Arizona Cardinals Football Club Game Release Wild Card Game Sunday, January 10, 2010 2:30 PM (MST) ARIZONA CARDINALS (10-6) vs. GREEN BAY PACKERS (11-5) University of Phoenix Stadium THIS WEEK S GAME For the first time since 1974 and 75, the Cardinals are making back-to-back appearances in the postseason as the 2009 NFC West Champions host the Green Bay Packers. It will be Green Bay s third appearance at University of Phoenix Stadium this season. They met in week 3 of the preseason and again in the regular season finale last week. Green Bay-Arizona is one of three Wild Card weekend games that features a week 17 rematch (Philly-Dallas & NY Jets-Cincy). This week s Wild Card matchup will mark just the seventh time in NFL history that a team played their season finale in a city and returned the next week for a Wild Card game. The Cowboys will also be hosting the Eagles for the second straight week, making it just the second time in NFL history that it has happened twice in a season (1993). The Cardinals earned their berth in the postseason by way of their second-consecutive NFC West title, securing a home opener in the playoffs for the second consecutive season, a first in franchise history. Arizona enters the 2009 postseason as the #4 seed in the NFC for the second consecutive year. Last season, the Cardinals became the first #4 seed from the NFC to advance to the Super Bowl. The Cardinals also avoided the Super Bowl Curse, becoming just the third team since 1999 to return to the postseason after finishing as the Super Bowl runner-up the previous season. The Packers rode one of the NFL s hottest win streaks to an 11-5 overall record and a Wild Card berth coming out of the NFC North. After a 4-4 start to the season, Green Bay rattled off wins in seven of their final eight games, the only loss coming on a last second TD pass in Pittsburgh. The Packers enter the postseason as the #5 seed in the NFC. The winner of this week s matchup will earn the right to move on a Divisional Round game in either New Orleans or Minnesota, depending on the outcome of Saturday s game between the Cowboys and Eagles. ARIZONA CARDINALS 2009 SEASON SCHEDULE Regular Season Sun., Sep. 13 SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS L, 16-20 Sun., Sep. 20 @ Jacksonville Jaguars W, 31-17 Sun., Sep. 27 INDIANAPOLIS COLTS & L, 10-31 Sun., Oct. 4 BYE Sun., Oct. 11 HOUSTON TEXANS W, 28-21 Sun., Oct. 18 @ Seattle Seahawks W, 27-3 Sun., Oct. 25 @ New York Giants & W, 24-17 Sun., Nov. 1 CAROLINA PANTHERS L, 21-34 Sun., Nov. 8 @ Chicago Bears W, 41-21 Sun., Nov. 15 SEATTLE SEAHAWKS W, 31-20 Sun., Nov. 22 @ St. Louis Rams W, 21-13 Sun., Nov. 29 @ Tennessee Titans L, 17-20 Sun., Dec. 6 MINNESOTA VIKINGS & W, 30-17 Mon., Dec. 14 @ San Francisco 49ers # L, 9-24 Sun., Dec. 20 @ Detroit Lions W, 31-24 Sun., Dec. 27 ST. LOUIS RAMS W, 31-10 Sun., Jan. 3 GREEN BAY PACKERS L, 7-33 Postseason Sun., Jan. 10 GREEN BAY PACKERS 2:30 PM # Monday night on ESPN & Sunday night on NBC TELEVISION Network: FOX Play-by-Play: Joe Buck Analyst: Troy Aikman Sideline: Chris Myers CBS RADIO SPORTS Westwood One Play-By-Play: Marv Albert Analyst: James Lofton Sideline: Tony Boselli BROADCAST INFORMATION CARDINALS RADIO Flagship: Sports 620 KTAR Play-by-Play: Dave Pasch Analyst: Ron Wolfley Sideline: Paul Calvisi CARDINALS SPANISH RADIO Flagship: KMIA 710 AM Play-by-Play: Gabriel Trujillo Analyst: Rolando Cantu PLAYOFF SCHEDULE Saturday, January 9 AFC Wild Card Playoff Time (MST) Network NY Jets (9-7) at Cincinnati (10-6) 2:30 PM NBC NFC Wild Card Playoff Philadelphia (11-5) at Dallas (11-5) 6:00 PM NBC Sunday, January 10 AFC Wild Card Playoff Baltimore (9-7) at New England (10-6) 11:00 AM CBS NFC Wild Card Playoff Green Bay (11-5) at Arizona (10-6) 2:30 PM FOX Mark Dalton Vice President, Media Relations Mike Helm Media Relations Coordinator mdalton@cardinals.nfl.net 602/379-1720 mhelm@cardinals.nfl.net 602/379-1647 Chris Melvin Media Relations Manager Nate LoCascio Media Relations Assistant cmelvin@cardinals.nfl.net 602/379-1882 nlocascio@cardinals.nfl.net 602/379-1620 8701 S. Hardy Drive, Tempe, AZ 85284 Phone: 602-379-0101 Fax: 602-379-1821 www.azcardinals.com
CARDINALS PLAYOFF HISTORY With their 31-24 win in Detroit in week 15, coupled with the San Francisco loss in Philadelphia later that day, the Cardinals clinched their second-consecutive NFC West title. It marks the first back-to-back division titles for the franchise since winning the NFC East in 1974 and 1975, which is also the last time the franchise earned back-to-back postseason appearances. As the 2009 NFC West Champions, the Cardinals will be making their eighth playoff appearance. Arizona joins the Philadelphia Eagles and Minnesota Vikings as the only teams from the NFC that are making back-to-back postseason appearances. The Cardinals enter the 2009 postseason as the #4 seed in the NFC for the second consecutive year. Last season, the Cardinals became the first #4 seed from the NFC to advance to the Super Bowl. Below is a list of the Cardinals playoff games, opponents, and results: Date Game Opponent Result Dec. 28, 1947 NFL Championship vs. Philadelphia W, 28-21 Dec. 19, 1948 NFL Championship at Philadelphia L, 0-7 Dec. 21, 1974 NFL Divisional Game at Minnesota L, 14-30 Dec. 27, 1975 NFL Divisional Game at L.A. Rams L, 23-35 Jan. 8, 1983 1 st Round of Super Bowl Tournament* at Green Bay L, 16-41 Jan. 2, 1999 NFC Wild Card at Dallas W, 20-7 Jan. 10, 1999 NFC Divisional Game at Minnesota L, 21-41 Jan. 3, 2009 NFC Wild Card vs. Atlanta W, 30-24 Jan. 10, 2009 NFC Divisional Game at Carolina W, 33-13 Jan. 18, 2009 NFC Championship vs. Philadelphia W, 32-25 Feb. 1, 2009 Super Bowl XLIII vs. Pittsburgh L, 23-27 * The Cardinals have faced the Packers one other time in postseason play. As a result of the 1982 Players Strike that reduced the regular season to nine games, the NFL conducted a 16-team Super Bowl tournament with the top eight teams from each conference. The Cardinals and Packers faced off on 1/8/83 in a game the Packers won 41-16. AVOIDING THE SUPER BOWL CURSE Prior to the Cardinals clinching a return to the playoffs as the NFC West champions, only two of the previous 10 Super Bowl runnerups returned to the playoffs the following year. Seven of those 10 finished with losing records the following season. Following Team SB Year Record Result Arizona XLIII 10-6 (2009) Won NFC West New England XLII 11-5 (2008) Missed Postseason Chicago XLI 7-9 (2007) Missed Postseason Seattle XL 9-7 (2006) Won NFC West; W, 21-20 vs. Dal (WC); L, 27-24 @ Chi (Div.) Philadelphia XXXIX 6-10 (2005) Missed Postseason Carolina XXXIII 7-9 (2004) Missed Postseason Oakland XXXVII 4-12 (2003) Missed Postseason St. Louis XXXVI 7-9 (2002) Missed Postseason NY Giants XXXV 7-9 (2001) Missed Postseason Tennessee XXXIV 13-3 (2000) Won AFC Central; First Round Bye; L, 24-10 vs. Bal (Div.) Atlanta XXXIII 5-11 (1999) Missed Postseason Twice in NFL history, the team that was the runner-up in the Super Bowl came back to win the Super Bowl the following season. Dallas was runner-up in Super Bowl V and won Super Bowl VI Miami was runner-up in Super Bowl VI and won Super Bowl VII AND SO THEY MEET AGAIN The Cardinals and Packers met last week in the regular season finale in Arizona. With Green Bay returning this week to face the Cardinals in the first round of the playoffs, it marks just the seventh time in NFL history that a team played their season finale in a city and returned the next week for a Wild Card game. Wild Cards were introduced into the postseason in 1970. The 2009 season marks the second time in NFL history that two Wild Card games will feature teams that hosted the same team in the regular season finale. In addition to the Cardinals and Packers meeting in Arizona in back-to-back weeks, Dallas and Philadelphia, who played in Dallas last week in the season finale, will again face off in Dallas this week in a Wild Card matchup. Home Away Season Home Team Results Cardinals Packers 2009 Cardinals lost to the Packers 33-7 in the season finale in Arizona Cowboys Eagles 2009 Cowboys beat the Eagles 24-0 in the season finale in Dallas Raiders Jets 2001 Raiders lost to the Jets 24-22 in season finale in Oakland; won WC matchup 38-24 Saints Rams 2000 Saints lost to the Rams 26-21 in season finale in New Orleans; won WC matchup 31-28 Lions Packers 1993 Lions beat the Packers 30-20 in season finale in Detroit; lost WC matchup 28-24 Raiders Broncos 1993 Raiders beat the Broncos 33-30 in season finale in Los Angeles; won WC matchup 42-24 Browns Oilers 1988 Browns beat the Oilers 28-23 in season finale in Cleveland; lost WC matchup 24-23 Cardinals vs. Packers 2 of 49 www.azcardinals.com
CARDINALS & PACKERS 2009 REGULAR SEASON CARDINALS CATEGORY PACKERS 10-6 Record 11-5 375 Points Scored 461 325 Points Allowed 297 46 Touchdowns Scored 54 38 Touchdowns Allowed 36 16 Rushing TDs 20 27 Passing TDs 30 3 Return TDs 4 13 Rushing TDs Allowed 5 22 Passing TDs Allowed 29 3 Return TDs Allowed 2 26/184 Sacked/Yards Lost 51/312 32/18 Fumbles/Lost 20/8 18 Had Intercepted 8 18/19 Field Goals Made/Attempted 27/36 344.4 Total Yards Per Game 379.1 346.4 Opp. Total Yards Per Game 284.4 93.4 Rushing Yards Per Game 117.8 112.8 Opp. Rushing Yards Per Game 83.3 251.0 Passing Yards Per Game 261.3 233.7 Opp. Passing Yards Per Game 201.1-7 Turnover Ratio +24 29:52 Average Time of Possession 33:03 14/28/12 NFL Rank-Total Offense/Run/Pass 6/14/7 20/17/23 NFL Rank-Total Defense/Run/Pass 2/1/5 0/0 2-Point Conversions 3/5 THE SERIES This week s matchup represents the 71 st all-time meeting between the Cardinals and Packers dating back to 1921 and the second postseason matchup. The rivalry between the two teams is the second-oldest in the NFL, behind only Cardinals- Bears. Including the postseason, the Packers lead the alltime series (44-22-4), including last week s meeting in Arizona. The Packers have won two in a row against the Cardinals and five of the last six. The Cardinals last victory over the Packers came in 2003 at home, their only win over Green Bay since moving to Arizona in 1988. SERIES NOTES Overall Series: 22-44-4 Cardinals at home vs. GB: 13-16-4 Cardinals last win: 9/21/03 vs. GB, 20-13 First Meeting: 11/20/21 vs. GB, T, 3-3 Last Meeting: 1/3/10 vs. GB, L, 7-33 THE COACHES Ken Whisenhunt Mike McCarthy 30-22 Overall Record 40-27 27-21 Regular Season Record 38-26 3-1 Playoff Record 2-1 3 rd Years as Head Coach in NFL 4 th 3 rd Years with team 4 th CARDINALS AND PACKERS THE LAST MEETING Packers 33, CARDINALS 7 January 3, 2010 University of Phoenix Stadium (67,597) The Cardinals and Packers faced off in the regular season finale that matched two playoffbound 10-5 football teams. However, any potential impact the game s outcome may have had on the NFC postseason picture disappeared when the Vikings defeated the Giants earlier in the day. That not only ended Arizona s chances of capturing the #2 seed, but also guaranteed that the Packers and Cardinals