Past Venue: Wrigley Field

Chicago, IL



Year opened: 1914
Capacity: 46,000

Names:
Weeghman Park, 1914-20
Cubs Park, 1920-26
Wrigley Field, 1926 to date

Pro football tenants:
Chicago Tigers (APFA), 1920
Chicago Bears (APFA/NFL), 1921-70
Chicago Cardinals (NFL), 1931-37, 39

Postseason games hosted:
NFL Championship, Bears 23 Giants 21, Dec. 17, 1933
NFL Championship, Redskins 28 Bears 21, Dec. 12, 1937
NFL Western Division playoff, Bears 33 Packers 14, Dec. 14, 1941
NFL Championship, Bears 37 Giants 9, Dec. 21, 1941
NFL Championship, Bears 41 Redskins 21, Dec. 26, 1943
NFL Championship, Bears 14 Giants 10, Dec. 29, 1963

Other tenants of note:
Chicago Whales (MLB – Federal League), 1914-15
Chicago Cubs (MLB – NL), 1916 to date
Chicago Sting (NASL), 1977-82, 84

Notes: The Bears obtained a portable bleacher section that added approximately 9000 seats to the normal stadium capacity for football games. In addition to the dates noted above, the NFL Cardinals played two home games at Wrigley Field in 1920 and one in 1958. Hosted college football games up until 1938, and again between Northwestern and Illinois, Nov. 20, 2010, although the presence of extra box seats added by the Cubs after the Bears left brought the end line of the east end zone uncomfortably close to a wall, and thus all offensive plays had to be run in the same direction. Hosted NHL Winter Classic, Chicago Blackhawks vs. Detroit Red Wings, 2009.

The stadium was originally named for Charlie Weeghman, owner of the Chicago Whales of major league baseball’s short-lived Federal League. When that league folded, Weeghman, as part of a syndicate that included William Wrigley Jr., bought the NL’s Chicago Cubs, who moved into the new stadium. The Cubs have owned it since 1916. It is the last surviving Federal League ballpark.

Fate: Still in use.

2009: Steelers Come Back to Defeat Cardinals in Super Bowl XLIII

That the Pittsburgh Steelers were representing the AFC in Super Bowl XLIII on February 1, 2009 was of little surprise. That their NFC opponent was the Arizona Cardinals came as a shock to many pro football fans. The club had not appeared in a league title game since 1948 and hardly seemed likely to do so in 2008.

The Cardinals, coached by Ken Whisenhunt, had won the AFC West in ‘08, but with a lackluster 9-7 record. Moreover, after taking command of the division at 7-3 midway through November, the team went 2-4 the rest of the way and looked especially bad when blown out at Philadelphia and New England. But in the postseason, where it was greatly anticipated that they would be eliminated quickly, they defeated Atlanta at home in the Wild Card round, dominated the 12-4 Carolina Panthers at Charlotte, and then returned to University of Phoenix Stadium and held off the Eagles to win the NFC title.

37-year-old QB Kurt Warner revived his career in Arizona and had the outstanding wide receiver corps of Larry Fitzgerald, Anquan Boldin, and Steve Breaston to throw to. The defense ranked 28th in the league in points surrendered during the regular season, but stepped up in the playoffs. DT Darnell Dockett, linebackers Karlos Dansby and Gerald Hayes, FS Antrel Rolle, and Pro Bowl SS Adrian Wilson were the featured players on the unit.

The Steelers, under Head Coach Mike Tomlin, were far more formidable in winning the AFC North at 12-4. They beat the Chargers in the Divisional playoff round and then won a hard-hitting battle with division-rival Baltimore for the AFC Championship. QB Ben Roethlisberger’s statistics dropped in 2008, primarily as a result of suffering a shoulder separation in the season-opening game, but he still was able to lift the offense in clutch situations – he guided the Steelers to six game-winning drives during the regular season, either in the fourth quarter or in overtime. The running game was hindered by injuries to veteran RB Willie Parker and rookie Rashard Mendenhall. But WR Santonio Holmes had come on strong late in the regular season and playoffs. The defense was outstanding and included NT Casey Hampton, SS Troy Polamalu, and an excellent group of linebackers led by the NFL Defensive Player of the Year, James Harrison.

There were 70,774 fans in attendance at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa for what was expected to be a classic mismatch. Pittsburgh got the ball first and drove 72 yards in nine plays. Roethlisberger completed passes of 38 yards to WR Hines Ward and 21 yards to TE Heath Miller along the way. The big quarterback (6’5”, 240 pounds) attempted to cap the drive himself by running the final yard on a third-and-goal play, and it initially appeared that he had been successful when a TD was signaled. However, the Cardinals successfully challenged the play and the Steelers settled for an 18-yard Jeff Reed field goal instead.

Arizona punted following its first possession of the game and once again the Steelers put together a long drive that started off with a 25-yard pass completion from Roethlisberger to Holmes. Pittsburgh went 69 yards in 11 plays and, on the second play of the second quarter, scored a touchdown on a one-yard carry by RB Gary Russell to take a 10-0 lead.

