running back Edgerrin James through free agency, by signing him to a four-year, $30 million contract.
The Cardinals then selected the 2004 Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Matt Leinart with the 10th pick of the 2006 NFL draft. Leinart played for the University of Southern California and won 1½ national championships with the team in 2003 and 2004.
Leinart missed the first two weeks of the 2006 Cardinals training camp (and the opening game of the preseason) due to prolonged contract negotiations, but on August 15, the Arizona Republic, KTAR radio and ESPN reported that Leinart agreed to a six-year contract that could earn him a maximum of $51 million, according to his agent, Tom Condon. The contract reportedly contained $14 million in guaranteed money, and involved "escalator" clauses to increase Leinart's salary in the later years of the deal should he meet certain playing-time incentives.
The Cardinals also selected another USC alum, guard Taitusi "Deuce" Lutui in the 3rd round, followed by Georgia tight end Leonard Pope, Michigan defensive tackle Gabriel Watson, Louisville linebacker Brandon Johnson, Virginia Tech defensive tackle Jonathan Lewis, and Brigham Young wide receiver Todd Watkins. This as well as the duo Anquan Boldin and Larry Fitzgerald at wide receiver, eventually made the Cardinals a serious threat in the NFC West.

### Arizona Cardinals Draft

2006 Arizona Cardinals draft :
| Round | Pick | Player | Position | College |
| 1 | 10 | Matt Leinart | QB | USC |
| 2 | 41 | Deuce Lutui | G | USC |
| 3 | 72 | Leonard Pope | WR | Georgia |
| 4 | 107 | Gabe Watson | DT | Michigan |
| 5 | 142 | Brandon Johnson | LB | Louisville |
| 6 | 177 | Jonathan Lewis | DT | Virginia Tech |
| 7 | 218 | Todd Watkins | WR | BYU |
| Made roster † Pro Football Hall of Fame * Made at least one Pro Bowl during career ||||||

## Schedule

In the 2006 regular season, the Cardinals' non-divisional, conference opponents were primarily from the NFC North, although they also played the Dallas Cowboys from the NFC East, and the Atlanta Falcons from the NFC South. Their non-conference opponents were from the AFC West.
| Week | Date | Opponent | Result | Record | Venue | Attendance |
| 1 | September 10 | San Francisco 49ers | W 34–27 | 1–0 | Cardinals Stadium | 63,407 |
| 2 | September 17 | at Seattle Seahawks | L 10–21 | 1–1 | Qwest Field | 67,470 |
| 3 | September 24 | St. Louis Rams | L 14–16 | 1–2 | Cardinals Stadium | 63,278 |
| 4 | October 1 | at Atlanta Falcons | L 10–32 | 1–3 | Georgia Dome | 68,981 |
| 5 | October 8 | Kansas City Chiefs | L 20–23 | 1–4 | University of Phoenix Stadium | 63,445 |
| 6 | October 16 | Chicago Bears | L 23–24 | 1–5 | University of Phoenix Stadium | 63,977 |
| 7 | October 22 | at Oakland Raiders | L 9–22 | 1–6 | McAfee Coliseum | 61,595 |
| 8 | October 29 | at Green Bay Packers | L 14–31 | 1–7 | Lambeau Field | 70,809 |
| 9 | Bye | Bye | Bye | Bye | Bye | Bye |
| 10 | November 12 | Dallas Cowboys | L 10–27 | 1–8 | University of Phoenix Stadium | 63,926 |
| 11 | November 19 | Detroit Lions | W 17–10 | 2–8 | University of Phoenix Stadium | 63,348 |
| 12 | November 26 | at Minnesota Vikings | L 26–31 | 2–9 | Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome | 63,483 |
| 13 | December 3 | at St. Louis Rams | W 34–20 | 3–9 | Edward Jones Dome | 65,612 |
| 14 | December 10 | Seattle Seahawks | W 27–21 | 4–9 | University of Phoenix Stadium | 63,603 |
| 15 | December 17 | Denver Broncos | L 20–37 | 4–10 | University of Phoenix Stadium | 63,845 |
| 16 | December 24 | at San Francisco 49ers | W 26–20 | 5–10 | Monster Park | 67,751 |
| 17 | December 31 | at San Diego Chargers | L 20–27 | 5–11 | Qualcomm Stadium | 66,492 |
Note: Intra-division opponents are in bold text.

## Standings

NFC West :
| viewtalkedit | W | L | T | PCT | DIV | CONF | PF | PA | STK |
| $^{(4)}$ Seattle Seahawks | 9 | 7 | 0 | .563 | 3–3 | 7–5 | 335 | 341 | W1 |
| St. Louis Rams | 8 | 8 | 0 | .500 | 2–4 | 6–6 | 367 | 381 | W3 |
| San Francisco 49ers | 7 | 9 | 0 | .438 | 3–3 | 5–7 | 298 | 412 | W1 |
| Arizona Cardinals | 5 | 11 | 0 | .313 | 4–2 | 5–7 | 314 | 389 | L1 |

## Regular season

The Cardinals' Ring of Honor was started in 2006 to mark the opening of University of Phoenix Stadium. It honors former Cardinal greats from all eras of the franchise's history. Following is a list of inductees and the dates that they were inducted.
* Charles Bidwill, Owner (8/12/2006)
* Jimmy Conzelman, Coach (8/12/2006)
* Dan Dierdorf, T (10/16/2006)
* John "Paddy" Driscoll, QB (8/12/2006)
* Marshall Goldberg, HB (8/12/2006)
* Dick "Night Train" Lane, DB (8/12/2006)
* Ollie Matson, HB (8/12/2006)
* Ernie Nevers, FB (8/12/2006)
* Charley Trippi, HB/QB (8/12/2006)
* Roger Wehrli, CB (10/14/2007)
* Larry Wilson, S (9/10/2006)
* Pat Tillman, S (11/12/2006)