would meet again in a Wild Card game the following weekend in AZ. As a result, many Cardinals first-stringers saw very little action. That included QB Kurt Warner - who exited after just two drives and many starting defenders. The Packers handled it differently, with many of their starters going deep into the 2 nd half. QB Aaron Rodgers completed 21 of 26 passes for 235 yards before leaving the game with 13:00 remaining in the 4 th quarter. Despite their attempts to the contrary, the Cardinals did not escape without injuries. Starting CB Dominique Rodgers- Cromartie left with a knee injury suffered on the 3 rd snap of the game while WR Anquan Boldin injured his ankle on the opening drive of the 2 nd half. DE Calais Campbell injured his thumb. As for the game itself, Green Bay produced TDs on each of its first two drives, both ending with 1-yard runs. The first one by Ryan Grant capped a 10-play game opening drive. On the 2 nd, Rodgers scored from a yard out one play after his 51-yard pass to Jordy Nelson moved it to the 1. A holding penalty in the end zone gave Green Bay a safety early in the 2 nd and a 26-yard Mason Crosby field goal on the next series made it 19-0. Packers CB Charles Woodson then intercepted Matt Leinart on the next series and returned it 45 yards for a TD that made it 26-0 at intermission. On Green Bay s first drive of the 3 rd quarter, Rodgers capped a 14-play, 94-yard drive with his 5- yard TD pass to TE Jermichael Finley. By the end of the quarter it was mostly back-ups in the game. With 3:18 to play and the Packers at the AZ18, back-up QB Matt Flynn was INT d by Ralph Brown who returned it 80 yards to the GB 3. On the next play, Brian St. Pierre hit Larry Fitzgerald for a TD that made it 33-7. As for individual milestones, Boldin eclipsed 1,000 receiving yards on the season and became the first played in team history with five 1,000-yard campaigns. Fitzgerald s TD was his his careerbest 13 th of the year and he also moved into 3 rd place on the franchise s all-time receptions list passing Roy Green. With 3 punts downed inside the 20, punter Ben Graham tied the NFL s singleseason mark of 42 (Andy Lee, 2007). PACKERS 14 12 7 0 33 CARDINALS 0 0 0 7 7 Team Qtr. Time Scoring Play Drive Score Packers 1 8:45 Grant 1-yard run (Crosby kick) 10-69, 6:15 7-0 Packers 1 2:41 Rodgers 1-yard run (Crosby kick) 6-86, 3:19 14-0 Packers 2 12:33 Safety - Holding penalty on Wells in the end zone -- 16-0 Packers 2 6:33 Crosby 26-yard FG 11-53, 6:00 19-0 Packers 2 4:31 Woodson 45-yard INT return (Crosby kick) -- 25-0 Packers 3 4:16 Finley 5-yard pass from Rodgers (Crosby kick) 14-94, 7:31 33-0 CARDS 4 2:59 Fitzgerald 3-yard pass from St. Pierre (Rackers kick) 1-3, 0:05 33-7 STATISTICS GB AZ First Downs 24 13 Rushes-Yards 34-109 14-48 Net Passing Yards 236 139 Total Net Yards 345 187 Passing (A-C-I) 29-22-1 31-19-3 Sacked by Opp.-YL 1-6 0-0 Punts-Average 2-49.0 4-47.5 Fumbles-Lost 0-0 1-0 Penalties 4-19 7-76 Time of Possession 37:27 22:33 Weather: Indoors RUSHING Packers: Grant 11-51, TD; Green 12-42; Jackson 6-17; Rodgers 2-2, TD; Flynn 3-(-3). CARDS: Hightower 6-24; Wells 6-19; Stephens-Howling 1-3; St. Pierre 1-2. PASSING Packers: Rodgers 21-26, 235, 1 TD, 0 INT; Flynn 1-3, 7 yds, 0 TD, 1 INT. CARDS: Leinart 13-21, 96 yds, 0 TD, 2 INT; Warner 4-6, 31 yds, 0 TD, 0 INT; St. Pierre 2-4, 12 yds, 1 TD, 1 INT. RECEIVING Packers: Driver 6-65; Finley 4-34, TD; Jennings 3-29; Jones 3-17; Jackson 2-29; Lee 2-14; Nelson 1-51; Kuhn 1-4. CARDS: Doucet 4-28; Boldin 3-38; Fitzgerald 3-17, TD; Breaston 3-16; Urban 2-13; Hightower 2-4; Spach 1-22; Wright 1-1. Cardinals vs. Packers 3 of 49 www.azcardinals.com
A LOOK BACK AT LAST YEARS RUN The Cardinals capped the 2008 season with the most remarkable playoff run in franchise history, one that ended with the team s first-ever Super Bowl appearance. Arizona qualified for the postseason by clinching its first division title since 1975 and the team s first-ever NFC West crown. It was the team s first playoff appearance since 1998 and first home playoff game since 1947. The Cardinals started out the season strong, jumping out to a 7-3 record and a three-game lead in their division. The Cardinals won the NFC West behind a perfect 6-0 division record, but stumbled late in the season with losses to Philadelphia, Minnesota and New England. Those losses had some critics questioning whether the Cardinals deserved a playoff berth. Arizona responded by rattling off three impressive postseason wins. Along the way they earned their first-ever Conference Championship and a meeting with the Pittsburgh Steelers in Super Bowl XLIII As the NFC West Champions, the Cardinals hosted their first playoff game since 1947, defeating Atlanta 30-24 in the Wild Card round. The Cardinals defense limited the Falcons #2 rushing offense to a season-low 60 rushing yards on 24 attempts. Arizona then traveled to Carolina where they faced the heavily favored Panthers. Carolina was the only NFL team to finish the regular season undefeated at home while Arizona was 0-5 on the east coast. Behind the play of WR Larry Fitzgerald and a defense that forced six turnovers (5 INTs), the Cardinals jumped all over the Panthers, winning 33-13. In what seemed like an unlikely scenario at the outset of the playoffs, the Cardinals returned home the following week to host the Philadelphia Eagles in the NFC Championship game. Arizona won its first-ever conference title by defeating the Eagles 32-25 after storming out to a 24-6 halftime lead. The Eagles fought back in the second half to take a 25-24 lead before the Cardinals went on a 14-play fourth quarter drive that ate up 7:52 and resulted in the game-winning TD. With the win, the Cardinals made their first-ever Super Bowl appearance. In front of a record national television audience of 151.6 million viewers, the Cardinals fell to the Steelers 27-23. Down 20-7 entering the fourth quarter, the Cardinals made the biggest comeback in Super Bowl history, taking a 23-20 lead after a 64-yard TD pass from Kurt Warner to Fitzgerald with under 3:00 remaining. Pittsburgh responded with a 78-yard drive that ended with Santonio Holmes tip-toe TD reception and the game s deciding score in one of the most exciting Super Bowls ever played. WHAT THE CARDINALS ACCOMPLISHED IN 2008 The Cardinals recorded 12 wins in 2008, the most in a single-season in franchise history. They won more playoff games in 2008 (3) than they had in their total playoff history (2) entering the season. Including the playoffs, the Cardinals finished 8-2 at University of Phoenix Stadium in 2008, bringing their overall record to 14-4 at home in two seasons under Whisenhunt. The Cardinals finished the regular season by scoring a franchise record 427 points, the third-highest total in the NFL in 2008. Their 118 points scored in the postseason were the third-most in playoff history. Arizona finished the regular season with the fourth ranked offense in the NFL and the second ranked passing offense. It marked the third time in the last four seasons that the Cardinals passing offense has been ranked among the league s top five. QB Kurt Warner Was selected to his fourth career Pro Bowl and first since 2001 as a member of the Rams. Threw for 377 yards in Super Bowl XLIII, the second-highest total in Super Bowl history, behind the 414 yards he threw for against Tennessee in Super Bowl XXXIV. He now has the top three passing totals in Super Bowl history, having also thrown for 365 yards against New England in Super Bowl XXXVI. Warner established regular season franchise records for attempts (598), completions (401), completion percentage (67.1), passer rating (96.9), TD passes (30) and consecutive games with a TD pass (22). He also passed for 4,583 yards, the second-highest total in franchise history (Neil Lomax 4,614, 1984). WR Larry Fitzgerald Had one of the best postseasons of any player in NFL history, shattering the NFL record for receiving yards (546), receptions (30), and receiving TDs (7) in a single postseason. For the second consecutive season, led the NFC in both receptions and receiving yards, hauling in 96 receptions for a career-high 1,431 yards. He also established a career-high with 12 TD receptions during the regular season. He tied Detroit s Calvin Johnson for the league lead in TD receptions, finished second in the league in receiving yards and tied for fourth in receptions. Became the youngest receiver in NFL history (25 years, 119 days) to collect 400 career receptions, reaching the milestone vs. the Giants on 11/23/08. He broke the mark previously held by Randy Moss (25 years, 305 days). WR Anquan Boldin Despite missing four games due to injury, caught 89 passes for 1,038 yards and 11 TDs during the regular season, earning his third trip to the Pro Bowl as a starter. His 1,000-yard season was the fourth of his career for the Cardinals, becoming the first receiver in franchise history to accomplish the feat. DT Darnell Dockett With three sacks in Super Bowl XLIII against the Steelers, he tied the NFL record for sacks in a Super Bowl, a record he now shares with Hall of Famer and sack legend Reggie White. He also added six tackles and two tackles for a loss in a dominant Super Bowl performance. Cardinals vs. Packers 4 of 49 www.azcardinals.com
PLAYOFF TESTED The Cardinals have a roster full of players with postseason experience after the team s Super Bowl playoff run last season. That marks a significant change from a year ago, when the Cardinals entered the postseason with very little playoff experience. In fact, of the Cardinals 22 starters on both sides of the ball entering the 08 postseason, 16 made their playoff debut against the Falcons in last season s Wild Card game. Entering that against the Falcons, the Cardinals only had 13 players with playoff experience. As the Cardinals gear up for another postseason appearance in 2009, their current roster features 38 players with postseason experience. Of those 38 players, 32 appeared in the 08 postseason with the Cardinals. Among the players on the roster with no playoff experience, six are rookies and three are players that were on the Cardinals roster last season but did not see game action. Of the Cardinals 22 regular starters on offense and defense this season, 17 were with the team during their 2008 playoff run. One of the starters that wasn t (CB Bryant McFadden) was with the Super Bowl Champion Steelers. Three players: Jason Wright (RB), Hamza Abdullah (S) and Ben Claxton (S) are NFL veterans that are new to the Cardinals roster in 2009 and have never appeared in a postseason game. 2009 Projected Starters-Wild Card Matchup 2008 Postseason-Regular Starters Offense Defense Offense Defense WR Larry Fitzgerald DE Calais Campbell WR Larry Fitzgerald DE Antonio Smith LT Jeremy Bridges NT Bryan Robinson LT Mike Gandy NT Bryan Robinson LG Reggie Wells DT Darnell Dockett LG Reggie Wells DT Darnell Dockett C Lyle Sendlein ROLB Chike Okeafor C Lyle Sendlein