The Cardinals came back as Warner completed five short passes and then threw long to Boldin for a 45-yard gain down to the Pittsburgh one yard line. Warner tossed a pass to TE Ben Patrick for the final yard and a TD to again make it a three-point game.

The teams traded punts, until a tipped pass by Roethlisberger was intercepted by Dansby to give Arizona the ball at the Pittsburgh 34 with two minutes remaining in the half. Again Warner completed short passes to move the Cardinals along, and they once more faced a first-and-goal situation at the one yard line. But Warner’s pass that was intended for Boldin was instead intercepted by Harrison at the goal line, who proceeded to return it 100 yards for a touchdown (pictured below), just barely falling across the goal line at the end with no time remaining. The longest (and arguably most thrilling) play in Super Bowl history made the score 17-7 as the teams went into halftime.


Following a punt by the Cardinals, Pittsburgh put together yet another long drive in its first possession of the second half. Moving from their 18 yard line (the Steelers had nearly gotten the ball in Arizona territory upon recovering what was initially ruled a fumble by Warner, but the play was overturned upon challenge), they reached the Cardinals’ nine yard line and kicked a field goal. However, an unnecessary roughness penalty on Adrian Wilson gave Pittsburgh a first down at the Arizona four instead. Parker ran for two yards, but then Roethlisberger threw an incomplete pass and was dropped for the loss of a yard on third down. They ended up settling for a 21-yard field goal by Reed.

The game entered the fourth quarter with the Steelers ahead by 20-7, and the clubs traded punts as time appeared to be running out for the Cardinals. Arizona had not been able to move the ball effectively thus far, and Larry Fitzgerald had been particularly quiet, but that all changed as the Cardinals went into a no-huddle offense and put together a scoring drive. Warner passed on every down and was successful on all eight of his throws, including four to Fitzgerald. A one-yard touchdown pass from Warner to Fitzgerald brought the Cardinals to within six points of the Steelers.

Pittsburgh went three-and-out on the following possession, with the key play being Darnell Dockett’s sack of Roethlisberger for an eight-yard loss. The Cardinals had to punt as well, but pinned the Steelers back at their one yard line. On a third-and-ten play, it appeared that Roethlisberger had completed a 19-yard pass to Holmes to get out of trouble, but a holding penalty in the end zone not only nullified the first down but gave Arizona two more points on a safety.


The Cardinals received the ensuing free kick and, after an incompletion on the first play, Warner fired a short pass to Fitzgerald that resulted in a 64-yard touchdown (pictured at right). With the extra point, Arizona was in the lead at 23-20 and there were just under three minutes remaining in the fourth quarter. They had scored 16 unanswered points in the fourth quarter, and seemed on the verge of a stunning upset.

Following the kickoff, Pittsburgh took over at its 22 yard line. A holding penalty backed the Steelers up to the 12, but Roethlisberger hit Holmes twice with passes covering 14 and 13 yards, and an 11-yard completion to WR Nate Washington got them to midfield. After a four-yard run by Roethlisberger, he again threw to Holmes on a play that covered 40 yards to the Arizona six. On second-and-goal, Roethlisberger went to Holmes once more, throwing high into the end zone at the right corner. Holmes stretched just high enough to catch the ball, kept his toes barely in bounds, and scored the six-yard touchdown that put the Steelers back in front (pictured at top).

The Cardinals had one last chance, taking over with 35 seconds on the clock. Warner threw to Fitzgerald for 20 yards and RB J.J. Arrington for 13, but with the ball now at the Pittsburgh 44, Warner fumbled while being sacked by LB LaMarr Woodley and DE Brett Keisel recovered for the Steelers to end the threat. The Steelers won their sixth Super Bowl by a score of 27-23.

The Cardinals significantly outgained Pittsburgh (407 yards to 292) and had the edge in first downs (23 to 20). The also suffered 11 penalties, at the expense of 106 yards, to 7 flags thrown on the Steelers and gave up two turnovers to Pittsburgh’s one. Neither team mounted much of a running attack, with the Steelers gaining just 58 yard on 26 carries while Arizona ran the ball 12 times for 33 yards.

Ben Roethlisberger completed 21 of 30 passes for 256 yards, including a touchdown and an interception, and was at his best in the game-winning drive. Santonio Holmes, the game’s MVP, caught 9 passes for 131 yards and the TD. Willie Parker was the leading rusher with 53 yards on 19 carries.

For the Cardinals, Kurt Warner (pictured below) went to the air 43 times and completed 31 of those passes for 377 yards, three for touchdowns while one was picked off. Anquan Boldin caught 8 passes for 84 yards and Larry Fitzgerald gained 127 yards on 7 receptions that included two TDs, while Steve Breaston contributed 6 catches for 71 yards. RB Edgerrin James accounted for all 33 rushing yards on 9 attempts.

“Was that a 60-minute game, or what?” exclaimed Steelers LB James Farrior. “It came down to the last play, and we made it.”