### Week 1: vs. San Francisco 49ers

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| 49ers | 7 | 7 | 7 | 6 | 27 |
| Cardinals | 21 | 3 | 7 | 3 | 34 |
at Cardinals Stadium, Glendale, Arizona
* Date: September 10
* Game time: 1:15 p.m. MST
* Game weather: None (retractable roof closed)
* Game attendance: 63,407
* Referee: Ed Hochuli
* TV announcers (FOX): Josh Lewin, Bill Maas, Kevin McCabe
* Box Score
Game information :
First quarter
SF – Vernon Davis 31-yard pass from Alex Smith (Joe Nedney kick), 11:45. 49ers 7–0. Drive: 7 plays, 79 yards, 3:15.
ARI – Troy Walters 2-yard pass from Kurt Warner (Neil Rackers kick), 7:52. Tied 7–7. Drive: 7 plays, 74 yards, 3:53.
ARI – Edgerrin James 1-yard run (Neil Rackers kick), 5:51. Cardinals 14–7. Drive: 3 plays, 5 yards, 1:07.
ARI – Anquan Boldin 6-yard pass from Kurt Warner (Neil Rackers kick), 0:59. Cardinals 21–7. Drive: 6 plays, 41 yards, 3:14.
Second quarter
SF – Frank Gore 4-yard run (Joe Nedney kick), 13:34. Cardinals 21–14. Drive: 6 plays, 79 yards, 2:25.
ARI – Neil Rackers 36-yard field goal, 4:42. Cardinals 24–14. Drive: 10 plays, 63 yards, 5:43.
Third quarter
SF – Frank Gore 2-yard run (Joe Nedney kick), 7:41. Cardinals 24–21. Drive: 2 plays, 7 yards, 0:46.
ARI – Adam Bergen 7-yard pass from Kurt Warner (Neil Rackers kick), 2:19. Cardinals 31–21. Drive: 10 plays, 86 yards, 5:22.
Fourth quarter
SF – Joe Nedney 22-yard field goal, 8:52. Cardinals 31–24. Drive: 4 plays, 1 yards, 1:29.
ARI – Neil Rackers 30-yard field goal, 1:50. Cardinals 34–24. Drive: 13 plays, 68 yards, 7:02.
SF – Joe Nedney 44-yard field goal, 0:32. Cardinals 34–27. Drive: 6 plays, 44 yards, 1:18.
Top passers
SF – Alex Smith – 23/40, 288 yards, TD
ARI – Kurt Warner – 23/37, 301 yards, 3 TD
Top rushers
SF – Frank Gore – 16 rushes, 87 yards, 2 TD
ARI – Edgerrin James – 26 rushes, 73 yards, TD
Top receivers
SF – Antonio Bryant – 4 receptions, 114 yards
ARI – Larry Fitzgerald – 9 receptions, 133 yards :
The Cardinals opened the regular season at home against the San Francisco 49ers on September 10. This game was the inaugural regular season game played at Cardinals Stadium. In the first quarter, Niners QB Alex Smith and TE Vernon Davis scored the inaugural regular season TD in the new stadium as they connected on a 31-yard pass. The Cardinals responded, as QB Kurt Warner threw the first TD pass by a Cardinals player in the new stadium on a 2-yard strike to WR Troy Walters. Newly acquired RB Edgerrin James provided the first rushing touchdown in their new stadium on a 1-yard strike. Afterwards, Warner threw another TD pass, this time to WR Anquan Boldin. In the second quarter, Niners RB Frank Gore helped San Francisco get closer as he ran on a 4-yard TD play. Kicker Neil Rackers helped improve the Cardinals' lead, as he kicked a 36-yard field goal. In the third quarter, both sides each got a touchdown. S.F.’s Gore scored on a 2-yard run, while Arizona's Warner threw a 7-yard TD to TE Adam Bergen. In the fourth quarter, it was all field goals to end the game, as Niners kicker Joe Nedney kicked a 22-yard field goal. Then, Rackers helped Arizona on a 30-yard field goal. Even though Nedney kicked one more field goal for San Francisco (a 44-yarder), the Cardinals escaped with the win and a 1–0 start.

### Week 2: at Seattle Seahawks

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Cardinals | 0 | 0 | 3 | 7 | 10 |
| Seahawks | 14 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 21 |
at Qwest Field, Seattle, Washington
* Date: September 17
* Game time: 12:05 p.m. MST and PDT
* Game weather: 61 °F (16 °C)
* Game attendance: 67,470
* Referee: Larry Nemmers
* Box Score
Game information :
First quarter
SEA – Shaun Alexander 2-yard run (Josh Brown kick), 10:43. Seahawks 7–0. Drive: 10 plays, 80 yards, 4:17.
SEA – Darrell Jackson 49-yard pass from Matt Hasselbeck (Josh Brown kick), 7:57. Seahawks 14–0. Drive: 7 plays, 74 yards, 3:44.
Second quarter
No scoring plays
Third quarter
ARI – Neil Rackers 43-yard field goal, 11:36. Seahawks 14–3. Drive: 5 plays, 17 yards, 2:33.
Fourth quarter
SEA – Mack Strong 3-yard run (Josh Brown kick), 12:13. Seahawks 21–3. Drive: 11 plays, 80 yards, 4:33.
ARI – Bryant Johnson 40-yard pass from Kurt Warner (Neil Rackers kick), 11:20. Seahawks 21–10. Drive: 8 plays, 72 yards, 3:02.
Top passers
ARI – Kurt Warner – 24/38, 231 yards, TD, INT
SEA – Matt Hasselbeck – 12/27, 221 yards, TD, 2 INT
Top rushers
ARI – Edgerrin James – 18 rushes, 64 yards
SEA – Shaun Alexander – 26 rushes, 89 yards, TD
Top receivers
ARI – Anquan Boldin – 6 receptions, 62 yards
SEA – Darrell Jackson – 5 receptions, 127 yards, TD :
For Week 2, the Cardinals flew to the Northwest to take on the defending NFC Champion Seattle Seahawks. From the get-go, the Cardinals trailed, as the opposing RB Shaun Alexander to score a TD on a 2-yard run. Then, Arizona allowed opposing QB Matt Hasselbeck to complete a 49-yard TD pass to WR Darrell Jackson. There wasn't any more scoring by either team for the remainder of the half. In the third quarter, the Cardinals finally got on the border with kicker Neil Rackers nailing a 43-yard field goal. However, Seattle managed to put the game away with FB Mack Strong's 3-yard TD run. The Cardinals got a TD, with QB Kurt Warner completing a 40-yard pass to WR Bryant Johnson, but the Seahawks were the better team and the Cardinals fell to 1–1.

### Week 3: vs. St. Louis Rams

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Rams | 0 | 13 | 3 | 0 | 16 |
| Cardinals | 7 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 14 |
at Cardinals Stadium, Glendale, Arizona
* Date: September 18
* Game time: 1:15 p.m. MST
* Game weather: None (retractable roof closed)
* Game attendance: 63,278
* Referee: Bill Carollo
* Box Score
Game information :
First quarter
ARI – Larry Fitzgerald 12-yard pass from Kurt Warner (Neil Rackers kick), 7:04. Cardinals 7–0. Drive: 8 plays, 45 yards, 4:17.
Second quarter
STL – Jeff Wilkins 26-yard field goal, 11:25. Cardinals 7–3. Drive: 11 plays, 72 yards, 3:35.
STL – Torry Holt 9-yard pass from Marc Bulger (Jeff Wilkins kick), 3:20. Rams 10–7. Drive: 5 plays, 94 yards, 2:54.
STL – Jeff Wilkins 47-yard field goal, 0:00. Rams 13–7. Drive: 8 plays, 16 yards, 3:05.
Third quarter
STL – Jeff Wilkins 21-yard field goal, 8:08. Rams 16–7. Drive: 13 plays, 77 yards, 6:52.
Fourth quarter
ARI – Edgerrin James 6-yard run (Neil Rackers kick), 4:13. Rams 16–14. Drive: 16 plays, 87 yards, 8:24.
Top passers
STL – Marc Bulger – 21/31, 309 yards, TD
ARI – Kurt Warner – 19/28, 256 yards, TD, 3 INT
Top rushers
STL – Steven Jackson – 24 rushes, 62 yards
ARI – Edgerrin James – 24 rushes, 94 yards, TD
Top receivers
STL – Torry Holt – 8 receptions, 120 yards, TD
ARI – Anquan Boldin – 10 receptions, 129 yards :
The Cardinals returned home to face their third NFC West opponent, the St. Louis Rams. QB Kurt Warner drew first blood against his former team, as completed a 12-yard TD strike to WR Larry Fitzgerald for the only score of the first quarter. However, in the second quarter, it was all St. Louis. Kicker Jeff Wilkins got a 26-yard field goal, QB Marc Bulger completed a 9-yard pass to WR Torry Holt, and Wilkens got a 47-yard field goal as time ran out on the first half. In the third quarter, Wilkens helped the Rams increase their lead with a 21-yard field, which was the only score of the third quarter. In the fourth quarter, even a valiant effort for a comeback, the only score that Arizona could muster was a 6-yard TD run by RB Edgerrin James. After a Bulger fumble deep in St. Louis territory while trying to run out the clock set up the Cardinals for an easy chip shot field goal to win, Warner fumbled a snap and St. Louis recovered to seal the victory. Adding to Warner's three interceptions, the Cardinals got their first loss in their new stadium as they fell to 1–2. A few days afterward, ESPN reported that rookie QB Matt Leinart would be starting the next game. However, the next day, Arizona's head coach announced that the club would be sticking with the veteran Warner.

