2000 Arizona Cardinals season

2000 Arizona Cardinals season
Owner	Bill Bidwill
Head coach	Vince Tobin Dave McGinnis
Home field	Sun Devil Stadium
Results
Record	3–13
Division place	5th NFC East
Playoff finish	Did not qualify
Pro Bowlers	P Scott Player

The 2000 season was the Arizona Cardinals' 81st season in the National Football League (NFL), their 102nd overall and their 13th in Arizona. The Cardinals ranked 24th in the NFL in total offense and 30th in total defense. The Cardinals ranked last in the NFC in Takeaways/Giveaways with a rating of −24.

The Cardinals surrendered 443 points in 2000, the second-worst in the NFL that season, and second-worst in franchise history. Arizona's minus-233 point differential is the worst in team history.

Two of the Cardinals' three victories came by one point each, and they were 0–8 on the road. Following the most lopsided of those eight road losses, 48–7 at Dallas in week eight, coach Vince Tobin was fired, ending his tenure in the desert after 4½ seasons with a 29–44 record. Defensive coordinator Dave McGinnis was named interim coach, and he held the job through the end of the 2003 season. The 3–13 mark would be matched in 2018.

The Cardinals suffered through their poorest season since the 1970 AFL–NFL merger, eclipsing the 4–12 marks of 1991, 1992, 1995 and 1997. The Cardinals also went 4–9–1 in 1971, 1972 and 1973, and 4–11–1 in 1986, and would suffer through another 4–12 campaign in 2003.

Offseason

Signings

Position	Player	1999 team	Date signed	Contract
PK	Cary Blanchard	New York Giants	February 28	Undisclosed
G	Norberto Davidds-Garrido	Carolina Panthers	April 20	2 years
C	Mike Gruttadauria	St. Louis Rams	February 19	4 years, $8.6 million
DT	Tony McCoy	Indianapolis Colts	June 9	2 years

Re-signings

Position	Player	Designation	Date signed	Contract
DB	Tommy Bennett	UFA	July 22
QB	Dave Brown	UFA	February 22	2 years
TE	Derek Brown	UFA	April 28	Undisclosed
DE	Jerry Drake	UFA	May 23	Undisclosed
OL	Matt Joyce	UFA	February 22	3 years
TE	Chris Gedney	Other	February 23	Undisclosed
LB	Mark Maddox	UFA		Undisclosed
LB	Ronald McKinnon	UFA	February 24	3 years
DT	Brad Ottis	UFA	March 29	2 years
DT	Mark Smith	RFA	June 28	Undisclosed

Departures

Position	Player	Reason	2000 team
RB	Mario Bates	Released	Detroit Lions
OT	James Dexter	UFA	Carolina Panthers
C	Aaron Graham	UFA	Kansas City Chiefs
TE	Johnny McWilliams	UFA	Minnesota Vikings
RB	Adrian Murrell	UFA	Washington Redskins
LB	Patrick Sapp	UFA	Indianapolis Colts
DE	Eric Swann	Released	Carolina Panthers

NFL draft

Main article: 2000 NFL draft

2000 Arizona Cardinals draft
Round	Pick	Player	Position	College	Notes
1	7	Thomas Jones *	RB	Virginia
2	41	Raynoch Thompson	LB	Tennessee
3	71	Darwin Walker	DT	Tennessee
4	102	David Barrett	CB	Arkansas
5	136	Mao Tosi	DT	Idaho
5	164	Jay Tant	TE	Northwestern	compensatory selection
6	176	Jabari Issa	DE	Washington
7	215	Sekou Sanyika	LB	California
Made roster    †   Pro Football Hall of Fame    *   Made at least one Pro Bowl during career

Undrafted free agents

2000 Undrafted Free Agents of note

Player	Position	College
Deke Cooper	Safety	Notre Dame
Renard Cox	Cornerback	Maryland
Greg Debolt	Punter	Pittsburgh
Bryan Gilmore	Wide receiver	Midwestern State
Sean Keenan	Quarterback	Williams
Matt Keller	Fullback	Ohio State
John Shoemaker	Wide receiver	UC Davis
Jordan Younger	Cornerback	UConn

Personnel

Staff

2000 Arizona Cardinals staff

Front office President – Bill Bidwill Vice president – Larry Wilson Vice president and general counsel – Michael Bidwill General manager – Bob Ferguson Assistant to the president – Rod Graves Head coaches Head coach – Vince Tobin (games 1–7) Head coach – Dave McGinnis (games 8–16) Offensive coaches Offensive coordinator – Marc Trestman Quarterbacks – John Garrett Running backs – Johnny Roland Wide receivers – Vic Rapp Tight ends – Don Lawrence Offensive line – George Warhop

Defensive coaches Defensive coordinator – Dave McGinnis (games 1–7) Defensive line – Joe Greene Linebackers – Glenn Pires Defensive backs – Larry Marmie Quality control – Jeff FitzGerald Special teams coaches Special teams – Hank Kuhlmann Strength and conditioning Strength and conditioning – Bob Rogucki

