2011 Arizona Cardinals season

2011 Arizona Cardinals season
Owner	Bill Bidwill
General manager	Rod Graves
Head coach	Ken Whisenhunt
Home field	University of Phoenix Stadium
Results
Record	8–8
Division place	2nd NFC West
Playoff finish	Did not qualify
Pro Bowlers	Larry Fitzgerald, WR Patrick Peterson, CB Adrian Wilson, SS
Uniform
←  2010 Cardinals seasons 2012  →

The 2011 season was the Arizona Cardinals' 92nd in the National Football League (NFL), their 24th in Arizona and their fifth under head coach Ken Whisenhunt. This was going to be the Cardinals first season with new starting quarterback Kevin Kolb, but he was injured and replaced by John Skelton. Despite a 1-6 start the Cardinals managed to win 7 out of 9 games, including a stunning upset against the San Francisco 49ers in week 14. The team improved on their 5–11 record from the 2010 season, but missed the playoffs for a second consecutive season.

The 2011 Cardinals won four overtime games, an NFL record that would later be matched by the 2021 Las Vegas Raiders. ^[1]

Offseason

Signings

Pos.	Player	2010 Team	Contract
G	Daryn Colledge	Green Bay Packers	5 years, $27.5 million
LB	Stewart Bradley	Philadelphia Eagles	5 years, $25 million
C	Lyle Sendlein	Arizona Cardinals	5 years, $16 million
TE	Jeff King	Carolina Panthers	3 years, $5.5 million
DE	Nick Eason	Pittsburgh Steelers	2 years, $1.9 million
S	Michael Adams	Arizona Cardinals	2 years, $1.7 million
G	Floyd Womack	Cleveland Browns	1 year, $1.7 million
RB	Chester Taylor	Chicago Bears	1 year, $810,000
CB	Matt Ware	Arizona Cardinals	1 year, $855,000
C	Ben Claxton	Arizona Cardinals	1 year, $700,000

Departures

Pos.	Player	2011 Team
WR	Steve Breaston	Kansas City Chiefs
DT	Alan Branch	Seattle Seahawks
G	Alan Faneca

2011 NFL Draft

Main article: 2011 NFL draft

Arizona Cardinals 2011 NFL Draft selections ^[2]

Draft order			Player name	Position	Height	Weight	College
Round	Choice	Overall
1	5	5	Patrick Peterson	CB	6'0"	219 lbs.	LSU
2	6	38	Ryan Williams	RB	5'9"	212 lbs.	VT
3	5	69	Rob Housler	TE	6'5"	215 lbs.	FAU
4	6	103	Sam Acho	OLB	6'2"	262 lbs.	Texas
5	5	136	Anthony Sherman	RB	5'10"	242 lbs.	UConn
6	6	171	Quan Sturdivant	ILB	6'1"	241 lbs.	UNC
	19	184 [A]	David Carter	DE	6'5"	297 lbs.	UCLA
7 [B]	46	249 [C]	DeMarco Sampson	WR	6'2"	204 lbs.	SDSU

Acquisitions

On July 28, 2011 the Cardinals acquired Kolb from the Philadelphia Eagles for CB Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie and a 2012 2nd-round pick. The next day they signed former Carolina Panthers starting CB Richard Marshall. ^[3]

Preseason

Schedule

Week	Date	Opponent	Result	Record	Venue	Recap
1	August 11	at Oakland Raiders	W 24–18	1–0	O.co Coliseum	Recap
2	August 19	at Green Bay Packers	L 20–28	1–1	Lambeau Field	Recap
3	August 27	San Diego Chargers	L 31–34	1–2	University of Phoenix Stadium	Recap
4	September 1	Denver Broncos	W 26–7	2–2	University of Phoenix Stadium	Recap

Regular season

Schedule

Week	Date	Opponent	Result	Record	Venue	Recap
1	September 11	Carolina Panthers	W 28–21	1–0	University of Phoenix Stadium	Recap
2	September 18	at Washington Redskins	L 21–22	1–1	FedExField	Recap
3	September 25	at Seattle Seahawks	L 10–13	1–2	CenturyLink Field	Recap
4	October 2	New York Giants	L 27–31	1–3	University of Phoenix Stadium	Recap
5	October 9	at Minnesota Vikings	L 10–34	1–4	Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome	Recap
6	Bye
7	October 23	Pittsburgh Steelers	L 20–32	1–5	University of Phoenix Stadium	Recap
8	October 30	at Baltimore Ravens	L 27–30	1–6	M&T Bank Stadium	Recap
9	November 6	St. Louis Rams	W 19–13 (OT)	2–6	University of Phoenix Stadium	Recap
10	November 13	at Philadelphia Eagles	W 21–17	3–6	Lincoln Financial Field	Recap
11	November 20	at San Francisco 49ers	L 7–23	3–7	Candlestick Park	Recap
12	November 27	at St. Louis Rams	W 23–20	4–7	Edward Jones Dome	Recap
13	December 4	Dallas Cowboys	W 19–13 (OT)	5–7	University of Phoenix Stadium	Recap
14	December 11	San Francisco 49ers	W 21–19	6–7	University of Phoenix Stadium	Recap
15	December 18	Cleveland Browns	W 20–17 (OT)	7–7	University of Phoenix Stadium	Recap
16	December 24	at Cincinnati Bengals	L 16–23	7–8	Paul Brown Stadium	Recap
17	January 1	Seattle Seahawks	W 23–20 (OT)	8–8	University of Phoenix Stadium	Recap

Game summaries

Week 1: vs. Carolina Panthers

Week 1: Carolina Panthers at Arizona Cardinals – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Panthers	7	7	7	0	21
Cardinals	7	0	7	14	28

at University of Phoenix Stadium, Glendale, Arizona

• Date: September 11
• Game time: 1:15 p.m. MST
• Game weather: None (retractable roof closed)
• Game attendance: 60,627
• Referee: Carl Cheffers
• TV announcers (Fox): Sam Rosen, Chad Pennington and Jody Jackson
• Box Score