The sixth Super Bowl victory for the Pittsburgh franchise pulled it ahead of Dallas and San Francisco, although the Steelers were still short of Green Bay’s total of 12 league titles.

The Steelers slumped to 9-7 in 2009 and missed the playoffs. Kurt Warner came back for one last season in ’09 and led the Cardinals to another NFC West title, but after winning a high-scoring thriller in the Wild Card round of the postseason, they were thrashed by New Orleans in the Divisional round.

Past Venue: Comiskey Park

Chicago, IL


Year opened: 1910
Capacity: 50,934, up from 32,000 in early 1920s

Names:
Comiskey Park, 1913-61, 76-90
White Sox Park, 1910-12, 62-75

Pro football tenants:
Chicago Cardinals (NFL), 1922-25, 29-30, 38, 40-58
Chicago Bulls (AFL), 1926

Postseason games hosted:
NFL Championship, Cardinals 28 Eagles 21, Dec. 28, 1947

Other tenants of note:
Chicago White Sox (MLB – AL), 1910-90
Chicago American Giants (baseball Negro Leagues), 1941-52
Chicago Mustangs (NASL), 1968
Chicago Sting (NASL), 1980-85

Notes: Also served as a home field for the combined Cardinals-Steelers (Card-Pitt) team in 1944. Site of the boxing match in which Joe Louis defeated James Braddock to become world heavyweight champion, June 22, 1937. The stadium was owned by baseball’s White Sox and named for founding owner Charles A. Comiskey (it was briefly called “Charles A. Comiskey’s Baseball Palace” in 1910).

Fate: Demolished in 1991, the site is now used as a parking lot for the new Comiskey Park/US Cellular Field.

NOTE TO READERS: I'm introducing a new feature today, Past Venues. These will be interspersed among the regular daily entries, along with the Lists of the Day, especially during the offseason months. The stadiums featured, at least initially, will be those that were major pro football venues (i.e., used for at least two seasons as a team's home field) and not currently being used - at least, not by an NFL team.

1960: John David Crow Reaches Thousand Yards with 203 in Season Finale

The move from Chicago to St. Louis following the 1959 NFL season seemed to reinvigorate the Cardinals franchise. Not only did they have an enthusiastic new fan base, but the quality of play improved as well. Coming into the season finale on December 18, 1960 against the Pittsburgh Steelers at Busch Stadium, the Cardinals were 5-5-1 and had a chance to post their first winning record since 1956.

While second-year split end Sonny Randle was having a breakout season, St. Louis was at its best running the ball (they led the league in that category). Head Coach Frank “Pop” Ivy favored a ground game that featured multiple sets and his best and most versatile runner was HB John David Crow.

Crow, in his third year, had come out of Texas A & M, where he was coached by the legendary Paul “Bear” Bryant and won the Heisman Trophy in 1957 (Bryant’s only Heisman winner). At 6’2”, 215 pounds, he was versatile as a runner with speed and power, as a receiver out of the backfield, and as a passer on option plays. He had been selected to the Pro Bowl in ’59 after gaining 666 yards rushing, plus another 328 on 28 catches, and was better in 1960 - going into the game against the Steelers he needed 57 yards to break Ollie Matson’s single-season team rushing record of 924 yards, set in that last winning season of 1956.

There were 20,840 fans present on a cold but sunny day. The Steelers, coached by Buddy Parker, were also 5-5-1 but, unlike the situation with the Cardinals, Pittsburgh appeared to be moving in the wrong direction. In 1958, Parker’s second season, in which Bobby Layne was obtained from the Lions early in the year to take over the quarterback duties, the club went 7-4-1. In ’59 they had been 6-5-1. But Layne was one of several players suffering through an injury-plagued campaign. After a 2-5-1 start, the Steelers had won their last three games.

The game started slowly, with neither team able to generate much offense due to fumbles and penalties. The battered Layne sat out the first 22 minutes as the strong-armed Rudy Bukich started (and eventually finished) at quarterback for the Steelers.

St. Louis finally scored in the last minute of the first half after recovering a fumble at the Pittsburgh 15. FB Frank Mestnik ran for a one-yard touchdown. However, Pittsburgh came right back to tie the score with just three seconds left in the second quarter on a 49-yard pass play from Layne to flanker Jimmy Orr.

On the first possession of the third quarter, Cardinals QB John Roach threw to Randle for a 57-yard gain to the Pittsburgh 20 that set up a 16-yard field goal by Gerry Perry. However, before the period was over, Roach threw two touchdown passes to Randle, of 14 and 8 yards, to effectively put the game out of reach.

Crow passed Matson’s franchise rushing record with a 57-yard run in the fourth quarter, part of a 98-yard drive by the Cardinals following a pass interception deep in their own territory. Roach scored from a yard out to make it 31-7.

A fumble recovery set up a last, late touchdown by St. Louis as Randle caught a 33-yard pass from Roach for his third score of the day that provided the final score of 38-7.

The season-ending win, of course, allowed St. Louis to finish over .500 with a 6-5-1 record that placed fourth in the Eastern Conference. Pittsburgh’s 5-6-1 tally ranked fifth.