### Week 4: at Atlanta Falcons

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Cardinals | 3 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 10 |
| Falcons | 6 | 6 | 10 | 10 | 32 |
at Georgia Dome, Atlanta, Georgia
* Date: October 1
* Game time: 1:00 p.m. EDT/10:00 a.m. MST
* Game weather: None (indoor stadium)
* Game attendance: 68,981
* Referee: Gene Steratore
* Box Score
Game information :
First quarter
ATL – Morten Andersen 34-yard field goal, 10:55. Falcons 3–0. Drive: 4 plays, 8 yards, 2:21.
ATL – Morten Andersen 40-yard field goal, 8:19. Falcons 6–0. Drive: 5 plays, 27 yards, 1:34.
ARI – Neil Rackers 29-yard field goal, 2:30. Falcons 6–3. Drive: 12 plays, 71 yards, 5:49.
Second quarter
ATL – Michael Koenen 51-yard field goal, 14:45. Falcons 9–3. Drive: 8 plays, 34 yards, 2:45.
ARI – Adrian Wilson 99-yard interception return (Neil Rackers kick), 5:59. Cardinals 10–9.
ATL – Morten Andersen 36-yard field goal, 0:10. Falcons 12–10. Drive: 11 plays, 73 yards, 3:16.
Third quarter
ATL – Morten Andersen 26-yard field goal, 7:08. Falcons 15–10. Drive: 16 plays, 67 yards, 7:52.
ATL – DeAngelo Hall 37-yard interception return (Morten Andersen kick), 4:59. Falcons 22–10.
Fourth quarter
ATL – Jerious Norwood 78-yard run (Morten Andersen kick), 13:18. Falcons 29–10. Drive: 1 play, 78 yards, 0:12.
ATL – Morten Andersen 28-yard field goal, 11:00. Falcons 32–10. Drive: 4 plays, 4 yards, 1:30.
Top passers
ARI – Kurt Warner – 11/20, 128 yards, INT
ATL – Michael Vick – 13/22, 153 yards, INT
Top rushers
ARI – Edgerrin James – 20 rushes, 41 yards
ATL – Jerious Norwood – 6 rushes, 106 yards, TD
Top receivers
ARI – Larry Fitzgerald – 4 receptions, 71 yards
ATL – Ashley Lelie – 2 receptions, 61 yards :
Hoping to recover from a two-game skid, the Cardinals flew to the Georgia Dome for a Week 4 match-up with the Atlanta Falcons. From the get-go, the Cardinals trailed, as Falcons kicker Morten Andersen completed a 34-yard and a 40-yard field goal in the opening period. The Cardinals responded with a 29-yard field goal by kicker Neil Rackers. In the second quarter, Arizona continued to trail, as Koenan belted a 51-yard field goal for Atlanta. The Cardinals struck back with SS Adrian Wilson returning an interception 99 yards for a touchdown, but that was the only time that the Cardinals saw the lead, as Andersen got a 36-yard field goal to give the Falcons the lead at halftime. In the second half, the Cardinals got shot down and shut-out, as Atlanta scored 20 unanswered points (Andersen's 26-yard field goal, CB DeAngelo Hall's 37-yard interception return in the third quarter, rookie RB Jerious Norwood's 78-yard TD run and Andersen's 28-yard field goal in the fourth quarter). Not even QB Matt Leinart, who replaced QB Kurt Warner in the fourth quarter, could save Arizona from dropping their third straight game, as the Cardinals fell to 1–3. The game showed just how much the Cardinals had to improve their offensive line, as they were whipped for the whole game by the Falcons defensive line.

### Week 5: vs. Kansas City Chiefs

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Chiefs | 0 | 10 | 0 | 13 | 23 |
| Cardinals | 14 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 20 |
at University of Phoenix Stadium, Glendale, Arizona
* Date: October 8
* Game time: 1:05 p.m. MST
* Game weather: None (retractable roof closed)
* Game attendance: 63,445
* Referee: Terry McAulay
* TV announcers (CBS): Ian Eagle, Solomon Wilcots
* Box Score
Game information :
First quarter
ARI – Anquan Boldin 49-yard pass from Matt Leinart (Neil Rackers kick), 12:19. Cardinals 7–0. Drive: 5 plays, 60 yards, 2:41.
ARI – Larry Fitzgerald 5-yard pass from Matt Leinart (Neil Rackers kick), 6:12. Cardinals 14–0. Drive: 7 plays, 41 yards, 3:19.
Second quarter
KC – Lawrence Tynes 45-yard field goal, 12:01. Cardinals 14–3. Drive: 8 plays, 25 yards, 3:48
KC – Larry Johnson 9-yard pass from Damon Huard (Lawrence Tynes kick), 3:26. Cardinals 14–10. Drive: 3 plays, 6 yards, 0:57.
ARI – Neil Rackers 41-yard field goal, 0:42. Cardinals 17–10. Drive: 4 plays, 9 yards, 0:50.
Third quarter
ARI – Neil Rackers 45-yard field goal, 10:06. Cardinals 20–10. Drive: 6 plays, 42 yards, 3:31.
Fourth quarter
KC – Samie Parker 15-yard pass from Damon Huard (Lawrence Tynes kick), 9:35. Cardinals 20–17. Drive: 7 plays, 66 yards, 4:04.
KC – Lawrence Tynes 40-yard field goal, 5:06. Tied 20–20. Drive: 4 plays, 0 yards, 0:47.
KC – Lawrence Tynes 19-yard field goal, 1:36. Chiefs 23–20. Drive: 5 plays, 85 yards, 0:55.
Top passers
KC – Damon Huard – 26/38, 288 yards, 2 TD
ARI – Matt Leinart – 22/35, 253 yards, 2 TD, INT
Top rushers
KC – Larry Johnson – 16 rushes, 36 yards
ARI – Edgerrin James – 24 rushes, 71 yards
Top receivers
KC – Larry Johnson – 6 receptions, 106 yards, TD
ARI – Bryant Johnson – 6 receptions, 82 yards :
The Cardinals hosted a close contest with the Kansas City Chiefs. The game was the first at the newly christened University of Phoenix Stadium, which signed its naming rights deal with the Cardinals two days after Arizona's last home game vs. St. Louis. The Cards started off hot as Matt Leinart, making his first NFL start, threw two touchdowns in the first quarter to his two top targets, Anquan Boldin and Larry Fitzgerald. The Chiefs responded early in the second quarter with a 45-yard field goal by kicker Lawrence Tynes, and a touchdown pass from quarterback Damon Huard to running back Larry Johnson. Cards kicker Neil Rackers added a 41-yard field at the end of the first half. Another Rackers field goal, this time from 45 yards, accounted for the only score in the third quarter. The Chiefs then scored 13 unanswered points to win the game, with a touchdown pass from Huard to Samie Parker, and two field goals by Tynes (40, 19). Tynes' last field goal was set up by a 78-yard screen pass from Huard to Johnson. Johnson suffered a sprained neck at the end of the play on a violent face mask tackle by Cards' cornerback Antrel Rolle, who was fined $12,500 for the penalty. A last second 51-yard field goal attempt by Rackers to send the game to overtime failed, giving the Cards their fourth straight loss. During the game Larry Fitzgerald pulled a hamstring and missed 3 games, returning Week 10 against Dallas.

