# 2004 Arizona Cardinals season

The 2004 season was the Arizona Cardinals' 85th season in the National Football League (NFL), their 106th overall and their 17th in Arizona. The team finished with a 6–10 record, an improvement on their 4–12 record from the previous season, and finished in third place in the NFC West, failing to make the playoffs for the sixth straight season. Season lows for the Cardinals included losing two games to the San Francisco 49ers, the only two games the 49ers won in 2004. The Cardinals, during Week 9, also defeated the Miami Dolphins for the first time in franchise history.
The season was notable for drafting wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald with the third overall pick of the draft. At the end of the season, Emmitt Smith retired after 15 years in the league.

## Offseason
### NFL Draft

| Round | Pick | Player | Position | School/Club Team |
| 1 | 3 | Larry Fitzgerald | Wide receiver | University of Pittsburgh |
| 2 | 33 | Karlos Dansby | Linebacker | Auburn University |
| 3 | 64 | Darnell Dockett | Defensive tackle | Florida State University |
| 4 | 100 | Alex Stepanovich | Center | Ohio State University |
| 5 | 135 | Antonio Smith | Defensive end | Oklahoma State University |
| 6 | 167 | Nick Leckey | Center | Kansas State University |
| 7 | 202 | John Navarre | Quarterback | University of Michigan |

### Pat Tillman

On April 22, 2004, former Cardinals safety Pat Tillman was killed in a friendly fire incident while on patrol. Tillman was the first professional football player to be killed in combat since the death of Bob Kalsu of the Buffalo Bills, who died in the Vietnam War in 1970. Tillman was posthumously laterally promoted from Specialist to Corporal. He also received posthumous Silver Star and Purple Heart medals. On Sunday, September 19, 2004, all teams of the NFL wore a memorial decal on their helmets in Tillman's honor. The Cardinals continued to wear this decal throughout the 2004 season.

## Regular season
### Schedule

In the 2004 regular season, the Cardinals' non-divisional, conference opponents were primarily from the NFC South, although they also played the New York Giants from the NFC East, and the Detroit Lions from the NFC North. Their non-conference opponents were from the AFC East.
| Week | Date | Opponent | Result | Record | Venue | Attendance |
| 1 | September 12 | at St. Louis Rams | L 10–17 | 0–1 | Edward Jones Dome | 65,538 |
| 2 | September 19 | New England Patriots | L 12–23 | 0–2 | Sun Devil Stadium | 51,557 |
| 3 | September 26 | at Atlanta Falcons | L 3–6 | 0–3 | Georgia Dome | 70,534 |
| 4 | October 3 | New Orleans Saints | W 34–10 | 1–3 | Sun Devil Stadium | 28,109 |
| 5 | October 10 | at San Francisco 49ers | L 28–31 (OT) | 1–4 | Monster Park | 62,836 |
| 6 | Bye | Bye | Bye | Bye | Bye | Bye |
| 7 | October 24 | Seattle Seahawks | W 25–17 | 2–4 | Sun Devil Stadium | 35,695 |
| 8 | October 31 | at Buffalo Bills | L 14–38 | 2–5 | Ralph Wilson Stadium | 65,887 |
| 9 | November 7 | at Miami Dolphins | W 24–23 | 3–5 | Pro Player Stadium | 72,612 |
| 10 | November 14 | New York Giants | W 17–14 | 4–5 | Sun Devil Stadium | 42,297 |
| 11 | November 21 | at Carolina Panthers | L 10–35 | 4–6 | Bank of America Stadium | 72,796 |
| 12 | November 28 | New York Jets | L 3–13 | 4–7 | Sun Devil Stadium | 35,820 |
| 13 | December 5 | at Detroit Lions | L 12–26 | 4–8 | Ford Field | 62,262 |
| 14 | December 12 | San Francisco 49ers | L 28–31 (OT) | 4–9 | Sun Devil Stadium | 35,069 |
| 15 | December 19 | St. Louis Rams | W 31–7 | 5–9 | Sun Devil Stadium | 40,070 |
| 16 | December 26 | at Seattle Seahawks | L 21–24 | 5–10 | Qwest Field | 65,825 |
| 17 | January 2, 2005 | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | W 12–7 | 6–10 | Sun Devil Stadium | 31,650 |
| Note: Intra-division opponents are in bold text. |||||||