Roster

2000 Arizona Cardinals final roster

	Quarterbacks 17 Dave Brown 14 Chris Greisen  9 Sean Keenan 16 Jake Plummer Running backs 26 Thomas Jones 34 Joel Makovicka FB 39 Dennis McKinley FB 32 Michael Pittman 21 Clarence Williams Wide receivers 89 David Boston 82 Mac Cody PR 11 Bryan Gilmore 19 MarTay Jenkins KR 81 Frank Sanders Tight ends 84 Chris Gedney 80 Terry Hardy 83 Tywan Mitchell		Offensive linemen 66 Ethan Brooks G/T 65 Anthony Clement T 64 Norberto Davidds-Garrido G/T 67 Chris Dishman C/G 71 Lester Holmes G 75 Matt Joyce G 68 Yusuf Scott G 70 L. J. Shelton T 50 Jason Starkey C Defensive linemen 98 Russell Davis DT 72 Jabari Issa DE/DT 96 Brad Ottis DE 97 Simeon Rice DE 94 Corey Sears DE 93 Mark Smith DT 92 Barron Tanner DT 78 Mao Tosi DT 90 Andre Wadsworth DE		Linebackers 58 James Folston OLB 59 Rob Fredrickson OLB 53 Mark Maddox MLB 57 Ronald McKinnon MLB 51 Johnny Rutledge OLB 54 Sekou Sanyika OLB Defensive backs 36 David Barrett CB 28 Tommy Bennett SS 25 Corey Chavous CB 22 Tom Knight CB 42 Kwamie Lassiter FS 41 Justin Lucas FS 40 Pat Tillman SS 35 Aeneas Williams CB 47 Jordan Younger CB Special teams 15 Cary Blanchard K 86 Trey Junkin LS 10 Scott Player P		Reserve lists 95 Tom Burke DE (IRTooltip Injured reserve) 79 Jon Clark T (IRTooltip Injured reserve) 60 Mike Gruttadauria C (IRTooltip Injured reserve) 44 J. J. McCleskey CB (IRTooltip Injured reserve) 61 Tony McCoy DT (IRTooltip Injured reserve) 85 Rob Moore WR (IRTooltip Injured reserve) 23 Coby Rhinehart CB (IRTooltip Injured reserve) 91 Rashod Swinger DT (PUPTooltip Physically unable to perform) 87 Jay Tant TE (IRTooltip Injured reserve) 55 Raynoch Thompson LB (IRTooltip Injured reserve) 52 Zack Walz LB (IRTooltip Injured reserve) Rookies in italics 53 active, 11 inactive

Preseason

Week	Date	Opponent	Result	Record	Venue
1	August 5	Denver Broncos	L 17–31	0–1	Sun Devil Stadium
2	August 12	Seattle Seahawks	W 21–3	1–1	Sun Devil Stadium
3	August 18	at Minnesota Vikings	L 17–35	1–2	Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome
4	August 25	at San Diego Chargers	L 20–24	1–3	Qualcomm Stadium

Regular season

On December 18, Dave McGinnis was named as the 38th head coach in franchise history. He had been interim coach since October 23, when Vince Tobin was fired.

Schedule

Week	Date	Opponent	Result	Record	Venue	Attendance
1	September 3	at New York Giants	L 16–21	0–1	Giants Stadium	77,434
2	September 10	Dallas Cowboys	W 32–31	1–1	Sun Devil Stadium	66,008
3	Bye
4	September 24	Green Bay Packers	L 3–29	1–2	Sun Devil Stadium	71,801
5	October 1	at San Francisco 49ers	L 20–27	1–3	3Com Park	66,985
6	October 8	Cleveland Browns	W 29–21	2–3	Sun Devil Stadium	44,296
7	October 15	Philadelphia Eagles	L 14–33	2–4	Sun Devil Stadium	38,293
8	October 22	at Dallas Cowboys	L 7–48	2–5	Texas Stadium	62,981
9	October 29	New Orleans Saints	L 10–21	2–6	Sun Devil Stadium	35,286
10	November 5	Washington Redskins	W 16–15	3–6	Sun Devil Stadium	52,244
11	November 12	at Minnesota Vikings	L 14–31	3–7	Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome	64,223
12	November 19	at Philadelphia Eagles	L 9–34	3–8	Veterans Stadium	65,356
13	November 26	New York Giants	L 7–31	3–9	Sun Devil Stadium	42,094
14	December 3	at Cincinnati Bengals	L 13–24	3–10	Paul Brown Stadium	50,289
15	December 10	at Jacksonville Jaguars	L 10–44	3–11	Alltel Stadium	53,472
16	December 17	Baltimore Ravens	L 7–13	3–12	Sun Devil Stadium	37,452
17	December 24	at Washington Redskins	L 3–20	3–13	FedExField	65,711

Note: Intra-division opponents are in bold text.