### Week 6: vs. Chicago Bears

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Bears | 0 | 0 | 10 | 14 | 24 |
| Cardinals | 14 | 6 | 3 | 0 | 23 |
at University of Phoenix Stadium, Glendale, Arizona
* Date: October 16
* Game time: 5:40 p.m. MST
* Game weather: 73 °F (23 °C) (retractable roof open)
* Game attendance: 63,977
* Referee: Jerome Boger
* TV announcers (ESPN): Mike Tirico, Joe Theismann, and Tony Kornheiser
* Box Score
Game information :
First quarter
ARI – Bryant Johnson 11-yard pass from Matt Leinart (Neil Rackers kick), 7:06. Cardinals 7–0. Drive: 12 plays, 77 yards, 6:52.
ARI – Anquan Boldin 26-yard pass from Matt Leinart (Neil Rackers kick), 0:54. Cardinals 14–0. Drive: 3 plays, 25 yards, 1:32.
Second quarter
ARI – Neil Rackers 41-yard field goal, 4:15. Cardinals 17–0. Drive: 7 plays, 10 yards, 3:50.
ARI – Neil Rackers 28-yard field goal, 0:00. Cardinals 20–0. Drive: 5 plays, 22 yards, 2:10.
Third quarter
CHI – Robbie Gould 23-yard field goal, 7:22. Cardinals 20–3. Drive: 13 plays, 64 yards, 5:49.
ARI – Neil Rackers 29-yard field goal, 1:47. Cardinals 23–3. Drive: 13 plays, 49 yards, 5:35.
CHI – Mike Brown 3-yard fumble return (Robbie Gould kick), 0:02. Cardinals 23–10.
Fourth quarter
CHI – Charles Tillman 40-yard fumble return (Robbie Gould kick), 5:00. Cardinals 23–17.
CHI – Devin Hester 83-yard punt return (Robbie Gould kick), 2:58. Bears 24–23.
Top passers
CHI – Rex Grossman – 14/37, 144 yards, 4 INT
ARI – Matt Leinart – 24/42, 232 yards, 2 TD
Top rushers
CHI – Thomas Jones – 11 rushes, 43 yards
ARI – Edgerrin James – 36 rushes, 55 yards
Top receivers
CHI – Desmond Clark – 4 receptions, 61 yards
ARI – Anquan Boldin – 12 receptions, 136 yards, TD :
The Cards came out smoking early as QB Matt Leinart for the second straight week threw two touchdown passes in the first quarter, connecting with wide receivers Bryant Johnson and Anquan Boldin. Cards K Neil Rackers converted field goals of 41 and 28 yards respectively to give the Cards a seemingly insurmountable 20–0 halftime lead. During a halftime ceremony former St. Louis Cardinals tackle Dan Dierdorf was inducted into the stadium's ring of honor. The Cards held Bears QB Rex Grossman in check, forcing him into six turnovers (four interceptions and two fumbles). Bears K Robbie Gould drilled a 23-yard field goal midway through the third quarter for the Bears only offensive points of the night. Cards K Rackers responded with a 29-yard field goal of his own to extend the lead to 23–3. The Bears went on to score 21 unanswered points on defense and special teams, two fumble recoveries by Mike Brown and Charles Tillman respectively, and an 82-yard punt return touchdown by rookie Devin Hester. Cards K Rackers was set up to win the game with a 40-yard field goal in the waning minutes, but the kick sailed wide left and they dropped to 1–5 on the season.
The loss marked the first time in history that a team blew a 20-point lead to an opponent who did not score any offensive touchdowns. At the post-game press conference, coach Dennis Green erupted at reporters. "The Bears are who we thought they were! That's why we took the damn field! Now, if you want to crown them, then crown their ass! But they are who we thought they were, and we let them off the hook!" He then smacked the microphone before storming out of the room. The clip quickly became a highlight of sports shows and popular online. (An edited version of the clip is being used in current Coors Light advertisements). Chicago Bears QB Rex Grossman told Cardinals QB Matt Leinart after the game that Arizona deserved to have won that game.

### Week 7: at Oakland Raiders

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Cardinals | 0 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 9 |
| Raiders | 14 | 3 | 5 | 0 | 22 |
at McAfee Coliseum, Oakland, California
* Date: October 22
* Game time: 1:15 p.m. MST and PDT
* Game weather: 67 °F (19 °C)
* Game attendance: 61,595
* Referee: Bill Vinovich
* TV announcers (FOX): Matt Devlin, Tony Siragusa
* Box Score
Game information :
First quarter
OAK – ReShard Lee 1-yard run (Sebastian Janikowski kick), 4:25. Raiders 7–0. Drive: 11 plays, 61 yards, 5:15.
OAK – Randy Moss 32-yard pass from Andrew Walter (Sebastian Janikowski kick), 3:30. Raiders 14–0. Drive: 1 play, 32 yards, 0:08.
Second quarter
OAK – Sebastian Janikowski 31-yard field goal, 14:50. Raiders 17–0. Drive: 6 plays, 23 yards, 1:40.
ARI – Neil Rackers 29-yard field goal, 6:00. Raiders 17–3. Drive: 6 plays, 21 yards, 2:41.
Third quarter
OAK – Sebastian Janikowski 35-yard field goal, 6:50. Raiders 20–3. Drive: 10 plays, 53 yards, 3:55.
OAK – Team safety, 5:46. Raiders 22–3.
ARI – Neil Rackers 45-yard field goal, 3:03. Raiders 22–6. Drive: 5 plays, 17 yards, 2:28.
Fourth quarter
ARI – Neil Rackers 38-yard field goal, 10:07. Raiders 22–9. Drive: 9 plays, 76 yards, 3:58.
Top passers
ARI – Matt Leinart – 13/32, 203 yards, 2 INT
OAK – Andrew Walter – 17/30, 263 yards, TD, INT
Top rushers
ARI – Edgerrin James – 13 rushes, 34 yards
OAK – Justin Fargas – 23 rushes, 66 yards
Top receivers
ARI – Bryant Johnson – 3 receptions, 87 yards
OAK – Randy Moss – 7 receptions, 129 yards, TD :
Hoping to end their horrendous five-game skid, the Cardinals traveled to McAfee Coliseum to face the Oakland Raiders. The Raiders came into the game at 0–5, the only winless team in the NFL. This was the Cardinals’ first game under new offensive coordinator Mike Kruczek, who replaced the fired Keith Rowen in the wake of Arizona's meltdown in the fourth quarter of the game against Chicago.
Arizona had visited Oakland only once before. The Cardinals won 34–31 on an overtime field goal by Bill Gramatica on December 2, 2001. The Raiders won the last meeting with the Cardinals, 41–20 at Sun Devil Stadium on November 24, 2002.
In the first quarter, the Cards string of bad luck continued to haunt them, as Raiders RB ReShard Lee got a 1-yard TD run, while QB Andrew Walter threw a 32-yard TD pass to WR Randy Moss. In the second quarter, both teams swapped field goals. Oakland kicker Sebastian Janikowski got a 31-yard field goal, while Arizona kicker Neil Rackers nailed a 29-yard try. In the third quarter, the Raiders continued to pour on the points, as Janikowski got a 35-yard field goal, while Defensive Tackle Terdell Sands tackles Cardinals RB Marcel Shipp at the goal line for a safety. The only response Arizona could bring up was Rackers kicking a 45-yard field goal. He kicked one more in the fourth quarter (38-yarder), but that was all that the Cardinals produced as they dropped their sixth straight game.

