2010 Arizona Cardinals season
| 2010 Arizona Cardinals season | |
|---|---|
| Owner | Bill Bidwill |
| General manager | Rod Graves |
| Head coach | Ken Whisenhunt |
| Home stadium | University of Phoenix Stadium |
| Results | |
| Record | 5–11 |
| Division place | 4th NFC West |
| Playoffs | Did not qualify |
| Pro Bowlers | SS Adrian Wilson WR Larry Fitzgerald DT Darnell Dockett |
| Uniform | |
The 2010 season was the Arizona Cardinals' 91st in the National Football League (NFL) and their 23rd in Arizona. The Cardinals attempted to improve on their 10–6 record from 2009 behind starting quarterback Derek Anderson. But after a modest 3–2 start, the Cardinals fell apart by losing 9 of their remaining 11 contests. Anderson suffered a concussion behind a poorly performing offensive line in Week 14. The team was eliminated from postseason contention for the first time since 2007 in Week 15. Head coach Ken Whisenhunt's offense proved erratic in accuracy and nullified Anderson’s very respectable arm strength.[1] Defensive coordinator Bill Davis was fired after the season.
Offseason
Quarterback Kurt Warner announced his retirement on January 29, 2010.[2]
2010 NFL draft
After finishing the season with a loss in the divisional round of the postseason, the Cardinals will pick 26th. The Cardinals will also have an additional third and fourth round pick from a trade that sent wide receiver Anquan Boldin to the Baltimore Ravens. Their fourth round pick was traded to the New York Jets for safety Kerry Rhodes.
| Round | Selection | Player | Position | College |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 26 | Dan Williams | DT | Tennessee |
| 2 | 47* | Daryl Washington | LB | Texas Christian |
| 3 | 88** | Andre Roberts | WR | Citadel |
| 4 | 130* | O'Brien Schofield | DE | University of Wisconsin |
| 5 | 155** | John Skelton | QB | Fordham |
| 6 | 201* | Jorrick Calvin | CB | Troy |
| 7 | 233 | Jim Dray | TE | Stanford |
Staff and roster
Coaching staff
| Arizona Cardinals 2010 staff | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Front office
Head coaches
Offensive coaches
|
Defensive coaches
Special teams coaches
Strength and conditioning
| |||||
Final roster
Preseason
Schedule
| Week | Date | Opponent | Result | Record | Venue | Recap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | August 14 | Houston Texans | W 19–16 | 1–0 | University of Phoenix Stadium | Recap |
| 2 | August 23 | at Tennessee Titans | L 10–24 | 1–1 | LP Field | Recap |
| 3 | August 28 | at Chicago Bears | W 14–9 | 2–1 | Soldier Field | Recap |
| 4 | September 2 | Washington Redskins | W 20–10 | 3–1 | University of Phoenix Stadium | Recap |
Regular season
Standings
| NFC West | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| W | L | T | PCT | DIV | CONF | PF | PA | STK | |
| (4) Seattle Seahawks | 7 | 9 | 0 | .438 | 4–2 | 6–6 | 310 | 407 | W1 |
| St. Louis Rams | 7 | 9 | 0 | .438 | 3–3 | 5–7 | 289 | 328 | L1 |
| San Francisco 49ers | 6 | 10 | 0 | .375 | 4–2 | 4–8 | 305 | 346 | W1 |
| Arizona Cardinals | 5 | 11 | 0 | .313 | 1–5 | 3–9 | 289 | 434 | L1 |
Regular season results
Week 1: at St. Louis Rams
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cardinals | 0 | 10 | 0 | 7 | 17 |
| Rams | 0 | 10 | 3 | 0 | 13 |
at Edward Jones Dome, St. Louis, Missouri
- Date: September 12
- Game time: 3:15 p.m. CDT/1:15 p.m. MST
- Game weather: None (indoor stadium)
- Game attendance: 52,440
- Referee: Alberto Riveron
- TV announcers (Fox): Ron Pitts, John Lynch and Nischelle Turner
- Box Score
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
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The Cardinals began their season at the Edward Jones Dome for an NFC West match against the St. Louis Rams. The Cardinals scored first in the second quarter with kicker Jay Feely nailing a 22-yard field goal, which was replied by St. Louis when kicker Josh Brown made a 46-yard field goal. Arizona took the lead again with running back Tim Hightower making a 1-yard touchdown run, but failed to maintain it, with quarterback Sam Bradford making a 1-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Laurent Robinson. In the third quarter, the Cardinals trailed for the first time when Brown nailed a 25-yard field goal, which they overcame in the fourth quarter when quarterback Derek Anderson made a 21-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald, giving Arizona a win.
