# 2021 Arizona Cardinals season

The 2021 season was the Arizona Cardinals' 102nd season in the National Football League (NFL), their 34th in Arizona and their third under head coach Kliff Kingsbury. The Cardinals started 7–0 for the first time in 47 years when they were based in St. Louis. They improved from their 8–8 season from the previous year with a 23–13 victory over the Seattle Seahawks in Week 11 and clinched their first winning season since 2015. Despite a loss to the Indianapolis Colts in Week 16, the Cardinals clinched a playoff berth for the first time since 2015 after the Minnesota Vikings lost to the Los Angeles Rams.
Despite an impressive 7–0 start and acquiring All-Pros J. J. Watt and A. J. Green prior to the season starting, the team suffered their second consecutive late-season collapse, only winning four out of their last ten games, resulting in them losing their lead in the division and dropping to the fifth seed. In the Wild Card of the playoffs, the Cardinals fell to the rival Los Angeles Rams on their way to win Super Bowl LVI.
In the offseason, cornerback Patrick Peterson left in free agency after 10 years, and wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald chose not to sign with any team after 17 years with the franchise.

## Roster changes

| Position | Player | Tag | 2021 team | Contract |
| TE | Dan Arnold | UFA | Carolina Panthers | 2–year |
| S | Chris Banjo | UFA | Arizona Cardinals | 1–year |
| OT | Kelvin Beachum | UFA | Arizona Cardinals | 2–year |
| DE | Angelo Blackson | UFA | Chicago Bears | 2–year |
| LB | De'Vondre Campbell | UFA | Green Bay Packers | 1–year |
| TE | Darrell Daniels | UFA | Arizona Cardinals | 1-year |
| TE | Seth DeValve | UFA | N/A | N/A |
| RB | Kenyan Drake | UFA | Las Vegas Raiders | 2–year |
| LB | Kylie Fitts | ERFA | Arizona Cardinals | 1–year |
| WR | Larry Fitzgerald | UFA | N/A | N/A |
| RB | D. J. Foster | UFA | N/A | N/A |
| OG | Max Garcia | UFA | Arizona Cardinals | 1–year |
| LB | Dennis Gardeck | RFA | Arizona Cardinals | 1–year |
| LB | Markus Golden | UFA | Arizona Cardinals | 2–year |
| QB | Brett Hundley | UFA | Indianapolis Colts | 1–year |
| LB | Isaiah Irving | UFA | N/A | N/A |
| CB | Johnathan Joseph | UFA | N/A | N/A |
| CB | Dre Kirkpatrick | UFA | San Francisco 49ers | 1–year |
| P | Andy Lee | UFA | Arizona Cardinals | 1–year |
| K | Mike Nugent | UFA | N/A | N/A |
| DT | Domata Peko | UFA | N/A | N/A |
| DT | Corey Peters | UFA | Arizona Cardinals | 1–year |
| CB | Patrick Peterson | UFA | Minnesota Vikings | 1–year |
| CB | Kevin Peterson | UFA | N/A | N/A |
| LB | Haason Reddick | UFA | Carolina Panthers | 1–year |
| WR | Trent Sherfield | UFA | San Francisco 49ers | 1–year |
| OG | J.R. Sweezy | UFA | N/A | N/A |
| LB | Ezekiel Turner | RFA | Arizona Cardinals | 1–year |
| LB | Tanner Vallejo | UFA | Arizona Cardinals | 2–year |
| S | Charles Washington | UFA | Arizona Cardinals | 1-year |
| Player re-signed by the Cardinals | Player not re-signed by the Cardinals |

### Signings

| Position | Player | Tag | 2020 team | Date signed | Contract |
| WR | A. J. Green | UFA | Cincinnati Bengals | March 17 | 1–year, $8.5 million |
| K | Matt Prater | UFA | Detroit Lions | March 17 | 2–year, $6.5 million |
| DE | J. J. Watt | UFA | Houston Texans | March 17 | 2–year, $28 million |
| OG | Brian Winters | UFA | Buffalo Bills | March 22 | 1–year, $1 million |
| CB | Malcolm Butler | UFA | Tennessee Titans | March 25 | 1–year, $6 million |
| S | Shawn Williams | UFA | Cincinnati Bengals | March 29 | 1–year |
| QB | Colt McCoy | UFA | New York Giants | March 30 | 1–year |
| RB | James Conner | UFA | Pittsburgh Steelers | April 13 | 1-year |

### Trades

* March 17: The Cardinals traded a third–round pick in 2021 NFL draft to the Las Vegas Raiders for C Rodney Hudson.
* March 25: The Cardinals traded C Mason Cole to the Minnesota Vikings for a sixth–round pick in the 2021 NFL Draft.
* October 15: The Cardinals traded a fifth-round pick in 2022 NFL draft and CB Tay Gowan to the Philadelphia Eagles for Tight end Zach Ertz.

### Draft

2021 Arizona Cardinals Draft :
| Round | Selection | Player | Position | College | Notes |
| 1 | 16 | Zaven Collins | LB | Tulsa | |
| 2 | 49 | Rondale Moore | WR | Purdue | |
| 4 | 136 | Marco Wilson | CB | Florida | from Kansas City via Baltimore |
| 6 | 210 | Victor Dimukeje | DE | Duke | from Baltimore |
| 6 | 223 | Tay Gowan | CB | UCF | from Minnesota via trade for Mason Cole |
| 7 | 243 | James Wiggins | S | Cincinnati | |
| 7 | 247 | Michal Menet | C | Penn State | from Chicago via Las Vegas |

#### Notes

* The Cardinals traded their third-round selection to the Las Vegas Raiders in exchange for the Raiders' seventh-round selection, originally from the Chicago Bears, and center Rodney Hudson.
* The Cardinals traded their 2020 second-round selection, their 2021 fourth-round selection, and running back David Johnson to the Houston Texans in exchange for wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins and the Texans' 2020 fourth-round selection.
* The Cardinals traded their fifth-round pick and a 2022 fourth-round selection to the Baltimore Ravens in exchange for a fourth-round pick and a sixth-round pick.
* The Cardinals traded their sixth-round selection to the New York Giants in exchange for linebacker Markus Golden.

## Preseason

The Cardinals' preseason schedule was announced on May 12.
| Week | Date | Opponent | Result | Record | Venue | Recap |
| 1 | August 13 | Dallas Cowboys | W 19–16 | 1–0 | State Farm Stadium | Recap |
| 2 | August 20 | Kansas City Chiefs | L 10–17 | 1–1 | State Farm Stadium | Recap |
| 3 | August 28 | at New Orleans Saints | Cancelled due to Hurricane Ida | Cancelled due to Hurricane Ida | Cancelled due to Hurricane Ida | Cancelled due to Hurricane Ida |