Game summaries

Week 1: at New York Giants

Week 1: Arizona Cardinals at New York Giants – Game summary

Period	1	2	3	4	Total
Cardinals	0	0	3	13	16
Giants	7	7	0	7	21

at Giants Stadium, East Rutherford, New Jersey

• Date: September 3
• Game time: 1:05 p.m. EST/11:05 a.m. MST
• Game weather: 80 °F (27 °C)
• Game attendance: 77,434
• Referee: Bill Carollo
• Box Score

Game information

First quarter NYG – Tiki Barber 10-yard run (Brad Daluiso kick), 0:00. Giants 7–0. Second quarter NYG – Tiki Barber 78-yard run (Brad Daluiso kick), 9:31. Giants 14–0. Third quarter ARI – Cary Blanchard 32-yard field goal, 0:00. Giants 14–3. Fourth quarter NYG – Ron Dayne 7-yard run (Brad Daluiso kick), 7:28. Giants 21–3. ARI – David Boston 9-yard pass from Jake Plummer (Cary Blanchard kick), 1:55. Giants 21–10. ARI – David Boston 25-yard pass from Jake Plummer (pass failed), 0:32. Giants 21–16. Top passers ARI – Jake Plummer – 28/49, 318 yards, 2 TD, 3 INT NYG – Kerry Collins – 17/25, 172 yards, INT Top rushers ARI – Jake Plummer – 4 rushes, 18 yards NYG – Tiki Barber – 13 rushes, 144 yards, 2 TD Top receivers ARI – David Boston – 9 receptions, 128 yards, 2 TD NYG – Ike Hilliard – 3 receptions, 62 yards

Week 2: vs. Dallas Cowboys

Week 2: Dallas Cowboys at Arizona Cardinals – Game summary

Period	1	2	3	4	Total
Cowboys	7	14	3	7	31
Cardinals	3	10	10	9	32

at Sun Devil Stadium, Tempe, Arizona

• Date: September 10
• Game time: 6:35 p.m. MST
• Game weather: 100 °F (38 °C)
• Game attendance: 66,009
• Referee: Ron Blum
• Box Score

Game information

First quarter ARI – Cary Blanchard 19-yard field goal, 9:02. Cardinals 3–0. DAL – Wane McGarity 64-yard punt return (Tim Seder kick), 4:34. Cowboys 7–3. Second quarter ARI – Michael Pittman 1-yard run (Cary Blanchard kick), 12:05. Cardinals 10–7. DAL – James McKnight 47-yard pass from Randall Cunningham (Tim Seder kick), 9:04. Cowboys 14–10. DAL – Jackie Harris 1-yard pass from Randall Cunningham (Tim Seder kick), 0:26. Cowboys 21–10. ARI – Cary Blanchard 54-yard field goal, 0:00. Cowboys 21–13. Third quarter DAL – Tim Seder 44-yard field goal, 8:16. Cowboys 24–13. ARI – Frank Sanders 4-yard pass from Jake Plummer (Cary Blanchard kick), 2:34. Cowboys 24–20. ARI – Cary Blanchard 35-yard field goal, 0:12. Cowboys 24–23. Fourth quarter DAL – Michael Wiley 15-yard pass from Randall Cunningham (Tim Seder kick), 8:53. Cowboys 31–23. ARI – Cary Blanchard 51-yard field goal, 5:17. Cowboys 31–26. ARI – Frank Sanders 17-yard pass from Jake Plummer (run failed), 1:54. Cardinals 32–31. Top passers DAL – Randall Cunningham – 24/34, 243 yards, 3 TD ARI – Jake Plummer – 18/24, 243 yards, 2 TD Top rushers DAL – Emmitt Smith – 16 rushes, 59 yards ARI – Thomas Jones – 23 rushes, 70 yards Top receivers DAL – James McKnight – 5 receptions, 86 yards, TD ARI – David Boston – 6 receptions, 102 yards

Week 4: vs. Green Bay Packers

Week 4: Green Bay Packers at Arizona Cardinals – Game summary

Period	1	2	3	4	Total
Packers	7	10	6	6	29
Cardinals	0	3	0	0	3

at Sun Devil Stadium, Tempe, Arizona

• Date: September 24
• Game time: 2:05 p.m. MST
• Game weather: 87 °F (31 °C)
• Game attendance: 71,801
• Referee: Dick Hantak
• Box Score