With the win, Arizona began the season at 1–0.
Week 2: at Atlanta Falcons
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cardinals | 0 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 7 |
| Falcons | 7 | 17 | 10 | 7 | 41 |
at Georgia Dome, Atlanta, Georgia
- Date: September 19
- Game time: 1:00 p.m. EDT/10:00 a.m. MST
- Game weather: None (indoor stadium)
- Game attendance: 66,824
- Referee: Jerome Boger
- TV announcers (Fox): Thom Brennaman, Brian Billick and Charissa Thompson
- Box Score
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
Hoping to maintain their current winning streak the Cardinals flew to Georgia Dome for an NFC duel with the Falcons. In the first quarter Arizona trailed early as quarterback Matt Ryan completed a 7-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Roddy White, followed in the second quarter by kicker Matt Bryant hitting a 24-yard field goal. Arizona would reply with running back Tim Hightower getting an 80-yard touchdown run, but fell further behind when Ryan threw a 19-yard touchdown pass to fullback Jason Snelling, followed by Snelling getting a 1-yard touchdown run. In the third quarter the Cardinals struggled further when Ryan completed a 12-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Brian Finneran, followed by Bryan nailing a 35-yard field goal. In the fourth quarter Arizona continued to struggle with fullback Jason Snelling getting a 7-yard touchdown run.
With the loss, the Cardinals fell to 1–1.
Week 3: vs. Oakland Raiders
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Raiders | 13 | 7 | 0 | 3 | 23 |
| Cardinals | 10 | 7 | 7 | 0 | 24 |
at University of Phoenix Stadium, Glendale, Arizona
- Date: September 26
- Game time: 1:15 p.m. MST
- Game weather: None (retractable roof closed)
- Game attendance: 62,439
- Referee: Mike Carey
- TV announcers (CBS): Spero Dedes and Randy Cross
- Box Score
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
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The Cardinals' third game was an Interconference duel with the Raiders. The Cardinals led early in the first quarter when running back LaRod Stephens-Howling returned a kickoff from his own goal line to the endzone running 102 yards for a touchdown. The Raiders replied and took the lead with quarterback Bruce Gradkowski completing a 22-yard touchdown pass to tight end Zach Miller, followed by kicker Sebastian Janikowski making a 22-yard field goal. Arizona replied with kicker Jay Feely kicking a 42-yard field goal. Then the Raiders replied with Janikowski making a 54-yard field goal. The Cardinals took the lead in the second quarter when quarterback Derek Anderson made a 2-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Steve Breaston, but it didn't last very long after running back Darren McFadden got a 2-yard touchdown run. Arizona got the lead back in the third quarter when Anderson found wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald on an 8-yard touchdown pass. In the fourth quarter Oakland cut the lead when Janikowski made a 23-yard field goal. Janikowski missed three field goals in the game, giving Arizona the win.
With the close win, Arizona improved to 2–1.