### Game summaries
#### Week 1: at St. Louis Rams

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Cardinals | 0 | 3 | 7 | 0 | 10 |
| Rams | 0 | 6 | 3 | 8 | 17 |
at Edward Jones Dome, St. Louis, Missouri
* Date: September 12
* Game time: 12:05 p.m. CST/11:05 a.m. MST
* Game weather: None (Indoor stadium)
* Game attendance: 65,538
* Referee: Bill Carollo
* Box Score
Game information :
First quarter
No scoring plays
Second quarter
STL – Jeff Wilkins 50-yard field goal, 11:21. Rams 3–0. Drive: 7 plays, 35 yards, 3:28.
ARI – Neil Rackers 50-yard field goal, 8:10. Tied 3–3. Drive: 5 plays, 24 yards, 3:11.
STL – Jeff Wilkins 28-yard field goal, 2:39. Rams 6–3. Drive: 11 plays, 74 yards, 5:31.
Third quarter
STL – Jeff Wilkins 22-yard field goal, 5:50. Rams 9–3. Drive: 14 plays, 83 yards, 9:10.
ARI – Emmitt Smith 11-yard run (Neil Rackers kick), 0:57. Cardinals 10–9. Drive: 9 plays, 65 yards, 4:53.
Fourth quarter
STL – Isaac Bruce 8-yard pass from Marc Bulger (Marshall Faulk run), 14:27. Rams 17–10. Drive: 5 plays, 80 yards, 1:30.
Top passers
ARI – Josh McCown – 18/29, 181 yards
STL – Marc Bulger – 23/34, 272 yards, TD, INT
Top rushers
ARI – Emmitt Smith – 16 rushes, 87 yards, TD
STL – Marshall Faulk – 22 rushes, 128 yards
Top receivers
ARI – Larry Fitzgerald – 4 receptions, 70 yards
STL – Isaac Bruce – 9 receptions, 112 yards, TD :

#### Week 2: vs. New England Patriots

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Patriots | 7 | 7 | 3 | 6 | 23 |
| Cardinals | 0 | 6 | 6 | 0 | 12 |
at Sun Devil Stadium, Tempe, Arizona
* Date: September 19
* Game time: 2:15 p.m. MST
* Game weather: 89 °F (32 °C)
* Game attendance: 51,557
* Referee: Tony Corrente
* Box Score
Game information :
First quarter
NE – Daniel Graham 2-yard pass from Tom Brady (Adam Vinatieri kick), 2:11. Patriots 7–0. Drive: 8 plays, 68 yards, 5:15.
Second quarter
NE – Daniel Graham 19-yard pass from Tom Brady (Adam Vinatieri kick), 13:16. Patriots 14–0. Drive: 5 plays, 30 yards, 2:27.
ARI – Neil Rackers 51-yard field goal, 8:08. Patriots 14–3. Drive: 4 plays, -22 yards, 1:54.
ARI – Neil Rackers 52-yard field goal, 5:13. Patriots 14–6. Drive: 4 plays, 8 yards, 2:04.
Third quarter
NE – Adam Vinatieri 29-yard field goal, 9:21. Patriots 17–6. Drive: 12 plays, 69 yards, 5:39.
ARI – Emmitt Smith 1-yard run (pass failed), 1:33. Patriots 17–12. Drive: 11 plays, 80 yards, 7:48.
Fourth quarter
NE – Adam Vinatieri 28-yard field goal, 12:02. Patriots 20–12. Drive: 9 plays, 69 yards, 4:31.
NE – Adam Vinatieri 24-yard field goal, 6:22. Patriots 23–12. Drive: 7 plays, 44 yards, 3:56.
Top passers
NE – Tom Brady – 15/26, 219 yards, 2 TD, 2 INT
ARI – Josh McCown – 13/29, 160 yards, 2 INT
Top rushers
NE – Corey Dillon – 32 rushes, 158 yards
ARI – Emmitt Smith – 13 rushes, 31 yards, TD
Top receivers
NE – David Givens – 6 receptions, 120 yards
ARI – Freddie Jones – 4 receptions, 43 yards :

#### Week 3: at Atlanta Falcons

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Cardinals | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 3 |
| Falcons | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 6 |
at Georgia Dome, Atlanta, Georgia
* Date: September 26
* Game time: 1:05 p.m. EST/11:05 a.m. MST
* Game weather: None (Indoor stadium)
* Game attendance: 70,534
* Referee: Walt Coleman
* Box Score
Game information :
First quarter
ATL – Jay Feely 25-yard field goal, 7:12. Falcons 3–0. Drive: 7 plays, 73 yards, 3:28.
Second quarter
ATL – Jay Feely 23-yard field goal, 12:01. Falcons 3–0. Drive: 6 plays, 34 yards, 2:04.
Third quarter
No scoring plays
Fourth quarter
ARI – Neil Rackers 30-yard field goal, 9:24. Falcons 6–3. Drive: 4 plays, 6 yards, 2:11.
Top passers
ARI – Josh McCown – 20/26, 198 yards
ATL – Michael Vick – 10/20, 115 yards, INT
Top rushers
ARI – Emmitt Smith – 18 rushes, 45 yards
ATL – Warrick Dunn – 20 rushes, 117 yards
Top receivers
ARI – Karl Williams – 6 receptions, 90 yards
ATL – Alge Crumpler – 2 receptions, 34 yards :