The Cardinals gained 379 total yards to 180 for Pittsburgh, and also had a significant edge in first downs, 21 to 9. The Steelers ran the ball poorly, gaining just 30 net yards and one first down on 22 carries. They also turned the ball over four times, to just one suffered by St. Louis.

The Cardinals gained 271 yards rushing, with John David Crow not only setting a new single-season franchise record with 1071, but establishing a single-game mark with 203 yards on 24 attempts. He also caught two passes for 30 yards and completed an option pass for nine more.

Sonny Randle also had a big day, catching 5 passes for 115 yards and three touchdowns. John Roach completed 7 of 21 passes for 145 yards with three of them good for TDs and none intercepted.

Bobby Layne, who came on for Bukich but was injured in the fourth quarter, completed 4 of 8 passes for 92 yards and the lone TD; Rudy Bukich was successful on 6 of 12 passes for 81 yards and gave up two interceptions. Jimmy Orr led the receivers with 4 catches for 78 yards and a touchdown. HB Tom Tracy led the anemic running game with 33 yards on 13 carries.

“The boys really gave me some wonderful blocking - all of 'em,” Crow said afterward. “You have to have it for 203 yards in this league.”

Coach Ivy said Crow “can go inside or outside with as much power and speed combined as any back I've ever seen. What's more, he can receive passes well and throw that running halfback pass well.”


Sonny Randle (pictured at left) also set Cardinals club records with 62 catches and 15 touchdowns for the year. John Roach’s three TD passes gave him a total of 17, tying the franchise’s single-season high. But it was the big halfback who drew most of the attention.

For the year, in addition to the 1071 yards on 183 carries with six touchdowns, Crow also was the team’s second-leading pass receiver with 25 receptions for 462 yards and another three scores. He threw the ball often, completing 9 of 18 passes for 247 yards with two TDs against one interception. However, while Crow led the NFL with his 5.9 yards-per-carry and 1533 yards from scrimmage, he also led the league with 11 fumbles.

In summing up his regard for Crow, Frank Ivy said, “I believe he is at least the equal of Jimmy Brown (Cleveland's great runner who again led the NFL in rushing), although Brown has the advantage of a little better offensive line.”

At the time, the comparison to Jim Brown was not as outrageous as it would seem in retrospect. Unfortunately, after the outstanding effort in 1960 injuries, starting with a broken leg during the 1961 preseason, cut significantly into Crow’s playing time. He ran the ball only 48 times in ’61 and had nine attempts in 1963.

While there were other productive seasons, Crow was not able to consistently maintain the high level of performance that had made him one of pro football’s premier backs in 1960. His fumbling also became more of an issue, particularly in 1962 when he scored a career-high 17 touchdowns but again led the NFL in fumbles with 14.

The rushing numbers added up to 4963 yards on 1157 carries (4.3 avg.) with 38 touchdowns and the pass receiving totals were 258 catches for 3699 yards and another 35 TDs. Overall he scored 74 touchdowns, including one on a fumble recovery, certainly a respectable number considering the time lost to injuries.

Crow’s versatility was apparent to the end – dealt to the 49ers in 1965, where he continued to play halfback, he was switched to tight end in his final season of 1968, catching 31 passes for 531 yards and five touchdowns. He also threw an amazing 70 option passes over the course of his career, completing 33 for 759 yards with five touchdowns and five interceptions.

Crow was selected to four Pro Bowls – with the Cardinals in 1959, ’60, and ’62 and the 49ers in 1965.

2001: Cardinals Tie Raiders in Wild 4th Quarter, Win in OT

On the surface, the game between the Arizona Cardinals and host Oakland Raiders on December 2, 2001 at Network Associates Coliseum didn’t seem to be a promising matchup. Under Head Coach Dave McGinnis, in his first full season at the helm, the perennially underachieving Cardinals were 4-6, although they were riding a two-game winning streak. QB Jake Plummer (pictured at right), known for his inconsistency but also his late-game heroics, had come out of a midseason slump and was at his best throwing to WR David Boston.

The Raiders, coached by Jon Gruden, were 8-2 entering the contest. With QB Rich Gannon, whose career reached its pinnacle in Oakland, they ran a conservative, ball-control offense that proved highly effective. But the defense was beginning to show its age, although there was still plenty of talent.

Oakland got the first break of the game when LB Greg Biekert recovered a fumble by Plummer at the Arizona 23 yard line. Five plays later, Gannon passed to WR Tim Brown for a five-yard touchdown and 7-0 lead.

The Cardinals came back, driving 73 yards in seven plays. A four-yard run to the 50 by Plummer in a third-and-two situation kept the drive alive, and then RB Michael Pittman ran 42 yards to the Oakland eight. RB Thomas Jones scored on a five-yard run that tied the score.