Week 4: at San Diego Chargers
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cardinals | 0 | 7 | 0 | 3 | 10 |
| Chargers | 7 | 21 | 10 | 3 | 41 |
at Qualcomm Stadium, San Diego, California
- Date: October 3
- Game time: 1:15 p.m. MST & PDT
- Game weather: Sunny, 72 °F (22 °C)
- Game attendance: 62,189
- Referee: Gene Steratore
- TV announcers (Fox): Sam Rosen, Tim Ryan and Chris Myers
- Box Score
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
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Hoping to increase their winning streak the Cardinals flew to Qualcomm Stadium for an interconference duel with the Chargers. In the first quarter the Cardinals trailed early as quarterback Philip Rivers completed a 33-yard touchdown pass to tight end Antonio Gates, but they replied in the second quarter when free safety Kerry Rhodes recovered a fumble and ran 2 yards to the endzone for a touchdown. After that, the Cardinals fell further behind with fullback Mike Tolbert making a 5-yard touchdown run, followed by Rivers making a 26-yard touchdown pass to tight end Antonio Gates. The Cardinals had more problems when quarterback Derek Anderson's pass was intercepted by outside linebacker Shaun Phillips which converted into a 31-yard touchdown run. This was followed in the third quarter by kicker Nate Kaeding making a 48-yard field goal. Then running back Ryan Mathews got a 15-yard touchdown run. This was followed in the fourth quarter by Kaeding nailing a 47-yard field goal. The Cardinals tried to cut the lead, but only came away with kicker Jay Feely's 53-yard field goal.
With the loss, Arizona fell to 2–2.
Week 5: vs. New Orleans Saints
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Saints | 10 | 3 | 0 | 7 | 20 |
| Cardinals | 0 | 10 | 3 | 17 | 30 |
at University of Phoenix Stadium, Glendale, Arizona
- Date: October 10
- Game time: 1:05 p.m. MST
- Game weather: None (retractable roof closed)
- Game attendance: 62,621
- Referee: Tony Corrente
- TV announcers (Fox): Chris Rose and Kurt Warner
- Box Score
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
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Hoping to rebound from their loss to the Chargers the Cardinals played on home ground for an NFC duel with the Super Bowl champion Saints using a new starting quarterback: Max Hall (who had substituted in for Derek Anderson in the previous game). In the first quarter the Cardinals trailed early as kicker John Carney nailed a 31-yard field goal, followed by quarterback Drew Brees completing a 1-yard touchdown pass to tight end Jeremy Shockey. The Cardinals replied with kicker Jay Feely making a 37-yard field goal, followed by offensive tackle Levi Brown recovering a fumble and returning it 2 yards for a touchdown. In the third quarter the Cardinals replied and took the lead when Feely got a 44-yard field goal, followed the fourth quarter by Feely's 29-yard field goal. Then free safety Kerry Rhodes recovered a fumble and ran 27 yards to the endzone for a touchdown. The lead was broken down with Brees making a 35-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Robert Meachem, but the Cardinals managed to pull away when Brees' pass was intercepted by cornerback Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie and returned 28 yards to the endzone for a touchdown.
With the win, Arizona went into their bye week at 3–2.
Week 7: at Seattle Seahawks
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cardinals | 0 | 0 | 7 | 3 | 10 |
| Seahawks | 3 | 7 | 9 | 3 | 22 |
at Qwest Field, Seattle, Washington
- Date: October 24
- Game time: 1:05 p.m. MST & PDT
- Game weather: Cloudy, 52 °F (11 °C)
- Game attendance: 67,132
- Referee: Jeff Triplette
- TV announcers (Fox): Chris Myers, Brian Billick and Charissa Thompson
- Box Score
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
Coming off their bye week the Cardinals flew to Qwest Field for an NFC West rivalry match against the Seahawks. In the first quarter the Cardinals trailed early as kicker Olindo Mare got a 20-yard field goal. Followed in the second quarter by quarterback Matt Hasselbeck making a 2-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Mike Williams. The Cardinals fell further behind in the third quarter with Mare nailing a 31 and a 51-yard field goal. The Cardinals replied with running back Beanie Wells getting a 2-yard touchdown run. The Seahawks continued to score with Mare hitting a 24-yard field goal, but the Cardinals responded in the fourth quarter with kicker Jay Feely getting a 24-yard field goal. The Seahawks pulled away with Mare making a 26-yard field goal.
With the loss, the Cardinals fell to 3–3.