#### Week 4: vs. New Orleans Saints

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Saints | 0 | 3 | 7 | 0 | 10 |
| Cardinals | 7 | 7 | 3 | 17 | 34 |
at Sun Devil Stadium, Tempe, Arizona
* Date: October 3
* Game time: 2:05 p.m. MST
* Game weather: 93 °F (34 °C)
* Game attendance: 28,109
* Referee: Tom White
* Box Score
Game information :
First quarter
ARI – Adrian Wilson 35-yard fumble return (Neil Rackers kick), 4:16. Cardinals 7–0.
Second quarter
NO – John Carney 20-yard field goal, 14:56. Cardinals 7–3. Drive: 8 plays, 59 yards, 4:20.
ARI – Obafemi Ayanbadejo 21-yard pass from Emmitt Smith (Neil Rackers kick), 1:12. Cardinals 14–3. Drive: 5 plays, 69 yards, 2:36.
Third quarter
NO – Mel Mitchell 0-yard blocked punt return, 13:02. Cardinals 14–10.
ARI – Neil Rackers 26-yard field goal, 1:29. Cardinals 17–10. Drive: 10 plays, 80 yards, 5:38.
Fourth quarter
ARI – Neil Rackers 33-yard field goal, 5:44. Cardinals 20–10. Drive: 10 plays, 32 yards, 5:10.
ARI – Emmitt Smith 29-yard run (Neil Rackers kick), 5:02. Cardinals 27–10. Drive: 5 plays, 56 yards, 3:10.
ARI – Troy Hambrick 11-yard run (Neil Rackers kick), 1:54. Cardinals 34–10. Drive: 5 plays, 37 yards, 1:58.
Top passers
NO – Aaron Brooks – 24/40, 242 yards
ARI – Josh McCown – 12/28, 157 yards
Top rushers
NO – Aaron Stecker – 8 rushes, 23 yards
ARI – Emmitt Smith – 21 rushes, 127 yards, TD
Top receivers
NO – Aaron Stecker – 6 receptions, 71 yards
ARI – Larry Fitzgerald – 3 receptions, 61 yards :

#### Week 5: at San Francisco 49ers

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | OT | Total |
| Cardinals | 0 | 14 | 0 | 14 | 0 | 28 |
| 49ers | 0 | 6 | 6 | 16 | 3 | 31 |
at Monster Park, San Francisco, California
* Date: October 10
* Game time: 1:15 p.m. PST/2:15 p.m. MST
* Game weather: 93 °F (34 °C)
* Game attendance: 62,836
* Referee: Walt Anderson
* Box Score
Game information :
First quarter
No scoring plays
Second quarter
ARI – Freddie Jones 16-yard pass from Josh McCown (Neil Rackers kick), 14:54. Cardinals 7–0. Drive: 8 plays, 70 yards, 3:27.
SF – Todd Peterson 37-yard field goal, 8:57. Cardinals 7–3. Drive: 12 plays, 70 yards, 5:57.
ARI – Troy Hambrick 2-yard pass from Josh McCown (Neil Rackers kick), 1:56. Cardinals 14–3. Drive: 7 plays, 52 yards, 2:55.
SF – Todd Peterson 42-yard field goal, 0:16. Cardinals 14–6. Drive: 9 plays, 58 yards, 1:40.
Third quarter
SF – Arnaz Battle 71-yard punt return (pass failed), 11:32. Cardinals 14–12.
Fourth quarter
ARI – Emmitt Smith 10-yard run (Neil Rackers kick), 11:47. Cardinals 21–12. Drive: 7 plays, 86 yards, 3:17.
ARI – Larry Fitzgerald 24-yard pass from Josh McCown (Neil Rackers kick), 8:19. Cardinals 28–12. Drive: 4 plays, 44 yards, 2:11.
SF – Eric Johnson 6-yard pass from Tim Rattay (Tim Rattay run), 4:35. Cardinals 28–20. Drive: 15 plays, 80 yards, 3:44.
SF – Brandon Lloyd 23-yard pass from Tim Rattay (Tim Rattay–Brandon Lloyd pass), 1:07. Tied 28–28. Drive: 8 plays, 72 yards, 1:41.
Overtime
SF – Todd Peterson 32-yard field goal, 11:37. 49ers 31–28. Drive: 7 plays, 47 yards, 3:23.
Top passers
ARI – Josh McCown – 19/34, 231 yards, 3 TD, INT
SF – Tim Rattay – 38/57, 417 yards, 2 TD
Top rushers
ARI – Emmitt Smith – 16 rushes, 63 yards, TD
SF – Kevan Barlow – 14 rushes, 34 yards
Top receivers
ARI – Larry Fitzgerald – 5 receptions, 94 yards, TD
SF – Eric Johnson – 13 receptions, 162 yards, TD :