Game information

First quarter GB – Ahman Green 19-yard run (Ryan Longwell kick), 4:36. Packers 7–0. Second quarter GB – Bill Schroeder 55-yard pass from Brett Favre (Ryan Longwell kick), 14:05. Packers 14–0. ARI – Cary Blanchard 31-yard field goal, 8:48. Packers 14–3. GB – Ryan Longwell 38-yard field goal, 2:06. Packers 17–3. Third quarter GB – Ryan Longwell 47-yard field goal, 8:47. Packers 20–3. GB – Ryan Longwell 48-yard field goal, 0:49. Packers 23–3. Fourth quarter GB – Ryan Longwell 37-yard field goal, 9:33. Packers 26–3. GB – Ryan Longwell 22-yard field goal, 8:53. Packers 29–3. Top passers GB – Brett Favre – 17/31, 277 yards, TD ARI – Jake Plummer – 21/43, 189 yards, 4 INT Top rushers GB – Ahman Green – 12 rushes, 93 yards, TD ARI – Thomas Jones – 10 rushes, 24 yards Top receivers GB – Bill Schroeder – 4 receptions, 94 yards, TD ARI – Frank Sanders – 7 receptions, 60 yards

Week 5: at San Francisco 49ers

Week 5: Arizona Cardinals at San Francisco 49ers – Game summary

Period	1	2	3	4	Total
Cardinals	0	10	0	10	20
49ers	7	10	7	3	27

at 3Com Park, San Francisco, California

• Date: October 1
• Game time: 1:15 p.m. PST/2:15 p.m. MST
• Game weather: 72 °F (22 °C)
• Game attendance: 66,985
• Referee: Mike Carey
• Box Score

Game information

First quarter SF – Jerry Rice 5-yard pass from Jeff Garcia (Wade Richey kick), 2:28. 49ers 7–0. Second quarter ARI – Cary Blanchard 32-yard field goal, 12:07. 49ers 7–3. SF – Wade Richey 33-yard field goal, 1:53. 49ers 10–3. SF – Charlie Garner 1-yard run (Wade Richey kick), 0:49. 49ers 17–3. ARI – David Boston 56-yard pass from Jake Plummer (Cary Blanchard kick), 0:18. 49ers 17–10. Third quarter SF – Charlie Garner 1-yard run (Wade Richey kick), 6:13. 49ers 24–10. Fourth quarter SF – Wade Richey 29-yard field goal, 12:18. 49ers 27–10. ARI – Cary Blanchard 27-yard field goal, 6:45. 49ers 27–13. ARI – Thomas Jones 4-yard run (Cary Blanchard kick), 2:15. 49ers 27–20. Top passers ARI – Jake Plummer – 24/41, 239 yards, TD SF – Jeff Garcia – 22/33, 220 yards, TD Top rushers ARI – Michael Pittman – 11 rushes, 72 yards SF – Charlie Garner – 21 rushes, 77 yards, 2 TD Top receivers ARI – David Boston – 5 receptions, 87 yards, TD SF – Jerry Rice – 7 receptions, 66 yards, TD

Week 6: vs. Cleveland Browns

Week 6: Cleveland Browns at Arizona Cardinals – Game summary

Period	1	2	3	4	Total
Browns	7	7	0	7	21
Cardinals	0	16	10	3	29

at Sun Devil Stadium, Tempe, Arizona

• Date: October 8
• Game time: 2:15 p.m. MST
• Game weather: 87 °F (31 °C)
• Game attendance: 44,269
• Referee: Tom White
• Box Score

Game information

First quarter CLE – Travis Prentice 1-yard run (Phil Dawson kick), 1:51. Browns 7–0. Second quarter CLE – Travis Prentice 1-yard run (Phil Dawson kick), 14:26. Browns 14–0. ARI – Thomas Jones 10-yard run (Cary Blanchard kick), 12:00. Browns 14–7. ARI – Frank Sanders 53-yard pass from Jake Plummer (kick failed), 9:08. Browns 14–13. ARI – Cary Blanchard 36-yard field goal, 1:13. Cardinals 16–14. Third quarter ARI – Cary Blanchard 47-yard field goal, 8:55. Cardinals 19–14. ARI – Frank Sanders 5-yard pass from Jake Plummer (Cary Blanchard kick), 1:55. Cardinals 26–14. Fourth quarter CLE – Travis Prentice 6-yard run (Phil Dawson kick), 12:43. Cardinals 26–21. ARI – Cary Blanchard 28-yard field goal, 3:00. Cardinals 29–21. Top passers CLE – Tim Couch – 16/22, 138 yards ARI – Jake Plummer – 17/30, 171 yards, 2 TD Top rushers CLE – Travis Prentice – 28 rushes, 97 yards, 3 TD ARI – Michael Pittman – 16 rushes, 107 yards Top receivers CLE – Dennis Northcutt – 3 receptions, 67 yards ARI – Frank Sanders – 4 receptions, 76 yards, 2 TD

Week 7: vs. Philadelphia Eagles

Week 7: Philadelphia Eagles at Arizona Cardinals – Game summary

Period	1	2	3	4	Total
Eagles	7	10	7	9	33
Cardinals	0	0	7	7	14

at Sun Devil Stadium, Tempe, Arizona

• Date: October 15
• Game time: 2:15 p.m. MST
• Game weather: 80 °F (27 °C)
• Game attendance: 38,293
• Referee: Ron Blum
• Box Score