Game information

First quarter ARI – Beanie Wells 7-yard run (Jay Feely kick), 8:45. Cardinals 7–0. Drive: 6 plays, 54 yards, 3:42. CAR – Steve Smith 77-yard pass from Cam Newton (Olindo Mare kick), 7:11. Tied 7–7. Drive: 3 plays, 80 yards, 1:34. Second quarter CAR – Steve Smith 26-yard pass from Cam Newton (Olindo Mare kick), 0:06. Panthers 14–7. Drive: 4 plays, 74 yards, 0:57. Third quarter ARI – Jeff King 48-yard pass from Kevin Kolb (Jay Feely kick), 10:40. Tied 14–14. Drive: 1 play, 48 yards, 0:12. CAR – Cam Newton 1-yard run (Olindo Mare kick), 5:49. Panthers 21–14. Drive: 8 plays, 80 yards, 4:51. Fourth quarter ARI – Early Doucet 70-yard pass from Kevin Kolb (Jay Feely kick), 10:48. Tied 21–21. Drive: 5 plays, 90 yards, 2:13. ARI – Patrick Peterson 89-yard punt return (Jay Feely kick), 7:15. Cardinals 28–21. Top passers CAR – Cam Newton – 24/37, 422 yards, 2 TD, INT ARI – Kevin Kolb – 18/27, 309 yards, 2 TD Top rushers CAR – DeAngelo Williams – 12 rushes, 30 yards ARI – Beanie Wells – 18 rushes, 90 yards, TD Top receivers CAR – Steve Smith – 8 receptions, 178 yards, 2 TD ARI – Early Doucet – 3 receptions, 105 yards, TD

Week 2: at Washington Redskins

Week 2: Arizona Cardinals at Washington Redskins – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Cardinals	7	0	7	7	21
Redksins	0	10	0	12	22

at FedExField, Landover, Maryland

• Date: September 18
• Game time: 1:00 p.m. EDT/10:00 a.m. MST
• Game weather: Cloudy, 66 °F (19 °C)
• Game attendance: 76,330
• Referee: Peter Morelli
• TV announcers (Fox): Chris Myers and Tim Ryan
• Box Score

Game information

First quarter ARI – Jeff King 21-yard pass from Kevin Kolb (Jay Feely kick), 3:54. Cardinals 7–0. Drive: 2 plays, 37 yards, 0:38. Second quarter WAS – Graham Gano 26-yard field goal, 10:25. Cardinals 7–3. Drive: 14 plays, 77 yards, 8:29. WAS – Fred Davis 1-yard pass from Rex Grossman (Graham Gano kick), 3:04. Redskins 10–7. Drive: 6 plays, 80 yards, 2:57. Third quarter ARI – Beanie Wells 2-yard run (Jay Feely kick), 2:47. Cardinals 14–10. Drive: 9 plays, 90 yards, 4:31. Fourth quarter WAS – Graham Gano 23-yard field goal, 11:18. Cardinals 14–13. Drive: 7 plays, 39 yards, 3:42. ARI – Larry Fitzgerald 73-yard pass from Kevin Kolb (Jay Feely kick), 10:58. Cardinals 21–13. Drive: 1 play, 68 yards, 0:20. WAS – Santana Moss 18-yard pass from Rex Grossman (run failed), 5:17. Cardinals 21–19. Drive: 13 plays, 73 yards, 5:41. WAS – Graham Gano 34-yard field goal, 1:45. Cardinals 22–21. Drive: 8 plays, 48 yards, 2:35. Top passers ARI – Kevin Kolb – 17/30, 251 yards, 2 TD, INT WAS – Rex Grossman – 25/43, 291 yards, 2 TD, 2 INT Top rushers ARI – Beanie Wells – 14 rushes, 93 yards, TD WAS – Tim Hightower – 20 rushes, 96 yards Top receivers ARI – Larry Fitzgerald – 7 receptions, 133 yards, TD WAS – Fred Davis – 6 receptions, 86 yards, TD

Week 3: at Seattle Seahawks

Week 3: Arizona Cardinals at Seattle Seahawks – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Cardinals	0	10	0	0	10
Seahawks	3	3	7	0	13

at CenturyLink Field, Seattle, Washington

• Date: September 25
• Game time: 1:15 p.m. MST & PDT
• Game weather: Rain, 68 °F (20 °C)
• Game attendance: 66,199
• Referee: Alberto Riveron
• TV announcers (Fox): Chris Myers, Tim Ryan and Drea Avent
• Box Score

Game information

First quarter SEA – Stephen Hauschka 30-yard field goal, 2:55. Seahawks 3–0. Drive: 7 plays, 47 yards, 3:57. Second quarter ARI – Jay Feely 44-yard field goal, 12:48. Tied 3–3. Drive: 10 plays, 26 yards, 5:07. ARI – Larry Fitzgerald 12-yard pass from Kevin Kolb (Jay Feely kick), 7:29. Cardinals 10–3. Drive: 8 plays, 78 yards, 3:06. SEA – Stephen Hauschka 52-yard field goal, 0:43. Cardinals 10–6. Drive: 8 plays, 16 yards, 1:08. Third quarter SEA – Tarvaris Jackson 11-yard run (Stephen Hauschka kick), 5:57. Seahawks 13–10. Drive: 14 plays, 72 yards, 6:00. Fourth quarter No scoring plays Top passers ARI – Kevin Kolb – 25/39, 252 yards, TD, 2 INT SEA – Tarvaris Jackson – 18/31, 171 yards, INT Top rushers ARI – Alfonso Smith – 17 rushes, 54 yards SEA – Marshawn Lynch – 19 rushes, 73 yards Top receivers ARI – Larry Fitzgerald – 5 receptions, 64 yards, TD SEA – Sidney Rice – 8 receptions, 109 yards

Week 4: vs. New York Giants

Week 4: New York Giants at Arizona Cardinals – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Giants	0	10	0	21	31
Cardinals	3	3	14	7	27

at University of Phoenix Stadium, Glendale, Arizona

• Date: October 2
• Game time: 1:05 p.m. MST
• Game weather: None (retractable roof closed)
• Game attendance: 60,496
• Referee: Jerome Boger
• TV announcers (Fox): Kenny Albert, Daryl Johnston and Tony Siragusa
• Box Score