### Week 8: at Green Bay Packers

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Cardinals | 0 | 7 | 7 | 0 | 14 |
| Packers | 7 | 14 | 7 | 3 | 31 |
at Lambeau Field, Green Bay, Wisconsin
* Date: October 22
* Game time: 12:00 p.m. CDT/10:00 a.m. MST
* Game weather: 45 °F (7 °C)
* Game attendance: 70,809
* Referee: Bill Leavy
* Box Score
Game information :
First quarter
GB – David Martin 1-yard pass from Brett Favre (Dave Rayner kick), 5:05. Packers 7–0. Drive: 9 plays, 88 yards, 4:37.
Second quarter
GB – Ahman Green 4-yard run (Dave Rayner kick), 14:22. Packers 14–0. Drive: 9 plays, 70 yards, 3:19.
GB – Ahman Green 2-yard run (Dave Rayner kick), 6:24. Packers 21–0. Drive: 9 plays, 87 yards, 3:25.
ARI – Edgerrin James 1-yard run (Neil Rackers kick), 0:29. Packers 21–7. Drive: 14 plays, 84 yards, 5:55.
Third quarter
GB – Brett Favre 1-yard run (Dave Rayner kick), 7:41. Packers 28–7. Drive: 13 plays, 74 yards, 7:19.
ARI – Troy Walters 17-yard pass from Matt Leinart (Neil Rackers kick), 1:33. Packers 28–14. Drive: 13 plays, 59 yards, 6:08.
Fourth quarter
GB – Dave Rayner 42-yard field goal, 6:56. Packers 31–14. Drive: 10 plays, 47 yards, 6:18.
Top passers
ARI – Matt Leinart – 14/35, 157 yards, TD, INT
GB – Brett Favre – 17/25, 180 yards, TD
Top rushers
ARI – Edgerrin James – 24 rushes, 84 yards, TD
GB – Ahman Green – 21 rushes, 106 yards, 2 TD
Top receivers
ARI – Troy Walters – 5 receptions, 54 yards, TD
GB – Donald Driver – 5 receptions, 48 yards :
The Cards visited Lambeau Field in Green Bay, Wisconsin to take on the Packers. Arizona had not visited Lambeau Field since a 49–24 loss in the final game of the 1999 season on January 2, 2000. The Cardinals defeated the Packers 20–13 in the last meeting between the teams on September 21, 2003, at Sun Devil Stadium. Their 2003 victory stayed as a memory, as the Cardinals dropped their seventh straight game, heading into their bye week at 1–7.
In the wake of this loss, concern for the remainder of the once-promising season was so strong, DE Bertrand Berry led a players-only meeting at the Cardinals HQ in Tempe on November 7. Some days earlier, Berry openly questioned his teammates' commitment to success during an interview on a local radio program.

### Week 10: vs. Dallas Cowboys

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Cowboys | 3 | 10 | 7 | 7 | 27 |
| Cardinals | 0 | 3 | 0 | 7 | 10 |
at University of Phoenix Stadium, Glendale, Arizona
* Date: November 12
* Game time: 2:15 p.m. MST
* Game weather: (retractable roof open)
* Game attendance: 63,926
* Referee: Mike Carey
* Box Score
Game information :
First quarter
DAL – Mike Vanderjagt 28-yard field goal, 0:37. Cowboys 3–0. Drive: 13 plays, 63 yards, 5:55.
Second quarter
DAL – Patrick Crayton 30-yard pass from Tony Romo (Mike Vanderjagt kick), 8:33. Cowboys 10–0. Drive: 7 plays, 78 yards, 3:15.
ARI – Neil Rackers 28-yard field goal, 3:31. Cowboys 10–3. Drive: 13 plays, 65 yards, 5:02.
DAL – Mike Vanderjagt 38-yard field goal, 0:00. Cowboys 13–3. Drive: 11 plays, 60 yards, 3:31.
Third quarter
DAL – Terrell Owens 51-yard pass from Tony Romo (Mike Vanderjagt kick), 5:15. Cowboys 20–3. Drive: 1 play, 51 yards, 0:08.
Fourth quarter
DAL – Marion Barber III 5-yard run (Mike Vanderjagt kick), 14:17. Cowboys 27–3. Drive: 6 plays, 39 yards, 2:59.
ARI – Matt Leinart 3-yard run (Neil Rackers kick), 11:53. Cowboys 27–10. Drive: 6 plays, 78 yards, 2:24.
Top passers
DAL – Tony Romo – 20/29, 308 yards, 2 TD
ARI – Matt Leinart – 20/38, 216 yards, 2 INT
Top rushers
DAL – Marion Barber III – 13 rushes, 65 yards, TD
ARI – Edgerrin James – 15 rushes, 68 yards
Top receivers
DAL – Patrick Crayton – 5 receptions, 104 yards, TD
ARI – Larry Fitzgerald – 6 receptions, 80 yards :
Coming off their Bye Week, the Cardinals went home for a Week 10 fight with their former rival the Dallas Cowboys. In the first quarter, Arizona trailed early as kicker Mike Vanderjagt nailed a 28-yard field goal for the only score of the period. In the second quarter, the Cardinals' year-long struggles continued as QB Tony Romo completed a 30-yard TD pass to WR Patrick Crayton. The Cards responded with a 28-yard field goal by kicker Neil Rackers. Afterwards, Vanderjagt gave the Cowboys some breathing room with a 38-yard field goal as time ran out on the half. In the third quarter, things continued to get worse for Arizona as Romo completed a 51-yard TD pass to WR Terrell Owens for the only score of the period. In the fourth quarter, Dallas wrapped up the game with RB Marion Barber's 5-yard TD run. The Cardinals got a touchdown as QB Matt Leinart got a 3-yard TD run. However, the Cards dropped their eighth straight game and fell to 1–8.

### Week 11: vs. Detroit Lions

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Lions | 0 | 0 | 3 | 7 | 10 |
| Cardinals | 0 | 10 | 7 | 0 | 17 |
at University of Phoenix Stadium, Glendale, Arizona
* Date: November 12
* Game time: 2:05 p.m. MST
* Game weather: None (retractable roof closed)
* Game attendance: 63,348
* Referee: Scott Green
* Box Score
Game information :
First quarter
No scoring plays
Second quarter
ARI – Bryant Johnson 2-yard pass from Matt Leinart (Neil Rackers kick), 6:28. Cardinals 7–0. Drive: 11 plays, 88 yards, 6:39.
ARI – Neil Rackers 36-yard field goal, 1:53. Cardinals 10–0. Drive: 7 plays, 68 yards, 3:01.
Third quarter
ARI – Matt Leinart 9-yard run (Neil Rackers kick), 11:57. Cardinals 17–0. Drive: 6 plays, 86 yards, 3:03.
DET – Jason Hanson 32-yard field goal, 2:50. Cardinals 17–3. Drive: 15 plays, 66 yards, 9:07.
Fourth quarter
DET – Arlen Harris 1-yard run (Jason Hanson kick), 4:35. Cardinals 17–10. Drive: 14 plays, 97 yards, 5:14.
Top passers
DET – Jon Kitna – 23/38, 248 yards, INT
ARI – Matt Leinart – 19/29, 233 yards, TD
Top rushers
DET – Arlen Harris – 10 rushes, 40 yards, TD
ARI – Edgerrin James – 22 rushes, 96 yards
Top receivers
DET – Mike Furrey – 6 receptions, 67 yards
ARI – Anquan Boldin – 5 receptions, 87 yards :
Trying to end their eight-game skid, the Cardinals stayed at home for a Week 11 fight with the Detroit Lions. After a scoreless first quarter, the Cards struck first in the second quarter with QB Matt Leinart completing a 2-yard TD pass to WR Bryant Johnson. Afterwards, kicker Neil Rackers nailed a 36-yard field goal for Arizona. In the third quarter, Leinart scored on a 9-yard run to give the Cardinals a 17–0 lead. However, the Lions started to creep back into the game. It started with kicker Jason Hanson's 32-yard field goal. In the fourth quarter, Detroit started to threaten Arizona's lead as RB Arlen Harris got a 1-yard TD run. The Cardinals' defense held up for the win. Not only did the Cardinals improve to 2–8, but they also snapped their eight-game losing streak.