## Regular season
### Schedule

The Cardinals' 2021 schedule was announced on May 12.
| Week | Date | Opponent | Result | Record | Venue | Recap |
| 1 | September 12 | at Tennessee Titans | W 38–13 | 1–0 | Nissan Stadium | Recap |
| 2 | September 19 | Minnesota Vikings | W 34–33 | 2–0 | State Farm Stadium | Recap |
| 3 | September 26 | at Jacksonville Jaguars | W 31–19 | 3–0 | TIAA Bank Field | Recap |
| 4 | October 3 | at Los Angeles Rams | W 37–20 | 4–0 | SoFi Stadium | Recap |
| 5 | October 10 | San Francisco 49ers | W 17–10 | 5–0 | State Farm Stadium | Recap |
| 6 | October 17 | at Cleveland Browns | W 37–14 | 6–0 | FirstEnergy Stadium | Recap |
| 7 | October 24 | Houston Texans | W 31−5 | 7–0 | State Farm Stadium | Recap |
| 8 | October 28 | Green Bay Packers | L 21–24 | 7–1 | State Farm Stadium | Recap |
| 9 | November 7 | at San Francisco 49ers | W 31–17 | 8–1 | Levi's Stadium | Recap |
| 10 | November 14 | Carolina Panthers | L 10–34 | 8–2 | State Farm Stadium | Recap |
| 11 | November 21 | at Seattle Seahawks | W 23–13 | 9–2 | Lumen Field | Recap |
| 12 | Bye | Bye | Bye | Bye | Bye | Bye |
| 13 | December 5 | at Chicago Bears | W 33–22 | 10–2 | Soldier Field | Recap |
| 14 | December 13 | Los Angeles Rams | L 23–30 | 10–3 | State Farm Stadium | Recap |
| 15 | December 19 | at Detroit Lions | L 12–30 | 10–4 | Ford Field | Recap |
| 16 | December 25 | Indianapolis Colts | L 16–22 | 10–5 | State Farm Stadium | Recap |
| 17 | January 2 | at Dallas Cowboys | W 25–22 | 11–5 | AT&T Stadium | Recap |
| 18 | January 9 | Seattle Seahawks | L 30–38 | 11–6 | State Farm Stadium | Recap |
Note: Intra-division opponents are in bold text.

### Game summaries
#### Week 1: at Tennessee Titans

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Cardinals | 10 | 14 | 14 | 0 | 38 |
| Titans | 0 | 6 | 7 | 0 | 13 |
at Nissan Stadium, Nashville, Tennessee
* Date: September 12
* Game time: 12:00 p.m. CDT/10:00 a.m. MST
* Game weather: Sunny, 78 °F (26 °C)
* Game attendance: 67,216
* Referee: Jerome Boger
* TV announcers (CBS): Tom McCarthy and Aaron Taylor
* Recap, Game Book
Game information :
First quarter
ARI – Matt Prater 34-yard field goal, 9:26. Cardinals 3–0. Drive: 8 plays, 45 yards, 4:05.
ARI – DeAndre Hopkins 5-yard pass from Kyler Murray (Matt Prater kick), 8:18. Cardinals 10–0. Drive: 3 plays, 1 yards, 0:19.
Second quarter
ARI – DeAndre Hopkins 17-yard pass from Kyler Murray (Matt Prater kick), 11:03. Cardinals 17–0. Drive: 9 plays, 70 yards, 4:32.
TEN – Ryan Tannehill 1-yard run (kick failed), 6:54. Cardinals 17–6. Drive: 11 plays, 75 yards, 4:09.
ARI – Kyler Murray 2-yard run (Matt Prater kick), 1:49. Cardinals 24–6. Drive: 12 plays, 75 yards, 5:06.
Third quarter
TEN – A. J. Brown 13-yard pass from Ryan Tannehill (Michael Badgley kick), 12:59. Cardinals 24–13. Drive: 2 plays, 32 yards, 0:47.
ARI – Christian Kirk 26-yard pass from Kyler Murray (Matt Prater kick), 10:45. Cardinals 31–13. Drive: 6 plays, 75 yards, 2:15.
ARI – Christian Kirk 11-yard pass from Kyler Murray (Matt Prater kick), 3:11. Cardinals 38–13. Drive: 4 plays, 33 yards, 2:12.
Fourth quarter
No scoring plays.
Top passers
ARI – Kyler Murray – 21/32, 289 yards, 4 TD, INT
TEN – Ryan Tannehill – 21/35, 212 yards, TD, INT
Top rushers
ARI – Chase Edmonds – 12 rushes, 63 yards
TEN – Derrick Henry – 17 rushes, 58 yards
Top receivers
ARI – DeAndre Hopkins – 6 receptions, 83 yards, 2 TD
TEN – Chester Rogers – 4 reception, 62 yards :

#### Week 2: vs. Minnesota Vikings

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Vikings | 14 | 9 | 7 | 3 | 33 |
| Cardinals | 7 | 17 | 7 | 3 | 34 |
at State Farm Stadium, Glendale, Arizona
* Date: September 19
* Game time: 1:05 p.m. MST
* Game weather: None (retractable roof closed)
* Game attendance: 60,115
* Referee: Bill Vinovich
* TV announcers (Fox): Gus Johnson, Aqib Talib and Megan Olivi
* Recap, Game Book
Game information :
First quarter
MIN – K. J. Osborn 64-yard pass from Kirk Cousins (Greg Joseph kick), 14:16. Vikings 7–0. Drive: 2 plays, 75 yards, 0:44.
ARI – DeAndre Hopkins 15-yard pass from Kyler Murray (Matt Prater kick), 5:49. Tied 7–7. Drive: 9 plays, 73 yards, 4:36.
MIN – Adam Thielen 7-yard pass from Kirk Cousins (Greg Joseph kick), 0:24. Vikings 14–7. Drive: 9 plays, 75 yards, 5:25.
Second quarter
MIN – Justin Jefferson 14-yard pass from Kirk Cousins (kick failed, wide right), 8:56. Vikings 20–7. Drive: 9 plays, 84 yards, 5:18.
ARI – Kyler Murray 12-yard run (Matt Prater kick), 3:15. Vikings 20–14. Drive: 10 plays, 75 yards, 5:41.
ARI – Rondale Moore 77-yard pass from Kyler Murray (Matt Prater kick), 1:33. Cardinals 21–20. Drive: 1 play, 77 yards, 0:13.
MIN – Greg Joseph 52-yard field goal, 0:21. Vikings 23–21. Drive: 8 plays, 41 yards, 1:12.
ARI – Matt Prater 62-yard field goal, 0:00. Cardinals 24–23. Drive: 3 plays, 22 yards, 0:21.
Third quarter
MIN – Nick Vigil 36-yard interception return (Greg Joseph kick), 14:00. Vikings 30–24.
ARI – A. J. Green 9-yard pass from Kyler Murray (Matt Prater kick), 9:11. Cardinals 31–30. Drive: 8 plays, 75 yards, 4:49.
Fourth quarter
MIN – Greg Joseph 52-yard field goal, 14:12. Vikings 33–31. Drive: 10 plays, 35 yards, 4:17.
ARI – Matt Prater 27-yard field goal, 4:25. Cardinals 34–33. Drive: 10 plays, 55 yards, 4:26.
Top passers
MIN – Kirk Cousins – 22/32, 244 yards, 3 TD
ARI – Kyler Murray – 29/36, 400 yards, 3 TD, 2 INT
Top rushers
MIN – Dalvin Cook – 22 rushes, 131 yards
ARI – Chase Edmonds – 8 rushes, 46 yards
Top receivers
MIN – K. J. Osborn – 5 reception, 91 yards, TD
ARI – Rondale Moore – 7 receptions, 114 yards, TD :