Game information

First quarter ARI – Jay Feely 27-yard field goal, 13:02. Cardinals 3–0. Drive: 4 plays, 7 yards, 1:35. Second quarter ARI – Jay Feely 27-yard field goal, 7:57. Cardinals 6–0. Drive: 16 plays, 79 yards, 9:20. NYG – Ahmad Bradshaw 13-yard run (Lawrence Tynes kick), 2:54. Giants 7–6. Drive: 10 plays, 69 yards, 5:03. NYG – Lawrence Tynes 30-yard field goal, 0:01. Giants 10–6. Drive: 5 plays, 61 yards, 0:28. Third quarter ARI – Beanie Wells 1-yard run (Jay Feely kick), 10:24. Cardinals 13–10. Drive: 8 plays, 78 yards, 4:36. ARI – Beanie Wells 1-yard run (Jay Feely kick), 2:55. Cardinals 20–10. Drive: 2 plays, 5 yards, 0:40. Fourth quarter NYG – Brandon Jacobs 1-yard run (Lawrence Tynes kick), 12:07. Cardinals 20–17. Drive: 13 plays, 75 yards, 5:48. ARI – Beanie Wells 2-yard run (Jay Feely kick), 5:16. Cardinals 27–17. Drive: 6 plays, 77 yards, 3:09. NYG – Jake Ballard 2-yard pass from Eli Manning (Lawrence Tynes kick), 3:37. Cardinals 27–24. Drive: 7 plays, 80 yards, 1:39. NYG – Hakeem Nicks 29-yard pass from Eli Manning (Lawrence Tynes kick), 2:39. Giants 31–27. Drive: 2 plays, 48 yards, 0:31. Top passers NYG – Eli Manning – 27/40, 321 yards, 2 TD ARI – Kevin Kolb – 20/34, 237 yards, INT Top rushers NYG – Ahmad Bradshaw – 12 rushes, 39 yards, TD ARI – Beanie Wells – 27 rushes, 138 yards, 3 TD Top receivers NYG – Hakeem Nicks – 10 receptions, 162 yards, TD ARI – Larry Fitzgerald – 8 receptions, 102 yards

Despite the Cardinals holding a 10-point lead twice in the fourth quarter, the Giants scored three touchdowns in the final frame as Arizona dropped its third straight game and fell to 1–3.

Week 5: at Minnesota Vikings

Week 5: Arizona Cardinals at Minnesota Vikings – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Cardinals	0	3	7	0	10
Vikings	28	0	3	3	34

at Mall of America Field at Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome, Minneapolis, Minnesota

• Date: October 9
• Game time: 12:05 p.m. CDT/10:05 a.m. MST
• Game weather: None (indoor stadium)
• Game attendance: 62,479
• Referee: Scott Green
• TV announcers (Fox): Chris Myers and Tim Ryan
• Box Score

Game information

First quarter MIN – Adrian Peterson 4-yard run (Ryan Longwell kick), 9:18. Vikings 7–0. Drive: 4 plays, 18 yards, 1:35. MIN – Adrian Peterson 24-yard run (Ryan Longwell kick), 8:55. Vikings 14–0. Drive: 1 play, 24 yards, 0:07. MIN – Donovan McNabb 4-yard run (Ryan Longwell kick), 6:25. Vikings 21–0. Drive: 5 plays, 25 yards, 1:50. MIN – Adrian Peterson 14-yard run (Ryan Longwell kick), 2:41. Vikings 28–0. Drive: 4 plays, 73 yards, 2:01. Second quarter ARI – Jay Feely 51-yard field goal, 10:29. Vikings 28–3. Drive: 7 plays, 20 yards, 3:25. Third quarter ARI – Beanie Wells 2-yard run (Jay Feely kick), 8:23. Vikings 28–10. Drive: 9 plays, 59 yards, 3:41. MIN – Ryan Longwell 26-yard field goal, 3:35. Vikings 31–10. Drive: 8 plays, 82 yards, 4:48. Fourth quarter MIN – Ryan Longwell 53-yard field goal, 2:09. Vikings 34–10. Drive: 7 plays, 12 yards, 4:33. Top passers ARI – Kevin Kolb – 21/42, 232 yards, 2 INT MIN – Donovan McNabb – 10/21, 169 yards Top rushers ARI – Beanie Wells – 20 rushes, 60 yards, TD MIN – Adrian Peterson – 29 rushes, 122 yards, 3 TD Top receivers ARI – Early Doucet – 8 receptions, 92 yards MIN – Devin Aromashodu – 2 receptions, 81 yards

Week 7: vs. Pittsburgh Steelers

Week 7: Pittsburgh Steelers at Arizona Cardinals – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Steelers	7	10	9	6	32
Cardinals	0	7	7	6	20

at University of Phoenix Stadium, Glendale, Arizona

• Date: October 23
• Game time: 1:05 p.m. MST
• Game weather: None (retractable roof closed)
• Game attendance: 62,475
• Referee: John Parry
• TV announcers (CBS): Greg Gumbel and Dan Dierdorf
• Box Score