#### Week 7: vs. Seattle Seahawks

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Seahawks | 0 | 3 | 7 | 7 | 17 |
| Cardinals | 7 | 6 | 3 | 9 | 25 |
at Sun Devil Stadium, Tempe, Arizona
* Date: October 24
* Game time: 2:15 p.m. MST
* Game weather: 77 °F (25 °C)
* Game attendance: 35,695
* Referee: Bill Vinovich
* TV announcers (Fox): Spero Dedes, Erik Kramer and Kevin McCabe
* Box Score
Game information :
First quarter
ARI – Larry Fitzgerald 25-yard pass from Josh McCown (Neil Rackers kick), 8:23. Cardinals 7–0. Drive: 6 plays, 43 yards, 3:30.
Second quarter
SEA – Josh Brown 54-yard field goal, 6:28. Cardinals 7–3. Drive: 6 plays, 16 yards, 2:17.
ARI – Neil Rackers 55-yard field goal, 3:01. Cardinals 10–3. Drive: 7 plays, 33 yards, 3:27.
ARI – Neil Rackers 55-yard field goal, 1:01. Cardinals 13–3. Drive: 6 plays, 3 yards, 1:54.
Third quarter
ARI – Neil Rackers 50-yard field goal, 2:50. Cardinals 16–3. Drive: 10 plays, 47 yards, 6:48.
SEA – Darrell Jackson 1-yard pass from Matt Hasselbeck (Josh Brown kick), 0:05. Cardinals 16–10. Drive: 8 plays, 72 yards, 2:45.
Fourth quarter
SEA – Ken Lucas 21-yard interception return (Josh Brown kick), 13:07. Seahawks 17–16.
ARI – Team safety, 8:50. Cardinals 18–17.
ARI – Emmitt Smith 23-yard run (Neil Rackers kick), 1:53. Cardinals 25–17. Drive: 3 plays, 24 yards, 0:44.
Top passers
SEA – Matt Hasselbeck – 14/41, 187 yards, TD, 4 INT
ARI – Josh McCown – 22/36, 212 yards, TD, INT
Top rushers
SEA – Shaun Alexander – 12 rushes, 65 yards
ARI – Emmitt Smith – 26 rushes, 106 yards, TD
Top receivers
SEA – Darrell Jackson – 8 receptions, 109 yards, TD
ARI – Larry Fitzgerald – 4 receptions, 73 yards, TD :

#### Week 8: at Buffalo Bills

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Cardinals | 0 | 7 | 0 | 7 | 14 |
| Bills | 10 | 7 | 0 | 21 | 38 |
at Ralph Wilson Stadium, Orchard Park, New York
* Date: October 31
* Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST/11:00 a.m. MST
* Game weather: 55 °F (13 °C)
* Game attendance: 65,887
* Referee: Bernie Kukar
* Box Score
Game information :
First quarter
BUF – Rian Lindell 25-yard field goal, 9:32. Bills 3–0. Drive: 7 plays, 19 yards, 3:16.
BUF – Willis McGahee 5-yard run (Rian Lindell kick), 4:31. Bills 10–0. Drive: 4 plays, 55 yards, 2:28.
Second quarter
ARI – Obafemi Ayanbadejo 4-yard run (Neil Rackers kick), 8:25. Bills 10–7. Drive: 9 plays, 58 yards, 4:22.
BUF – Terrence McGee 87-yard kickoff return (Rian Lindell kick), 8:12. Bills 17–7.
Third quarter
No scoring plays
Fourth quarter
BUF – Eric Moulds 8-yard pass from Drew Bledsoe (Rian Lindell kick), 14:55. Bills 24–7. Drive: 4 plays, 19 yards, 1:54.
BUF – Tim Euhus 12-yard pass from Drew Bledsoe (Rian Lindell kick), 12:05. Bills 31–7. Drive: 4 plays, 11 yards, 1:35.
BUF – Willis McGahee 1-yard run (Rian Lindell kick), 6:57. Bills 38–7. Drive: 7 plays, 30 yards, 3:11.
ARI – Bryant Johnson 28-yard pass from Josh McCown (Neil Rackers kick), 3:54. Bills 38–14. Drive: 10 plays, 72 yards, 3:03.
Top passers
ARI – Josh McCown – 9/24, 101 yards, TD
BUF – Drew Bledsoe – 8/17, 81 yards, 2 TD
Top rushers
ARI – Emmitt Smith – 22 rushes, 64 yards
BUF – Willis McGahee – 30 rushes, 102 yards, 2 TD
Top receivers
ARI – Anquan Boldin – 4 receptions, 50 yards
BUF – Eric Moulds – 3 receptions, 40 yards, TD :

#### Week 9: at Miami Dolphins

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Cardinals | 3 | 0 | 7 | 14 | 24 |
| Dolphins | 9 | 3 | 0 | 11 | 23 |
at Pro Player Stadium, Miami Gardens, Florida
* Date: November 7
* Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST/11:00 a.m. MST
* Game weather: 80 °F (27 °C)
* Game attendance: 72,612
* Referee: Larry Nemmers
* Box Score
Game information :
First quarter
MIA – Bill Gramática 30-yard field goal, 12:02. Dolphins 3–0. Drive: 7 plays, 12 yards, 2:50.
ARI – Neil Rackers 29-yard field goal, 9:02. Tied 3–3. Drive: 7 plays, 67 yards, 3:00.
MIA – Rob Konrad 20-yard pass from Jay Fiedler (kick failed), 0:58. Dolphins 9–3. Drive: 8 plays, 91 yards, 4:12.
Second quarter
MIA – Bill Gramática 29-yard field goal, 8:07. Dolphins 12–3. Drive: 12 plays, 61 yards, 6:29.
Third quarter
ARI – Duane Starks 41-yard interception return (Neil Rackers kick), 8:12. Dolphins 12–10.
Fourth quarter
ARI – Emmitt Smith 5-yard run (Neil Rackers kick), 9:44. Cardinals 17–12. Drive: 8 plays, 80 yards, 4:39.
MIA – Bill Gramática 28-yard field goal, 7:53. Cardinals 17–15. Drive: 6 plays, 54 yards, 1:51.
MIA – Sammy Morris 1-yard run (A.J. Feeley–Randy McMichael pass), 1:56. Dolphins 23–17. Drive: 4 plays, 39 yards, 1:50.
ARI – Larry Fitzgerald 2-yard pass from Josh McCown (Neil Rackers kick), 0:19. Cardinals 24–23. Drive: 9 plays, 70 yards, 1:37.
Top passers
ARI – Josh McCown – 18/31, 162 yards, TD
MIA – Jay Fiedler – 12/21, 129 yards, TD
Top rushers
ARI – Troy Hambrick – 4 rushes, 70 yards
MIA – Travis Minor – 11 rushes, 90 yards
Top receivers
ARI – Larry Fitzgerald – 5 receptions, 92 yards, TD
MIA – Chris Chambers – 7 receptions, 104 yards :