#### Week 3: at Jacksonville Jaguars

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Cardinals | 7 | 0 | 17 | 7 | 31 |
| Jaguars | 0 | 13 | 6 | 0 | 19 |
at TIAA Bank Field, Jacksonville, Florida
* Date: September 26
* Game time: 1:00 p.m. EDT/10:00 a.m. MST
* Game weather: Sunny, 80 °F (27 °C)
* Game attendance: 58,012
* Referee: Shawn Smith
* TV announcers (Fox): Gus Johnson, Aqib Talib and Megan Olivi
* Recap, Game Book
Game information :
First quarter
ARI – Kyler Murray 1-yard run (Matt Prater kick), 6:42. Cardinals 7–0. Drive: 7 plays, 56 yards, 3:22.
Second quarter
JAX – D. J. Chark 12-yard pass from Trevor Lawrence (Josh Lambo kick), 0:21. Tied 7–7. Drive: 9 plays, 74 yards, 3:01.
JAX – Jamal Agnew 109–yard kick return (kick failed, wide left), 0:00. Jaguars 13–7.
Third quarter
ARI – Matt Prater 34-yard field goal, 7:38. Jaguars 13–10. Drive: 12 plays, 68 yards, 4:47.
JAX – James Robinson 4-yard run (kick failed, wide right), 3:33. Jaguars 19–10. Drive: 8 plays, 75 yards, 4:05.
ARI – James Conner 4-yard run (Matt Prater kick), 1:21. Jaguars 19–17. Drive: 5 plays, 75 yards, 2:12.
ARI – Byron Murphy 29–yard interception return (Matt Prater kick), 0:24. Cardinals 24–19.
Fourth quarter
ARI – James Conner 1-yard run (Matt Prater kick), 6:49. Cardinals 31–19. Drive: 11 plays, 65 yards, 6:52.
Top passers
ARI – Kyler Murray – 28/34, 316 yards, INT
JAX – Trevor Lawrence – 22/34, 219 yards, TD, 2 INT
Top rushers
ARI – James Conner – 11 rushes, 43 yards, 2 TD
JAX – James Robinson – 15 rushes, 88 yards, TD
Top receivers
ARI – A. J. Green – 5 receptions, 112 yards
JAX – Marvin Jones – 6 receptions, 62 yards :
The Cardinals earned their first 3–0 start since 2015.

#### Week 4: at Los Angeles Rams

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Cardinals | 7 | 17 | 10 | 3 | 37 |
| Rams | 10 | 3 | 0 | 7 | 20 |
at SoFi Stadium, Inglewood, California
* Date: October 3
* Game time: 1:05 p.m. MST & PDT
* Game weather: Sunny, 89 °F (32 °C)
* Game attendance: 70,003
* Referee: Shawn Hochuli
* TV announcers (Fox): Chris Myers, Daryl Johnston and Jen Hale
* Recap, Game Book
Game information :
First quarter
LAR – Matt Gay 42-yard field goal, 11:18. Rams 3–0. Drive: 9 plays, 52 yards, 3:42.
ARI – A. J. Green 41-yard pass from Kyler Murray (Matt Prater kick), 5:50. Cardinals 7–3. Drive: 6 plays, 87 yards, 3:07.
LAR – Van Jefferson 14-yard pass from Matthew Stafford (Matt Gay kick), 0:52. Rams 10–7. Drive: 9 plays, 75 yards, 4:58.
Second quarter
ARI – Maxx Williams 14-yard pass from Kyler Murray (Matt Prater kick), 10:44. Cardinals 14–10. Drive: 11 plays, 75 yards, 5:08.
ARI – James Conner 1-yard run (Matt Prater kick), 8:44. Cardinals 21–10. Drive: 5 plays, 21 yards, 1:51.
LAR – Matt Gay 22-yard field goal, 3:22. Cardinals 21–13. Drive: 9 plays, 48 yards, 3:19.
ARI – Matt Prater 23-yard field goal, 0:04. Cardinals 24–13. Drive: 17 plays, 70 yards, 3:18.
Third quarter
ARI – Matt Prater 55-yard field goal, 10:15. Cardinals 27–13. Drive: 10 plays, 38 yards, 4:45.
ARI – James Conner 1-yard run (Matt Prater kick), 1:14. Cardinals 34–13. Drive: 9 plays, 64 yards, 5:09.
Fourth quarter
ARI – Matt Prater 23-yard field goal, 3:38. Cardinals 37–13. Drive: 12 plays, 94 yards, 8:27.
LAR – Robert Woods 14-yard pass from Matthew Stafford (Matt Gay kick), 1:14. Cardinals 37–20. Drive: 9 plays, 75 yards, 2:24.
Top passers
ARI – Kyler Murray – 24/32, 268 yards, 2 TD
LAR – Matthew Stafford – 26/41, 280 yards, 2 TD, INT
Top rushers
ARI – Chase Edmonds – 12 rushes, 120 yards
LAR – Darrell Henderson – 14 rushes, 89 yards
Top receivers
ARI – A. J. Green – 5 receptions, 67 yards, TD
LAR – Van Jefferson – 6 receptions, 90 yards, TD :
With the win, the Cardinals not only improved to 4–0 for the first time since 2012, but earned their first victory over the Rams since Week 17 of the 2016 season. Also, with the Broncos, the Raiders, and the Panthers losing their first games of the season, the Cardinals became the last undefeated team in the NFL.

#### Week 5: vs. San Francisco 49ers

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| 49ers | 0 | 0 | 7 | 3 | 10 |
| Cardinals | 7 | 3 | 0 | 7 | 17 |
at State Farm Stadium, Glendale, Arizona
* Date: October 10
* Game time: 1:25 p.m. MST
* Game weather: None (retractable roof closed)
* Game attendance: 62,716
* Referee: Clay Martin
* TV announcers (Fox): Kevin Kugler, Mark Sanchez and Laura Okmin
* Recap, Game Book
Game information :
First quarter
ARI – James Conner 1-yard run (Matt Prater kick), 9:02. Cardinals 7–0. Drive: 8 plays, 66 yards, 3:44.
Second quarter
ARI – Matt Prater 21-yard field goal, 5:27. Cardinals 10–0. Drive: 14 plays, 96 yards, 5:59.
Third quarter
SF – Deebo Samuel 13-yard run, (Joey Slye kick) 1:42. Cardinals 10–7. Drive: 6 plays, 59 yards, 3:28.
Fourth quarter
ARI – DeAndre Hopkins 9-yard pass from Kyler Murray, (Matt Prater kick) 5:13. Cardinals 17–7. Drive: 5 plays, 52 yards, 2:36.
SF – Joey Slye 47-yard field goal, 4:12. Cardinals 17–10. Drive: 6 plays, 46 yards, 1:01.
Top passers
SF – Trey Lance – 15/29, 192 yards, INT
ARI – Kyler Murray – 22/31, 239 yards, TD
Top rushers
SF – Trey Lance – 16 rushes, 89 yards
ARI – Rondale Moore – 3 rushes, 38 yards
Top receivers
SF – Deebo Samuel – 3 receptions, 58 yards
ARI – DeAndre Hopkins – 6 receptions, 87 yards, TD :