DE Travis LaBoy RG Deuce Lutui ILB Karlos Dansby RG Deuce Lutui SLB Chike Okeafor RT Levi Brown ILB Gerald Hayes RT Levi Brown MLB Gerald Hayes TE Anthony Becht LOLB Clark Haggans TE Stephen Spach WLB Karlos Dansby WR Anquan Boldin CB Bryant McFadden WR Anquan Boldin CB Rod Hood QB Kurt Warner CB D. Rodgers-Cromartie QB Kurt Warner CB D. Rodgers-Cromartie RB Tim Hightower SS Adrian Wilson RB Edgerrin James SS Adrian Wilson FB Dan Kreider FS Antrel Rolle FB Terrelle Smith FS Antrel Rolle Most Playoff Experience WR Sean Morey 15 Games (0 starts), QB Kurt Warner 11 Games (11 starts), LB Clark Haggans 11 Games (7 starts), FB Dan Kreider 10 Games (8 starts), LB Chike Okeafor 8 Games (8 starts), CB Bryant McFadden 8 Games (3 starts), TE Anthony Becht 7 Games (7 starts), LB Monty Beisel 7 Games (2 starts), CB Ralph Brown 7 games (0 starts) SEEDED THE SAME Arizona enters the 2009 postseason as the #4 seed in the NFC and will be looking for a repeat performance. During the 2008 postseason, the Cards made their first-ever Super Bowl appearance and become the first #4 seed from the NFC to advance to the Super Bowl. In the AFC, the #4 seed has represented their conference in the Super Bowl four times. The only time in league history that a #4 seed made it to the Super Bowl in back-to-back seasons was in 1999-2000 when the Tennessee Titans (1999) and Baltimore Ravens (2000) earned a spot in the Super Bowl as #4 seeds in the AFC. 2009 PLAYOFF SCHEDULE Divisional Round Saturday, Jan. 16 NFC Time (MST) Arizona, Green Bay or Philadelphia at New Orleans 2:30 PM (FOX) AFC Cincinnati, NY Jets or Baltimore at Indianapolis 6:15 PM (CBS) Sunday, Jan. 17 NFC Dallas, Arizona or Green Bay at Minnesota 11:00 AM (FOX) AFC New England, Cincinnati or NY Jets at San Diego 2:40 PM (CBS) Conference Championships Sunday, Jan. 24 AFC 1:00 PM (CBS) NFC 4:40 PM (FOX) Super Bowl XLIV Dolphin Stadium Sunday, Feb. 7 4:25 PM (CBS) *This year s Pro Bowl will be played on Sunday, January 31 in Miami, the week before the Super Bowl. FRANCHISE POSTSEASON RECORDS Rushing Yards Team: 282, vs. Phi, 12/28/47 Individual: 159, Elmer Angsman, vs. Phi, 12/28/47 TDs: 3, Mario Bates, at Min, 1/10/99 Attempts: 20, Edgerrin James, at Car, 1/10/09 Longest Run: 74, Adrian Murrell, at Dal, 1/2/99 Passing Yards: 385, Neil Lomax, at GB, 1/8/83 Attempts: 51, Neil Lomax, at GB, 1/8/83 Completions: 32, Neil Lomax, at GB, 1/8/83 Completion Pct: 75.0, Kurt Warner, vs. Phi, 1/18/09 (21-of-28) TDs: 4, Kurt Warner vs. Phi, 1/18/09 Long: 71t, Kurt Warner to Anquan Boldin, vs. Atl, 1/3/09 Receiving Yards: 166, Larry Fitzgerald, at Car, 1/10/09 Receptions: 9, Larry Fitzgerald, vs. Phi, 1/18/09 TDs: 3, Larry Fitzgerald, vs. Phi, 1/18/09 Points: 33, at Carolina, 1/10/09 Miscellaneous Total Net Yards: 453, at GB, 1/8/83 (106 rush/ 347 pass) First Downs: 27, at GB, 1/8/83 (8 rush/18 pass/1 penalty) Interceptions Team: 5, at Carolina, 1/10/09 Individual: 2 (2x), last, Aeneas Williams, at Dal, 1/2/99 Cardinals vs. Packers 5 of 49 www.azcardinals.com
CARDS WENT DEEP IN THE PLAYOFFS The Cardinals relied heavily on the deep ball during the 2008 postseason, connecting on a pass play of at least 40 yards in each of their four playoff games. Kurt Warner connected with Larry Fitzgerald and Anquan Boldin on five of the six longest pass plays in franchise postseason history during the Cardinals run to Super Bowl XLIII. Warner connected on a 42-yard TD pass to Fitzgerald in the first quarter Atlanta in the Wild Card contest that ranks as the fourthlongest pass play in franchise playoff history, and it went on from there. Warner then connected with Anquan Boldin on a 71-yard TD pass in the second quarter that stands as the longest pass play in franchise playoff history. The previous long was a 59-yard pass from Jake Plummer to Frank Sanders at Dallas on 1/2/99. The Warner to Fitzgerald connection was especially devastating to opposing defenses in the 08 postseaoson. With the 62-yard TD strike against the Eagles in the NFC Championship game and the 64-yard TD pass between the two in the Super Bowl, the duo connected on four passing plays of 40 yards or more during the postseason. The 64-yard TD pass tied for the 10 th -longest TD pass in Super Bowl history. Longest Completion Franchise Postseason History 71t Kurt Warner to Anquan Boldin vs. Atlanta, January 3, 2009 64t Kurt Warner to Larry Fitzgerald vs. Pittsburgh, February 1, 2009 62t Kurt Warner to Larry Fitzgerald vs. Philadelphia, January 10, 2009 59 Jake Plummer to Frank Sanders at Dallas, January 2, 1999 42t Kurt Warner to Larry Fitzgerald vs. Atlanta, January 3, 2009 41 Kurt Warner to Larry Fitzgerald at Carolina, January 10, 2009 39 Jake Plummer to Adrian Murrell at Minnesota, January 10, 1999 Boldin got in on the action as well. His 71-yard TD reception against the Falcons was the fourth-longest TD reception in NFL Wild Card playoff history. Longest Touchdown Pass Plays Wild Card Playoff History 87 Brandon Stokely from Peyton Manning, 1/4/04, Den @ Ind 77 Jerricho Cotchery from Chad Pennington, 1/7/07, NYJ @ NE 76 Terrell Owens from Jeff Garcia, 1/5/03, NYG @ SF 71 Anquan Boldin vs. Atlanta, 1/3/09, Ari vs. Atl SI.COM HONORS UNIVERSITY OF PHOENIX STADIUM In its series ranking the best in sports over the last decade, Sports Illustrated named University of Phoenix Stadium as the Best New Venue. In selecting the facility #1, Sports Illustrated said: Named for a college without a football team, this 1.7-million-square-foot stadium has quickly become one of the central venues in the sports world. It's home to the Arizona Cardinals and the Fiesta Bowl and hosted Super Bowl XLII in 2008. The award-winning design features a roof covered by a translucent fabric and exterior walls made of metallic panels to help with cooling inside. The field can be moved outside on rollers, enabling optimal grass growth in the desert setting. The recognition is the latest in a string of honors for the venue that opened in 2006. The Cardinals have sold out every game they have played in four seasons at the stadium. Here is the complete list: Venue Team League Opened 1. University of Phoenix Stadium Arizona Cardinals NFL 2006 2. AT&T Park San Francisco Giants MLB 2001 3. Cowboys Stadium Dallas Cowboys NFL 2009 4. Yankees Stadium New York Yankees MLB 2009 5. PNC Park Pittsburgh Pirates MLB 2001 6. Reliant Stadium Houston Texans NFL 2002 7. Citizens Bank Park Philadelphia Phillies MLB 2004 8. Miller Park Milwaukee Brewers MLB 2001 9. Qwest Field Seattle Seahawks NFL 2002 10. Busch Stadium St. Louis Cardinals MLB 2006 SELLOUT NUMBER 43 When Arizona hosts the Packers this week in an NFC Wild Card matchup, the Cardinals will be playing in front of their 43 rd consecutive sellout crowd. Arizona has sold out every game, including preseason and postseason, at University of Phoenix Stadium since it opened in 2006. The Cardinals have a 21-13 record playing at home in University of Phoenix Stadium, including their two playoff wins in 08. Arizona entered the 2009 season holding a 14-4 record at home under head coach Ken Whisenhunt and had a 4-4 home record during the 09 regular season. The top three yearly attendance totals in franchise history have been set in the team s three years playing at University of Phoenix Stadium. The Cards attracted 505,143 fans during the 2009 regular season, the fourth-best total in franchise history. Each of the top four totals have come in the Cardinals four seasons at University of Phoenix Stadium. Cardinals vs. Packers 6 of 49 www.azcardinals.com
CARDINALS-PACKERS CONNECTIONS Cardinals quarterback Kurt Warner was originally signed by the Packers as an undrafted free agent in 1994 before being released on August 17, 1994. Packers Head Coach Mike McCarthy played football at Scottsdale Community College in 1984. In 2000, Bill Davis served as a defensive assistant/defensive line coach for Green Bay. Davis also was a defensive assistant in Pittsburgh while Packers Defensive Coordinator Dom Capers was in the same role for the Steelers from 1992-94. Capers went on to be the head coach of the Carolina Panthers from 1995-98 and Davis joined him as the outside linebackers coach. While Capers and Davis were in Pittsburgh Packers Outside Linebackers coach Kevin Greene and Secondary-Safties coach Darren Perry played for the Steelers and then Greene joined the two in Carolina in 1996. In 2005, Cardinals Defensive Coordinator Bill Davis coached on the same staff as Packers Head Coach Mike McCarthy when he was the San Francisco 49ers offensive coordinator and Davis was the defensive coordinator. Cardinals Assistant Head Coach/Offensive Line/Run Game Coordinator Russ Grimm was teammates on the Washington Redskins with Packers President and Chief Executive Officer Mark Murphy from 1981-84. Cardinals Director, Football Administration Reggie Terry s brother, Tim Terry, is the Packers Assistant Director of Pro Personnel. From 2001-03, Cardinals Head Coach Ken Whisenhunt coached the tight ends in Pittsburgh, Assistant Head Coach/Offensive Line/Run Game Coordinator Russ Grimm served as offensive line coach and Passing Game Coordinator Mike Miller was the offensive quality control coach while Packers Quarterbacks coach Tom Clements served in the same role. They were joined for the 2002-03 seasons by Cardinals Special Teams coach Kevin Spencer who was in the same role. Miller and Clements both moved on to Buffalo for the 2004-05 seasons with Clements serving as the offensive coordinator and Miller coaching tight ends/offensive quality control. Packers Director of Football Operations Reggie McKenzie played linebacker for the Cardinals from 1989-90. Cardinals quarterback Kurt Warner and Packers defensive tackle Ryan Pickett played together with the St. Louis Rams from 2001-2003. Cardinals Defensive Quality Control coach Ryan Slowik was a student assistant secondary coach at the University of Wisconsin- Oshkosh, which is about one hour south of Green Bay. Slowik s father, Bob, coached for the Packers from 2000-04, serving as defensive backs coach (2000-01), assistant head coach/defensive backs (2002-03) and defensive coordinator (2004). Packers Executive Vice President, General Manager and Director of Football Operations Ted Thompson served as Seattle s vice president of football operations from 2000-04 while Cardinals Defensive Backs coach Teryl Austin was in the same position (2003-04) and Cardinals Scout Chris Culmer served as a scouting assistant. Arizona wide receiver Jerheme Urban (2003-04) and defensive end Chike Okeafor (2003-04) also played for the Seahawks during that time. Cardinals Defensive Line coach Ron Aiken coached the same position at the University of Iowa while Packers Offensive Coordinator Joe Philbin served as offensive line coach (1999-2002). Cardinals wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald (2002-03) was teammates with Packers Defensive Quality Control coach Scott McCurley at the University of Pittsburgh in 2002. In 