#### Week 10: vs. New York Giants

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Giants | 7 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 14 |
| Cardinals | 0 | 10 | 7 | 0 | 17 |
at Sun Devil Stadium, Tempe, Arizona
* Date: November 14
* Game time: 2:15 p.m. MST
* Game weather: 72 °F (22 °C)
* Game attendance: 42,297
* Referee: Peter Morelli
* Box Score
Game information :
First quarter
NYG – Jeremy Shockey 2-yard pass from Kurt Warner (Steve Christie kick), 3:38. Giants 7–0. Drive: 6 plays, 43 yards, 3:30.
Second quarter
ARI – Neil Rackers 41-yard field goal, 13:36. Giants 7–3. Drive: 7 plays, 33 yards, 3:27.
NYG – Tiki Barber 2-yard run (Steve Christie kick), 9:03. Giants 14–3. Drive: 6 plays, 43 yards, 3:30.
ARI – Emmitt Smith 2-yard run (Neil Rackers kick), 0:39. Giants 14–10. Drive: 6 plays, 43 yards, 3:30.
Third quarter
ARI – Emmitt Smith 3-yard run (Neil Rackers kick), 1:09. Cardinals 17–14. Drive: 6 plays, 43 yards, 3:30.
Fourth quarter
No scoring plays
Top passers
NYG – Kurt Warner – 19/30, 193 yards, TD
ARI – Josh McCown – 12/24, 90 yards
Top rushers
NYG – Tiki Barber – 21 rushes, 108 yards, TD
ARI – Emmitt Smith – 19 rushes, 67 yards, 2 TD
Top receivers
NYG – Amani Toomer – 8 receptions, 100 yards
ARI – Bryant Johnson – 3 receptions, 32 yards :

#### Week 11: at Carolina Panthers

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Cardinals | 0 | 0 | 10 | 0 | 10 |
| Panthers | 14 | 14 | 0 | 7 | 35 |
at Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, North Carolina
* Date: November 21
* Game time: 1:05 p.m. EST/11:05 a.m. MST
* Game weather: 68 °F (20 °C)
* Game attendance: 72,796
* Referee: Bill Carollo
* Box Score
Game information :
First quarter
CAR – Nick Goings 2-yard run (Jeff Chandler kick), 6:55. Panthers 7–0. Drive: 9 plays, 96 yards, 4:51.
CAR – Nick Goings 57-yard run (Jeff Chandler kick), 1:53. Panthers 14–0. Drive: 3 plays, 79 yards, 1:31.
Second quarter
CAR – Nick Goings 1-yard run (Jeff Chandler kick), 4:31. Panthers 21–0. Drive: 2 plays, 1 yard, 0:11.
CAR – Muhsin Muhammad 28-yard pass from Jake Delhomme (Jeff Chandler kick), 0:02. Panthers 28–0. Drive: 4 plays, 39 yards, 0:56.
Third quarter
ARI – Larry Fitzgerald 21-yard pass from Shaun King (Neil Rackers kick), 9:20. Panthers 28–7. Drive: 10 plays, 84 yards, 4:36.
ARI – Neil Rackers 28-yard field goal, 4:40. Panthers 28–10. Drive: 7 plays, 41 yards, 2:53.
Fourth quarter
CAR – Muhsin Muhammad 17-yard pass from Jake Delhomme (Jeff Chandler kick), 11:38. Panthers 35–10. Drive: 3 plays, 18 yards, 0:56.
Top passers
ARI – Shaun King – 28/52, 343 yards, TD, 3 INT
CAR – Jake Delhomme – 12/25, 157 yards, 2 TD, INT
Top rushers
ARI – Emmitt Smith – 11 rushes, 26 yards
CAR – Nick Goings – 22 rushes, 121 yards, 3 TD
Top receivers
ARI – Larry Fitzgerald – 7 receptions, 92 yards, TD
CAR – Muhsin Muhammad – 6 receptions, 118 yards, 2 TD :