#### Week 6: at Cleveland Browns

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Cardinals | 7 | 16 | 7 | 7 | 37 |
| Browns | 0 | 14 | 0 | 0 | 14 |
at FirstEnergy Stadium, Cleveland, Ohio
* Date: October 17
* Game time: 4:05 p.m. EDT/1:05 p.m. MST
* Game weather: Cloudy, 58 °F (14 °C)
* Game attendance: 67,431
* Referee: Carl Cheffers
* TV announcers (Fox): Kevin Kugler, Mark Sanchez and Laura Okmin
* Recap, Game Book
Game information :
First quarter
ARI – Christian Kirk 21-yard pass from Kyler Murray, (Matt Prater kick), 8:34. Cardinals 7–0. Drive: 9 plays, 74 yards, 5:00.
Second quarter
ARI – DeAndre Hopkins 13-yard pass from Kyler Murray, (Matt Prater kick), 14:49. Cardinals 14–0. Drive: 11 plays, 78 yards, 4:41.
ARI – Matt Prater 36-yard field goal, 13:02. Cardinals 17–0. Drive: 4 plays, 0 yards, 0:51.
ARI – Matt Prater 51-yard field goal, 9:24. Cardinals 20–0. Drive: 4 plays, -5 yards, 2:07.
CLE – Donovan Peoples-Jones 11-yard pass from Baker Mayfield, (Chase McLaughlin kick), 5:06. Cardinals 20–7. Drive: 8 plays, 75 yards, 4:18.
ARI – Matt Prater 33-yard field goal, 0:43. Cardinals 23–7. Drive: 12 plays, 56 yards, 4:23.
CLE – Donovan Peoples-Jones 57-yard pass from Baker Mayfield, (Chase McLaughlin kick), 0:00. Cardinals 23–14. Drive: 5 plays, 75 yards, 0:43.
Third quarter
ARI – DeAndre Hopkins 9-yard pass from Kyler Murray, (Matt Prater kick), 2:56. Cardinals 30–14. Drive: 8 plays, 54 yards, 3:30.
Fourth quarter
ARI – A. J. Green 14-yard pass from Kyler Murray, (Matt Prater kick), 4:48. Cardinals 37–14. Drive: 11 plays, 93 yards, 7:18.
Top passers
ARI – Kyler Murray – 20/30, 229 yards, 4 TD
CLE – Baker Mayfield – 19/28, 234 yards, 2 TD, INT
Top rushers
ARI – James Connor – 16 rushes, 71 yards
CLE – Kareem Hunt – 14 rushes, 66 yards
Top receivers
ARI – A. J. Green – 5 receptions, 79 yards, TD
CLE – Donovan Peoples-Jones – 4 receptions, 101 yards, 2 TD :
The Cardinals started 6–0 for the first time since 1974.

#### Week 7: vs. Houston Texans

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Texans | 2 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 5 |
| Cardinals | 0 | 17 | 7 | 7 | 31 |
at State Farm Stadium, Glendale, Arizona
* Date: October 24
* Game time: 1:25 p.m. MST
* Game weather: None (retractable roof closed)
* Game attendance: 60,297
* Referee: Land Clark
* TV announcers (CBS): Greg Gumbel, Adam Archuleta and AJ Ross
* Recap, Game Book
Game information :
First quarter
HOU – Kyler Murray sacked in the end zone by Jacob Martin for a safety, 2:58. Texans 2–0.
Second quarter
HOU – Kaʻimi Fairbairn 53-yard field goal, 14:55. Texans 5–0. Drive: 5 plays, 25 yards, 3:03.
ARI – DeAndre Hopkins 1-yard pass from Kyler Murray (Matt Prater kick), 9:01. Cardinals 7–5. Drive: 14 plays, 75 yards, 5:54.
ARI – Christian Kirk 5-yard pass from Kyler Murray (Matt Prater kick), 2:45. Cardinals 14–5. Drive: 6 plays, 49 yards, 2:58.
ARI – Matt Prater 31-yard field goal, 0:05. Cardinals 17–5. Drive: 8 plays, 61 yards, 1:32.
Third quarter
ARI – Zach Ertz 47-yard pass from Kyler Murray (Matt Prater kick), 7:58. Cardinals 24–5. Drive: 7 plays, 88 yards, 3:33.
Fourth quarter
ARI – James Conner 18-yard run (Matt Prater kick), 10:22. Cardinals 31–5. Drive: 7 plays, 63 yards, 3:53.
Top passers
HOU – Davis Mills – 23/32, 135 yards
ARI – Kyler Murray – 20/28, 261 yards, 3 TD, INT
Top rushers
HOU – David Johnson – 7 rushes, 25 yards
ARI – Chase Edmonds – 15 rushes, 81 yards
Top receivers
HOU – Nico Collins – 2 receptions, 28 yards
ARI – Zach Ertz – 3 receptions, 66 yards, TD :
The Arizona Cardinals played the Houston Texans at home. This was the first game where former Texans DeAndre Hopkins and JJ Watt played against their former team, as well as tight end Zach Ertz's debut with the Cardinals.

#### Week 8: vs. Green Bay Packers

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Packers | 0 | 10 | 7 | 7 | 24 |
| Cardinals | 7 | 0 | 7 | 7 | 21 |
at State Farm Stadium, Glendale, Arizona
* Date: October 28
* Game time: 5:20 p.m. MST
* Game weather: Sunny, 86 °F (30 °C) (retractable roof open)
* Game attendance: 63,696
* Referee: Alex Kemp
* TV announcers (Fox/NFLN/Prime Video): Joe Buck, Troy Aikman, Erin Andrews and Kristina Pink
* Recap, Game Book
Game information :
First quarter
ARI – Chase Edmonds 11-yard run (Matt Prater kick), 6:17. Cardinals 7–0. Drive: 7 plays, 63 yards, 3:43.
Second quarter
GB – Aaron Jones 2-yard run (Mason Crosby kick), 12:54. Tied 7–7. Drive: 14 plays, 75 yards, 8:23.
GB – Mason Crosby 21-yard field goal, 6:24. Packers 10–7. Drive: 4 plays, 0 yards, 0:19.
Third quarter
GB – Randall Cobb 2-yard pass from Aaron Rodgers (Mason Crosby kick), 11:37. Packers 17–7. Drive: 5 plays, 14 yards, 2:16.
ARI – James Conner 2-yard run (Matt Prater kick), 6:22. Packers 17–14. Drive: 12 plays, 81 yards, 5:15.
Fourth quarter
GB – Randall Cobb 6-yard pass from Aaron Rodgers (Mason Crosby kick), 14:56. Packers 24–14. Drive: 12 plays, 91 yards, 6:26.
ARI – James Conner 9-yard run (Matt Prater kick), 10:45. Packers 24–21. Drive: 11 plays, 75 yards, 4:11.
Top passers
GB – Aaron Rodgers – 22/37, 184 yards, 2 TD
ARI – Kyler Murray – 22/33, 274 yards, 2 INT
Top rushers
GB – A. J. Dillon – 16 rushes, 78 yards
ARI – Chase Edmonds – 7 rushes, 30 yards, TD
Top receivers
GB – Aaron Jones – 7 receptions, 51 yards
ARI – DeAndre Hopkins – 2 receptions, 66 yards :
The Packers handed the Cardinals their first loss to deny them a perfect season with a 24–21 victory on Thursday Night Football, despite entering the game without their top three wide receivers—Allen Lazard and All-Pro WR Davante Adams missed the game due to COVID protocols, while Marquez Valdes-Scantling was still recovering from a groin injury suffered in Week 3. Kyler Murray had the ball with time winding down, and the ball in field goal range, but a pass intended for wide receiver A. J. Green was picked off in the endzone by Packers cornerback Rasul Douglas, who began the season on the Cardinals practice squad.