Game information

First quarter PIT – Heath Miller 12-yard pass from Ben Roethlisberger (Shaun Suisham kick), 9:39. Steelers 7–0. Drive: 5 plays, 31 yards, 3:07. Second quarter PIT – Mike Wallace 95-yard pass from Ben Roethlisberger (Shaun Suisham kick), 8:09. Steelers 14–0. Drive: 1 play, 91 yards, 0:12. ARI – Alfonso Smith 1-yard run (Jay Feely kick), 1:20. Steelers 14–7. Drive: 13 plays, 80 yards, 6:49. PIT – Shaun Suisham 41-yard field goal, 0:00. Steelers 17–7. Drive: 8 plays, 52 yards, 1:20. Third quarter ARI – LaRod Stephens-Howling 73-yard pass from Kevin Kolb (Jay Feely kick), 9:26. Steelers 17–14. Drive: 6 plays, 89 yards, 2:40. PIT – Emmanuel Sanders 4-yard pass from Ben Roethlisberger (Shaun Suisham kick), 3:54. Steelers 24–14. Drive: 11 plays, 80 yards, 5:32. PIT – Team safety, 3:42. Steelers 26–14. Fourth quarter PIT – Shaun Suisham 42-yard field goal, 11:30. Steelers 29–14. Drive: 13 plays, 51 yards, 7:12. PIT – Shaun Suisham 39-yard field goal, 6:46. Steelers 32–14. Drive: 7 plays, 19 yards, 4:10. ARI – Early Doucet 2-yard pass from Kevin Kolb (pass failed), 3:53. Steelers 32–20. Drive: 11 plays, 71 yards, 2:53. Top passers PIT – Ben Roethlisberger – 26/39, 361 yards, 3 TD ARI – Kevin Kolb – 18/34, 272 yards, 2 TD, INT Top rushers PIT – Rashard Mendenhall – 13 rushes, 32 yards ARI – Beanie Wells – 12 rushes, 42 yards Top receivers PIT – Mike Wallace – 3 receptions, 118 yards, TD ARI – Larry Fitzgerald – 4 receptions, 78 yards

Coming off their bye week, the Cardinals went home for a Week 7 interconference duel with the Pittsburgh Steelers, in a rematch of Super Bowl XLIII. Arizona trailed early in the first quarter as Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger completed a 12-yard touchdown pass to tight end Heath Miller. Pittsburgh would add onto their lead in the second quarter as Roethlisberger completed a 95-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Mike Wallace. The Cardinals would answer with a 1-yard touchdown run from running back Alfonso Smith. The Steelers would close out the half with kicker Shaun Suisham getting a 41-yard field goal.

Arizona opened the third quarter with quarterback Kevin Kolb finding running back LaRod Stephens-Howling on a 73-yard touchdown pass, but Pittsburgh struck back with Roethlisberger completing a 4-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders, along with Kolb's intentional grounding penalty in the endzone resulting in a safety. In the fourth quarter, the Steelers continued to pull away with Suisham making a 42-yard and a 39-yard field goal. The Cardinals tried to rally as Kolb found wide receiver Early Doucet on a 2-yard touchdown pass (with a failed two-point conversion), but Pittsburgh held on to preserve the victory.

With the loss, Arizona fell to 1–5.

Week 8: at Baltimore Ravens

Week 8: Arizona Cardinals at Baltimore Ravens – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Cardinals	3	21	0	3	27
Ravens	0	6	14	10	30

at M&T Bank Stadium, Baltimore, Maryland

• Date: October 30
• Game time: 1:00 p.m. EDT/10:00 a.m. MST
• Game weather: Sunny, 48 °F (9 °C)
• Game attendance: 71,022
• Referee: Jeff Triplette
• TV announcers (Fox): Sam Rosen, Brian Billick and Laura Okmin
• Box Score

Game information

First quarter ARI – Jay Feely 32-yard field goal, 3:56. Cardinals 3–0. Drive: 7 plays, 73 yards, 3:19. Second quarter BAL – Billy Cundiff 26-yard field goal, 12:26. Tied 3–3. Drive: 15 plays, 77 yards, 6:30. ARI – Beanie Wells 1-yard run (Jay Feely kick), 8:22. Cardinals `10–3. Drive: 2 plays, 2 yards, 0:36. ARI – Patrick Peterson 82-yard punt return (Jay Feely kick), 6:06. Cardinals 17–3. ARI – Early Doucet 10-yard pass from Kevin Kolb (Jay Feely kick), 3:46. Cardinals 24–3. Drive: 4 plays, 25 yards, 2:11. BAL – Billy Cundiff 47-yard field goal, 0:34. Cardinals 24–6. Drive: 13 plays, 51 yards, 3:12. Third quarter BAL – Ray Rice 1-yard run (Billy Cundiff kick), 12:13. Cardinals 24–13. Drive: 7 plays, 80 yards, 2:47. BAL – Ray Rice 1-yard run (Billy Cundiff kick), 1:32. Cardinals 24–20. Drive: 10 plays, 88 yards, 3:12. Fourth quarter BAL – Ray Rice 3-yard run (Billy Cundiff kick), 14:55. Ravens 27–24. Drive: 3 plays, 22 yards, 1:22. ARI – Jay Feely 45-yard field goal, 8:55. Tied 27–27. Drive: 12 plays, 53 yards, 6:00. BAL – Billy Cundiff 25-yard field goal, 0:00. Ravens 30–27. Drive: 5 plays, 37 yards, 0:52. Top passers ARI – Kevin Kolb – 10/21, 153 yards, TD, INT BAL – Joe Flacco – 31/51, 336 yards, INT Top rushers ARI – Beanie Wells – 22 rushes, 83 yards, TD BAL – Ray Rice – 18 rushes, 63 yards, 3 TD Top receivers ARI – Larry Fitzgerald – 3 receptions, 98 yards BAL – Anquan Boldin – 7 receptions, 145 yards

The Cardinals blew a 21-point first half lead and lost their sixth straight game to fall to 1–6.

Week 9: vs. St. Louis Rams

Week 9: St. Louis Rams at Arizona Cardinals – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	OT	Total
Rams	3	6	4	0	0	13
Cardinals	3	0	3	7	6	19

at University of Phoenix Stadium, Glendale, Arizona

• Date: November 6
• Game time: 2:15 p.m. MST
• Game weather: None (retractable roof closed)
• Game attendance: 60,628
• Referee: Ron Winter
• TV announcers (Fox): Sam Rosen and Chad Pennington
• Box Score