Game information

First quarter PHI – Stanley Pritchett 1-yard run (David Akers kick), 5:29. Eagles 7–0. Second quarter PHI – David Akers 31-yard field goal, 11:32. Eagles 10–0. PHI – Donovan McNabb 3-yard run (David Akers kick), 0:25. Eagles 17–0. Third quarter PHI – Chad Lewis 9-yard pass from Donovan McNabb (David Akers kick), 9:16. Eagles 24–0. ARI – David Boston 70-yard pass from Jake Plummer (Cary Blanchard kick), 4:33. Eagles 24–7. Fourth quarter ARI – Michael Pittman 10-yard pass from Jake Plummer (Cary Blanchard kick), 10:47. Eagles 24–14. PHI – Darnell Autry 1-yard run (kick failed), 5:28. Eagles 30–14. PHI – David Akers 29-yard field goal, 2:44. Eagles 33–14. Top passers PHI – Donovan McNabb – 24/34, 226 yards, TD ARI – Jake Plummer – 18/30, 213 yards, 2 TD, 2 INT Top rushers PHI – Darnell Autry – 20 rushes, 64 yards, TD ARI – Jake Plummer – 2 rushes, 43 yards Top receivers PHI – Charles Johnson – 4 receptions, 68 yards ARI – David Boston – 6 receptions, 123 yards, TD

Week 8: at Dallas Cowboys

Week 8: Arizona Cardinals at Dallas Cowboys – Game summary

Period	1	2	3	4	Total
Cardinals	0	0	0	7	7
Cowboys	14	13	14	7	48

at Texas Stadium, Dallas, Texas

• Date: October 22
• Game time: 12:00 p.m. CST/11:00 a.m. MST
• Game weather: 70 °F (21 °C)
• Game attendance: 62,981
• Referee: Bernie Kukar
• Box Score

Game information

First quarter DAL – Emmitt Smith 1-yard run (Tim Seder kick), 3:26. Cowboys 7–0. DAL – Wane McGarity 59-yard punt return (Tim Seder kick), 1:01. Cowboys 14–0. Second quarter DAL – Chris Warren 32-yard run (Tim Seder kick), 10:52. Cowboys 21–0. DAL – Tim Seder 32-yard field goal, 1:30. Cowboys 24–0. DAL – Tim Seder 23-yard field goal, 0:00. Cowboys 27–0. Third quarter DAL – Rocket Ismail 24-yard pass from Troy Aikman (Tim Seder kick), 6:50. Cowboys 34–0. DAL – Chris Warren 10-yard run (Tim Seder kick), 4:03. Cowboys 41–0. Fourth quarter DAL – Robert Thomas 2-yard pass from Troy Aikman (Tim Seder kick), 12:21. Cowboys 48–0. ARI – Michael Pittman 1-yard run (Cary Blanchard kick), 5:29. Cowboys 48–7. Top passers ARI – Jake Plummer – 20/31, 180 yards, 3 INT DAL – Troy Aikman – 9/15, 154 yards, 2 TD Top rushers ARI – Thomas Jones – 11 rushes, 50 yards DAL – Emmitt Smith – 24 rushes, 112 yards, TD Top receivers ARI – David Boston – 3 receptions, 50 yards DAL – James McKnight – 3 receptions, 75 yards

Week 9: vs. New Orleans Saints

Week 9: New Orleans Saints at Arizona Cardinals – Game summary

Period	1	2	3	4	Total
Saints	7	0	7	7	21
Cardinals	7	3	0	0	10

at Sun Devil Stadium, Tempe, Arizona

• Date: October 29
• Game time: 2:05 p.m. MST
• Game weather: 70 °F (21 °C)
• Game attendance: 35,286
• Referee: Larry Nemmers
• Box Score

Game information

First quarter NO – Lamont Hall 1-yard pass from Jeff Blake (Doug Brien kick), 2:31. Saints 7–0. ARI – Terry Hardy 3-yard pass from Jake Plummer (Cary Blanchard kick), 0:12. Tied 7–7. Second quarter ARI – Cary Blanchard 34-yard field goal, 5:23. Cardinals 10–7. Third quarter NO – Keith Mitchell 40-yard interception return (Doug Brien kick), 5:07. Saints 14–10. Fourth quarter NO – Ricky Williams 1-yard run (Doug Brien kick), 10:32. Saints 21–10. Top passers NO – Jeff Blake – 16/26, 167 yards, TD, INT ARI – Jake Plummer – 26/47, 289 yards, TD, 2 INT Top rushers NO – Ricky Williams – 21 rushes, 54 yards, TD ARI – Michael Pittman – 20 rushes, 86 yards Top receivers NO – Ricky Williams – 9 receptions, 92 yards ARI – Frank Sanders – 2 receptions, 54 yards