Week 8: vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Buccaneers | 7 | 17 | 7 | 7 | 38 |
| Cardinals | 7 | 7 | 14 | 7 | 35 |
at University of Phoenix Stadium, Glendale, Arizona
- Date: October 31
- Game time: 1:15 p.m. MST
- Game weather: None (retractable roof closed)
- Game attendance: 61,857
- Referee: Ron Winter
- TV announcers (Fox): Chris Myers, Brian Billick and Jaime Maggio
- Box Score
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
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The Cardinals' seventh game was an NFC duel with the Buccaneers at University of Phoenix Stadium. In the first quarter the Cardinals took the lead when quarterback Max Hall made a 3-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald. The Buccaneers replied with outside linebacker Geno Hayes returning an interception 41 yards for a touchdown. The Cardinals led again in the second quarter with running back Beanie Wells getting a 1-yard touchdown run, but the Buccaneers went on a scoring rally with quarterback Josh Freeman making a 47-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Mike Williams, and cornerback Aqib Talib returning an interception 45 yards for a touchdown. This was followed by kicker Connor Barth hitting a 21-yard field goal, and in the third quarter with running back LeGarrette Blount getting a 15-yard touchdown run. The Cardinals also went on a rally to take the lead back with running back LaRod Stephens-Howling making a 30-yard touchdown run, which was followed by inside linebacker Gerald Hayes recovering a fumble and running 21 yards to the endzone for a touchdown. Then quarterback Derek Anderson found Fitzgerald on a 5-yard touchdown pass. The Buccaneers scored once more to take the win with Blount getting a 1-yard touchdown run.
With the loss, Arizona recorded back to back losses for the first time since the 2008 season, and fell to 3–4.
Week 9: at Minnesota Vikings
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | OT | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cardinals | 0 | 14 | 7 | 3 | 0 | 24 |
| Vikings | 0 | 10 | 0 | 14 | 3 | 27 |
at Mall of America Field at Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome, Minneapolis, Minnesota
- Date: November 7
- Game time: 12:05 p.m. CST/11:05 a.m. MST
- Game weather: None (indoor stadium)
- Game attendance: 64,120
- Referee: Bill Leavy
- TV announcers (Fox): Kenny Albert, Daryl Johnston and Tony Siragusa
- Box Score
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
Hoping to snap their current losing streak the Cardinals flew to Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome for an NFC duel with the Vikings. In the second quarter the Cardinals trailed early as quarterback Brett Favre got a 12-yard touchdown pass to running back Adrian Peterson. They immediately replied with a 96-yard kickoff return for a touchdown by running back LaRod Stephens-Howling. The Vikings responded with kicker Ryan Longwell nailing a 21-yard field goal. The Cardinals replied a took the lead with quarterback Derek Anderson completing a 30-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Andre Roberts. This was followed by defensive back Michael Adams returning a fumble 30 yards for a touchdown, and with kicker Jay Feely making a 22-yard field goal. The lead was closed down by Peterson as he got a 4-yard touchdown run, and by quarterback Brett Favre's 25-yard touchdown pass to tight end Visanthe Shiancoe. After overtime the decision was made when Longwell successfully made a 35-yard field goal to give the Cardinals a loss, bringing their record down to 3–5.
Week 10: vs. Seattle Seahawks
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Seahawks | 7 | 10 | 9 | 10 | 36 |
| Cardinals | 7 | 3 | 0 | 8 | 18 |
at University of Phoenix Stadium, Glendale, Arizona
- Date: November 15
- Game time: 2:15 p.m. MST
- Game weather: None (retractable roof closed)
- Game attendance: 61,904
- Referee: Scott Green
- TV announcers (Fox): Thom Brennamen and Brian Billick
- Box Score
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
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The Cardinals' ninth game was an NFC West rivalry re-match against the Seahawks. In the first quarter the Cardinals took the early lead as running back Tim Hightower got a 2-yard touchdown run. The Seahawks replied with running back Marshawn Lynch getting a 1-yard touchdown run. The Cardinals trailed with kicker Olindo Mare getting a 41-yard field goal, but they answed back with kicker Jay Feely nailing a 23-yard field goal. The Cardinals struggled further with quarterback Matt Hasselbeck completing a 63-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Deon Butler. This was followed in the third quarter by a 34, 19 and 23-yard field goal from Mare. In the fourth quarter Mare got another 19-yard field goal to put the Seahawks up 29–10. The Cardinals responded with quarterback Derek Anderson making a 2-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Early Doucet (with a successful 2-point conversion as Anderson found wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald), but the Seahawks put the game away with running back Justin Forsett getting a 4-yard touchdown run.