### Week 12: at Minnesota Vikings

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Cardinals | 7 | 6 | 0 | 13 | 26 |
| Vikings | 7 | 7 | 10 | 7 | 31 |
at Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome, Minneapolis, Minnesota
* Date: November 26
* Game time: 12:05 p.m. CST/11:05 a.m. MST
* Game weather: None (indoor stadium)
* Game attendance: 63,483
* Referee: Jerome Boger
* TV announcers (Fox): Matt Vasgersian and J.C. Pearson
* Box Score
Game information :
First quarter
ARI – J.J. Arrington 99-yard kickoff return (Neil Rackers kick), 14:44. Cardinals 7–0.
MIN – Chester Taylor 1-yard run (Ryan Longwell kick), 9:42. Tied 7–7. Drive: 9 plays, 70 yards, 5:02.
Second quarter
ARI – Neil Rackers 21-yard field goal, 13:28. Cardinals 10–7. Drive: 9 plays, 77 yards, 3:04.
ARI – Neil Rackers 50-yard field goal, 3:48. Cardinals 13–7. Drive: 11 plays, 57 yards, 4:40.
MIN – Marcus Robinson 17-yard pass from Brad Johnson (Ryan Longwell kick), 0:31. Vikings 14–13. Drive: 11 plays, 80 yards, 3:17.
Third quarter
MIN – Billy McMullen 9-yard pass from Brad Johnson (Ryan Longwell kick), 10:37. Vikings 21–13. Drive: 10 plays, 80 yards, 4:23.
MIN – Ryan Longwell 40-yard field goal, 6:38. Vikings 24–13. Drive: 9 plays, 32 yards, 3:28.
Fourth quarter
MIN – Jeff Dugan 3-yard pass from Brad Johnson (Ryan Longwell kick), 12:00. Vikings 31–13. Drive: 7 plays, 35 yards, 3:02.
ARI – Adrian Wilson 99-yard fumble return (pass failed), 10:08. Vikings 31–19.
ARI – Anquan Boldin 9-yard pass from Matt Leinart (Neil Rackers kick), 0:39. Vikings 31–26. Drive: 9 plays, 53 yards, 1:10.
Top passers
ARI – Matt Leinart – 31/51, 405 yards, TD, 2 INT
MIN – Brad Johnson – 27/41, 271 yards, 3 TD
Top rushers
ARI – Edgerrin James – 4 rushes, 15 yards
MIN – Chester Taylor – 27 rushes, 136 yards, TD
Top receivers
ARI – Larry Fitzgerald – 11 receptions, 172 yards
MIN – Marcus Robinson – 7 receptions, 82 yards, TD :
Coming off of their home win over the Lions, the Cardinals flew to the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome for a Week 12 fight with the Minnesota Vikings. This game was noted for the return of head coach Green to Minnesota where he coached from 1992 to 2001. On the very first play of the first quarter, RB J.J. Arrington returned a kickoff 99 yards for a touchdown. The Vikings responded with RB Chester Taylor's 1-yard TD run. In the second quarter, Cards kicker Neil Rackers gave Arizona a 21-yard and a 50-yard field goal for a decent lead. However, the Vikes took the lead with QB Brad Johnson's 17-yard TD pass to WR Marcus Robinson. In the third quarter, more of the Cardinals' year-long ineffectiveness showed as Johnson completed a 9-yard TD pass to WR Billy McMullen, while kicker Ryan Longwell nailed a 40-yard field goal. In the fourth quarter, Minnesota improved its lead on Johnson's 3-yard TD pass to FB Jeff Dugan. Afterwards, Arizona tried to fight back as Strong Safety Adrian Wilson returned a fumble 99 yards for a touchdown, yet it was followed up by a failed two-point conversion. Afterwards, QB Matt Leinart completed a 9-yard TD pass to WR Anquan Boldin. Afterwards, the Vikings wrapped up the game and won. With the loss, the Cardinals fell to 2–9.

### Week 13: at St. Louis Rams

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Cardinals | 7 | 10 | 7 | 10 | 34 |
| Rams | 3 | 0 | 7 | 10 | 20 |
at Edward Jones Dome, St. Louis, Missouri
* Date: December 3
* Game time: 12:00 p.m. CST/11:00 a.m. MST
* Game weather: None (indoor stadium)
* Game attendance: 65,612
* Referee: Ron Winter
* Box Score
Game information :
First quarter
ARI – Marcel Shipp 1-yard run (Neil Rackers kick), 7:38. Cardinals 7–0. Drive: 13 plays, 90 yards, 7:22.
STL – Jeff Wilkins 27-yard field goal, 1:02. Cardinals 7–3. Drive: 13 plays, 64 yards, 6:36.
Second quarter
ARI – Larry Fitzgerald 11-yard pass from Matt Leinart (Neil Rackers kick), 5:49. Cardinals 14–3. Drive: 4 plays, 50 yards, 2:38.
ARI – Neil Rackers 23-yard field goal, 0:18. Cardinals 17–3. Drive: 6 plays, 29 yards, 1:33.
Third quarter
STL – Torry Holt 15-yard pass from Marc Bulger (Jeff Wilkins kick), 12:14. Cardinals 17–10. Drive: 6 plays, 62 yards, 2:46.
ARI – Marcel Shipp 6-yard run (Neil Rackers kick), 2:10. Cardinals 24–10. Drive: 10 plays, 88 yards, 4:03.
Fourth quarter
STL – Jeff Wilkins 37-yard field goal, 14:30. Cardinals 24–13. Drive: 7 plays, 55 yards, 2:40.
ARI – Marcel Shipp 9-yard run (Neil Rackers kick), 8:14. Cardinals 31–13. Drive: 4 plays, 19 yards, 2:13.
ARI – Neil Rackers 20-yard field goal, 1:57. Cardinals 34–13. Drive: 9 plays, 34 yards, 4:38.
STL – Isaac Bruce 1-yard pass from Marc Bulger (Jeff Wilkins kick), 0:35. Cardinals 34–20. Drive: 10 plays, 62 yards, 1:22.
Top passers
ARI – Matt Leinart – 15/24, 186 yards, TD
STL – Marc Bulger – 27/45, 314 yards, 2 TD, 3 INT
Top rushers
ARI – Edgerrin James – 26 rushes, 115 yards
STL – Steven Jackson – 21 rushes, 96 yards
Top receivers
ARI – Larry Fitzgerald – 5 receptions, 46 yards, TD
STL – Torry Holt – 7 receptions, 115 yards, TD :
The Cards visited the Edward Jones Dome in St. Louis (the team's former home) to take on the Rams. The Cardinals won by a score of 34–20. QB Matt Leinart was 15-for-24 for 186 yards and one touchdown; RB Edgerrin James' had his 50th career 100-yard rushing game, and RB Marcel Shipp scored three touchdowns. The Cardinals moved up to 3–9 and they finally managed to acquire their very first road win of the season.