#### Week 12: vs. New York Jets

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Jets | 0 | 3 | 10 | 0 | 13 |
| Cardinals | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
at Sun Devil Stadium, Tempe, Arizona
* Date: November 28
* Game time: 2:15 p.m. MST
* Game weather: 63 °F (17 °C)
* Game attendance: 35,820
* Referee: Gerry Austin
* Box Score
Game information :
First quarter
No scoring plays
Second quarter
NYJ – Doug Brien 28-yard field goal, 3:28. Jets 3–0. Drive: 12 plays, 45 yards, 5:39.
ARI – Neil Rackers 20-yard field goal, 0:00. Tied 3–3. Drive: 10 plays, 77 yards, 3:28.
Third quarter
NYJ – Doug Brien 46-yard field goal, 4:53. Jets 6–3. Drive: 11 plays, 57 yards, 5:24.
NYJ – Santana Moss 69-yard pass from Quincy Carter (Doug Brien kick), 2:41. Jets 13–3. Drive: 1 play, 69 yards, 0:10.
Fourth quarter
No scoring plays
Top passers
NYJ – Quincy Carter – 8/12, 133 yards, TD
ARI – Shaun King – 14/26, 119 yards, INT
Top rushers
NYJ – Curtis Martin – 24 rushes, 99 yards
ARI – Larry Croom – 10 rushes, 25 yards
Top receivers
NYJ – Santana Moss – 5 receptions, 109 yards, TD
ARI – Anquan Boldin – 8 receptions, 87 yards :

#### Week 13: at Detroit Lions

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Cardinals | 3 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 12 |
| Lions | 7 | 7 | 6 | 6 | 26 |
at Ford Field, Detroit, Michigan
* Date: December 5
* Game time: 1:05 p.m. EST/11:05 a.m. MST
* Game weather: None (Indoor stadium)
* Game attendance: 62,262
* Referee: Jeff Triplette
* Box Score
Game information :
First quarter
ARI – Neil Rackers 42-yard field goal, 11:09. Cardinals 3–0. Drive: 6 plays, 20 yards, 2:38.
DET – Tai Streets 17-yard pass from Joey Harrington (Jason Hanson kick), 3:05. Lions 7–3. Drive: 9 plays, 76 yards, 5:14.
Second quarter
ARI – Neil Rackers 33-yard field goal, 14:13. Lions 7–6. Drive: 7 plays, 23 yards, 3:52.
DET – Kevin Jones 2-yard run (Jason Hanson kick), 8:13. Lions 14–6. Drive: 5 plays, 61 yards, 2:28.
ARI – Freddie Jones 33-yard pass from John Navarre (pass failed), 3:40. Lions 14–12. Drive: 9 plays, 80 yards, 4:33.
Third quarter
DET – Jason Hanson 45-yard field goal, 7:32. Lions 17–12. Drive: 8 plays, 38 yards, 3:35.
DET – Jason Hanson 22-yard field goal, 3:17. Lions 20–12. Drive: 4 plays, 7 yards, 1:26.
Fourth quarter
DET – Jason Hanson 31-yard field goal, 10:00. Lions 23–12. Drive: 9 plays, 67 yards, 4:51.
DET – Jason Hanson 36-yard field goal, 5:13. Lions 26–12. Drive: 7 plays, 12 yards, 2:47.
Top passers
ARI – John Navarre – 18/40, 168 yards, TD, 4 INT
DET – Joey Harrington – 15/27, 196 yards, TD, INT
Top rushers
ARI – Larry Croom – 18 rushes, 49 yards
DET – Kevin Jones – 26 rushes, 196 yards, TD
Top receivers
ARI – Anquan Boldin – 5 receptions, 48 yards
DET – Roy Williams – 4 receptions, 76 yards :

#### Week 14: vs. San Francisco 49ers

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | OT | Total |
| 49ers | 7 | 14 | 7 | 0 | 3 | 31 |
| Cardinals | 0 | 3 | 7 | 18 | 0 | 28 |
at Sun Devil Stadium, Tempe, Arizona
* Date: December 12
* Game time: 2:15 p.m. MST
* Game weather: 74 °F (23 °C)
* Game attendance: 35,069
* Referee: Bill Leavy
* Box Score
Game information :
First quarter
SF – Brandon Lloyd 5-yard pass from Ken Dorsey (Todd Peterson kick), 9:48. 49ers 7–0. Drive: 6 plays, 11 yards, 2:07.
Second quarter
SF – Cedrick Wilson 19-yard pass from Ken Dorsey (Todd Peterson kick), 13:36. 49ers 14–0. Drive: 11 plays, 75 yards, 6:05.
SF – Maurice Hicks 1-yard run (Todd Peterson kick), 8:19. 49ers 21–0. Drive: 6 plays, 44 yards, 3:05.
ARI – Neil Rackers 44-yard field goal, 3:15. 49ers 21–3. Drive: 12 plays, 54 yards, 5:04.
Third quarter
SF – Cedrick Wilson 27-yard pass from Ken Dorsey (Todd Peterson kick), 9:57. 49ers 28–3. Drive: 9 plays, 69 yards, 5:03.
ARI – Obafemi Ayanbadejo 4-yard run (Neil Rackers kick), 1:59. 49ers 28–10. Drive: 9 plays, 87 yards, 4:04.
Fourth quarter
ARI – Obafemi Ayanbadejo 1-yard run (Neil Rackers kick), 11:53. 49ers 28–17. Drive: 8 plays, 53 yards, 4:08.
ARI – Emmitt Smith 8-yard run (Josh McCown run), 2:40. 49ers 28–25. Drive: 6 plays, 56 yards, 1:08.
ARI – Neil Rackers 22-yard field goal, 0:59. Tied 28–28. Drive: 5 plays, 16 yards, 1:17.
Overtime
SF – Todd Peterson 31-yard field goal, 8:38. 49ers 31–28. Drive: 6 plays, 36 yards, 2:22.
Top passers
SF – Ken Dorsey – 18/34, 191 yards, 3 TD
ARI – Josh McCown – 26/44, 307 yards, INT
Top rushers
SF – Maurice Hicks – 34 rushes, 139 yards, TD
ARI – Emmitt Smith – 18 rushes, 53 yards, TD
Top receivers
SF – Cedrick Wilson – 5 receptions, 83 yards, 2 TD
ARI – Anquan Boldin – 9 receptions, 109 yards :