Game information

First quarter ARI – Jay Feely 27-yard field goal, 10:51. Cardinals 3–0. Drive: 7 plays, 28 yards, 2:39. STL – Josh Brown 48-yard field goal, 4:38. Tied 3–3. Drive: 10 plays, 55 yards, 6:13. Second quarter STL – Josh Brown 37-yard field goal, 7:02. Rams 6–3. Drive: 11 plays, 50 yards, 6:11. STL – Josh Brown 41-yard field goal, 0:00. Rams 9–3. Drive: 10 plays, 57 yards, 3:26. Third quarter ARI – Jay Feely 38-yard field goal, 10:30. Rams 9–6. Drive: 9 plays, 58 yards, 4:30. STL – Team safety, 7:24. Rams 11–6. STL – Team safety, 3:31. Rams 13–6. Fourth quarter ARI – Larry Fitzgerald 13-yard pass from John Skelton (Jay Feely kick), 4:51. Tied 13–13. Drive: 9 plays, 84 yards, 3:43. Overtime ARI – Patrick Peterson 99-yard punt return, 13:03. Cardinals 19–13. Top passers STL – Sam Bradford – 23/36, 255 yards, INT ARI – John Skelton – 20/35, 222 yards, TD Top rushers STL – Steven Jackson – 29 rushes, 130 yards ARI – John Skelton – 4 rushes, 38 yards Top receivers STL – Brandon Lloyd – 5 receptions, 80 yards ARI – Early Doucet – 6 receptions, 78 yards

The Cardinals snapped their six-game losing streak as rookie Patrick Peterson returned a punt 98 yards for a game-winning touchdown in overtime. With the win, the Cardinals improved to 2–6. The game also featured the Rams' scoring the four points in the third quarter as the got two safeties on consecutive drives. This was first time in NFL history that a team had recorded four points in a quarter.

Week 10: at Philadelphia Eagles

Week 10: Arizona Cardinals at Philadelphia Eagles – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Cardinals	0	7	0	14	21
Eagles	0	14	0	3	17

at Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

• Date: November 21
• Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST/11:00 a.m. MST
• Game weather: Partly Cloudy, 60 °F (16 °C)
• Game attendance: 69,144
• Referee: Walt Anderson
• TV announcers (Fox): Dick Stockton, John Lynch and Jennifer Hale
• Box Score

Game information

First quarter No scoring plays Second quarter PHI – Asante Samuel 20-yard interception return (Alex Henery kick, 9:35. Eagles 7–0. ARI – Larry Fitzgerald 10-yard pass from John Skelton (Jay Feely kick), 4:48. Tied 7–7. Drive: 10 plays, 84 yards, 4:47. PHI – LeSean McCoy 1-yard run (Alex Henery kick), 0:17. Eagles 14–7. Drive: 10 plays, 70 yards, 4:31. Third quarter No scoring plays Fourth quarter ARI – Larry Fitzgerald 7-yard pass from John Skelton (Jay Feely kick), 9:18. Tied 14–14. Drive: 8 plays, 89 yards, 4:00. PHI – Alex Henery 36-yard field goal, 5:06. Eagles 17–14. Drive: 4 plays, 8 yards, 1:53. ARI – Early Doucet 5-yard pass from John Skelton (Jay Feely kick), 1:53. Cardinals 21–17. Drive: 11 plays, 87 yards, 3:13. Top passers ARI – John Skelton – 21/40, 315 yards, 3 TD, 2 INT PHI – Michael Vick – 16/34, 128 yards, 2 INT Top rushers ARI – Beanie Wells – 23 rushes, 62 yards PHI – LeSean McCoy – 14 rushes, 81 yards, TD Top receivers ARI – Larry Fitzgerald – 7 receptions, 146 yards, 2 TD PHI – Brent Celek – 4 receptions, 53 yards

Week 11: at San Francisco 49ers

Week 11: Arizona Cardinals at San Francisco 49ers – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Cardinals	0	0	0	7	7
49ers	6	3	14	0	23

at Candlestick Park, San Francisco, California

• Date: November 20
• Game time: 1:05 p.m. PST/2:050 p.m. MST
• Game weather: Rain, 55 °F (13 °C)
• Game attendance: 69,732
• Referee: Peter Morelli
• TV announcers (Fox): Thom Brennaman, Brian Billick and Laura Okmin
• Box Score

Game information

First quarter SF – David Akers 22-yard field goal, 3:10. 49ers 3–0. Drive: 9 plays, 59 yards, 3:48. SF – David Akers 43-yard field goal, 2:06. 49ers 6–0. Drive: 4 plays, 1 yard, 0:59. Second quarter SF – David Akers 29-yard field goal, 0:56. 49ers 9–0. Drive: 13 plays, 75 yards, 6:06. Third quarter SF – Kyle Williams 8-yard pass from Alex Smith (David Akers kick), 7:12. 49ers 16–0. Drive: 13 plays, 84 yards, 7:48. SF – Vernon Davis 18-yard pass from Alex Smith (David Akers kick), 4:14. 49ers 23–0. Drive: 4 plays, 37 yards, 1:53. Fourth quarter ARI – Larry Fitzgerald 23-yard pass from Richard Bartel (Jay Feely kick), 8:38. 49ers 23–7. Drive: 6 plays, 84 yards, 2:36. Top passers ARI – John Skelton – 6/19, 99 yards, 3 INT SF – Alex Smith – 20/38, 267 yards, 2 TD, INT Top rushers ARI – Chester Taylor – 1 rush, 34 yards SF – Frank Gore – 24 rushes, 88 yards Top receivers ARI – Andre Roberts – 3 receptions, 51 yards SF – Michael Crabtree – 7 receptions, 120 yards

Week 12: at St. Louis Rams

Week 12: Arizona Cardinals at St. Louis Rams – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Cardinals	3	0	17	3	23
Rams	7	3	0	10	20

at Edward Jones Dome, St. Louis, Missouri

• Date: November 27
• Game time: 12:00 p.m. CST/11:00 p.m. MST
• Game weather: None (indoor stadium)
• Game attendance: 56,029
• Referee: Mike Carey
• TV announcers (Fox): Sam Rosen, Chad Pennington and Tina Cervasio
• Box Score