2003, Packers Tight Ends coach Ben McAdoo was an offensive assistant and from 2003-05. McCurley served as a graduate assistant (defense) for the Panthers. McCurley was joined at Pitt by Arizona running back LaRod Stephens-Howling in 2005. From 2004-05, Cardinals quarterback Matt Leinart and guard Deuce Lutui were teammates at USC with Packers linebacker Clay Matthews. A LOOK BACK AT GREEN BAY 1994 When the Green Bay Packers entered training camp in 1994, there is no way they could have imagined they would have two potential Hall of Fame quarterbacks on their roster. Brett Favre and Kurt Warner both went to training camp with the Packers in 1994. Warner was an undrafted rookie out of Northern Iowa and did not last long in camp, being released by the Packers in mid-august. Since then, Warner has gone on to become a two-time league MVP and a Super Bowl champion. Favre didn t remember being too impressed with Warner at the time. He was just a guy, Favre remembered. Obviously, he is a lot different now. Prior to a meeting between the Jets and Cardinals last season, Favre told a story from their days in camp when then QBs coach Steve Mariucci told Warner to go in to run plays and Warner refused, saying he wasn t ready. For Warner s part, he says he doesn t remember that, or much else, from his time in Green Bay. I ve heard that story before and I don t remember that, Warner has said. I was a young kid and I don t remember a whole bunch from camp. I especially don t remember a whole bunch from the football side of it because I only got a few reps anyway. TWO TEAMS WITH HISTORY The second-oldest rivalry in NFL history resumes this week when the Cardinals and Packers go head-to-head. The two teams have been facing off since 1921, Green Bay s first season in the American Professional Football Association. The Cardinals and Chicago Bears, the league s oldest rivalry, joined the APFA in the inaugural season of 1920. The Cardinals, Packers and Bears are the only current NFL teams with ties back to the APFA, which became the National Football League in 1922. The first meeting between the Cardinals and Packers took place on 11/20/21 when the Racine Cardinals and Green Bay Packers played to a 3-3 tie in front of an estimated 2,000 fans at Normal Park in Chicago. Since then, the two teams have met 68 more times, with the Packers holding a 44-22-4 advantage in the series. The majority of those meetings came between 1921 and 1949 when the Cardinals and Packers met 53 times over a 28-year span. The two teams have met just 18 times during the regular season over the last 53 years. HEISMAN CONNECTION Cardinals quarterback Matt Leinart and Packers cornerback Charles Woodson are two of the six former Heisman trophy winners currently active in the NFL. Leinart was named the best player in college football as a junior in 2004 after completing one of the most successful seasons of any player in college football history, leading the USC Trojans to a perfect 13-0 record and a National Championship. Having won the Heisman trophy in 1997 as a cornerback for the Michigan Wolverines, Woodson is the only primarily defensive player to ever win the Heisman Trophy. Cardinals vs. Packers 7 of 49 www.azcardinals.com
CARDS SEND FOUR TO PRO BOWL Cardinals defensive tackle Darnell Dockett, wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald, cornerback Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, and strong safety Adrian Wilson were all selected to represent the NFC in the 2010 Pro Bowl. Fitzgerald, Dockett and Wilson were all named starters. It is the second career selection for Dockett (2007), fourth for Fitzgerald (2005, 2007-08), first for Rodgers-Cromartie, and third for Wilson (2006, 2008). Additionally, quarterback Kurt Warner, tackle Levi Brown, safety Antrel Rolle, punter Ben Graham, special teamer Sean Morey, and kicker Neil Rackers were selected as alternates. The three defensive selections are the most for the Cardinals since 1970 (LB Larry Stallings, DB Roger Wehrli, and DB Larry Wilson) and the Cardinals nine selections over the past two years (five last year) are the most over a two-year span since 1977-78 when they had 10 Pro Bowl selections. Dockett led the Cardinals and all NFL interior defensive linemen with seven sacks on the season in addition to a career-high 15 tackles for loss and 57 tackles (43 solos). In week 12 vs. the Titans, he tied his career high with three sacks of Tennessee quarterback Vince Young. Dockett had one INT and nine QB hits while starting in all 16 games. He last made the Pro Bowl in 2007 after collecting a career-high nine sacks and 75 tackles. He is just the second defensive tackle in team history to make multiple Pro Bowl appearances (Eric Swann 1995-96). Fitzgerald is the first Cardinal since Aeneas Williams (1994-99) to earn three consecutive Pro Bowl selections. He was selected the past two seasons after leading the NFC in both receptions and receiving yards (96 for 1,431 yards in 2008 and 100 for 1,409 yards in 2007) in both years. He was also selected in 2005 when he set a franchise record with 103 receptions. His four selections tie Mel Gray (1974-77) for the most selections for a wide receiver in team history and he is the first Cardinals player since Aeneas Williams (1994-99) to make at least four Pro Bowls. Rodgers-Cromartie will be making his first Pro Bowl appearance after recording a career-high and team leading six interceptions to go along with 33 passes defensed and a team high three forced fumbles. His six interceptions tied for fifth in the NFL and he now has 12 interceptions in 28 career starts at cornerback. He becomes the first Cardinals cornerback since 1999 (Aeneas Williams) to be selected to the Pro Bowl. Wilson will make his second consecutive Pro Bowl start and third overall appearance. Wilson finished the season with 80 tackles to go along with a career high five interceptions, two sacks, two fumble recoveries, one forced fumble, 10 tackles for loss and 15 passes defensed. After collecting an interception and sack in week 16 against St. Louis, Wilson became just the 10 th player in NFL history with at least 20 interceptions and 20 sacks in their career. Wilson is the fourth safety in team history to be selected to multiple Pro Bowls joining Tim McDonald (1989, 91-92), Jerry Norton (1959, 60-61), and Hall of Famer Larry Wilson (1962-63, 65-70) and the first to do it in consecutive years since Larry Wilson in 1969-70. In addition to being selected last year, Adrian was also selected following the 2006 season. ROOKIE CONTRIBUTIONS RB Beanie Wells (First Round-31 st overall)-registered a team-high 793 yards on 176 carries (4.5 avg.), ranking second among all NFL rookie running backs in rushing yards. His seven rushing touchdowns tie for the lead among rookie RBs. RB LaRod Stephens-Howling (Seventh Round-240 th overall)-contributed in spot roles on offense, totaling 10 receptions for 83 yards and 15 yards on six carries. As the primary kick returner, he recorded a 99-yard kickoff return for a touchdown at Tennessee, becoming the first Cardinals rookie since 1979 to return a kickoff for a touchdown. He also led the Cardinals with 23 special teams tackles. S Rashad Johnson (Third Round-95 th overall)-contributed on special teams and saw his role increase on defense when a knee injury ended safety Matt Ware s season in mid December. In the three games he played after Ware went down, Johnson had 12 tackles and one pass defensed. LB Will Davis (Sixth round -204 th overall)-made the switch from defensive end to outside linebacker and despite missing five of the season s final six weeks with a knee injury, he registered two sacks, nine tackles and eight special teams tackles. CB Greg Toler (Fourth round-131 st overall)-the former Division II All-American has mostly contributed on special teams, totaling six tackles. As the season progressed, Toler has seen some action in the secondary, recording one interception, eight tackles and a pass defensed. LB Reggie Walker (Undrafted)-The undrafted rookie totaled three tackles and one fumble recovery on special teams. BUILDING A WINNER In 2008, the Cardinals clinched the NFC West, earned their first home playoff victory in 61 years and appeared in their first Super Bowl in franchise history. In 2009, the Cardinals have repeated as NFC West Champions and earned their first back-to-back division titles since 1974-75. The talent on the Cardinals roster has been the key to Arizona s success over the last two seasons, and General Manager Rod Graves is the man responsible for assembling that roster. Recent drafts have not only produced Pro Bowlers in Anquan Boldin, Larry Fitzgerald, Adrian Wilson, and Darnell Dockett but also scores of other full-time starters and contributors. Six of Arizona s 2009 draft picks are on the 53-man roster, five of which have received playing time and two who appeared in all 16 games this season. The 2008 draft produced three current full-time starters in CB Dominique Rodgers- Cromartie, DE Calais Campbell and RB Tim Hightower. Graves has made it clear that the organization wants to identify a core group of players to build the team around and keep that core intact. Dating back to 2004, the Cardinals have re-signed eight players to contract extensions, including all four players drafted by the Cardinals that have made the Pro Bowl. Wilson (2004, 2009), Boldin (2005), Neil Rackers (2005), Kurt Warner (2006, 2009), Gerald Hayes (2006), Reggie Wells (2006), Dockett (2006) and Fitzgerald (2008) have all signed contract extensions. LB Karlos Dansby, a 2004 draft selection, has been designated the team s franchise player the last two seasons. Another area that has been instrumental in building the Cardinals is unrestricted free agency, with recent free agent pickups including Mike Gandy, Sean Morey and Bryant McFadden. Cardinals vs. Packers 8 of 49 www.azcardinals.com