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

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Rams | 0 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 7 |
| Cardinals | 10 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 31 |
at Sun Devil Stadium, Tempe, Arizona
* Date: December 19
* Game time: 2:05 p.m. MST
* Game weather: 75 °F (24 °C)
* Game attendance: 40,070
* Referee: Mike Carey
* Box Score
Game information :
First quarter
ARI – Josh McCown 1-yard run (Neil Rackers kick), 5:24. Cardinals 7–0. Drive: 10 plays, 73 yards, 4:12.
ARI – Neil Rackers 48-yard field goal, 1:44. Cardinals 10–0. Drive: 8 plays, 14 yards, 3:25.
Second quarter
ARI – Larry Fitzgerald 8-yard pass from Josh McCown (Neil Rackers kick), 12:24. Cardinals 17–0. Drive: 6 plays, 45 yards, 2:46.
STL – Leonard Little 61-yard fumble return (Jeff Wilkins kick), 0:07. Cardinals 17–7.
Third quarter
ARI – Larry Fitzgerald 4-yard pass from Josh McCown (Neil Rackers kick), 7:02. Cardinals 24–7. Drive: 10 plays, 54 yards, 4:44.
Fourth quarter
ARI – Josh McCown 9-yard run (Neil Rackers kick), 10:54. Cardinals 31–7. Drive: 10 plays, 80 yards, 4:39.
Top passers
STL – Jamie Martin – 16/30, 188 yards
ARI – Josh McCown – 22/34, 287 yards, 2 TD
Top rushers
STL – Marshall Faulk – 10 rushes, 22 yards
ARI – Emmitt Smith – 19 rushes, 71 yards
Top receivers
STL – Torry Holt – 6 receptions, 95 yards
ARI – Bryant Johnson – 3 receptions, 69 yards :

#### Week 16: at Seattle Seahawks

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Cardinals | 7 | 0 | 0 | 14 | 21 |
| Seahawks | 0 | 10 | 7 | 7 | 24 |
at Qwest Field, Seattle, Washington
* Date: December 26
* Game time: 1:15 p.m. PST/2:15 p.m. MST
* Game weather: 46 °F (8 °C)
* Game attendance: 65,825
* Referee: Tony Corrente
* TV announcers (Fox): Curt Menefee, Tim Green and Tony Ventrella
* Box Score
Game information :
First quarter
ARI – Anquan Boldin 31-yard pass from Josh McCown (Neil Rackers kick), 4:23. Cardinals 7–0. Drive: 4 plays, 52 yards, 1:32.
Second quarter
SEA – Shaun Alexander 1-yard run (Josh Brown kick), 4:44. Tied 7–7. Drive: 6 plays, 20 yards, 2:41.
SEA – Josh Brown 34-yard field goal, 0:00. Seahawks 10–7. Drive: 10 plays, 53 yards, 3:10.
Third quarter
SEA – Shaun Alexander 17-yard run (Josh Brown kick), 3:06. Seahawks 17–7. Drive: 4 plays, 55 yards, 2:28.
Fourth quarter
SEA – Shaun Alexander 23-yard run (Josh Brown kick), 14:50. Seahawks 24–7. Drive: 5 plays, 82 yards, 2:49.
ARI – Larry Fitzgerald 29-yard pass from Josh McCown (Neil Rackers kick), 11:32. Seahawks 24–14. Drive: 5 plays, 39 yards, 2:53.
ARI – Larry Fitzgerald 29-yard pass from Josh McCown (Neil Rackers kick), 2:30. Seahawks 24–21. Drive: 9 plays, 76 yards, 3:18.
Top passers
ARI – Josh McCown – 21/33, 248 yards, 3 TD, 2 INT
SEA – Trent Dilfer – 10/26, 128 yards, INT
Top rushers
ARI – Emmitt Smith – 23 rushes, 65 yards
SEA – Shaun Alexander – 30 rushes, 154 yards, 3 TD
Top receivers
ARI – Anquan Boldin – 7 receptions, 107 yards, TD
SEA – Darrell Jackson – 6 receptions, 101 yards :