With the loss, Arizona fell to 3–6.
Week 11: at Kansas City Chiefs
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cardinals | 3 | 0 | 3 | 7 | 13 |
| Chiefs | 0 | 14 | 7 | 10 | 31 |
at Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, Missouri
- Date: November 21
- Game time: 12:00 p.m. CST/11:00 a.m. MST
- Game weather: Cloudy, 66 °F (19 °C)
- Game attendance: 66,247
- Referee: Walt Coleman
- TV announcers (Fox): Ron Pitts and John Lynch
- Box Score
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
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Hoping to break their current losing streak the Cardinals flew to Arrowhead Stadium for an interconference duel with the Chiefs. The Cardinals scored with kicker Jay Feely hitting a 36-yard field goal, but they fell behind with quarterback Matt Cassel completing a 1-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Dwayne Bowe. This was followed by running back Thomas Jones getting a 1 and a 3-yard touchdown run. The Cardinals responded with Feely making a 29-yard field goal, but they struggled further with kicker Ryan Succop getting a 23-yard field goal, followed by Cassel throwing a 38-yard touchdown pass to Bowe. The Cardinals cut the lead with quarterback Derek Anderson completing a 3-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald.
With the loss, the Cardinals fell to 3–7.
Week 12: vs. San Francisco 49ers
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 49ers | 14 | 7 | 3 | 3 | 27 |
| Cardinals | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 6 |
at University of Phoenix Stadium, Glendale, Arizona
- Date: November 29
- Game time: 6:40 p.m. MST
- Game weather: None (retractable roof closed)
- Game attendance: 62,308
- Referee: Gene Steratore
- TV announcers (ESPN): Mike Tirico, Ron Jaworski, Jon Gruden, Suzy Kolber and Michele Tafoya
- Box Score
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
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Trying to snap a five-game losing streak, the Cardinals went home, donned their alternate uniforms again, and played a Week 12 NFC West duel with the San Francisco 49ers on Monday night. Arizona trailed early in the first quarter as 49ers quarterback Troy Smith completed a 38-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Michael Crabtree. The Cardinals answered with a 31-yard field goal from kicker Jay Feely, but San Francisco struck back with running back Anthony Dixon getting a 1-yard touchdown run. The 49ers added onto their lead in the second quarter with running back Brian Westbrook getting an 8-yard touchdown run. Arizona would respond with Feely's 39-yard field goal. From there, San Francisco pulled away in the third quarter as 49ers kicker Shane Andrus made a 38-yard field goal, followed by his 26-yard field goal in the fourth quarter.
With the loss, the Cardinals fell to 3–8.
Week 13: vs. St. Louis Rams
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rams | 3 | 6 | 7 | 3 | 19 |
| Cardinals | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 |
at University of Phoenix Stadium, Glendale, Arizona
- Date: December 5
- Game time: 2:15 p.m. MST
- Game weather: None (retractable roof closed)
- Game attendance: 61,874
- Referee: Clete Blakeman
- TV announcers (Fox): Chris Myers and Kurt Warner
- Box Score
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
Hoping to break a six-game losing streak the Cardinals played on home ground for a division rivalry match against the Rams. The Cardinals took the early lead as kicker Jay Feely got a 45 and a 41-yard field goal. They soon trailed after kicker Josh Brown hit a 28, 52 and 20-yard field goal. This was followed in the third quarter by running back Steven Jackson getting a 27-yard touchdown run, and with Brown making a 43-yard field goal.
With the loss, the Cardinals fell to 3–9.
Week 14: vs. Denver Broncos
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Broncos | 3 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 13 |
| Cardinals | 3 | 13 | 3 | 24 | 43 |
at University of Phoenix Stadium, Glendale, Arizona
- Date: December 12
- Game time: 2:15 p.m. MST
- Game weather: None (retractable roof closed)
- Game attendance: 62,223
- Referee: Jerome Boger
- TV announcers (CBS): Bill Macatee and Rich Gannon
- Box Score
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
The Cardinals thirteenth game was an interconference duel with the Broncos. The Cardinals trailed early as Broncos kicker Steven Hauschka nailed a 32-yard field goal, but rallied to take the lead with kicker Jay Feely making a 36 and a 48-yard field goal, followed by his 5-yard touchdown run to the endzone, then he made a 55, 23 and a 49-yard field goal to put the Cardinals up 22–3. The lead was narrowed slightly as Hauschka got a 30-yard field goal, but the Cardinals increased their lead with running back Tim Hightower getting an 8-yard touchdown run. The Broncos tried to break down the lead as running back Knowshon Moreno got a 1-yard touchdown run, but the Cardinals pulled away with Hightower getting a 35-yard touchdown run, followed by defensive end Darnell Dockett recovering a fumble in the endzone for a touchdown.