The Raiders missed an opportunity to regain the lead early in the second quarter when a 41-yard field goal attempt by Sebastian Janikowski was blocked by DE Fred Wakefield. The Cardinals moved in front instead on an impressive drive in which Plummer completed a 21-yard pass to Boston on a third-and-ten play and Pittman contributed a 22-yard run down to the Oakland 15. Pittman capped the possession with a one-yard carry for a 14-7 lead.

Following a 55-yard punt return by WR Arnold Jackson to the Raiders’ 39, the Cardinals went 34 yards in nine plays capped by a 23-yard Bill Gramatica field goal to extend their margin to 17-7. It was 20-7 in favor of Arizona at halftime as Gramatica added another field goal, of 26 yards, in the last minute of the half.

Oakland scored the only points in the third quarter on a 12-play drive. RB Zack Crockett ran for seven yards in a fourth-and-one situation to the Arizona 24, and Crockett helped sustain the drive again with a four-yard run to the 12 on third-and-two. Fittingly, Crockett scored a TD from one yard out to narrow the Cards’ margin to 20-14.

Gannon, who had thrown only two interceptions in the first ten games, had tossed two in the first three quarters, and one was particularly costly deep in Arizona territory that CB Tom Knight returned for 43 yards. The Cardinals converted that turnover into a 33-yard field goal by Gramatica early in the fourth quarter. However, Gannon and the Raiders responded by driving 67 yards in five plays, capped by a 22-yard touchdown pass from Gannon to Brown.

The score remained 23-21 in favor of Arizona until the Raiders completed a 10-play drive with a 24-yard Janikowski field goal with 1:52 remaining on the clock. The Cardinals needed just 29 seconds to respond as Plummer completed a 20-yard pass to WR MarTay Jenkins to midfield and then Boston burned star Oakland CB Charles Woodson as he caught a 50-yard touchdown pass. Plummer successfully ran for a two-point conversion and Arizona was back in front at 31-24 with 1:10 now left.

It was plenty of time for Gannon and the Raiders to come back. The 14th-year veteran quarterback completed passes of 22 yards to venerable WR Jerry Rice on a third-and-ten play, 10 yards to RB Charlie Garner, and 36 yards to Rice down to the Cards’ 10 yard line. On a broken play, Gannon pump-faked and then ran for eight yards, getting out of bounds at the two with 15 seconds remaining. On fourth-and-goal, he then tossed a two-yard TD pass to Rice and, with the successful conversion, the game went into overtime tied at 31-31.

The game was decided in overtime when the Cardinals were forced to punt and Oakland WR David Dunn muffed the kick. Arizona LB LeVar Woods recovered at the Raiders’ 25 and three plays later, at 7:29 into the extra period, Gramatica won the game with a 36-yard field goal. The Cardinals came away with a 34-31 win.

Oakland outgained Arizona with 436 yards to 390, and also led in first downs, 26 to 24. However, they turned the ball over three times, to once by the Cardinals, and that ultimately proved costly.

Jake Plummer completed 22 of 38 passes for 249 yards with a touchdown and none intercepted. David Boston caught 6 passes for 106 yards and a TD, and MarTay Jenkins contributed 6 receptions for 90 yards. Michael Pittman was the team rushing leader with 78 yards on 18 carries and a score.


Rich Gannon (pictured at left) had 29 completions in 45 attempts for 302 yards with three TDs and two interceptions; he also ran the ball seven times for 30 yards. Jerry Rice had 7 pass receptions for 97 yards and a touchdown and Tim Brown added another 5 catches for 63 yards and two TDs. Charlie Garner was Oakland’s leading rusher with 59 yards on 15 attempts and added another 28 yards on 5 receptions out of the backfield.

Arizona lost three of its last five games to conclude with a 7-9 record, tied with the Giants for third in the NFC East. The Raiders won their next two contests but faltered with three losses to conclude the regular season. Still, their 10-6 tally was good enough to win the AFC West and they won in the Wild Card playoff round before losing a close decision to New England in the Divisional round.

Rich Gannon led the AFC in passing with a 95.5 rating and also in touchdown passes (27) and completion percentage (65.8). His 1.6 INT percentage was the lowest among NFL qualifiers and he was named to the Pro Bowl.

Jake Plummer threw for 3653 yards and had 18 touchdown passes to 14 interceptions – the only time in his six seasons with the Cardinals that he had fewer interceptions than TD passes.


David Boston (pictured at right) led the NFL with 1598 pass receiving yards; his 98 catches ranked seventh (third in the NFC). He was a consensus 1st-team All-Pro selection and was picked for the Pro Bowl.

The pass receiving combination of Tim Brown and Jerry Rice, with a combined total of 31 pro seasons, was highly productive. Each caught nine touchdown passes, while Brown pulled in 91 receptions for 1165 yards and Rice had 83 catches for 1139 yards. Brown was selected to the Pro Bowl.

1955: Cardinals Hand Bears Key Defeat in Major Upset

The Chicago Bears were 6-3 and had won six straight games as they took on their cross-town rivals, the Chicago Cardinals, at Comiskey Park on November 27, 1955. George Halas, the owner and in his third stint as head coach, had announced that this would be his last season on the sideline and the club was focused on winning one last title for “the Papa Bear.” They were in first place in the Western Conference, a half game in front of the Rams, a club they had beaten twice.