CARDS POST 10 WINS IN 09 With a 10-6 record, the Cardinals posted their best record since the NFL went to a 16-game schedule in 1978. Against the Rams in week 16, the Cardinals earned their 10 th win of the season. It marked the first time since 1976, when the Cards finished with a 10-4 record, that the team has posted 10+ wins in a season. It also represents just the sixth time in franchise history that the Cardinals have posted double-digit wins in a season. Seasons With 10+ Wins Franchise History Record Year 11-1 1948 11-2-1 1925 11-3 1975 10-4 1974 10-4 1976 10-6 2009 #1 IN THE RED ZONE The Cardinals scored TDs on 38 of 54 trips inside the red zone during the 2009 season and their 70.4 TD percentage was the best in the NFL. 2009 NFL TD Pct. Inside the Red Zone Team Poss TDs TD% 1. Arizona 54 38 70.4 2. Indianapolis 53 35 66.0 3. Minnesota 69 43 62.3 4. Miami 54 33 61.1 5. San Francisco 39 23 59.0 Arizona s 38 red zone TDs were the third-most in the NFL, trailing only New Orleans (41) and Minnesota (43). Over the final three regular season games, the Cardinals scored a TD on nine of 10 red zone possessions. Since Ken Whisenhunt took over in 2007, the Cardinals have the league s best red zone offense over that time. Red Zone TD Percentage 2007-09 Team Poss TDs TD% 1. Arizona 169 110 65.1 2t. New Orleans 183 115 62.8 2t. Indianapolis 172 108 62.8 4t. Miami 138 80 57.9 4t. New England 202 117 57.9 In 2009, the Cardinals defense held opponents to 22 TDs in 47 trips in the red zone, and their 46.8 TD percentage was the 9 th -best total in the NFL. TURNOVER TALE After finishing last week s game with a minus-two turnover margin, the Cardinals are 2-19 overall under Ken Whisenhunt when losing the turnover battle The Cardinals are 21-1 overall when winning the turnover battle and 7-2 when breaking even. In week 12 in Tennessee, Arizona lost for the first time under head Whisenhunt when winning the turnover battle. In week 11 against the Rams, the Cardinals won for just the second time in 21 contests when losing the turnover battle. Turnover Ratio Breakdown (2007-present) TO Ratio Plus Minus Even 2007 6-0 0-6 2-2 2008 7-0 1-7 1-0 08 Playoffs 3-0 0-1 0-0 2009 5-1 1-5 4-0 Totals 21-1 2-19 7-2 IMPROVING EVERY YEAR The Cardinals have posted three consecutive seasons of.500 or better for the first time since 1982-84 and just the fifth time in team history. The Cardinals also finished.500 or better between 1974-77; 1946-49; 1922-25. Arizona has increased its regular season win total in each of the last three campaigns, just the third time in franchise history that has happened - 1953-56 and 1945-48 were the others. The Cardinals and Minnesota Vikings were the only NFL teams that have increased their record in each of their last three seasons. Cards Increasing Their Win Totals 2006 2007 2008 2009 5-11 8-8 9-7 10-6 1953 1954 1955 1956 1-10-1 2-10 4-7-1 7-5 1945 1946 1947 1948 1-9 6-5 9-3 11-1 CARDS BOUNCE BACK The 2009 season marks the first time since 1975 that the Cardinals went without back-to-back losses in a single season. The Cardinals were the only team in the NFL to go without losing back-to-back games in 09. The Cardinals went 5-0 in games following losses this season, with three of those wins coming on the road. The 09 season also marks just the seventh time in franchise history that the Cardinals have gone an entire season without losing back-toback games. Seasons Without Back-to-Back Losses Year Final Record 2009 10-6 1975 11-3 1963 9-5 1948 11-1 1935 6-4-2 1925 11-2-1 1920 6-2-2 THIRD DOWN SHUTDOWN In 2009, the Cardinals finished with the NFL s sixth ranked defense when it came to stopping opponents on third down. For the season, the defense allowed just 82-of-232 third down attempts (35.3%) to be successfully converted. Opponent 3 rd Down Conversion Pct. Team Att Con Pct. 1. NY Jets 219 69 31.5 2. Philadelphia 221 73 33.0 3. Minnesota 200 69 34.5 4. Miami 198 69 34.8 5. Dallas 200 70 35.0 6. Arizona 232 82 35.3 Below is a breakdown of Cardinals opponent s third-down attempts by yardage. Arizona s 13.7 conversion percentage allowed on attempts of 10+ yards is ranked fourth in the NFL behind Denver (10.4), St. Louis (13.0) and Kansas City (13.3). Yards Att Conv. Pct 1 27 18 66.7 2-3 41 17 41.5 4-5 45 20 44.4 6-9 46 17 37.0 10+ 73 10 13.7 Cardinals vs. Packers 9 of 49 www.azcardinals.com
HISTORY MADE ON THE ROAD IN 09 After winning their sixth road game in Detroit in week 15, the Cardinals experienced historic success away from University of Phoenix Stadium in 2009. The Cardinals win in Detroit gave them six victories on the road in 2009, the most road wins in a single season since 1963 (6). With six victories on the road, the Cardinals earned their first winning record on the road since 1982 (4-1). The victory over the Rams in week 11 in St. Louis gave the Cardinals five straight road wins to start a season for the first time since 1948 when they finished the season 6-0 on the road. The Cardinals allowed just 139 points on the road this season, tied for the fewest total since the league went to a 16-game schedule in 1978. The Cardinals also allowed just 139 points in 1978 and 1980. Only the NY Jets (15.5) allowed fewer points per game on the road than the Cardinals (17.4) this season. The Cardinals won twice by at least 20 points this season on the road. The last time the Cardinals won two road games by at least 20 points in the same season was in 1984 (10/28 at Philadelphia, 34-14 and 12/2 at New England, 33-10). The Cardinals win over the Bears in week nine was their first in Chicago since 1982. The win against the NY Giants snapped an 11-game road losing streak to teams from the NFC East. TAKING IT AWAY After posting four INTs over the final two regular season contests, the Cardinals defense grabbed 21 INTs on the season. Their 21 INTs this season mark the team s highest total since intercepting 23 passes in 1994. The team s two INT leaders, Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie (6) and Adrian Wilson (5) each established career-highs in INTs this season. In the season finale, CB Ralph Brown recorded his first INT of the season. Cardinals INT Leaders 2009 INT Player (Pos) 6 Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie (CB) 5 Adrian Wilson (SS) 4 Antrel Rolle (FS) 1 Ralph Brown (CB) Greg Toler (CB) Karlos Dansby (LB) Darnell Dockett (DT) Michael Adams (CB) Matt Ware (S) NEARLY UNBEATABLE AT 30 The week 16 win over the Rams was the 22 nd game (including playoffs) in which the Cardinals scored 30+ points under Ken Whisenhunt. In those 22 games, the Cardinals hold a 20-2 record (.909 win percentage) and have won 14 straight. 30-Point Games By Season (2007-2009) 2009: 6-0 2008: 9-1 (Including 3-0 in postseason) 2007: 5-1 STINGY AWAY FROM HOME Arizona finished their road schedule in week 15 in Detroit and allowed 139 points on the road this season, an average of 17.4 points per game, tied with Dallas for the second-lowest total in the NFL. Fewest Points Allowed Per Game on the Road Team G Pts PPG 1. NY Jets 8 124 15.5 2t. Arizona 8 139 17.4 2t. Dallas 8 139 17.4 4. San Diego 8 145 18.1 5. Indianapolis 8 151 18.9 In allowing just 139 points on the road this season, the Cards tied for the fewest points allowed on the road in team history in a season since the NFL went to a 16-game schedule in 1978. They also allowed 139 points in 1978 and 1980. (Those totals exclude the strike shortened season of 1982). Fewest Points Allowed in Road Games 1978-present Year G Pts PPG 2009 8 139 17.4 1980 8 139 17.4 1978 8 139 17.4 1994 8 148 18.5 2001 8 149 18.6 1997 8 158 19.8 AND THE AWARD GOES TO A Cardinals player was named NFC Player of the Week seven times during the 2009 season, more than any other team in the NFC. New Orleans was right behind the Cardinals with six selections. The Cardinals had three players win the award for special teams, two for defense and QB Kurt Warner won the award twice on the offensive side of the ball. Arizona and Tampa Bay were the only NFC teams to have three different players earn NFC Player of the Week for special teams. NFC Player of the Week Awards 2009 P Ben Graham punting seven times for 352 yards (50.3 avg.) with three punts landed inside the 20-yard line and a net average of 45.4 yards per punt in week 15 in Detroit. RB LaRod Stephens-Howling returned a kickoff 99 yards for a TD and downed punts at the Titans 5, 2 and 1 yard lines in week 12. DE Calais Campbell earned special teams honors following the Cardinals week two victory against the Jacksonville Jaguars, a game in which he blocked a 38-yard FG attempt that was returned 83 yards for a TD by Antrel Rolle. CB Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie was named Defensive Player of the Week following the Cardinals week five win vs. Houston, after he intercepted a Matt Schaub pass and returned in 49 yards for the game winning TD. S Adrian Wilson was selected for defensive honors following the Cardinals week seven victory against the New York Giants after recording an INT, a fumble recovery and two tackles for loss. QB Kurt Warner collected offensive recognition following Arizona s week nine win in Chicago, a game in which he tied a career-high with five TD passes. Warner threw for 285 yards, three TDs and marked his fourth consecutive game with a passer rating of 120.0+ in week 13 vs. Minnesota, tying the NFL record (Fran Tarkenton, 1965). Cardinals vs. Packers 10 of 49 www.azcardinals.com
RESUME BUILDS FOR THE WHIZ Head coach Ken Whisenhunt has had an impressive run in his first three seasons with the Cardinals. The Cardinals clinched the 2009 NFC West title, earning their first back-to-back division titles since 1974-75. With 30 wins during the regular and postseason, Whisenhunt passed Vince Tobin (1996-2000) and is now in sole possession of fourth place for wins among head coaches in franchise history. Arizona finished with a 10-6 record, giving the Cardinals 10+ wins in the regular season for the first time since 1976 (10-4). Whisenhunt is the first head coach in franchise history with a.500 record or better in each of his first three seasons. The Cardinals were 8-8 in 2007, 9-7 in 2008 and 10-6 this season. The Cardinals finished with a 4-4 record at University of Phoenix Stadium in 09, making Whisenhunt the first Cardinals coach to post a.500 record or better at home in three straight seasons since Don Coryell posted four consecutive seasons above.500 between 1974-77. Whisenhunt is the first head coach since Charley Winner (1966-68) to post a.500 record or better at home in each of his first three seasons. The Cardinals started the 2009 season with a 5-0 record on the road for the first time since 1975. The Cardinals have a 13-5 record against the NFC West under Whisenhunt. Led the Cardinals to the NFC West title in 2008, their first division title since 1975. Led the Cardinals to their first-ever Super Bowl appearance in 2008 and more wins in a single season (12) than any coach in franchise history. The Cardinals 30-24 win over the Atlanta Falcons in the Wild Card Game was the first home playoff victory in 61 years. The Cardinals won more playoffs games in the 08 postseason (3) than they had won in their total playoff history (2) entering the season. With the 34-21 win over Seattle in the 2008 regular season finale, the Cardinals finished the 2008 regular season with a 9-7 record, matching their best regular season record since the franchise moved to Arizona in 1988. In 52 career games played under Whisenhunt, the Cardinals have scored 20+ points in 40 games (76.9%) and 30+ points in 22 games (42.3%). IN THE WHISENHUNT ERA Below is a breakdown of the Cardinals regular season winloss record during Ken Whisenhunt s tenure: In NFC West Games 13-5 At Home 15-8 On the Road 11-13 Outdoors 13-14 Indoors 14-7 When won the turnover battle 18-1 When lost the turnover battle 2-18 When even in the turnover battle 7-2 When scored first 14-6 When Opp. Scores First 13-15 Out-rush opponent 17-3 Cardinals have 100-yard rusher 8-0 