Game information

First quarter STL – Nick Miller 88-yard punt return (Josh Brown kick), 9:15. Rams 7–0. ARI – Jay Feely 29-yard field goal, 0:36. Rams 7–3. Drive: 6 plays, 70 yards, 2:19. Second quarter STL – Josh Brown 35-yard field goal, 0:03. Rams 10–3. Drive: 11 plays, 63 yards, 3:49. Third quarter ARI – Jay Feely 37-yard field goal, 9:38. Rams 10–6. Drive: 8 plays, 61 yards, 5:22. ARI – Beanie Wells 7-yard run (Jay Feely kick), 5:54. Cardinals 13–10. Drive: 6 plays, 28 yards, 2:49. ARI – Patrick Peterson 80-yard punt return (Jay Feely kick), 2:56. Cardinals 20–10. Fourth quarter STL – Josh Brown 48-yard field goal, 14:49. Rams 20–13. Drive: 8 plays, 49 yards, 3:07. STL – Brandon Lloyd 16-yard pass from Sam Bradford (Josh Brown kick), 7:46. Tied 20–20. Drive: 3 plays, 43 yards, 1:25. ARI – Jay Feely 22-yard field goal, 4:09. Cardinals 23–20. Drive: 8 plays, 71 yards, 3:37. Top passers ARI – John Skelton – 12/23, 114 yards, 2 INT STL – Sam Bradford – 17/31, 203 yards, TD Top rushers ARI – Beanie Wells – 27 rushes, 228 yards, TD STL – Steven Jackson – 17 rushes, 64 yards Top receivers ARI – Larry Fitzgerald – 3 receptions, 55 yards STL – Brandon Lloyd – 5 receptions, 74 yards, TD

Week 13: vs. Dallas Cowboys

Week 13: Dallas Cowboys at Arizona Cardinals – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	OT	Total
Cowboys	0	10	3	0	0	13
Cardinals	3	0	3	7	6	19

at University of Phoenix Stadium, Glendale, Arizona

• Date: December 4
• Game time: 2:15 p.m. MST
• Game weather: None (retractable roof closed)
• Game attendance: 62,180
• Referee: Walt Coleman
• TV announcers (Fox): Dick Stockton, John Lynch and Jennifer Hale
• Box Score

Game information

First quarter ARI – Jay Feely 48-yard field goal, 4:13. Cardinals 3–0. Drive: 6 plays, 27 yards, 3:03. Second quarter DAL – Dan Bailey 50-yard field goal, 5:50. Tied 3–3. Drive: 8 plays, 30 yards, 3:51. DAL – Dez Bryant 5-yard pass from Tony Romo (Dan Bailey kick), 3:09. Cowboys 10–3. Drive: 3 plays, 33 yards, 0:57. Third quarter ARI – Jay Feely 23-yard field goal, 8:18. Cowboys 10–6. Drive: 12 plays, 74 yards, 6:42. DAL – Dan Bailey 37-yard field goal, 0:34. Cowboys 13–6. Drive: 13 plays, 65 yards, 7:44. Fourth quarter ARI – Beanie Wells 4-yard run (Jay Feely kick), 13:08. Tied 13–13. Drive: 6 plays, 79 yards, 2:26. Overtime ARI – LaRod Stephens-Howling 52-yard pass from Kevin Kolb, 11:43. Cardinals 19–13. Drive: 5 plays, 80 yards, 3:17. Top passers DAL – Tony Romo – 28/42, 299 yards, TD ARI – Kevin Kolb – 16/27, 247 yards, TD Top rushers DAL – DeMarco Murray – 12 rushes, 38 yards ARI – Beanie Wells – 20 rushes, 67 yards, TD Top receivers DAL – Dez Bryant – 8 receptions, 86 yards, TD ARI – Andre Roberts – 6 receptions, 111 yards

Week 14: vs. San Francisco 49ers

Week 14: San Francisco 49ers at Arizona Cardinals – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
49ers	3	9	7	0	19
Cardinals	0	7	7	7	21

at University of Phoenix Stadium, Glendale, Arizona

• Date: December 11
• Game time: 2:05 p.m. MST
• Game weather: None (retractable roof closed)
• Game attendance: 60,808
• Referee: Alberto Riveron
• TV announcers (Fox): Dick Stockton, John Lynch and Jennifer Hale
• Box Score

Game information

First quarter SF – David Akers 46-yard field goal, 4:39. 49ers 3–0. Drive: 11 plays, 15 yards, 5:16. Second quarter SF – David Akers 22-yard field goal, 14:02. 49ers 6–0. Drive: 4 plays, -1 yard, 0:58. ARI – Early Doucet 60-yard pass from John Skelton (Jay Feely kick), 7:10. Cardinals 7–6. Drive: 1 play, 60 yards, 0:11. SF – David Akers 27-yard field goal, 1:58. 49ers 9–7. Drive: 10 plays, 69 yards, 5:12. SF – David Akers 22-yard field goal, 0:00. 49ers 12–7. Drive: 6 plays, 12 yards, 1:10. Third quarter SF – Frank Gore 37-yard run (David Akers kick), 12:24. 49ers 19–7. Drive: 1 play, 37 yards, 0:09. ARI – Larry Fitzgerald 46-yard pass from John Skelton (Jay Feely kick), 9:04. 49ers 19–14. Drive: 6 plays, 80 yards, 3:20. Fourth quarter ARI – Andre Roberts 3-yard pass from John Skelton (Jay Feely kick), 11:50. Cardinals 21–19. Drive: 6 plays, 78 yards, 3:26. Top passers SF – Alex Smith – 18/37, 175 yards ARI – John Skelton – 19/28, 282 yards, 3 TD, 2 INT Top rushers SF – Frank Gore – 10 rushes, 72 yards, TD ARI – Beanie Wells – 15 rushes, 27 yards Top receivers SF – Michael Crabtree – 7 receptions, 63 yards ARI – Larry Fitzgerald – 7 receptions, 149 yards, TD

The Cardinals came back from 12-point halftime deficit to stun the 10–2 49ers. With the win, the Cardinals improved to 6–7.