The Cardinals were 3-5-1 and had lost their last two games coming into the annual intercity contest with the Bears. Under first-year Head Coach Ray Richards, the club had some outstanding talent in HB Ollie Matson (pictured above) and defensive halfback Dick “Night Train” Lane, but was by no means considered a match for its rival. They were 16.5-point underdogs coming into the game.

There were 47,314 fans in attendance in a heavy snowstorm, and even though it was the Cardinals’ home field, many of those were Bears fans, judging from the cheers for the Bears’ players during the pregame introductions. The turf was soft and muddy due to the weather conditions and the lights were turned on during the first quarter.

The tone for the game was set early as the Cardinals took the opening kickoff and drove 73 yards in 13 plays for the first score. QB Lamar McHan threw a pass intended for end Gern Nagler that was deflected but grabbed by end Don Stonesifer, who completed the play for a 28-yard touchdown.

The Bears took possession and were forced to punt. Matson received the kick at his own 23 yard line and returned it 77 yards for another Cardinals TD. Before the opening period was over, rookie HB Dave Mann scored on a 19-yard run to open up a 21-0 margin for the Cards.

The lead was extended to 27-0 in the second quarter after FB John Olszewski ran for a 41-yard touchdown. While PK Pat Summerall missed the extra point, it hardly mattered. The Bears finally got on the board when QB George Blanda ran for a one-yard TD, but were in a deep hole at 27-7 as the first half ended.

Any hopes that the Bears might climb out of that hole ended when they fumbled the ball away in their first two possessions of the second half. Summerall kicked field goals of 12 and 40 yards, and Mann contributed a long touchdown dash of 61 yards to add to the rout at 40-7 after three periods.

Matson and Stonesifer finished off the scoring in the fourth quarter, with the Hall of Fame halfback plunging in for a TD from a yard out and the end catching a seven-yard pass from McHan. The Bears scored an inconsequential touchdown in the last minutes as third string QB Bob Williams connected with end John Hoffman on a 23-yard pass play. The final score of the stunning upset was 53-14.


The Cardinals gained 301 yards on the ground, averaging 5.7 yards per attempt, and 175 passing for an overall total of 474, to 211 yards for the Bears. Dave Mann (pictured at left) led the club in rushing with 108 yards and two TDs. The Cards also led in first downs, 20 to 12, while the Bears turned the ball over five times (four interceptions, one fumble) to just two suffered by the Cardinals.

The Cardinals also led with 9 penalties, to four by the Bears. While tempers flared occasionally, a fight broke out near the end that caused two Bears and a Cardinal to be ejected.

The Bears, who were the top rushing team in the NFL, gained only 25 yards on the ground, with 186 through the air. QB Ed Brown, normally a reliable thrower, missed on all seven of his pass attempts. It was the worst beating the Cardinals had inflicted on the Bears since 1929, when Ernie Nevers scored six touchdowns.

“When you’re a Cardinal, part of the job is beating the Bears,” said veteran Charley Trippi, a Hall of Fame halfback in his prime who was finishing his career as a punter. “We beat them at their own game, with good blocking and good tackling.”

The loss proved devastating to the Bears’ postseason hopes – they dropped behind the Rams, and while they won their last two games to end up with an 8-4 record, LA did likewise to win the Western Conference title at 8-3-1. The Cardinals went 4-7-1 and tied the Eagles for fourth in the Eastern Conference.

Ollie Matson led the NFL in punt return average (18.8 yards on 13 returns) and, with the touchdown against the Bears, was the only player in the league to return two for scores during the season. His 1325 all-purpose yards (475 rushing, 237 receiving, 245 returning punts, 368 returning kickoffs) ranked second.

Dave Mann ran for 336 yards on 85 carries and caught 16 passes. He also ran back kickoffs as he totaled 609 all-purpose yards and handled much of the team’s punting (in addition to Trippi).

Don Stonesifer (pictured below) led the Cardinals in pass receiving with 28 catches for 330 yards and five touchdowns.

As for George Halas, while he did indeed step down as head coach (while continuing to run the club from the front office), it did not prove to be a permanent retirement. He returned to the sideline in 1958 and won another championship in ’63 before finally retiring for good after the 1967 season.

1982: Joe Montana Passes Mistake-Prone 49ers Past Cardinals

It had been over two months since NFL teams had last taken the field as the St. Louis Cardinals hosted the San Francisco 49ers at Busch Stadium on November 21, 1982. The players had gone on strike – the first to occur during the season – following the second week of action. The work-stoppage was over, 57 days later, and now Week 3 was occurring late in November.

Head Coach Bill Walsh’s 49ers were coming off a championship season in 1981, but had lost their first two games in ’82 prior to the strike. The Cardinals were 1-1 under Head Coach Jim Hanifan and coming off of a 7-9 year in ’81. The teams had just four days of practice prior to the contest.