#### Week 9: at San Francisco 49ers

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Cardinals | 14 | 3 | 14 | 0 | 31 |
| 49ers | 0 | 7 | 7 | 3 | 17 |
at Levi's Stadium, Santa Clara, California
* Date: November 7
* Game time: 2:25 p.m. MST/1:25 p.m. PST
* Game weather: Scattered clouds, 62 °F (17 °C)
* Game attendance: 59,012
* Referee: Brad Allen
* TV announcers (Fox): Kevin Kugler, Mark Sanchez and Laura Okmin
* Recap, Game Book
Game information :
First quarter
ARI – James Conner 13-yard run (Matt Prater kick), 6:08. Cardinals 7–0. Drive: 9 plays, 57 yards, 4:21.
ARI – James Conner 1-yard run (Matt Prater kick), 0:39. Cardinals 14–0. Drive: 8 plays, 80 yards, 3:59.
Second quarter
ARI – Matt Prater 26-yard field goal, 4:02. Cardinals 17–0. Drive: 14 plays, 85 yards, 8:23.
SF – George Kittle 6-yard pass from Jimmy Garoppolo (Robbie Gould kick), 0:16. Cardinals 17–7. Drive: 9 plays, 75 yards, 3:46.
Third quarter
ARI – James Conner 45-yard pass from Colt McCoy (Matt Prater kick), 13:33. Cardinals 24–7. Drive: 3 plays, 72 yards, 1:27.
ARI – Eno Benjamin 21-yard run (Matt Prater kick), 8:05. Cardinals 31–7. Drive: 7 plays, 71 yards, 3:47.
SF – Brandon Aiyuk 11-yard pass from Jimmy Garoppolo (Robbie Gould kick), 4:56. Cardinals 31–14. Drive: 6 plays, 75 yards, 3:09.
Fourth quarter
SF – Robbie Gould 26-yard field goal, 8:23. Cardinals 31–17. Drive: 7 plays, 28 yards, 2:34.
Top passers
ARI – Colt McCoy – 22/26, 249 yards, TD
SF – Jimmy Garoppolo – 28/40, 322 yards, 2 TD, INT
Top rushers
ARI – James Conner – 21 rushes, 96 yards, 2 TD
SF – Elijah Mitchell – 8 rushes, 36 yards
Top receivers
ARI – Christian Kirk – 6 receptions, 91 yards
SF – George Kittle – 6 receptions, 101 yards, TD :
Despite Kyler Murray and DeAndre Hopkins not playing, the Cardinals dominated the game to sweep the season series for the first time since 2018. With the win, the Cardinals improved to 8–1 and tied their 8-win mark from the previous season.

#### Week 10: vs. Carolina Panthers

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Panthers | 17 | 6 | 8 | 3 | 34 |
| Cardinals | 0 | 0 | 3 | 7 | 10 |
at State Farm Stadium, Glendale, Arizona
* Date: November 14
* Game time: 2:05 p.m. MST
* Game weather: None (retractable roof closed)
* Game attendance: 62,400
* Referee: Adrian Hill
* TV announcers (Fox): Kenny Albert, Jonathan Vilma and Sara Walsh
* Recap, Game Book
Game information :
First quarter
CAR – Cam Newton 2-yard run (Zane Gonzalez kick), 11:12. Panthers 7–0. Drive: 5 plays, 15 yards, 2:22.
CAR – Robby Anderson 2-yard pass from Cam Newton (Zane Gonzalez kick), 8:39. Panthers 14–0. Drive: 4 plays, 41 yards, 1:12.
CAR – Zane Gonzalez 44-yard field goal, 1:00. Panthers 17–0. Drive: 9 plays, 40 yards, 5:25.
Second quarter
CAR – Zane Gonzalez 48-yard field goal, 9:40. Panthers 20–0. Drive: 10 plays, 51 yards, 5:09.
CAR – Zane Gonzalez 49-yard field goal, 0:00. Panthers 23–0. Drive: 12 plays, 53 yards, 3:16.
Third quarter
ARI – Matt Prater 47-yard field goal, 10:02. Panthers 23–3. Drive: 7 plays, 46 yards, 2:45.
CAR – Chuba Hubbard 5-yard run (P. J. Walker–Terrace Marshall Jr. pass), 5:34. Panthers 31–3. Drive: 8 plays, 75 yards, 4:28.
Fourth quarter
ARI – James Conner 11-yard run (Matt Prater kick), 9:19. Panthers 31–10. Drive: 11 plays, 71 yards, 4:33.
CAR – Zane Gonzalez 27-yard field goal, 3:26. Panthers 34–10. Drive: 10 plays, 36 yards, 5:53.
Top passers
CAR – P. J. Walker – 22/29, 167 yards, INT
ARI – Colt McCoy – 11/20, 107 yards, INT
Top rushers
CAR – Christian McCaffrey – 13 rushes, 95 yards
ARI – James Conner – 10 rushes, 39 yards, TD
Top receivers
CAR – Christian McCaffrey – 10 receptions, 66 yards
ARI – Christian Kirk – 7 receptions, 58 yards :

#### Week 11: at Seattle Seahawks

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Cardinals | 7 | 6 | 3 | 7 | 23 |
| Seahawks | 0 | 6 | 0 | 7 | 13 |
at Lumen Field, Seattle, Washington
* Date: November 21
* Game time: 2:25 p.m. MST/1:25 p.m. PST
* Game weather: Partly cloudy, 45 °F (7 °C)
* Game attendance: 68,833
* Referee: Clete Blakeman
* TV announcers (Fox): Kenny Albert, Jonathan Vilma and Sara Walsh
* Recap, Game Book
Game information :
First quarter
ARI – Zach Ertz 1-yard pass from Colt McCoy (Matt Prater kick), 2:47. Cardinals 7-0. Drive: 16 plays, 82 yards, 9:27
Second quarter
SEA – Jason Myers 27-yard field goal, 8:23. Cardinals 7-3. Drive: 7 plays, 36 yards, 2:05.
ARI – Zach Ertz 2-yard pass from Colt McCoy (kick failed, wide right), 1:52. Cardinals 13-3. Drive: 13 plays, 92 yards, 6:31
SEA – Jason Myers 27-yard field goal, 1:05. Cardinals 13-6. Drive: 7 plays, 68 yards, 0:47.
Third quarter
ARI – Matt Prater 53-yard field goal, 12:57. Cardinals 16-6. Drive: 5 plays, 25 yards, 2:03.
Fourth quarter
SEA – DeeJay Dallas 2-yard run (Jason Myers kick), 7:05. Cardinals 16-13. Drive: 5 plays, 74 yards, 1:51
ARI – James Conner 1-yard run (Matt Prater kick), 2:20. Cardinals 23-13. Drive: 10 plays, 67 yards, 4:45
Top passers
ARI – Colt McCoy – 35/44, 328 yards, 2 TD
SEA – Russell Wilson – 14/26, 207 yards
Top rushers
ARI – James Conner – 21 rushes, 62 yards, TD
SEA – Alex Collins – 10 rushes, 36 yards
Top receivers
ARI – Zach Ertz – 8 receptions, 88 yards, 2 TD
SEA – Tyler Lockett – 4 receptions, 115 yards :
With this win the Cardinals improved to 9-2 and secured their first winning season since 2015.

#### Week 13: at Chicago Bears

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Cardinals | 14 | 7 | 3 | 9 | 33 |
| Bears | 0 | 7 | 7 | 8 | 22 |
at Soldier Field, Chicago, Illinois
* Date: December 5
* Game time: 12:00 p.m. CST/11:00 a.m. MST
* Game weather: Cloudy, 35 °F (2 °C)
* Game attendance: 60,803
* Referee: Jerome Boger
* TV announcers (Fox): Adam Amin, Mark Schlereth and Shannon Spake
* Recap, Game Book
Game information :
First quarter
ARI – DeAndre Hopkins 20-yard pass from Kyler Murray (Matt Prater kick), 10:55. Cardinals 7–0. Drive: 4 plays, 28 yards, 2:40.
ARI – Kyler Murray 9-yard run (Matt Prater kick), 1:39. Cardinals 14–0. Drive: 5 plays, 15 yards, 2:12.
Second quarter
CHI – David Montgomery 1-yard run (Cairo Santos kick), 8:50. Cardinals 14–7. Drive: 13 plays, 77 yards, 7:49.
ARI – James Conner 23-yard pass from Kyler Murray (Matt Prater kick), 5:40. Cardinals 21–7. Drive: 7 plays, 74 yards, 3:10.
Third quarter
ARI – Matt Prater 33-yard field goal, 9:52. Cardinals 24–7. Drive: 9 plays, 51 yards, 5:08.
CHI – Jimmy Graham 1-yard pass from Andy Dalton (Cairo Santos kick), 2:49. Cardinals 24–14. Drive: 13 plays, 73 yards, 7:03.
Fourth quarter
ARI – Matt Prater 25-yard field goal, 8:31. Cardinals 27–14. Drive: 6 plays, 21 yards, 3:05.
ARI – Kyler Murray 3-yard run (pass failed), 6:23. Cardinals 33–14. Drive: 2 plays, 12 yards, 0:45.
CHI – Jakeem Grant 8-yard pass from Andy Dalton (Andy Dalton–Jimmy Graham pass), 2:45. Cardinals 33–22. Drive: 12 plays, 75 yards, 3:38.
Top passers
ARI – Kyler Murray – 11/15, 123 yards, 2 TD
CHI – Andy Dalton – 26/41, 229 yards, 2 TD, 4 INT
Top rushers
ARI – James Conner – 20 runs, 75 yards
CHI – David Montgomery – 21 rushes, 90 yards, TD
Top receivers
ARI – James Conner – 2 receptions, 36 yards, TD
CHI – Jakeem Grant – 5 receptions, 62 yards, TD :
Kyler Murray and DeAndre Hopkins returned to the field after the bye and connected for a 21-yard touchdown in the first quarter.