Week 10: vs. Washington Redskins

Week 10: Washington Redskins at Arizona Cardinals – Game summary

Period	1	2	3	4	Total
Redskins	3	9	3	0	15
Cardinals	10	0	6	0	16

at Sun Devil Stadium, Tempe, Arizona

• Date: November 5
• Game time: 2:05 p.m. MST
• Game weather: 65 °F (18 °C)
• Game attendance: 52,244
• Referee: Bill Carollo
• Box Score

Game information

First quarter ARI – Aeneas Williams 103-yard fumble return (Cary Blanchard kick), 10:38. Cardinals 7–0. ARI – Cary Blanchard 30-yard field goal, 7:28. Cardinals 10–0. WAS – Kris Heppner 35-yard field goal, 3:18. Cardinals 10–3. Second quarter WAS – Stephen Davis 1-yard run (run failed), 8:43. Cardinals 10–9. WAS – Kris Heppner 28-yard field goal, 1:52. Redskins 12–10. Third quarter ARI – Michael Pittman 7-yard run (pass failed), 13:44. Cardinals 16–12. WAS – Kris Heppner 29-yard field goal, 4:43. Cardinals 16–15. Fourth quarter No scoring plays Top passers WAS – Jeff George – 20/39, 276 yards, 2 INT ARI – Jake Plummer – 12/19, 146 yards, INT Top rushers WAS – Stephen Davis – 30 rushes, 124 yards, TD ARI – Michael Pittman – 15 rushes, 30 yards, TD Top receivers WAS – James Thrash – 6 receptions, 102 yards ARI – David Boston – 3 receptions, 57 yards

Week 11: at Minnesota Vikings

Week 11: Arizona Cardinals at Minnesota Vikings – Game summary

Period	1	2	3	4	Total
Cardinals	7	0	0	7	14
Vikings	7	3	7	14	31

at Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome, Minneapolis, Minnesota

• Date: November 12
• Game time: 1:00 p.m. CST/12:00 p.m. MST
• Game weather: None (Indoor stadium)
• Game attendance: 64,223
• Referee: Bob McElwee
• Box Score

Game information

First quarter MIN – Robert Smith 33-yard pass from Daunte Culpepper (Gary Anderson kick), 6:42. Vikings 7–0. ARI – Michael Pittman 1-yard run (Cary Blanchard kick), 0:13. Tied 7–7. Second quarter MIN – Gary Anderson 33-yard field goal, 0:00. Vikings 10–7. Third quarter MIN – Randy Moss 4-yard pass from Daunte Culpepper (Gary Anderson kick), 10:15. Vikings 17–7. Fourth quarter MIN – Daunte Culpepper 3-yard run (Gary Anderson kick), 10:11. Vikings 24–7. MIN – Cris Carter 12-yard pass from Daunte Culpepper (Gary Anderson kick), 3:45. Vikings 31–7. ARI – MarTay Jenkins 98-yard kickoff return (Cary Blanchard kick), 3:30. Vikings 31–14. Top passers ARI – Jake Plummer – 19/28, 219 yards MIN – Daunte Culpepper – 25/32, 302 yards, 3 TD, INT Top rushers ARI – Michael Pittman – 12 rushes, 50 yards, TD MIN – Robert Smith – 20 rushes, 117 yards Top receivers ARI – Frank Sanders – 5 receptions, 82 yards MIN – Cris Carter – 11 receptions, 119 yards, TD

Week 12: at Philadelphia Eagles

Week 12: Arizona Cardinals at Philadelphia Eagles – Game summary

Period	1	2	3	4	Total
Cardinals	3	0	0	6	9
Eagles	0	10	7	17	34

at Veterans Stadium, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

• Date: November 19
• Game time: 1:00 p.m. CST/12:00 p.m. MST
• Game weather: 39 °F (4 °C)
• Game attendance: 65,356
• Referee: Phil Luckett
• Box Score

Game information

First quarter ARI – Cary Blanchard 42-yard field goal, 8:02. Cardinals 3–0. Second quarter PHI – David Akers 38-yard field goal, 8:52. Tied 3–3. PHI – Jeff Thomason 1-yard pass from Donovan McNabb (David Akers kick), 0:19. Eagles 10–3. Third quarter PHI – Donovan McNabb 7-yard run (David Akers kick), 6:28. Eagles 17–3. Fourth quarter PHI – David Akers 46-yard field goal, 9:02. Eagles 20–3. PHI – Mike Caldwell 26-yard interception return (David Akers kick), 7:40. Eagles 27–3. ARI – David Boston 44-yard pass from Dave Brown (pass failed), 4:43. Eagles 27–9. PHI – Darnell Autry 1-yard run (David Akers kick), 1:57. Eagles 34–9. Top passers ARI – Dave Brown – 11/13, 140 yards, TD, INT PHI – Donovan McNabb – 25/34, 217 yards, TD, INT Top rushers ARI – Michael Pittman – 13 rushes, 49 yards PHI – Darnell Autry – 16 rushes, 59 yards, TD Top receivers ARI – David Boston – 6 receptions, 94 yards, TD PHI – Chad Lewis – 5 receptions, 52 yards