There were 38,064 fans in attendance – and, as was the case in many NFL venues on this day, many no-shows (13,328). The 49ers took the early lead as Ray Wersching booted a 36-yard field goal in the first quarter and RB Jeff Moore scored on a one-yard touchdown run in the second quarter for a 10-0 lead.

With 30 seconds remaining in the first half, the Cardinals got on the board as WR Roy Green made a diving catch of a 17-yard pass from QB Neil Lomax for a touchdown. The 49ers got the ball back but fumbled, and LB Charlie Baker recovered for St. Louis. But an opportunity to tie the score at the half was lost when Neil O’Donoghue missed a 44-yard field goal attempt on the last play (he also missed from 47 yards in the first quarter). San Francisco remained in the lead at 10-7.

The Cardinals took advantage of two turnovers in the third quarter to go in front. First, DE Curtis Greer recovered a fumble that set up O’Donoghue’s tying field goal from 30 yards out. Then CB Jeff Griffin intercepted a Joe Montana pass and O’Donoghue kicked a 32-yard field goal to make the score 13-10 in favor of St. Louis. Unfortunately for the Cardinals, the failure to get a touchdown on one or both possessions allowed the 49ers ample room to recover.

The turning point in the game came when San Francisco got the ball back, still in the third quarter. Facing a third-and-18 situation in his own territory, Montana connected with WR Renaldo Nehemiah on a 55-yard pass play. Two plays later, Montana threw a six-yard TD pass to TE Russ Francis that put the Niners back in the lead at 17-13.

The Cardinals had a chance to make a big play of their own, but Lomax overthrew Green on what could have been a 45-yard TD pass. Now in the fourth quarter, the 49ers regained possession and went 91 yards in 10 plays with Montana hitting WR Dwight Clark for a 33-yard touchdown.

San Francisco had another big play that set up a third passing touchdown. Montana passed to rookie RB Vince Williams, who proceeded to gain 55 yards to set up a 17-yard TD pass to RB Earl Cooper. In a stretch of 13 minutes, the Niners had scored three touchdowns to take control, at 31-13, of what had been a close game.

38-year-old veteran QB Jim Hart replaced the second-year Lomax with nine minutes remaining and led the Cardinals to a score on a three-yard carry by RB Ottis Anderson. But it was too-little, too-late as the 49ers won by a final score of 31-20.

San Francisco outgained the Cardinals by 448 yards to 254 and had 22 first downs to 15 for St. Louis. The 49ers were damaged by their three turnovers, as opposed to none by the Cardinals, but the failure of the home team to better capitalize on their opportunities set the stage for the Niners to take control.

Joe Montana completed 26 of 39 passes for a then-team record 408 yards with three touchdowns against one interception. The fourth-year veteran out of Notre Dame spread the ball around well as eight different receivers caught at least two passes apiece. In the second half alone, he completed 15 of 20 for 238 yards and all of the TDs.


Dwight Clark (pictured at left) led the club with 6 catches for 103 yards and a touchdown while Renaldo Nehemiah gained 93 yards on three receptions and Jeff Moore contributed four catches for 87 yards to go along with his 9 rushing attempts for 19 yards. Indeed, the 49ers gained just 77 yards on 26 running plays, and Earl Cooper led the way with 30 yards on 7 carries.

For the Cardinals, Neil Lomax was successful on just 9 of 23 passes for 82 yards and a TD. Jim Hart was more proficient, completing 8 of 11 throws for 72 yards. Ottis Anderson led the club with 65 yards on 15 rushes, including a TD, and also caught 6 passes for 51 yards. WR Pat Tilley slightly led in pass receiving yards with 53 on four receptions.

“It's a good way to come back,” Montana said afterward. “My timing wasn't there early and I made a lot of mistakes. But I thought we played well. I wasn't surprised; we looked like we were in good shape in practice.”

There was concern that the players might go back on strike if they voted to reject the preliminary settlement that had allowed play to resume. The Cardinals’ player representative, guard Terry Stieve, said, “Here in St. Louis, we'll ratify it and I have a gut feeling it will be ratified by the players throughout the league. The fans are the forgotten group in this thing, so it's time both sides realize the importance of the fans. I don't blame them for feeling cheated in this deal.”

The games did continue through what became a nine-game regular season. Division play was done away with and the top eight teams in each conference qualified for a playoff tournament. The 49ers didn’t make it that far - plagued by injuries and (according to Coach Walsh) diminished intensity, they ended up with a 3-6 record and a woeful eleventh place in the 14-team NFC. St. Louis made out better, going 5-4 and making it to the postseason as the sixth seeded team in the conference. They were handily beaten by Green Bay in the first round.

Joe Montana topped NFL quarterbacks with 346 attempts and 17 touchdown passes (tied with Pittsburgh’s Terry Bradshaw and Dan Fouts of the Chargers) and ranked second in completions (213) and yards (2613). While he was at it, he set a record by stringing together five straight 300-yard passing performances (since exceeded).

Dwight Clark led the league with 60 pass receptions and was second with 913 receiving yards. He was a consensus first-team All-Pro and was named to the Pro Bowl.