#### Week 14: vs. Los Angeles Rams

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Rams | 0 | 13 | 14 | 3 | 30 |
| Cardinals | 3 | 10 | 0 | 10 | 23 |
at State Farm Stadium, Glendale, Arizona
* Date: December 13
* Game time: 6:15 p.m. MST
* Game weather: Partly cloudy, 65 °F (18 °C) (retractable roof open)
* Game attendance: 63,999
* Referee: Carl Cheffers
* TV announcers (ESPN/ABC/ESPN+): Steve Levy, Brian Griese, Louis Riddick, Lisa Salters, and John Parry
* Recap, Game Book
Game information :
First quarter
ARI – Matt Prater 53-yard field goal, 10:58. Cardinals 3–0. Drive: 10 plays, 40 yards, 4:02.
Second quarter
LAR – Odell Beckham Jr. 2-yard pass from Matthew Stafford (Matt Gay kick), 12:53. Rams 7–3. Drive: 10 plays, 68 yards, 5:57.
LAR – Matt Gay 55-yard field goal, 7:23. Rams 10–3. Drive: 8 plays, 34 yards, 2:54.
ARI – James Conner 1-yard run (Matt Prater kick), 3:18. Tied 10–10. Drive: 9 plays, 75 yards, 4:05.
LAR – Matt Gay 35-yard field goal, 0:35. Rams 13–10. Drive: 7 plays, 53 yards, 2:43.
ARI – Matt Prater 53-yard field goal, 0:00. Tied 13–13. Drive: 6 plays, 40 yards, 0:35.
Third quarter
LAR – Van Jefferson 52-yard pass from Matthew Stafford (Matt Gay kick), 13:36. Rams 20–13. Drive: 3 plays, 75 yards, 1:24.
LAR – Cooper Kupp 4-yard pass from Matthew Stafford (Matt Gay kick), 9:45. Rams 27–13. Drive: 7 plays, 19 yards, 3:19.
Fourth quarter
ARI – James Conner 8-yard run (Matt Prater kick), 13:38. Rams 27–20. Drive: 6 plays, 73 yards, 3:07.
LAR – Matt Gay 33-yard field goal, 7:20. Rams 30–20. Drive: 10 plays, 60 yards, 6:18.
ARI – Matt Prater 49-yard field goal, 0:37. Rams 30–23. Drive: 11 plays, 56 yards, 2:07.
Top passers
LAR – Matthew Stafford – 23/30, 287 yards, 3 TD
ARI – Kyler Murray – 32/49, 383 yards, 2 INT
Top rushers
LAR – Sony Michel – 20 rushes, 79 yards
ARI – Kyler Murray – 7 rushes, 61 yards
Top receivers
LAR – Cooper Kupp – 13 receptions, 123 yards, TD
ARI – A. J. Green – 7 receptions, 102 yards :

#### Week 15: at Detroit Lions

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Cardinals | 0 | 0 | 6 | 6 | 12 |
| Lions | 3 | 14 | 7 | 6 | 30 |
at Ford Field, Detroit, Michigan
* Date: December 19
* Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST/11:00 a.m. MST
* Game weather: None (indoor stadium)
* Game attendance: 45,211
* Referee: Land Clark
* TV announcers (Fox): Gus Johnson, Aqib Talib and Megan Olivi
* Recap, Game Book
Game information :
First quarter
DET – Riley Patterson 37-yard field goal, 6:10. Lions 3–0. Drive: 15 plays, 63 yards, 8:50.
Second quarter
DET – Amon-Ra St. Brown 37-yard pass from Jared Goff (Riley Patterson kick), 14:53. Lions 10–0. Drive: 8 plays, 93 yards, 3:49.
DET – Josh Reynolds 22-yard pass from Jared Goff (Riley Patterson kick), 0:19. Lions 17–0. Drive: 9 plays, 97 yards, 1:40.
Third quarter
ARI – Matt Prater 29-yard field goal, 11:22. Lions 17–3. Drive: 9 plays, 64 yards, 3:38.
DET – Jason Cabinda 6-yard pass from Jared Goff (Riley Patterson kick), 8:10. Lions 24–3. Drive: 1 play, 6 yards, 0:05.
ARI – Matt Prater 29-yard field goal, 3:54. Lions 24–6. Drive: 11 plays, 72 yards, 4:16.
Fourth quarter
DET – Riley Patterson 47-yard field goal, 13:15. Lions 27–6. Drive: 10 plays, 46 yards, 5:39.
ARI – Christian Kirk 26-yard pass from Kyler Murray (pass failed), 4:40. Lions 27–12. Drive: 12 plays, 87 yards, 3:08.
DET – Riley Patterson 45-yard field goal, 2:46. Lions 30–12. Drive: 6 plays, 19 yards, 1:54.
Top passers
ARI – Kyler Murray – 23/41, 257 yards, TD, INT
DET – Jared Goff – 21/26, 216 yards, 3 TD
Top rushers
ARI – Chase Edmonds – 6 rushes, 53 yards
DET – Craig Reynolds – 26 rushes, 112 yards
Top receivers
ARI – Christian Kirk – 9 receptions, 94 yards, TD
DET – Amon-Ra St. Brown – 8 receptions, 90 yards, TD :
Despite the Cardinals being the favorite to win, the 1-11-1 Detroit Lions blew them out 30-12 in an unexpected loss.
The Lions opened the scoring in the first quarter via a 37-yard field goal by Riley Patterson. The Lions scored 14 points in the second quarter via a 37-yard touchdown pass from Jared Goff to Amon-Ra St. Brown and a 22-yard touchdown pass from Goff to Josh Reynolds, which made the score 17–0 in favor of Detroit at half-time. The Cardinals finally got on the board in the third quarter via a 29-yard field goal by Matt Prater. The Lions extended their lead via a six-yard touchdown pass from Goff to Jason Cabinda. The Cardinals responded with a 29-yard field goal by Prater. The Lions extended their lead in the fourth quarter via a 47-yard field goal by Patterson. The Cardinals responded with a 26-yard touchdown pass from Kyler Murray to Christian Kirk. The Lions scored the final points of the game via a 45-yard field goal by Patterson, making the final score 30–12 in favor of Detroit.
With the loss, Arizona fell to 10-4, marking their only road game loss in 2021.