### Week 14: vs. Seattle Seahawks

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Seahawks | 7 | 7 | 7 | 0 | 21 |
| Cardinals | 14 | 3 | 0 | 10 | 27 |
at University of Phoenix Stadium, Glendale, Arizona
* Date: December 10
* Game time: 2:05 p.m. MST
* Game weather: None (retractable roof closed)
* Game attendance: 63,603
* Referee: Gene Steratore
* Box Score
Game information :
First quarter
ARI – Bryant Johnson 56-yard pass from Matt Leinart (Neil Rackers kick), 12:45. Cardinals 7–0. Drive: 1 play, 56 yards, 0:09.
ARI – Edgerrin James 7-yard run (Neil Rackers kick), 3:27. Cardinals 14–0. Drive: 4 plays, 24 yards, 1:58.
SEA – D.J. Hackett 23-yard pass from Matt Hasselbeck (Josh Brown kick), 2:37. Cardinals 14–7. Drive: 2 plays, 70 yards, 0:50.
Second quarter
ARI – Neil Rackers 32-yard field goal, 3:14. Cardinals 17–7. Drive: 11 plays, 60 yards, 6:41.
SEA – Nate Burleson 5-yard pass from Matt Hasselbeck (Josh Brown kick), 0:30. Cardinals 17–14. Drive: 8 plays, 91 yards, 2:44.
Third quarter
SEA – Darrell Jackson 2-yard pass from Matt Hasselbeck (Josh Brown kick), 5:05. Seahawks 21–17. Drive: 11 plays, 57 yards, 5:24.
Fourth quarter
ARI – Larry Fitzgerald 5-yard pass from Matt Leinart (Neil Rackers kick), 14:56. Cardinals 24–21. Drive: 7 plays, 36 yards, 3:28.
ARI – Neil Rackers 40-yard field goal, 3:30. Cardinals 27–21. Drive: 6 plays, 18 yards, 3:33.
Top passers
SEA – Matt Hasselbeck – 20/28, 243 yards, 3 TD
ARI – Matt Leinart – 21/34, 232 yards, 2 TD, INT
Top rushers
SEA – Shaun Alexander – 22 rushes, 76 yards
ARI – Edgerrin James – 26 rushes, 115 yards, TD
Top receivers
SEA – D.J. Hackett – 4 receptions, 104 yards, TD
ARI – Bryant Johnson – 3 receptions, 81 yards, TD :
Coming of their road win over the Rams, the Cardinals went home for an NFC West rematch with the Seattle Seahawks. In the first quarter, the Cards drew first blood with QB Matt Leinart completing a 56-yard TD pass to WR Bryant Johnson, while RB Edgerrin James (who ran for 115 yards on the day) got a 7-yard TD run. The Seahawks responded with QB Matt Hasselbeck's 23-yard TD pass to WR D.J. Hackett. In the second quarter, the Big Red increased its lead with kicker Neil Rackers getting a 32-yard field goal, yet Seattle responded with Hasselbeck's 5-yard TD pass to WR Nate Burleson. In the third quarter, Arizona temporarily lost the lead as Hasselbeck completed a 2-yard TD pass to WR Darrell Jackson for the only score of the period. In the fourth quarter, Arizona reclaimed the lead and won with Leinart's 5-yard TD pass to WR Larry Fitzgerald and Rackers' 40-yard field goal. With the upset win, the Cardinals improved to 4–9.

### Week 15: vs. Denver Broncos

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Broncos | 10 | 6 | 7 | 14 | 37 |
| Cardinals | 0 | 10 | 3 | 7 | 20 |
at University of Phoenix Stadium, Glendale, Arizona
* Date: December 17
* Game time: 2:05 p.m. MST
* Game weather: (retractable roof open)
* Game attendance: 63,845
* Referee: Walt Anderson
* TV announcers (CBS): Jim Nantz, Phil Simms
* Box Score
Game information :
First quarter
DEN – Javon Walker 54-yard pass from Jay Cutler (Jason Elam kick), 12:00. Broncos 7–0. Drive: 3 plays, 65 yards, 1:26.
DEN – Jason Elam 30-yard field goal, 8:51. Broncos 10–0. Drive: 6 plays, 14 yards, 2:57.
Second quarter
DEN – Jason Elam 22-yard field goal, 12:59. Broncos 13–0. Drive: 17 plays, 78 yards, 9:02.
ARI – Neil Rackers 49-yard field goal, 8:12. Broncos 13–3. Drive: 10 plays, 46 yards, 4:47.
ARI – Antonio Smith 4-yard fumble return (Neil Rackers kick), 7:53. Broncos 13–10.
DEN – Jason Elam 30-yard field goal, 0:57. Broncos 16–10. Drive: 13 plays, 66 yards, 6:56.
Third quarter
DEN – Rod Smith 10-yard pass from Jay Cutler (Jason Elam kick), 8:54. Broncos 24–10. Drive: 6 plays, 60 yards, 3:00.
ARI – Neil Rackers 38-yard field goal, 2:19. Broncos 24–13. Drive: 11 plays, 65 yards, 6:35.
Fourth quarter
DEN – Mike Bell 1-yard run (Jason Elam kick), 13:51. Broncos 31–13. Drive: 6 plays, 29 yards, 3:28.
ARI – Edgerrin James 4-yard run (Neil Rackers kick), 7:46. Broncos 31–20. Drive: 13 plays, 80 yards, 6:05.
DEN – Mike Bell 1-yard run (Jason Elam kick), 2:44. Broncos 38–20. Drive: 11 plays, 62 yards, 5:02.
Top passers
DEN – Jay Cutler – 21/31, 261 yards, 2 TD, INT
ARI – Matt Leinart – 20/35, 214 yards, 2 INT
Top rushers
DEN – Mike Bell – 16 rushes, 61 yards, 2 TD
ARI – Edgerrin James – 14 rushes, 63 yards, TD
Top receivers
DEN – Javon Walker – 5 receptions, 84 yards, TD
ARI – Larry Fitzgerald – 5 receptions, 77 yards :
Trying to snap a four-game losing skid, the Broncos flew to the University of Phoenix Stadium for a Week 15 interconference fight with the Arizona Cardinals. The last time these two teams met each other, Denver won 37–7 at Invesco Field at Mile High on December 29, 2002. This time, it was a battle of rookie quarterbacks as Matt Leinart went up against Jay Cutler. Former Cardinals quarterback Jake Plummer had been reduced to a backup, and he never saw action against his former team.
In the first quarter, the Cardinals trailed early as Cutler completed a 54-yard TD pass to WR Javon Walker and kicker Jason Elam nailed a 30-yard field goal. In the second quarter, Arizona trailed even further with Elam's 22-yard field goal. The Cardinals scored as kicker Neil Rackers nailed a 49-yard field goal and DE Antonio Smith returned a fumble 4 yards for a touchdown. However, Denver managed to get one last field goal before halftime as Elam kicked a 30-yard field goal. In the third quarter, more struggles continued as Cutler completed a 10-yard TD pass to WR Rod Smith. Arizona responded with Rackers' 38-yard field goal. In the fourth quarter, the Broncos continued their pounding on the Cards with RB Mike Bell's 1-yard TD run. Even though the Cardinals got a 4-yard TD run by RB Edgerrin James, Denver wrapped up Cutler's first NFL win with another 1-yard TD run by Mike Bell. With the loss, Arizona fell to 4–10.