Week 15: vs. Cleveland Browns

Week 15: Cleveland Browns at Arizona Cardinals – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	OT	Total
Browns	7	3	7	0	0	17
Cardinals	0	7	0	10	3	20

at University of Phoenix Stadium, Glendale, Arizona

• Date: December 18
• Game time: 2:15 p.m. MST
• Game weather: None (retractable roof closed)
• Game attendance: 60,443
• Referee: Scott Green
• TV announcers (CBS): Bill Macatee and Steve Tasker
• Box Score

Game information

First quarter CLE – Peyton Hillis 1-yard run (Phil Dawson kick), 11:33. Browns 7–0. Drive: 7 plays, 76 yards, 3:27. Second quarter CLE – Phil Dawson 44-yard field goal, 11:33. Browns 10–0. Drive: 15 plays, 54 yards, 7:19. ARI – Andre Roberts 9-yard pass from John Skelton (Jay Feely kick), 0:19. Browns 10–7. Drive: 9 plays, 65 yards, 1:30. Third quarter CLE – Greg Little 76-yard pass from Seneca Wallace (Phil Dawson kick), 3:01. Browns 17–7. Drive: 6 plays, 88 yards, 3:21. Fourth quarter ARI – Beanie Wells 1-yard run (Jay Feely kick), 8:33. Browns 17–14. Drive: 11 plays, 87 yards, 4:49. ARI – Jay Feely 33-yard field goal, 5:40. Tied 17–17. Drive: 4 plays, -10 yards, 1:20. Overtime ARI – Jay Feely 22-yard field goal, 10:56. Cardinals 20–17. Drive: 4 plays, 36 yards, 1:46. Top passers CLE – Seneca Wallace – 18/31, 226 yards, TD ARI – John Skelton – 28/46, 313 yards, TD, INT Top rushers CLE – Peyton Hillis – 26 rushes, 99 yards, TD ARI – Beanie Wells – 15 rushes, 51 yards, TD Top receivers CLE – Greg Little – 5 receptions, 131 yards, TD ARI – Todd Heap – 7 receptions, 69 yards

Head coach Ken Whisenhunt recorded his 43rd win as the Cardinals' head coach, and surpassed Don Coryell to become the winningest head coach in franchise history. Whisenhunt was the all-time leader in wins for Cardinals head coaches until his record was broken by Bruce Arians 5 years later.

Week 16: at Cincinnati Bengals

Week 16: Arizona Cardinals at Cincinnati Bengals – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Cardinals	0	0	0	16	16
Bengals	10	10	3	0	23

at Paul Brown Stadium, Cincinnati, Ohio

• Date: December 24
• Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST/11:00 a.m. MST
• Game weather: Fair, 38 °F (3 °C)
• Game attendance: 41,273
• Referee: Terry McAulay
• TV announcers (Fox): Thom Brennaman, Brian Billick and Laura Okmin
• Box Score

Game information

First quarter CIN – Mike Nugent 24-yard field goal, 10:55. Bengals 3–0. Drive: 5 plays, 17 yards, 1:59. CIN – Jermaine Gresham 11-yard pass from Andy Dalton (Mike Nugent kick), 6:24. Bengals 10–0. Drive: 5 plays, 49 yards, 2:35. Second quarter CIN – Jerome Simpson 19-yard pass from Andy Dalton (Mike Nugent kick), 2:46. Bengals 17–0. Drive: 8 plays, 58 yards, 3:50. CIN – Mike Nugent 41-yard field goal, 0:00. Bengals 20–0. Drive: 6 plays, 36 yards, 1:47. Third quarter CIN – Mike Nugent 32-yard field goal, 3:09. Bengals 23–0. Drive: 8 plays, 48 yards, 3:51. Fourth quarter ARI – Larry Fitzgerald 30-yard pass from John Skelton (Jay Feely kick), 11:25. Bengals 23–7. Drive: 9 plays, 61 yards, 2:52. ARI – Jeff King 2-yard pass from John Skelton (run failed), 7:39. Bengals 23–13. Drive: 4 plays, 39 yards, 1:40. ARI – Jay Feely 29-yard field goal, 3:16. Bengals 23–16. Drive: 8 plays, 68 yards, 2:56. Top passers ARI – John Skelton – 23/44, 297 yards, 2 TD, 3 INT CIN – Andy Dalton – 18/31, 154 yards, 2 TD Top rushers ARI – Beanie Wells – 14 rushes, 53 yards CIN – Cedric Benson – 16 rushes, 57 yards Top receivers ARI – Larry Fitzgerald – 6 receptions, 105 yards, TD CIN – Jermaine Gresham – 5 receptions, 56 yards, TD

Week 17: vs. Seattle Seahawks

Week 17: Seattle Seahawks at Arizona Cardinals – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	OT	Total
Seahawks	0	3	7	10	0	20
Cardinals	7	3	7	3	3	23

at University of Phoenix Stadium, Glendale, Arizona

• Date: January 1
• Game time: 2:15 p.m. MST
• Game weather: None (retractable roof closed)
• Game attendance: 61,798
• Referee: Gene Steratore
• TV announcers (Fox): Sam Rosen and Chad Pennington
• Box Score

Game information

First quarter ARI – Chester Taylor 1-yard run (Jay Feely kick), 3:02. Cardinals 7–0. Drive: 9 plays, 81 yards, 4:37. Second quarter SEA – Stephen Hauschka 43-yard field goal, 12:10. Cardinals 7–3. Drive: 14 plays, 55 yards, 5:52. ARI – Jay Feely 41-yard field goal, 3:28. Cardinals 10–3. Drive: 7 plays, 8 yards, 3:14. Third quarter SEA – Leon Washington 48-yard run (Stephen Hauschka kick), 10:56. Tied 10–10. Drive: 3 plays, 74 yards, 1:22. ARI – Todd Heap 13-yard pass from John Skelton (Jay Feely kick), 6:18. Cardinals 17–10. Drive: 8 plays, 80 yards, 4:38. Fourth quarter ARI – Jay Feely 43-yard field goal, 12:18. Cardinals 20–10. Drive: 8 plays, 55 yards, 2:54. SEA – Stephen Hauschka 26-yard field goal, 9:05. Cardinals 20–13. Drive: 4 plays, 4 yards, 0:59. SEA – Ricardo Lockette 61-yard pass from Tarvaris Jackson (Stephen Hauschka kick), 7:47. Tied 20–20. Drive: 1 play, 61 yards, 0:09. Overtime ARI – Jay Feely 28-yard field goal, 5:59. Cardinals 23–20. Drive: 13 plays, 71 yards, 7:56. Top passers SEA – Tarvaris Jackson – 21/35, 222 yards, TD, INT ARI – John Skelton – 22/40, 271 yards, TD, INT Top rushers SEA – Marshawn Lynch – 19 rushes, 86 yards ARI – LaRod Stephens-Howling – 21 rushes, 93 yards Top receivers SEA – Ricardo Lockette – 1 reception, 61 yards, TD ARI – Larry Fitzgerald – 9 receptions, 149 yards