#### Week 16: vs. Indianapolis Colts

NFL on Christmas Day
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Colts | 7 | 5 | 3 | 7 | 22 |
| Cardinals | 6 | 0 | 7 | 3 | 16 |
at State Farm Stadium, Glendale, Arizona
* Date: December 25
* Game time: 6:15 p.m. MST
* Game weather: None (retractable roof closed)
* Game attendance: 63,900
* Referee: Craig Wrolstad
* TV announcers (NFLN): Joe Davis, Kurt Warner, Melissa Stark and Peter Schrager
* Recap, Game Book
Game information :
First quarter
IND – T. Y. Hilton 1-yard pass from Carson Wentz (Michael Badgley kick), 6:11. Colts 7–0. Drive: 6 plays, 59 yards, 3:29.
ARI – Chase Edmonds 2-yard run (kick failed), 3:03. Colts 7–6. Drive: 7 plays, 90 yards, 3:08.
Second quarter
IND – Penalty on Kyler Murray enforced in end zone for a Safety, 4:20. Colts 9–6.
IND – Michael Badgley 41-yard field goal, 0:01. Colts 12–6. Drive: 10 plays, 45 yards, 4:19.
Third quarter
ARI – Antoine Wesley 24-yard pass from Kyler Murray (Matt Prater kick), 10:53. Cardinals 13–12. Drive: 3 plays, 42 yards, 1:22.
IND – Michael Badgley 37-yard field goal, 0:03. Colts 15–13. Drive: 10 plays, 56 yards, 5:18.
Fourth quarter
IND – Dezmon Patmon 14-yard pass from Carson Wentz (Michael Badgley kick), 6:37. Colts 22–13. Drive: 7 plays, 69 yards, 4:30.
ARI – Matt Prater 28-yard field goal, 0:42. Colts 22–16. Drive: 16 plays, 81 yards, 3:34.
Top passers
IND – Carson Wentz – 18/28, 225 yards, 2 TD
ARI – Kyler Murray – 27/43, 245 yards, TD
Top rushers
IND – Jonathan Taylor – 27 rushes, 108 yards
ARI – Kyler Murray – 4 rushes, 74 yards
Top receivers
IND – Michael Pittman Jr. – 8 receptions, 82 yards
ARI – Chase Edmonds – 8 receptions, 71 yards :

#### Week 17: at Dallas Cowboys

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Cardinals | 3 | 10 | 9 | 3 | 25 |
| Cowboys | 0 | 7 | 0 | 15 | 22 |
at AT&T Stadium, Arlington, Texas
* Date: January 2
* Game time: 3:25 p.m. CST/2:25 p.m. MST
* Game weather: None (retractable roof closed)
* Game attendance: 93,459
* Referee: Scott Novak
* TV announcers (Fox): Joe Buck, Troy Aikman, Erin Andrews, and Tom Rinaldi
* Recap, Game Book
Game information :
First quarter
ARI – Matt Prater 24-yard field goal, 7:46. Cardinals 3–0. Drive: 9 plays, 78 yards, 3:12.
Second quarter
ARI – Antoine Wesley 1-yard pass from Kyler Murray (Matt Prater kick), 5:27. Cardinals 10–0. Drive: 15 plays, 91 yards, 8:25.
DAL – Michael Gallup 21-yard pass from Dak Prescott (Greg Zuerlein kick), 1:25. Cardinals 10–7. Drive: 11 plays, 77 yards, 4:02.
ARI – Matt Prater 53-yard field goal, 0:00. Cardinals 13–7. Drive: 10 plays, 40 yards, 1:25.
Third quarter
ARI – Antoine Wesley 19-yard pass from Kyler Murray (pass failed), 9:39. Cardinals 19–7. Drive: 8 plays, 75 yards, 5:21.
ARI – Matt Prater 26-yard field goal, 4:01. Cardinals 22–7. Drive: 9 plays, 49 yards, 4:44.
Fourth quarter
DAL – Cedrick Wilson Jr. 2-yard pass from Dak Prescott (Greg Zuerlein kick), 13:49. Cardinals 22–14. Drive: 8 plays, 31 yards, 2:52.
ARI – Matt Prater 38-yard field goal, 8:32. Cardinals 25–14. Drive: 5 plays, 24 yards, 1:58.
DAL – Amari Cooper 4-yard pass from Dak Prescott (Dak Prescott–Cedrick Wilson Jr. pass), 4:42. Cardinals 25–22. Drive: 8 plays, 75 yards, 3:50.
Top passers
ARI – Kyler Murray – 26/38, 263 yards, 2 TD
DAL – Dak Prescott – 24/38, 226 yards, 3 TD
Top rushers
ARI – Chase Edmonds – 18 rushes, 53 yards
DAL – Dak Prescott – 5 rushes, 20 yards
Top receivers
ARI – Christian Kirk – 6 receptions, 79 yards
DAL – Dalton Schultz – 6 receptions, 54 yards :
With the win, the Cardinals finished a league-best 8–1 on the road.

#### Week 18: vs. Seattle Seahawks

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Seahawks | 7 | 10 | 7 | 14 | 38 |
| Cardinals | 7 | 3 | 14 | 6 | 30 |
at State Farm Stadium, Glendale, Arizona
* Date: January 9
* Game time: 2:25 p.m. MST
* Game weather: Sunny, 72 °F (22 °C) (retractable roof open)
* Game attendance: 63,858
* Referee: Shawn Smith
* TV announcers (Fox): Adam Amin, Mark Schlereth and Shannon Spake
* Recap, Game Book
Game information :
First quarter
ARI – Zach Allen 16-yard fumble return (Matt Prater kick), 14:48. Cardinals 7–0.
SEA – Tyler Lockett 43-yard pass from Russell Wilson (Jason Myers kick), 12:26. Tied 7–7. Drive: 5 plays, 75 yards, 2:22.
Second quarter
ARI – Matt Prater 41-yard field goal, 11:44. Cardinals 10–7. Drive: 19 plays, 66 yards, 10:41.
SEA – Tyler Lockett 5-yard pass from Russell Wilson (Jason Myers kick), 7:41. Seahawks 14–10. Drive: 10 plays, 75 yards, 4:03.
SEA – Jason Myers 38-yard field goal, 1:21. Seahawks 17–10 Drive: 11 plays, 52 yards, 2:19.
Third quarter
ARI – James Conner 20-yard pass from Kyler Murray (Matt Prater kick), 11:02. Tied 17–17. Drive: 6 plays, 77 yards, 3:58.
ARI – James Conner 1-yard run (Matt Prater kick), 9:25. Cardinals 24–17. Drive: 2 plays, 1 yard, 0:37.
SEA – Freddie Swain 25-yard pass from Russell Wilson (Jason Myers kick), 1:57. Tied 24–24. Drive: 5 plays, 72 yards, 2:38.
Fourth quarter
SEA – Russell Wilson 4-yard run (Jason Myers kick), 13:15. Seahawks 31–24. Drive: 3 plays, 10 yards, 1:45.
ARI – Matt Prater 30-yard field goal, 6:14. Seahawks 31–27. Drive: 14 plays, 67 yards, 7:01.
SEA – Rashaad Penny 62-yard run (Jason Myers kick), 4:34. Seahawks 38–27. Drive: 3 plays, 75 yards, 1:40.
ARI – Matt Prater 36-yard field goal, 1:13. Seahawks 38–30. Drive: 14 plays, 57 yards, 3:21.
Top passers
SEA – Russell Wilson – 15/26, 238 yards, 3 TD, INT
ARI – Kyler Murray – 28/39, 240 yards, TD
Top rushers
SEA – Rashaad Penny – 23 rushes, 190 yards, TD
ARI – James Conner – 15 rushes, 52 yards, TD
Top receivers
SEA – Tyler Lockett – 5 receptions, 98 yards, 2 TD
ARI – Zach Ertz – 7 receptions, 84 yards :
With the loss, the Cardinals finished the season 11–6, earning a Wildcard spot in the 2021–22 NFL playoffs as the 5th seed.