### Week 16: at San Francisco 49ers

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Cardinals | 10 | 10 | 0 | 6 | 26 |
| 49ers | 3 | 3 | 7 | 7 | 20 |
at Monster Park, San Francisco, California
* Date: December 24
* Game time: 1:05 p.m. PST/2:05 p.m. MST
* Game weather: 50 °F (10 °C)
* Game attendance: 67,751
* Referee: Bill Vinovich
* Box Score
Game information :
First quarter
SF – Joe Nedney 49-yard field goal, 10:19. 49ers 3–0. Drive: 7 plays, 37 yards, 4:41.
ARI – Neil Rackers 25-yard field goal, 7:41. Tied 3–3. Drive: 5 plays, 65 yards, 2:38.
ARI – Marcel Shipp 5-yard run (Neil Rackers kick), 0:59. Cardinals 10–3. Drive: 8 plays, 64 yards, 3:26.
Second quarter
ARI – Larry Fitzgerald 6-yard pass from Matt Leinart (Neil Rackers kick), 8:07. Cardinals 17–3. Drive: 10 plays, 74 yards, 5:12.
ARI – Neil Rackers 39-yard field goal, 1:57. Cardinals 20–3. Drive: 9 plays, 33 yards, 4:30.
SF – Joe Nedney 32-yard field goal, 0:22. Cardinals 20–6. Drive: 8 plays, 56 yards, 1:35.
Third quarter
SF – Frank Gore 2-yard run (Joe Nedney kick), 6:25. Cardinals 20–13. Drive: 6 plays, 46 yards, 3:20.
Fourth quarter
ARI – Neil Rackers 37-yard field goal, 14:57. Cardinals 23–13. Drive: 12 plays, 58 yards, 6:28.
ARI – Neil Rackers 32-yard field goal, 8:28. Cardinals 26–13. Drive: 4 plays, 4 yards, 1:41.
SF – Frank Gore 1-yard run (Joe Nedney kick), 5:00. Cardinals 26–20. Drive: 8 plays, 58 yards, 3:28.
Top passers
ARI – Matt Leinart – 9/13, 162 yards, TD
SF – Alex Smith – 18/29, 190 yards, INT
Top rushers
ARI – Edgerrin James – 29 rushes, 105 yards
SF – Frank Gore – 11 rushes, 51 yards, 2 TD
Top receivers
ARI – Larry Fitzgerald – 4 receptions, 93 yards, TD
SF – Vernon Davis – 4 receptions, 91 yards :
Hoping to rebound from their home loss to the Broncos, the Cardinals flew to Monster Park for an NFC West rematch with the San Francisco 49ers. In the first quarter, the 49ers struck first with kicker Joe Nedney nailing a 49-yard field goal. Afterwards, the Cards took the lead with kicker Neil Rackers getting a 25-yard field goal and RB Marcel Shipp getting a 5-yard TD run. In the second quarter, Arizona increased its lead with rookie QB Matt Leinart completing a 6-yard TD pass to WR Larry Fitzgerald, while Rackers kicked a 39-yard field goal. Afterwards, San Francisco responded with Nedney kicking a 32-yard field goal. In the third quarter, the 49ers started to retaliate with RB Frank Gore getting a 2-yard TD run for the only score of the period. In the fourth quarter, the Cards increased its lead with Rackers kicking a 37-yard and a 32-yard field goal. Even though the Niners got another score as Gore managed to get a 1-yard TD run, Arizona held on to sweep San Francisco. With the win, the Cardinals improved to 5–10.

### Week 17: at San Diego Chargers

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Cardinals | 7 | 0 | 3 | 10 | 20 |
| Chargers | 3 | 14 | 10 | 0 | 27 |
at Qualcomm Stadium, San Diego, California
* Date: December 31
* Game time: 5:15 p.m. PST/6:15 p.m. MST
* Game weather: 57 °F (14 °C)
* Game attendance: 66,492
* Referee: Gerry Austin
* Box Score
Game information :
First quarter
ARI – Edgerrin James 8-yard run (Neil Rackers kick), 6:21. Cardinals 7–0. Drive: 9 plays, 78 yards, 3:59.
SD – Nate Kaeding 47-yard field goal, 2:23. Cardinals 7–3. Drive: 8 plays, 36 yards, 3:58.
Second quarter
SD – Antonio Gates 33-yard pass from Philip Rivers (Nate Kaeding kick), 10:25. Chargers 10–7. Drive: 10 plays, 76 yards, 4:58.
SD – Vincent Jackson 14-yard pass from Philip Rivers (Nate Kaeding kick), 1:49. Chargers 17–7. Drive: 10 plays, 79 yards, 5:09.
Third quarter
SD – Tim Dobbins 0-yard fumble return (Nate Kaeding kick), 12:25. Chargers 24–7.
SD – Nate Kaeding 35-yard field goal, 6:23. Chargers 27–7. Drive: 8 plays, 45 yards, 4:25.
ARI – Neil Rackers 28-yard field goal, 1:31. Chargers 27–10. Drive: 9 plays, 73 yards, 4:52.
Fourth quarter
ARI – Larry Fitzgerald 9-yard pass from Kurt Warner (Neil Rackers kick), 9:06. Chargers 27–17. Drive: 7 plays, 86 yards, 3:41.
ARI – Neil Rackers 20-yard field goal, 3:23. Chargers 27–20. Drive: 9 plays, 84 yards, 4:02.
Top passers
ARI – Kurt Warner – 22/32, 356 yards, TD
SD – Philip Rivers – 19/24, 231 yards, 2 TD, INT
Top rushers
ARI – Edgerrin James – 16 rushes, 66 yards, TD
SD – LaDainian Tomlinson – 16 rushes, 66 yards
Top receivers
ARI – Anquan Boldin – 4 receptions, 112 yards
SD – Eric Parker – 5 receptions, 62 yards :
Trying to end their lackluster season on a high note, the Cardinals played their last game of the year at Qualcomm Stadium against the playoff-bound San Diego Chargers. In the first quarter, Arizona struck first with RB Edgerrin James getting an 8-yard TD run, yet the Chargers managed to get a 47-yard field goal from kicker Nate Kaeding. In the second quarter, the Cards' year-long ineffectiveness continued to show as QB Philip Rivers completed a 33-yard TD pass to TE Antonio Gates and a 14-yard TD pass to WR Vincent Jackson. In the third quarter, San Diego wrapped up the game with LB Tim Dobbins recovering a fumble the Cardinals' endzone for a touchdown, while Kaeding kicked a 35-yard field goal. Afterwards, Arizona tried to make a comeback and it started with kicker Neil Rackers getting a 28-yard field goal. In the fourth quarter, the Cards continued with their attempt at a comeback as QB Kurt Warner completed a 9-yard TD pass to WR Larry Fitzgerald and a 20-yard field goal by Rackers. However, their comeback fell short. With the loss, the Cardinals ended their season at 5–11, and with head coach Dennis Green's dismissal.