#### Week 17: vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Buccaneers | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 7 |
| Cardinals | 3 | 3 | 0 | 6 | 12 |
at Sun Devil Stadium, Tempe, Arizona
* Date: January 2
* Game time: 2:05 p.m. MST
* Game weather: 63 °F (17 °C)
* Game attendance: 31,650
* Referee: Walt Anderson
* Box Score
Game information :
First quarter
ARI – Neil Rackers 40-yard field goal, 9:06. Cardinals 3–0. Drive: 8 plays, 47 yards, 3:15.
Second quarter
ARI – Neil Rackers 45-yard field goal, 0:03. Cardinals 6–0. Drive: 6 plays, 12 yards, 0:40.
Third quarter
TB – Michael Clayton 75-yard pass from Chris Simms (Jay Taylor kick), 1:24. Buccaneers 7–6. Drive: 1 play, 75 yards, 0:15.
Fourth quarter
ARI – Neil Rackers 39-yard field goal, 11:07. Cardinals 9–7. Drive: 10 plays, 56 yards, 5:17.
ARI – Neil Rackers 31-yard field goal, 6:12. Cardinals 12–7. Drive: 4 plays, 1 yard, 1:43.
Top passers
TB – Chris Simms – 16/32, 224 yards, TD, 2 INT
ARI – Josh McCown – 16/36, 115 yards, INT
Top rushers
TB – Michael Pittman – 16 rushes, 50 yards
ARI – Emmitt Smith – 23 rushes, 69 yards
Top receivers
TB – Michael Clayton – 2 receptions, 86 yards, TD
ARI – Larry Fitzgerald – 3 receptions, 36 yards :

## Standings

NFC West :
| viewtalkedit | W | L | T | PCT | DIV | CONF | PF | PA | STK |
| $^{(4)}$ Seattle Seahawks | 9 | 7 | 0 | .563 | 3–3 | 8–4 | 371 | 373 | W2 |
| $^{(5)}$ St. Louis Rams | 8 | 8 | 0 | .500 | 5–1 | 7–5 | 319 | 392 | W2 |
| Arizona Cardinals | 6 | 10 | 0 | .375 | 2–4 | 5–7 | 284 | 322 | W1 |
| San Francisco 49ers | 2 | 14 | 0 | .125 | 2–4 | 2–10 | 259 | 452 | L3 |
NFC
viewtalkedit :
| # | Team | Division | W | L | T | PCT | DIV | CONF | SOS | SOV | STK |
| Division leaders ||||||||||||
| 1 | Philadelphia Eagles | East | 13 | 3 | 0 | .813 | 6–0 | 11–1 | .453 | .409 | L2 |
| 2 | Atlanta Falcons | South | 11 | 5 | 0 | .688 | 4–2 | 8–4 | .420 | .432 | L2 |
| 3 | Green Bay Packers | North | 10 | 6 | 0 | .625 | 5–1 | 9–3 | .457 | .419 | W2 |
| 4 | Seattle Seahawks | West | 9 | 7 | 0 | .563 | 3–3 | 8–4 | .445 | .368 | W2 |
| Wild cards ||||||||||||
| 5 | St. Louis Rams | West | 8 | 8 | 0 | .500 | 5–1 | 7–5 | .488 | .438 | W2 |
| 6 | Minnesota Vikings | North | 8 | 8 | 0 | .500 | 3–3 | 5–7 | .480 | .406 | L2 |
| Did not qualify for the postseason ||||||||||||
| 7 | New Orleans Saints | South | 8 | 8 | 0 | .500 | 3–3 | 6–6 | .465 | .427 | W4 |
| 8 | Carolina Panthers | South | 7 | 9 | 0 | .438 | 3–3 | 6–6 | .496 | .366 | L1 |
| 9 | Detroit Lions | North | 6 | 10 | 0 | .375 | 2–4 | 5–7 | .496 | .417 | L2 |
| 10 | Arizona Cardinals | West | 6 | 10 | 0 | .375 | 2–4 | 5–7 | .461 | .417 | W1 |
| 11 | New York Giants | East | 6 | 10 | 0 | .375 | 3–3 | 5–7 | .516 | .417 | W1 |
| 12 | Dallas Cowboys | East | 6 | 10 | 0 | .375 | 2–4 | 5–7 | .516 | .375 | L1 |
| 13 | Washington Redskins | East | 6 | 10 | 0 | .375 | 1–5 | 6–6 | .477 | .333 | W1 |
| 14 | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | South | 5 | 11 | 0 | .313 | 2–4 | 4–8 | .477 | .413 | L4 |
| 15 | Chicago Bears | North | 5 | 11 | 0 | .313 | 2–4 | 4–8 | .465 | .388 | L4 |
| 16 | San Francisco 49ers | West | 2 | 14 | 0 | .125 | 2–4 | 2–10 | .488 | .375 | L3 |
| Tiebreakers ||||||||||||
| 1 2 3 St. Louis clinched the NFC #5 seed instead of Minnesota or New Orleans based on better conference record (7–5 to Minnesota’s 5–7 to New Orleans’ 6–6). 1 2 Minnesota clinched the NFC #6 seed instead of New Orleans based on head-to-head victory. 1 2 3 4 5 Detroit finished ahead of Arizona and New York Giants based upon head-to-head record (2–0 versus Arizona’s 1–1 and New York Giants’ 0–2). Division tiebreak was initially used to eliminate Dallas and Washington. 1 2 3 New York Giants finished ahead of Dallas and Washington in the NFC East based on better head-to-head record (3–1 to Dallas‘ 2–2 to Washington’s 1–3). 1 2 Dallas finished ahead of Washington in the NFC East based on head-to-head sweep. 1 2 Tampa Bay finished ahead of Chicago based upon head-to-head victory. ↑ When breaking ties for three or more teams under the NFL's rules, they are first broken within divisions, then comparing only the highest-ranked remaining team from each division. ||||||||||||