Yielding 20 Points or Less 16-4 Scoring 20 Points or More 27-9 WHISENHUNT WINS NUMBER 30 With the win over St. Louis in week 16, Ken Whisenhunt earned his 30 th victory (regular and postseason) as the Cardinals head coach. He moved past Vince Tobin (1996-2000) into sole possession of fourth-place on the franchise career wins list. Most Wins By A Cardinals Head Coach Wins Coach (Years) 42 Don Coryell (1973-77) 39 Jim Hanifan (1980-85) 35 Charley Winner (1966-70) 30 Ken Whisenhunt (2007-present) 29 Vince Tobin (1996-2000) In earning his 30 th win, Whisenhunt reached the total in 51 games, the second-fewest number of games in franchise history behind Don Coryell, who reached 30 wins in 49 career games. Fastest Coaches To 30 Wins Franchise History Games Coach 49 Don Coryell 51 Ken Whisenhunt 60 Charley Winner 65 Jim Hanifan GRIMM HEADED TO THE HALL? Cardinals Assistant Head Coach/Offensive Line/Run Game Coordinator Russ Grimm was recently announced as one of the 25 modern era semi-finalists for the Pro Football Hall of Fame s Class of 2010. A member of the famed Hogs offensive line, Grimm started 11 seasons at guard for the Redskins (1981-91) and helped lead the team to four Super Bowl appearances and three victories. He was a four-time Pro Bowl selection and was a first-team selection to the 1980s all-decade team. Grimm was among the 17 finalists for induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame the past three years (2007-09) and among the 10 finalists in 2006. GETTING THE JOB DONE When Ken Whisenhunt promoted Bill Davis to defensive coordinator prior to the 2009 season, he made it clear that two areas he wanted the defense to improve upon were cutting down on points allowed and cutting down on points in the red zone. During the 2009 season, the Cardinals defense allowed 325 points, which is the fifth-lowest total for the franchise since the NFL went to a 16-game schedule in 1978. Fewest Points Allowed (1978 to 2008) Points Year 267 1994 269 1993 296 1978 322 2004 325 2009 332 1992 The Cardinals showed a drastic improvement in red zone defense in 2009. The Cardinals allowed 22 TDs in 47 trips in the red zone, and their (46.8) TD percentage was the 9 th best in the NFL. Last season, Cardinals opponents had 35 TDs in 55 trips inside the red zone, a 63.6 TD percentage, which ranked 28 th overall in 2008. Cardinals vs. Packers 11 of 49 www.azcardinals.com
IMPROVED RUSHING ATTACK FUELED BALANCE After rushing for 100 yards as a team once in the first seven games, the Cardinals rushed for 100 yards in six of their last nine games, including two of the last three. Arizona rushed for 1,040 yards on 227 carries (4.6 avg.) over the last nine games, an average of 115.6 yards per game. Prior to that, the Cardinals averaged 64.9 yards per game on the ground through the first seven games. The emergence of the Cardinals running attack over the final two months was largely aided by the big play ability of RBs Tim Hightower and Beanie Wells. The duo combined for 51 big plays in the rushing attack, defined as runs of 10 or more yards. As a team, Arizona' 51 runs of 10+ yards on 365 rushing attempts represents a big play percentage of 14.0, which was tied with Dallas for second in the NFL in 09 behind only Carolina (14.5). Arizona rushed for 1,494 yards on the season, with 1,040 of those yards coming in the last nine games. Below is a look at the Cardinals rushing attack this season and the increased balance for Arizona s offense in the second-half of the season. Cardinals 2009 Rushing Totals Stat First 7 Games Last 9 Games Net Yards 454 1,040 Yards/Game 64.9 115.6 Attempts 138 227 Yards/Att 3.3 4.6 Att/Game 19.7 25.2 The offense was more balanced as well. Cardinals 2009 Offensive Production Stat First 7 Games Last 9 Games Total Plays 445 540 Rushing Att. 138 227 Pct. Rush Att. 31.0 42.0 Total Net Yds 2,206 3,213 Rushing Yds 454 1,040 Pct. Rush Yds 20.6 32.4 The Cardinals rushing attack gained 1,494 yards on 365 attempts this season, an average of 4.1 yards per rush. That represents the highest average per rush for the Cardinals since 2002, when the team gained 1,823 yards 414 carries (4.4 avg.). A RUSH FOR POINTS The Cardinals finished the 2009 season with 16 rushing TDs, the highest team total since recording 18 in 1998. For the second consecutive year, Tim Hightower led the team in rushing TDs with eight. Rookie back Beanie Wells finished right behind Hightower with seven while Anquan Boldin also added one. The performance of Hightower and Wells made the Cardinals just one of four teams in the NFL that had two players each rush for at least seven TDs on the season. Two Players with 7+ Rushing TDs Arizona: Tim Hightower (8), Beanie Wells (7) Baltimore: Willis McGahee (12), Ray Rice (7) Carolina: Jonathan Stewart (10). DeAngelo Williams (7) Miami: Ricky Williams (11), Ronnie Brown (8) Boldin s five-yard TD run in week 15 in Detroit, originally ruled a reception, was the 36 th rushing attempt of his career and the first rushing TD of his career. CARDS AMONG SACK LEADERS The Cardinals accumulated 43 sacks on the season, the sixth-highest total in the NFL in 2009. 2009 Sack Leaders Team Team Sacks 1. Minnesota 48 2. Pittsburgh 47 3t. Philadelphia 44 3t. San Francisco 44 3t. Miami 44 6. Arizona 43 The pressure applied by Arizona came from all over. The Cards 43 sacks were spread among 13 different players. Arizona recorded three sacks or more in 10 of 16 games this season including six of the last nine games. Below is a list of the Cardinals 43 sacks broken down by player. Player Sacks Darnell Dockett 7.0 Calais Campbell 7.0 Bertrand Berry 6.0 Clark Haggans 5.0 Chike Okeafor 4.5 Adrian Wilson 2.0 Alan Branch 2.0 Will Davis 2.0 Kenny Iwebema 2.0 Antrel Rolle 1.5 Bryan Robinson 1.0 Karlos Dansby 1.0 Jason Banks 1.0 Team 1.0 With 43 sacks on the season, the Cardinals recorded their third-highest sack total since sacks became an official stat in 1982. Arizona s 43 sacks are the highest total for the team since recording 55 sacks in 1984. Single-Season Sack Totals (1982-present) Sacks Season 59 1983 55 1984 43 2009 41 1987, 1986 The Cardinals had nine players with two or more sacks in the regular season, tying for the highest number of players in franchise history. Arizona also had nine players record two or more sacks in 1987. Among the teams in the top 10 in sacks in 09, the Cardinals, Cowboys and 49ers are the only teams with nine players who had at least two sacks (9). Arizona 9 Dallas 9 San Francisco 9 Cleveland 8 Minnesota 8 Washington 8 We have made a concerted effort to put a lot of pressure on the quarterback, LB Bertrand Berry said. I think (defensive coordinator Bill Davis) has put us in great positions, he s called some tremendous games as far as timing of blitzes and timing of zone pressures and things like that. From the other standpoint, there is a lot of talent, guys that are skilled at getting to the quarterback. We re seeing all this talent come together, and it s encouraging to know we can do it. Cardinals vs. Packers 12 of 49 www.azcardinals.com
BY THE NUMBERS 10 Wins for the Cardinals during the 2009 regular season, their first 10-win season since 1976. 0 Times the Cardinals lost back-to-back games this season, making them the only team in the NFL that can make that claim in 2009. 43 Sacks recorded by the Cardinals defense in 2009, the highest total for the franchise since 1984 (55) and the third-highest total in team history since sacks became official in 1982. 42 Punts inside-the-20 for Ben Graham in 2009, tying the NFL single-season record (Andy Lee, 2007) 2 NFL teams that have increased their regular season win total each of the last three seasons (AZ & MIN). 98.9 Kurt Warner s career passer rating in the postseason, #2 in NFL history behind only Packers HOFer Bart Starr (104.8) 14 Consecutive victories for the Cardinals when they score 30+ points (including postseason) 5 1,000-yard receiving seasons for Anquan Boldin (including 2009), the most in franchise history 7 Sacks for Darnell Dockett in 2009, the most among NFL defensive tackles. 3 Playoff games the Cardinals won in 2008, one more than the team had won in its history entering the season. 3 Seasons with a.500 or better record by Ken Whisenhunt in his first three years with Cardinals, the only head coach in team history to accomplish that feat. 546, 30, 7 Receiving yards, receptions and TD receptions that Larry Fitzgerald recorded during the playoffs, all NFL records for a single postseason. 4 Consecutive 100-yard games for Fitzgerald during the playoffs, an NFL record for the postseason. 1,156 Passing yards Kurt Warner has accumulated in three Super Bowl appearances, more than any QB in Super Bowl history. 306.2 Passing yards per game for Kurt Warner in the postseason (11 games, 3,368 yards), the highest total in NFL history. 6 Passes intercepted in 09 by Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, a career-high and tied for the fifth-best total in the NFL. 7 Rushing TDs by Beanie Wells in 09, tied for the most among NFL rookie RBs. WARNER IN THE PLAYOFFS Warner had the best postseason of his career during the Cardinals playoff run last season, establishing postseason highs in virtually every passing category. Below is a look at Warner s career postseason statistics. Year GP/GS Att Cmp Pct. Yds Yds/Att TD Int Rate 1999 3/3 121 77 63.6 1,063 8.79 8 4 100.0 2000 1/1 40 24 60.0 365 9.13 3 3 83.9 2001 3/3 107 68 63.6 793 7.41 4 3 86.7 2008 4/4 135 92 68.1 1,147 8.49 11 3 112.2 Total 11/11 403 261 64.8 3,368 8.36 26 13 98.9 Warner s 1,147 passing yards in the 2008 playoffs established an NFL record for most passing yards in a single postseason. It topped the record he set in 1999 with the Rams when he threw for 1,063 yards. Warner s 98.9 career passer rating in the playoffs is the second-highest rating in history among QBs with at least 150 attempts. Postseason Passer Rating Min. 150 attempts Player Gms Att Com Yds TD INT Rate Bart Starr 10 213 130 1,753 15 3 104.8 Kurt Warner 11 403 261 3,368 26 13 98.9 Joe Montana 23 734 460 5,772 45 21 95.6 Ken Anderson 6 166 110 1,321 9 6 93.5 Joe Theismann 8 211 128 1,782 11 7 91.4 Warner has started 11 playoff games in his career and has 3,368 passing yards, averaging 306.2 yards per game, the highest mark in NFL postseason history (min. five games). Most Passing Yards Per Game Postseason History Player Gms Yards YPG Kurt Warner 11 3,368 306.2 Dan Fouts 7 2,125 303.6 Warren Moon 10 2,870 287.0 Peyton Manning 15 4,208 280.5 Philip Rivers 6 1,522 253.7 Warner has passed for at least 365 yards in five postseason games, the most in NFL history. Warner Postseason Facts: Has totaled 1,156 yards passing in his three Super Bowl appearances, the most passing yards of any QB in Super Bowl history. Owns the top three passing totals in Super Bowl history and is also the only QB in Super Bowl history with three 300-yard performances. Became just the second QB (Craig Morton, Dallas and Denver) in NFL history to start a Super Bowl for two different teams. Both franchises Warner led to the Super Bowl had not earned a playoff berth in the previous 10+ years. In the decade preceding their Super Bowl appearance, the Rams had eight seasons of 10-or-more losses and the Cardinals had seven. A WINNING RATIO With 26 TD passes and 14 INTs this season, Kurt Warner s +12 TD to INT ratio tied for the third-best in franchise history. Combined with his +16 ratio in 2008 (30 TDs, 14 INTs), Warner now has two of the top three TD to INT ratios in franchise history. Best TD-to-INT Ratio Franchise History Player Year TD INT Ratio Kurt Warner 2008 30 14 +16 Neil Lomax 1983 24 11 +13 Kurt Warner 2009 26 14 +12 Neil Lomax 1987 24 12 +12 Neil Lomax 1984 28 16 +12 Jim Hart 1974 20 8 +12 Cardinals vs. Packers 13 of 49 www.azcardinals.com