With the win, Arizona improved to 4–9, and got their first-ever win over the Broncos in the franchise's history,[3] though they tied in 1973 and never played the Broncos between 1978 and 1988. Despite losing nine games on the year, the Cardinals were still playoff-eligible in the very weak NFC West.
Week 15: at Carolina Panthers
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cardinals | 0 | 3 | 0 | 9 | 12 |
| Panthers | 6 | 7 | 6 | 0 | 19 |
at Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, North Carolina
- Date: December 19
- Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST/11:00 a.m. MST
- Game weather: Sunny, 42 °F (6 °C)
- Game attendance: 71,849
- Referee: Tony Corrente
- TV announcers (Fox): Ron Pitts, John Lynch and Nischelle Turner
- Box Score
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
Coming off their win over the Broncos the Cardinals flew to Bank of America Stadium for an NFC duel with the Panthers. In the first quarter the Cardinals trailed early as kicker John Kasay hit a 28 and a 29-yard field goal. This was followed in the second quarter by quarterback Jimmy Clausen completing a 16-yard touchdown pass to tight end Jeff King. The Cardinals answered with kicker Jay Feely nailing a 23-yard field goal, but struggled further after Kasay made a 24 and a 43-yard field goal. The Cardinals tried to come back with Steve Breaston recovering a fumble in the end zone for a touchdown (with a failed two-point conversion) and then with Feely getting a 30-yard field goal, but the Panthers' defense was enough to secure themselves the win.
With the loss, Arizona fell to 4–10, and was officially ousted from the postseason for the first time since 2007.
Week 16: vs. Dallas Cowboys
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cowboys | 0 | 10 | 10 | 6 | 26 |
| Cardinals | 14 | 7 | 0 | 6 | 27 |
at University of Phoenix Stadium, Glendale, Arizona
- Date: December 25
- Game time: 5:30 p.m. MST
- Game weather: None (retractable roof closed)
- Game attendance: 66,971
- Referee: Jeff Triplette
- TV announcers (NFL Network): Bob Papa, Matt Millen and Joe Theismann
- Box Score
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
This game marked the second time the Cardinals hosted the Cowboys on Christmas Day, after a 1995 Monday Night Football contest.
Week 17: at San Francisco 49ers
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cardinals | 0 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 7 |
| 49ers | 7 | 3 | 21 | 7 | 38 |
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
The Cardinals' final game was an NFC West rivalry rematch against the 49ers. The Cardinals trailed early as quarterback Alex Smith completed a 37-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Ted Ginn Jr., followed in the second quarter by kicker Jeff Reed making a 39-yard field goal. The Cardinals narrowed the lead as quarterback John Skelton completed a 10-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald, but fell further behind after Smith completed a 59-yard touchdown pass to tight end Vernon Davis, followed by running back Brian Westbrook running 6 yards to the endzone for a touchdown twice in succession. Arizona's offense continued to have problems as Richard Bartel's pass was intercepted by cornerback Tarell Brown and returned 62 yards for a touchdown.
With the loss, the Cardinals finished with a 5–11 record.
Notes and references
- ^ Benoit, Andy. "The New York Times N.F.L. Blog Search The Fifth Down Search 2010 Arizona Cardinals: What the Film Revealed". nytimes.com. New York Times. Retrieved July 23, 2025.
- ^ Urban, Darren (January 29, 2010). "Warner Says Goodbye". azcardinals.com. Archived from the original on February 2, 2010. Retrieved August 28, 2010.
- ^ Arizona Cardinals versus Denver Broncos