Week 13: vs. New York Giants

Week 13: New York Giants at Arizona Cardinals – Game summary

Period	1	2	3	4	Total
Giants	7	7	7	10	31
Cardinals	0	0	7	0	7

at Sun Devil Stadium, Tempe, Arizona

• Date: November 26
• Game time: 6:35 p.m. MST
• Game weather: 64 °F (18 °C)
• Game attendance: 42,094
• Referee: Walt Coleman
• Box Score

Game information

First quarter NYG – Dan Campbell 5-yard pass from Kerry Collins (Brad Daluiso kick), 9:32. Giants 7–0. Second quarter NYG – Ron Dayne 1-yard run (Brad Daluiso kick), 10:15. Giants 14–0. Third quarter NYG – Tiki Barber 23-yard run (Brad Daluiso kick), 6:24. Giants 21–0. ARI – Michael Pittman 36-yard pass from Dave Brown (Cary Blanchard kick), 2:01. Giants 21–7. Fourth quarter NYG – Amani Toomer 19-yard run (Brad Daluiso kick), 10:06. Giants 28–7. NYG – Brad Daluiso 25-yard field goal, 6:49. Cardinals 31–7. Top passers NYG – Kerry Collins – 20/30, 232 yards, TD ARI – Dave Brown – 18/36, 192 yards, TD, INT Top rushers NYG – Ron Dayne – 24 rushes, 85 yards, TD ARI – Michael Pittman – 13 rushes, 77 yards Top receivers NYG – Joe Jurevicius – 5 receptions, 71 yards ARI – Michael Pittman – 10 receptions, 96 yards, TD

Week 14: at Cincinnati Bengals

Week 14: Arizona Cardinals at Cincinnati Bengals – Game summary

Period	1	2	3	4	Total
Cardinals	0	0	7	6	13
Bengals	7	7	7	3	24

at Paul Brown Stadium, Cincinnati, Ohio

• Date: December 3
• Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST/11:00 a.m. MST
• Game weather: 32 °F (0 °C)
• Game attendance: 50,289
• Referee: Johnny Grier
• Box Score

Game information

First quarter CIN – Tony McGee 2-yard pass from Scott Mitchell (Neil Rackers kick), 10:46. Bengals 7–0. Second quarter CIN – Corey Dillon 1-yard run (Neil Rackers kick), 0:46. Bengals 14–0. Third quarter CIN – Brandon Bennett 7-yard run (Neil Rackers kick), 11:34. Bengals 21–0. ARI – David Boston 38-yard pass from Jake Plummer (Cary Blanchard kick), 4:08. Bengals 21–7. Fourth quarter ARI – David Boston 15-yard pass from Jake Plummer (kick failed), 13:45. Bengals 21–13. CIN – Neil Rackers 32-yard field goal, 1:02. Bengals 24–13. Top passers ARI – Jake Plummer – 22/44, 278 yards, 2 TD, INT CIN – Scott Mitchell – 11/23, 109 yards, TD, INT Top rushers ARI – Michael Pittman – 19 rushes, 72 yards CIN – Corey Dillon – 35 rushes, 216 yards, TD Top receivers ARI – David Boston – 9 receptions, 184 yards, 2 TD CIN – Peter Warrick – 3 receptions, 42 yards

Week 15: at Jacksonville Jaguars

Week 15: Arizona Cardinals at Jacksonville Jaguars – Game summary

Period	1	2	3	4	Total
Cardinals	0	3	0	7	10
Jaguars	10	17	10	7	44

at Alltel Stadium, Jacksonville, Florida

• Date: December 10
• Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST/11:00 a.m. MST
• Game weather: 61 °F (16 °C)
• Game attendance: 53,472
• Referee: Mike Carey
• Box Score

Game information

First quarter JAX – Mike Hollis 36-yard field goal, 9:11. Jaguars 3–0. JAX – Fred Taylor 1-yard run (Mike Hollis kick), 7:15. Jaguars 10–0. Second quarter JAX – Kyle Brady 8-yard pass from Mark Brunell (Mike Hollis kick), 12:49. Jaguars 17–0. JAX – Fred Taylor 4-yard run (Mike Hollis kick), 6:31. Jaguars 24–0. ARI – Cary Blanchard 32-yard field goal, 1:08. Jaguars 24–3. JAX – Mike Hollis 50-yard field goal, 0:04. Jaguars 27–3. Third quarter JAX – Mike Hollis 40-yard field goal, 9:04. Jaguars 30–3. JAX – Keenan McCardell 25-yard pass from Mark Brunell (Mike Hollis kick), 5:33. Jaguars 37–3. Fourth quarter JAX – Jimmy Smith 65-yard pass from Jaime Martin (Mike Hollis kick), 14:27. Jaguars 44–3. ARI – Frank Sanders 26-yard pass from Chris Greisen (Cary Blanchard kick), 9:45. Jaguars 44–10. Top passers ARI – Dave Brown – 11/19, 135 yards, INT JAX – Mark Brunell – 13/18, 182 yards, 2 TD Top rushers ARI – Thomas Jones – 7 rushes, 40 yards JAX – Fred Taylor – 23 rushes, 137 yards, 2 TD Top receivers ARI – Frank Sanders – 4 receptions, 90 yards, TD JAX – Jimmy Smith – 8 receptions, 147 yards, TD