TWO CLUBS, 100 PASSING TDS Kurt Warner s 18-yard TD pass to Early Doucet in week 16 vs. St. Louis was his 100 th TD pass as a member of the Cardinals. Along with his 102 TD passes with the St. Louis Rams, Warner became just the second player in NFL history to throw for at least 100 TDs with two separate teams, joining Fran Tarkenton (Giants and Vikings). Warner threw for 102 TD passes with the St. Louis Rams from 1999-2003. Warner had 26 TD passes in 2009 and last season, established a franchise record with 30 TD passes during the regular season as he led the Cardinals to the NFC West title. Tarkenton threw for 239 TDs for the Minnesota Vikings (1961-66, 1972-78) and 103 TDs for the NY Giants (1967-71). With 26 TD passes in 2009, Warner has now thrown for at least 20 TDs six times in his career, three times with the Cardinals and three times with St. Louis. In addition to holding three of the top five single-season TD totals in Cardinals history (30 in 2008 and 27 in 2007 and 26 in 2009) Warner also holds the top two TD totals in Rams history (41 in 1999 and 36 in 2001). Earlier in the 09, Warner joined Tarkenton in another NFL record they now share. In addition to being the only QBs with 100+ TD passes with two teams, they are also the only two QBs in NFL history with 13,000 passing yards with two teams. WARNER S TD BREAKDOWN Kurt Warner s 18-yard TD pass to Larry Fitzgerald in the fourth quarter against the Seahawks on 11/5 was the 200 th TD pass of Warner s career. He became just the 29 th player in NFL history to throw for at least 200 career TDs. With his 11-yard TD pass to Fitzgerald in the second quarter in week 11 vs. St. Louis, his second TD pass of the day, Warner reached 20 TD passes in 2009 and became the first QB in franchise history to throw for 20+ TDs in three consecutive seasons. In reaching 200 TD passes in his 118 th career game, Warner became the fifth-fastest QB in NFL history to reach the career milestone. Fewest Games to 200 Career TD Passes Player Games Dan Marino 89 Peyton Manning 106 Brett Favre 107 Tom Brady 116 Kurt Warner 118 Below is a breakdown of Warner s 208 career TD passes: With Team Opponent (Top 3) Location Day of Week By Quarter Rams...102 49ers...24 Home... 106 Sunday...189 First... 47 Cardinals...100 Falcons...21 Road... 102 Monday...16 Second... 72 Giants...6 Rams...15 Thursday...3 Third... 44 Fourth... 45 Distance Receiver (Top 5) Season (Top 5) 3 or fewer Yards... 40 Larry Fitzgerald...39 1999... 41 4-9 Yards... 62 Anquan Boldin...27 2001... 36 10-19 Yards... 48 Isaac Bruce...22 2008... 30 20-29 Yards... 16 Marshall Faulk...18 2007... 27 30+ Yards... 42 Torry Holt...18 2009... 26 AGAIN AMONG LEADERS Kurt Warner was again among the Cardinals single season leaders in most passing categories in 2009, a year after setting new franchise records for just about every passing statistic during the 2008 season. Below is a look at where Warner s 2009 statistics rank among the franchise single-season leaders. Warner completed 339 of 513 passes (66.1%) for 3,753 yards, 26 TDs and a passer rating of 93.2. All of those totals, except pass attempts, rank among the top five totals in franchise history. Passing Yards Franchise Record Completions Franchise Record Attempts Franchise Record Yards Player (Year) Comp Player Year Att Player Year 4,614 Neil Lomax (1984) 401 Kurt Warner 2008 598 Kurt Warner 2008 4,583 Kurt Warner (2008) 345 Neil Lomax 1984 560 Neil Lomax 1984 3,753 Kurt Warner (2009) 339 Kurt Warner 2009 547 Jake Plummer 1998 3,737 Jake Plummer (1998) 304 Jake Plummer 2001 530 Jake Plummer 2002 3,653 Jake Plummer (2001) 304 Dave Krieg 1995 525 Jake Plummer 2001 Passer Rating Franchise Record Passing TDs Franchise Record Comp. Percentage Franchise Record Rate Player Year TDs Player Year Pct Player Year 96.9 Kurt Warner 2008 30 Kurt Warner 2008 67.1 Kurt Warner 2008 93.2 Kurt Warner 2009 28 Neil Lomax 1984 66.1 Kurt Warner 2009 92.5 Neil Lomax 1984 28 Charley Johnson 1963 64.5 Kurt Warner 2005 92.0 Neil Lomax 1983 27 Kurt Warner 2007 62.3 Kurt Warner 2007 91.2 Ray Mallouf 1948 26 Kurt Warner 2009 61.7 Steve Beuerlein 1993 Cardinals vs. Packers 14 of 49 www.azcardinals.com
WARNER AT 52 In week five against the Texans, Kurt Warner reached 50 career 300 yards games in just his 113 th career game, becoming the fastest quarterback in NFL history to reach 50 300-yard games, shattering the former record held by Dan Marino (176 games). Warner s most recent 300-yard game came in week 16, when he threw for 313 yards against the Rams. It was the 52 nd 300-yard passing game of his career. Only Peyton Manning (56), Brett Favre (61) and Dan Marino (63) have more 300-yard games in their career. Career 300-Yard Passing Games NFL History Games 300-Yd Player Played Games Pct. Win % 1. Dan Marino 242 63 26.0 37-26 (.587) 2. Brett Favre 289 61 21.1 40-21 (.656) 3. Peyton Manning 192 56 29.2 35-21 (.625) 4t. Kurt Warner 124 52 41.9 33-19 (.635) 4t. Dan Fouts 181 51 28.2 26-25 (.510) The Rams game represented Warner s 22 nd 300-yard game as a member of the Cardinals, the most in team history. Neil Lomax was the previous record holder, totaling 19 career 300-yard games. The Rams game also represented Warner s fourth 300- yard passing game of 2009. THREE IN A ROW With 285 yards passing against the Vikings in week 13, Kurt Warner reached 3,000 passing yards on the season. He joined Neil Lomax as the only QBs in franchise history with at least three 3,000-yard seasons. Lomax threw for 3,000+ yards four times as a member of the Cardinals. Warner became the first QB in franchise history to throw for 3,000+ yards in three consecutive seasons. Warner s 3,000-Yard Seasons In Arizona Year G/S Att Com Yds TD INT 2009 12/12 433 289 3,181 23 13 2008 16/16 598 401 4,583 30 14 2007 14/11 451 281 3,417 27 17 WARNER RATES HIGH WITH CARDS Kurt Warner completed 24 of 38 passes (63.2%) for 313 yards, two TDs, 0 INTs and a passer rating of 106.6 in week 16 vs. St. Louis. It marked Warner s eighth game of the 2009 season with a passer rating of 100.0+, tying the single season franchise record held by Neil Lomax (1984). It was Warner s 22 nd game with the Cardinals in which he recorded a 100.0+ rating, the second-highest total in franchise history (Neil Lomax, 26). Most 100+ Rating Games in a Season Games Player (Year) 8 Kurt Warner (2009) Neil Lomax (1984) 6 Kurt Warner (2008) Neil Lomax (1983) 5 Kurt Warner (2007) Neil Lomax (1988) Jim Hart (1976) Warner has a 19-3 record with the Cards when he has a 100.0+ rating, winning the last 14 straight. For his career, Warner has a 44-3 record when he has a passer rating of 100.0+. OFF-FIELD RECOGNITION In a Sports Illustrated poll of 296 NFL players, QB Kurt Warner was named recently selected by his peers as the active player who serves as the best role model on and off the field. Sport Illustrated Poll Best Role Model On And Off The Field Player (Team) Pct. QB Kurt Warner (Ari) 18% QB Peyton Manning (Ind) 17% S Brian Dawkins (Den) 9% QB Drew Brees (NO) 6% TE Tony Gonzalez (Atl) 5% Warner was also recently recognized by USA WEEKEND as its Most Caring Athlete for 2009. In recognition of the honor, USA WEEKEND contributed $5,000 to "First Things First. The foundation also received a 2009 NFL Charities Player Foundation grant in recognition of its outstanding work in the community. Just before kickoff of Super Bowl XLIII between the Cardinals and Steelers last February, Warner received the 2008 Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award, the only league recognition that acknowledges a player's off-the-field community service as well as his playing excellence. Kurt and Brenda Warner established the "First Things First" foundation in 2001 and have personally contributed more than $1.5 million since then to host trips to Disney for Make-A-Wish families, furnish homes for low income single moms, and host Punt, Pass and Kick clinics with Special Olympic athletes, to name just a few of their initiatives. LEINART ON CALL THIS SEASON When Kurt Warner s consecutive starts streak came to an end at 41 games during week 12 in Tennessee, Matt Leinart made his first start since 10/7/07 at St. Louis. He finished the game completing 21 of 31 passes (67.7%) for 220 yards and a passer rating of 88.1. Leinart was especially sharp in leading the Cardinals back from a 13-3 deficit in the second half, completing 13 of 16 passes (81.3%) for 137 yards in the final two quarters. On the Cardinals 80-yard scoring drive in the fourth quarter that gave Arizona a 17-13 lead, Leinart completed four of five pass attempts for 61 yards. He also spread the ball around well, as a season-high five different Cardinals receivers recorded receptions of 20+ yards in the game. Ken Whisenhunt praised Leinart for his play after getting called on to start on such short notice. To me that s the essence of a pro, Whisenhunt said of Leinart. Backup quarterbacks are held in high esteem, ones that are successful, because they can do that. That was the question about Matt. That s one of the questions that is answered for me now. Last week s game vs. the Packers marked the 29 th game Leinart has appeared in. In his 17 career starts, Leinart has completed 289 of 511 passes (56.6%) for 3,360 yards, 13 TDs and 15 INTs. WARNER THE BEST INDOORS The Cardinals enter the 2009 postseason with the possibility of playing all of their games indoors. That will be just fine with quarterback Kurt Warner, the highest-rated passer in NFL history when playing indoors. According to the Elias Sports Bureau, Warner has a 103.1 passer rating when playing indoors in his career, edging out Indianapolis s Peyton Manning (100.3). According to Elias, Warner has completed 1,154 of 1,728 attempts for 14,989 yards, 113 TD and 52 INT while playing indoors in his career. Cardinals vs. Packers 15 of 49 www.azcardinals.com