### Standings
#### Division

NFC West :
| viewtalkedit | W | L | T | PCT | DIV | CONF | PF | PA | STK |
| $^{(4)}$ Los Angeles Rams | 12 | 5 | 0 | .706 | 3–3 | 8–4 | 460 | 372 | L1 |
| $^{(5)}$ Arizona Cardinals | 11 | 6 | 0 | .647 | 4–2 | 7–5 | 449 | 366 | L1 |
| $^{(6)}$ San Francisco 49ers | 10 | 7 | 0 | .588 | 2–4 | 7–5 | 427 | 365 | W2 |
| Seattle Seahawks | 7 | 10 | 0 | .412 | 3–3 | 4–8 | 395 | 366 | W2 |

#### Conference

NFCvte :
| # | Team | Division | W | L | T | PCT | DIV | CONF | SOS | SOV | STK |
| Division winners ||||||||||||
| 1 | Green Bay Packers | North | 13 | 4 | 0 | .765 | 4–2 | 9–3 | .479 | .480 | L1 |
| 2 | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | South | 13 | 4 | 0 | .765 | 4–2 | 8–4 | .467 | .443 | W3 |
| 3 | Dallas Cowboys | East | 12 | 5 | 0 | .706 | 6–0 | 10–2 | .488 | .431 | W1 |
| 4 | Los Angeles Rams | West | 12 | 5 | 0 | .706 | 3–3 | 8–4 | .483 | .409 | L1 |
| Wild cards ||||||||||||
| 5 | Arizona Cardinals | West | 11 | 6 | 0 | .647 | 4–2 | 7–5 | .490 | .492 | L1 |
| 6 | San Francisco 49ers | West | 10 | 7 | 0 | .588 | 2–4 | 7–5 | .500 | .438 | W2 |
| 7 | Philadelphia Eagles | East | 9 | 8 | 0 | .529 | 3–3 | 7–5 | .469 | .350 | L1 |
| Did not qualify for the postseason ||||||||||||
| 8 | New Orleans Saints | South | 9 | 8 | 0 | .529 | 4–2 | 7–5 | .512 | .516 | W2 |
| 9 | Minnesota Vikings | North | 8 | 9 | 0 | .471 | 4–2 | 6–6 | .507 | .434 | W1 |
| 10 | Washington Football Team | East | 7 | 10 | 0 | .412 | 2–4 | 6–6 | .529 | .420 | W1 |
| 11 | Seattle Seahawks | West | 7 | 10 | 0 | .412 | 3–3 | 4–8 | .519 | .424 | W2 |
| 12 | Atlanta Falcons | South | 7 | 10 | 0 | .412 | 2–4 | 4–8 | .472 | .315 | L2 |
| 13 | Chicago Bears | North | 6 | 11 | 0 | .353 | 2–4 | 4–8 | .524 | .373 | L1 |
| 14 | Carolina Panthers | South | 5 | 12 | 0 | .294 | 2–4 | 3–9 | .509 | .412 | L7 |
| 15 | New York Giants | East | 4 | 13 | 0 | .235 | 1–5 | 3–9 | .536 | .485 | L6 |
| 16 | Detroit Lions | North | 3 | 13 | 1 | .206 | 2–4 | 3–9 | .528 | .627 | W1 |
| Tiebreakers ||||||||||||
| ↑ Vance Joseph and Jeff Rodgers (Interim HCs for Week 6 after Kingsbury tested positive for COVID-19) 1 2 Green Bay finished ahead of Tampa Bay based on conference record (9–3 vs. 8–4), claiming the No. 1 seed. 1 2 Dallas claimed the No. 3 seed over LA Rams based on conference record (10–2 vs. 8–4). 1 2 Philadelphia finished ahead of New Orleans based on head-to-head victory, claiming the 7th and final playoff spot. 1 2 3 Washington finished ahead of Atlanta and Seattle based on head-to-head victories. 1 2 Seattle finished ahead of Atlanta based on win percentage in common games (4–2 vs. 3–3 against: San Francisco, New Orleans, Jacksonville, Washington, and Detroit). ↑ 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. ||||||||||||

## Postseason

| Round | Date | Opponent (seed) | Result | Record | Venue | Recap |
| Wild Card | January 17 | at Los Angeles Rams (4) | L 11–34 | 0–1 | SoFi Stadium | Recap |

### Game summaries
#### NFC Wild Card Playoffs: at (4) Los Angeles Rams

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Cardinals | 0 | 0 | 8 | 3 | 11 |
| Rams | 7 | 14 | 7 | 6 | 34 |
at SoFi Stadium, Inglewood, California
* Date: January 17, 2022
* Game time: 6:15 p.m. MST/5:15 p.m. PST
* Game weather: Cloudy, 63 °F (17 °C)
* Game attendance: 70,625
* Referee: Clay Martin
* TV announcers (ABC/ESPN): Steve Levy, Brian Griese, Louis Riddick, and Lisa Salters
* Recap, Game Book
Game information :
First quarter
LAR – Odell Beckham Jr. 4-yard pass from Matthew Stafford (Matt Gay kick), 3:50. Rams 7–0. Drive: 10 plays, 52 yards, 6:05.
Second quarter
LAR – Matthew Stafford 1-yard run (Matt Gay kick), 11:58. Rams 14–0. Drive: 9 plays, 68 yards, 5:17.
LAR – David Long 3-yard interception return (Matt Gay kick), 7:59. Rams 21–0.
Third quarter
LAR – Cooper Kupp 7-yard pass from Matthew Stafford (Matt Gay kick), 10:36. Rams 28–0. Drive: 8 plays, 75 yards, 4:24.
ARI – James Conner 2-yard run (Kyler Murray–Antoine Wesley pass), 4:11. Rams 28–8. Drive: 12 plays, 75 yards, 6:25.
Fourth quarter
LAR – Matt Gay 37-yard field goal, 14:55. Rams 31–8. Drive: 7 plays, 50 yards, 4:16.
ARI – Matt Prater 55-yard field goal, 10:13. Rams 31–11. Drive: 10 plays, 38 yards, 4:42.
LAR – Matt Gay 46-yard field goal, 4:21. Rams 34–11. Drive: 9 plays, 61 yards, 5:52.
Top passers
ARI – Kyler Murray – 19/34, 137 yards, 2 INT
LAR – Matthew Stafford – 13/17, 202 yards, 2 TD
Top rushers
ARI – Chase Edmonds – 8 rushes, 28 yards
LAR – Sony Michel – 13 rushes, 58 yards
Top receivers
ARI – Christian Kirk – 6 receptions, 51 yards
LAR – Cooper Kupp – 5 receptions, 61 yards, TD :

## Statistics
### Team

| Category | Total yards | Yards per game | NFL rank (out of 32) |
| Passing offense | 4,276 | 251.5 | 10th |
| Rushing offense | 2,076 | 122.1 | 10th |
| Total offense | 6,352 | 373.6 | 8th |
| Passing defense | 2,771 | 163.0 | 7th |
| Rushing defense | 1,952 | 114.8 | 20th |
| Total defense | 5,597 | 329.2 | 11th |

### Individual

| Category | Player | Total yards |
| Offense |||
| Passing | Kyler Murray | 3,787 |
| Rushing | James Conner | 752 |
| Receiving | Christian Kirk | 982 |
| Defense |||
| Tackles (Solo) | Jalen Thompson | 79 |
| Sacks | Markus Golden | 11 |
| Interceptions | Byron Murphy | 4 |
Statistics correct as of the end of the 2021 NFL season