Week 16: vs. Baltimore Ravens

Week 16: Baltimore Ravens at Arizona Cardinals – Game summary

Period	1	2	3	4	Total
Ravens	3	0	10	0	13
Cardinals	0	0	7	0	7

at Sun Devil Stadium, Tempe, Arizona

• Date: December 17
• Game time: 2:15 p.m. MST
• Game weather: 68 °F (20 °C)
• Game attendance: 37,452
• Referee: Larry Nemmers
• Box Score

Game information

First quarter BAL – Matt Stover 42-yard field goal, 7:12. Ravens 3–0. Second quarter No scoring plays Third quarter ARI – Frank Sanders 27-yard pass from Jake Plummer (Cary Blanchard kick), 9:41. Cardinals 7–3. BAL – Jamal Lewis 1-yard run (Matt Stover kick), 6:18. Ravens 10–7. BAL – Matt Stover 42-yard field goal, 0:21. Ravens 13–7. Fourth quarter No scoring plays Top passers BAL – Trent Dilfer – 12/22, 70 yards, INT ARI – Jake Plummer – 23/43, 266 yards, TD, 2 INT Top rushers BAL – Jamal Lewis – 29 rushes, 126 yards, TD ARI – Thomas Jones – 14 rushes, 39 yards Top receivers BAL – Shannon Sharpe – 4 receptions, 43 yards ARI – David Boston – 5 receptions, 93 yards

Week 17: at Washington Redskins

Week 17: Arizona Cardinals at Washington Redskins – Game summary

Period	1	2	3	4	Total
Cardinals	0	3	0	0	3
Redskins	14	6	0	0	20

at FedEx Field, Landover, Maryland

• Date: December 24
• Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST/11:00 a.m. MST
• Game weather: 34 °F (1 °C)
• Game attendance: 65,711
• Referee: Jeff Triplette
• Box Score

Game information

First quarter WAS – Champ Bailey 7-yard run (Eddie Murray kick), 10:56. Redskins 7–0. WAS – Irving Fryar 7-yard pass from Brad Johnson (Eddie Murray kick), 6:39. Redskins 14–0. Second quarter WAS – Eddie Murray 41-yard field goal, 14:56. Redskins 17–0. WAS – Scott Bentley 50-yard field goal, 9:15. Redskins 20–0. ARI – Cary Blanchard 37-yard field goal, 1:06. Redskins 20–3. Third quarter No scoring plays Fourth quarter No scoring plays Top passers ARI – Jake Plummer – 14/31, 144 yards, 3 INT WAS – Brad Johnson – 19/32, 192 yards, TD, 2 INT Top rushers ARI – Michael Pittman – 16 rushes, 72 yards WAS – Stephen Davis – 27 rushes, 120 yards Top receivers ARI – Tywan Mitchell – 2 receptions, 53 yards WAS – Champ Bailey – 2 receptions, 54 yards

Standings

NFC East
	W	L	T	PCT	PF	PA	STK
(1) New York Giants	12	4	0	.750	328	246	W5
(4) Philadelphia Eagles	11	5	0	.688	351	245	W2
Washington Redskins	8	8	0	.500	281	269	W1
Dallas Cowboys	5	11	0	.313	294	361	L2
Arizona Cardinals	3	13	0	.188	210	443	L7

Best performances

• David Boston, Week 1, 128 Receiving Yards vs. New York Giants
• David Boston, Week 2, 102 Receiving Yards vs. Dallas Cowboys
• David Boston, Week 7, 123 Receiving Yards vs. Philadelphia Eagles
• David Boston, Week 14, 184 Receiving Yards vs. Cincinnati Bengals
• Jake Plummer, Week 1, 318 Passing Yards vs. New York Giants
• Simeon Rice, Week 12, 3.0 Quarterback Sacks vs. Philadelphia Eagles

Records

• Led NFL, kickoffs, 86
• Led NFL, kickoff yards returned, 2296
• Led NFL, average kickoff yards per return, 26.7
• Led NFL, kickoff returns for touchdowns, 3

References

• Cardinals on Pro Football Reference
• Cardinals on jt-sw.com