WARNER IN THE NFL RECORD BOOKS Single-Game Completion Percentage (min. 15 attempts) 92.30 Kurt Warner AZ at Jax, 9/20/09 (26-24) 91.30 Vinny Testaverde Cle. vs. LA Rams, 12/26/93 (23-21) 90.91 Ken Anderson Cin. vs. Pit., 11/10/74 (22-20) 90.48 Lynn Dickey GB vs. NO, 12/13/81 (21-19) Passing Yards Per Game (min. 100 games) 261.1 Peyton Manning, 192 Games (50,128 yards) 260.9 Kurt Warner, 124 Games (32,344 yards) 253.6 Dan Marino, 242 Games (61,361 yards) 251.2 Drew Brees, 122 Games (30,646 yards) 239.9 Brett Favre, 289 Games (69,329 yards) Career Completion Percentage (min. 1,500 attempts) 66.1 Chad Pennington, 2000-current (2,469-1,631) 65.5 Kurt Warner, 1999-current (4,070-2,666) 64.8 Peyton Manning, 1998- current (6,531-4,232) 64.8 Drew Brees, 2001-current (4,164-2,697) 64.3 Steve Young, 1985-99 (4,149-2,667) Highest Career Passer Rating (Min. 1,500 attempts) 96.8 Steve Young, 1985-99 95.8 Philip Rivers, 2004-current 95.6 Tony Romo, 2004-current 95.2 Peyton Manning, 1998-current 93.7 Kurt Warner, 1998-current Most Passing Yards in a Season 5,084 Dan Marino, Miami, 1984 5,069 Drew Brees, New Orleans, 2008 4,830 Kurt Warner, St. Louis, 2001 Most Completions in a Single Season Year Player Comp 2007 Drew Brees 440 2002 Rich Gannon 418 2008 Drew Brees 413 1991 Warren Moon 404 2008 Kurt Warner 401 Most 300-Yard Passing Games in a Season 10 Rich Gannon, Oakland 2002 Drew Brees, New Orleans 2008 9 Dan Marino, Miami 1984 Warren Moon, Houston 1990 Kurt Warner, St. Louis 1999 Kurt Warner, St. Louis 2001 Peyton Manning, Indianapolis 2009 Matt Schaub, Houston 2009 8 Dan Fouts, San Diego 1980 Kurt Warner, St. Louis 2000 Trent Green, Kansas City 2004 Tom Brady, New England 2007 Tony Romo, Dallas 2009 Most 300-Yard Passing Games in a Career 63 Dan Marino, 1983-1999 61 Brett Favre, 1991-current 56 Peyton Manning, 1998-current 52 Kurt Warner, 1998-current 51 Dan Fouts, 1973-87 49 Warren Moon, 1984-2000 Most Consecutive 300-Yard Passing Games 6 Steve Young, SF 1998 Kurt Warner, StL 2000 Rich Gannon, Oak 2002 5 Tom Brady, NE 2009 Peyton Manning, Ind 2009 Kurt Warner, AZ, 2008 Joe Montana, SF 1982 Kerry Collins, NYG 2001-02 Drew Brees, NO, 2006 Most Seasons Leading League in Average Gain Per Pass 7 Sid Luckman, Chicago Bears 1939-43, 1946-47 5 Steve Young, San Francisco 1991-94, 1997 3 Arnie Herber, Green Bay 1932, 1934, 1936 Norm Van Brocklin, Los Angeles 1950, 1952, 1954 Len Dawson, Dallas Texans 1962, Kansas City 1966, 1968 Bart Starr, Green Bay 1966-68 Kurt Warner, St. Louis 1999-2001 WARNER JOINS UNITAS Kurt Warner completed 22 of 32 pass attempts (68.7%) for 285 yards, three TDs and a passer rating of 127.7 in week 13 against the Vikings. It was Warner s fourth consecutive game with a passer rating over 120.0, making him just the second QB in NFL history to record four consecutive games with a passer rating of 120.0+. Prior to Warner, only Hall of Famer Johnny Unitas (1965) had accomplished the feat. Warner s Consecutive Games with 120.0+ Rating Date Att Com Yds TD INT Rating 12/6 vs. Min 32 22 285 3 0 127.7 11/22 @ StL 19 15 203 2 0 146.3 11/15 vs. Sea 38 29 340 2 0 120.5 11/8 @ Chi 32 22 261 5 0 132.9 Totals 121 88 1,089 12 0 133.2 Unitas Consecutive Games with 120.0+ Rating Date Att Com Yds TD INT Rating 10/31 34 23 324 4 0 137.4 10/24 27 18 251 3 0 133.4 10/17 18 12 221 2 1 122.7 10/10 24 18 319 3 1 138.9 Totals 103 71 1,115 12 2 135.4 Warner became the first QB in franchise history with a passer rating of 100.0 or better in four consecutive games. 14,000 WITH TWO TEAMS With 242 passing yards in game seven vs. Carolina, Kurt Warner reached 14,000 passing yards as a member of the Cardinals, becoming the first quarterback in NFL history to reach 14,000 passing yards with two teams. In addition to his total with the Cardinals, Warner threw for 14,447 yards with the Rams from 1998-2003. In his last two-plus seasons, covering 46 starts, Warner has thrown for 12,321 yards for the Cardinals, an average of 267.8 yards per start. Against the Texans in week five, Warner reached 13,000 passing yards with the Cardinals and joined Hall of Famer Fran Tarkenton and the only QBs in NFL history with 13,000+ passing yards with two teams. Tarkenton threw for 33,098 yards with the Minnesota Vikings and 13,905 yards with the NY Giants. WARNER REACHES 30,000 In week six in Seattle, in his 114 th career game, Kurt Warner threw for 276 yards, giving him 30,032 passing yards for his career. Warner tied Hall of Famer Dan Marino as the fastest players in the NFL history to reach 30,000 passing yards. Fewest Games to 30,000 Passing Yards NFL History Player Games 1t. Kurt Warner 114 1t.Dan Marino 114 2. Peyton Manning 115 3. Warren Moon 125 4t. Drew Bledsoe 126 4t. Brett Favre 126 In 2001 with the Rams, Warner became the fastest player in NFL history to reach 10,000 passing yards, reaching the mark in just his 36 th career game. In 2006 as a member of the Cardinals and playing in his 76 th career game, Warner became the second fastest player in NFL history to reach 20,000 passing yards, with only Marino (74 games) doing it in fewer games. Cardinals vs. Packers 16 of 49 www.azcardinals.com
KURT S CANTON CREDENTIALS In the minds of many, Kurt Warner s performance as a Cardinal combined with his earlier success with the Rams has secured an eventual spot in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. For those not yet decided, perhaps the best case can be made by comparing Warner s career to those of QBs already enshrined -- particularly the 14 modern era quarterbacks enshrined in the last quarter century. None of the 14 can match Kurt in completion percentage, yards per attempt or yards per game. Only Steve Young had a higher career passer rating than Warner s 93.7. Only Dan Marino had more career 300-yard passing games. Warner s career totals for completions and yards already exceed the totals for five of the 14. His TD total (208) exceeds those of four. And Warner has done it all in fewer games. While the 14 Hall of Famers in question averaged 186 games, Kurt has needed only 124 to rank among them. The late start to his career, improbable emergence and subsequent career twists have become part of his legend. Warner & Tom Brady are among 10 quarterbacks to start at least three Super Bowls. The other eight are in the Hall. Warner, Brett Favre and Peyton Manning are among six players to win multiple MVP awards. The other three Montana, Unitas and Young are in the Hall. Below are career statistics & achievements of the 14 H.O.F. quarterbacks of the last 25 years compared to Warner: Psr 300-yd Pro SB SB NFL Player, HOF Yr. Years Gms Att Comp Pct Yds Y/A Y/G TD INT Rtg Games Bwl (W/L) MVP MVP Joe Namath, 85 ( 65-77) 140 3,762 1,886 50.1 27,663 7.35 197.6 173 220 65.5 21 5 (1-0) 1 - Roger Staubach, 85 ( 69-79) 131 2,958 1,685 56.9 22,700 7.67 173.3 153 109 83.4 6 6 (2-2) 1 - Fran Tarkenton, 86 ( 61-71) 246 6,467 3,686 56.9 47,003 7.27 191.1 342 266 80.4 13 9 (0-3) - 1 Len Dawson, 87 ( 57-75) 211 3,741 2,136 57.1 28,711 7.67 136.1 239 183 82.6 9 7 (1-1) 1 - Terry Bradshaw, 89 ( 70-83) 168 3,901 2,025 51.9 27,989 7.17 166.6 212 210 70.9 4 3 (4-0) 2 1 Bob Griese, 90 ( 67-80) 161 3,429 1,926 56.2 25,092 7.32 155.9 192 172 77.1 3 8 (2-1) - - Dan Fouts, 93 ( 73-87) 181 5,604 3,297 58.8 43,040 7.68 237.8 254 242 80.2 51 6 - - - Joe Montana, 00 ( 79-94) 192 5,391 3,409 63.2 40,551 7.52 211.2 273 139 92.3 39 8 (4-0) 3 2 Jim Kelly, 02 ( 86-96) 160 4,779 2,874 60.1 35,467 7.42 221.7 237 175 84.4 26 5 (0-4) - - John Elway, 04 ( 83-98) 234 7,250 4,123 56.9 51,475 7.10 219.9 300 226 79.9 36 9 (2-3) 1 1 Dan Marino, 05 ( 83-99) 242 8,358 4,967 59.4 61,361 7.34 253.6 420 252 86.4 63 9 (0-1) - 1 Steve Young, 05 ( 85-99) 169 4,149 2,667 64.3 33,124 7.98 196.0 232 107 96.8 28 7 (1-0) 1 2 Warren Moon, 06 ( 84-00) 208 6,823 3,988 58.4 49,325 7.23 237.1 291 233 80.9 49 9 - - - Troy Aikman, 06 ( 89-00) 165 4,715 2,898 61.5 32,942 6.99 199.6 165 141 81.6 13 6 (3-0) 1 - AVG of the 14 HOF QBs 186.2 5,094 2,969 58.3 37,603 7.38 201.9 248 191 82.0 26 6.9 Kurt Warner (1998-) 124 4,070 2,666 65.5 32,344 7.95 260.9 208 128 93.7 52 4 (1-2) 1 2 Additional Modern Era QBs not included above: George Blanda (played 1949-58, 1960-75; enshrined in 1981), Y.A. Tittle (played 1948-64; enshrined in 1971), Otto Graham (played 1946-55; enshrined in 1965), Bart Starr (played 1956-71; enshrined in 1977), Bob Waterfield (played 1945-52; enshrined in 1965), Bobby Layne (played 1948-62; enshrined in 1967), Norm Van Brocklin (played 1949-60; enshrined in 1971), Johnny Unitas (played 1956-73; enshrined 1979) and Sonny Jurgensen (played 1957-74; enshrined 1983). Where Warner Ranks In NFL History: Statistic Games With Perfect Passer Rating (3) Single Game Completion Pct (93.3) Most Consecutive 300-Yard Passing Games (6) Passing Yards Per Game (260.9) Career Completion Pct (65.5) Most 300 Yard Passing Games In A Season (9, 2x) Most Passing Yards In A Season (4,830) Most 300-Yard Passing Games In A Career (52) Highest Career Passer Rating (93.7) Most Completions In A Season (401) Passing Yards Per Attempt (7.95) Rank 1 st 1 st 1 st 2 nd 2 nd 2 nd 3 rd 4 th 5 th 5 th 6 th Career Milestones: Two-time NFL MVP (1999 and 2001); was also named Super Bowl XXXIV MVP after leading the Rams to a victory over Tennessee. Became just the second QB (Craig Morton, Dallas and Denver) in NFL history to start a Super Bowl for two different teams. Both franchises Warner led to the Super Bowl had not earned a playoff berth in the previous 10+ years. In the decade preceding their Super Bowl appearance, the Rams had eight seasons of 10-or-more losses and the Cardinals had seven. Threw for 1,147 yards in the 2008 playoffs with Arizona, an NFL record for most passing yards in a single postseason. It topped the record he set in 1999 with the Rams when he threw for 1,063 yards. Owns the top three passing totals in Super Bowl history and is the only QB in Super Bowl history with three 300-yard performances. He has totaled 1,156 yards passing in his three Super Bowl appearances, the most passing yards of any QB in Super Bowl history. Has passed for at least 365 yards in five postseason games, an NFL record. Became the fastest player in NFL history to reach 10,000 passing yards and 30,000 passing yards. Has thrown for 300+ yards 52 times in his career. Became the fastest QB in NFL history to reach 50 300-yard games (114 games), shattering the previous record held by Dan Marino (176). Has thrown for 300+ yards in 41.9% of his career games, the highest percentage in NFL history. Is the only QB in NFL history pass for 14,000 yards with two different teams. On 9/20/09 at Jacksonville, set the NFL single-game record for completion percentage (92.3% on 24-26 passing). On 11/15/09 vs. Seattle threw his 200 th career TD. Only Marino, Manning, Favre and Brady reached 200 passing TDs in fewer career games than Warner s 118 and Kurt became just the 29 th player in NFL history to throw for 200 TDs. His week 13 passer rating of 127.7 was his fourth consecutive game with a passer rating over 120.0, making him just the second QB in NFL history to record four consecutive games with a passer rating of 120.0+. Prior to Warner, only Hall of Famer Johnny Unitas (1965) had accomplished the feat. Cardinals vs. Packers 17 of 49 www.azcardinals.com