Standings

NFC West
view talk edit	W	L	T	PCT	DIV	CONF	PF	PA	STK
(2) San Francisco 49ers	13	3	0	.813	5–1	10–2	380	229	W3
Arizona Cardinals	8	8	0	.500	4–2	7–5	312	348	W1
Seattle Seahawks	7	9	0	.438	3–3	6–6	321	315	L2
St. Louis Rams	2	14	0	.125	0–6	1–11	193	407	L7

Coaching staff

Arizona Cardinals 2011 staff
	Front office Owner/chairman – Bill Bidwill President – Michael Bidwill general manager – Rod Graves Director of football administration – Reggie Terry Director of player personnel – Steve Keim Director of pro personnel – T. J. McCreight Assistant director of pro personnel – Quentin Harris Head coaches Head coach – Ken Whisenhunt Assistant head coach/run game coordinator/offensive line – Russ Grimm Offensive coaches Offensive coordinator – Mike Miller Quarterbacks – Chris Miller Running backs – Tommie Robinson Wide receivers – John McNulty Tight ends – Freddie Kitchens Offensive quality control – Chad Grimm			Defensive coaches Defensive coordinator – Ray Horton Defensive line – Ron Aiken Linebackers – Matt Raich Defensive backs – Louie Cioffi Assistant defensive backs – Deshea Townsend Defensive quality control – Ryan Slowik Special teams coaches Special teams – Kevin Spencer Strength and conditioning Strength and conditioning – John Lott Assistant strength and conditioning – Pete Alosi

Final roster

2011 Arizona Cardinals roster

Quarterbacks (QB)  2 Richard Bartel  4 Kevin Kolb 19 John Skelton Running backs (RB) 35 Anthony Sherman FB 46 Alfonso Smith 36 LaRod Stephens-Howling KR 29 Chester Taylor 26 Beanie Wells Wide receivers (WR) 85 Early Doucet 11 Larry Fitzgerald 12 Andre Roberts 89 DeMarco Sampson 17 Chansi Stuckey 18 Stephen Williams Tight ends (TE) 81 Jim Dray 86 Todd Heap 84 Rob Housler 87 Jeff King

Offensive linemen (OL) 74 D'Anthony Batiste T 73 Jeremy Bridges T 75 Levi Brown T 71 Daryn Colledge G 70 Rex Hadnot G 76 Deuce Lutui G 63 Lyle Sendlein C 67 D. J. Young T Defensive linemen (DL) 93 Calais Campbell DE 79 David Carter NT 90 Darnell Dockett DE 98 Nick Eason 91 Vonnie Holliday DE 96 Ronald Talley DE

Linebackers (LB) 94 Sam Acho OLB 52 Stewart Bradley ILB 53 Clark Haggans OLB 51 Paris Lenon ILB 50 O'Brien Schofield OLB 56 Reggie Walker ILB 58 Daryl Washington ILB 59 Brandon Williams OLB Defensive backs (DB) 23 Hamza Abdullah SS 27 Michael Adams CB 37 Sean Considine SS 30 Marshay Green CB 20 A. J. Jefferson CB 49 Rashad Johnson FS 31 Richard Marshall CB 21 Patrick Peterson 25 Kerry Rhodes FS 24 Adrian Wilson SS Special teams  3 Jay Feely K 82 Mike Leach LS  9 Dave Zastudil P

Practice squad 62 Ryan Bartholomew C 83 Jaymar Johnson WR 32 Korey Lindsey CB 60 Ricky Lumpkin NT 37 William Powell RB 44 Steve Skelton TE 54 Quan Sturdivant LB Reserve 22 Crezdon Butler CB (IR)  6 Max Hall QB (IR) 72 Brandon Keith T (IR) 55 Joey Porter OLB (IR) 28 Greg Toler CB (IR) 92 Dan Williams NT (IR) 34 Ryan Williams RB (IR) 78 Floyd Womack G (IR) Rookies in italics 53 active, 8 reserve, 7 practice squad

Defense FS Kerry Rhodes Rashad Johnson WLB ILB ILB SLB Clark Haggans Paris Lenon Daryl Washington ⋅ ⋅ ⋅ ⋅ ⋅ SS Adrian Wilson Hamza Abdullah CB Patrick Peterson ⋅ DE NT DE Calais Campbell Dan Williams Darnell Dockett ⋅ ⋅ ⋅ CB Richard Marshall A.J. Jefferson Offense WR Larry Fitzgerald DeMarco Sampson WR ⋅ ⋅ LT LG C RG RT Levi Brown Daryn Colledge Lyle Sendlein Rex Hadnot Brandon Keith D'Anthony Batiste D'Anthony Batiste Rex Hadnot Deuce Lutui Jeremy Bridges TE Todd Heap Jeff King WR Andre Roberts Early Doucet QB Kevin Kolb John Skelton Special teams PK Jay Feely P Dave Zastudil KR LaRod Stephens-Howling PR Patrick Peterson LS Mike Leach H Dave Zastudil RB Beanie Wells LaRod Stephens-Howling

Footnotes

1. The Cardinals acquired this sixth-round selection (No. 184 overall) in a trade that sent guard Reggie Wells to the Philadelphia Eagles.
2. The Cardinals traded their original seventh-round selection (No. 208 overall) and a 2010 fourth-round selection to the New York Jets in exchange for safety Kerry Rhodes.
3. Compensatory selection.

References

1. Pro-Football-Reference.com: In a single season, from 1940 to 2011, in the regular season, team won game, Game went to overtime, sorted by descending Date.
2. "2011 NFL Draft Listing". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved November 12, 2022.
3. "2011 Arizona Cardinals Transactions". ESPN. Retrieved November 12, 2022.