The losing record by the 49ers would be their last until 1999 – a string of 16 consecutive seasons in which they would never finish with fewer than 10 wins. The club won four NFL championships during that run.

2008: Warner Passes for 395 Yards and Cards Hold On to Beat Seattle

QB Kurt Warner (pictured above) had experienced a rebirth of his career with the Arizona Cardinals, and the team was now poised to make the most of it. After coming out of nowhere to lead the Rams to a championship in 1999 and putting together three outstanding seasons from ’99 to 2001, Warner’s career had come crashing down over the next two seasons. Losing his starting job to Marc Bulger, he moved on to the Giants for a year and acted as mentor to rookie QB Eli Manning, and then came to Phoenix in 2005 to do the same for QB Matt Leinart.

However, circumstances moved Warner back to the forefront with the Cardinals. Leinart struggled with injuries and ineffectiveness, and the veteran was productive in his appearances. After Leinart went down with a collarbone injury early in the 2007 season, Warner took over the starting role and didn’t relinquish it. With outstanding wide receivers to throw to in Larry Fitzgerald and Anquan Boldin, the 37-year-old quarterback was thriving in 2008 and the team was contending in the mediocre NFC West.

The Cardinals had been perennial underachievers, and since moving to Phoenix in 1988 finished over .500 just once through ’07. That they had gone 8-8 in 2007 under new Head Coach Ken Whisenhunt was cause for celebration. By the time they faced the Seattle Seahawks at Qwest Field on November 16, 2008, they were sporting a 6-3 record.

The Seahawks were in the tenth and final year under the direction of Head Coach Mike Holmgren, who had announced prior to the season that ’08 would be his last. They had experienced success during Holmgren’s tenure, winning the previous four division titles and going to the Super Bowl following the 2005 season. But by the time they faced the Cardinals, they were 2-7. Injuries were a key factor in the club’s collapse, in particular the loss of QB Matt Hasselbeck, who had missed the previous six games due to a back injury.

Arizona started strong, scoring on its first two possessions. The first was a 13-play drive that resulted in a 38-yard field goal by Neil Rackers and the second covered 89 yards in seven plays that led to a four-yard touchdown run by RB J.J. Arrington. Along the way, Warner had connected with Boldin twice for 54 yards and once to Fitzgerald for 20. The Cardinals had a 10-0 lead after one quarter.

Rackers added a 48-yard field goal in the second quarter before Seattle got on the board. CB Josh Wilson intercepted a Warner pass at his own 23 and returned it 58 yards to the Arizona 19. Shortly thereafter, Hasselbeck threw for a 13-yard touchdown to RB Maurice Morris. The Cardinals got the ball back with less than a minute to go in the half and managed a 54-yard field goal by Rackers as time expired to take a 16-7 lead into halftime.

Arizona appeared to put the game away in the third quarter as Rackers kicked his fourth field goal, of 26 yards, and Warner ended a ten-play drive with a six-yard TD pass to Arrington. The Cardinals’ margin was stretched to 26-7.

However, the Seahawks fought back on their next possession. Josh Wilson returned the kickoff 56 yards to the Arizona 36 yard line. Seattle drove to the three, but it appeared that the Cardinals had extinguished the threat when LB Karlos Dansby intercepted Hasselbeck’s pass in the end zone on a third-and-three play. However, rather than taking a touchback, Dansby returned the interception to the ten yard line and fumbled. It was recovered by OT Walter Jones and the Seahawks had a new set of downs and made the most of it. Five plays later, RB T.J. Duckett scored a touchdown from a yard out. An attempted two-point conversion failed.

Arizona got the ball back, but on the second play Warner fumbled when sacked by DT Brandon Mebane and DE Darryl Tapp recovered at the Cardinals’ 14. Duckett ran for another TD from two yards out after Seattle successfully converted a fourth down as Hasselbeck ran for five yards on a fourth-and-three play. Suddenly, Arizona’s margin was reduced to six points (they kicked the extra point this time) with 9:41 left on the clock.

With the crowd of 67,616 now aroused and unleashing a deafening roar, the Cardinals held the ball for seven plays on their next possession, but an intentional grounding call on Warner forced them to punt. Seattle got the ball back on its own 26 with 5:38 remaining and apparent momentum. However, at this critical juncture the offense went nowhere in three plays and had to punt.

Arizona ran almost two minutes off the clock before punting with just over two minutes remaining. But on the first play, Hasselbeck’s long pass intended for WR Deion Branch was intercepted by CB Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie and the Seattle threat was finally extinguished. The Cardinals held on to win, 26-20.

That Seattle came so close to pulling the game out was nothing short of amazing since Arizona significantly outgained the Seahawks, 458 yards to 196, and had the edge in first downs, 24 to 18. Seattle converted just one of nine third downs and gained a woeful 43 yards rushing on 22 attempts. The Seahawks also gave up four turnovers, to Arizona’s three.

However, considering all of the yards gained, Arizona only got into the end zone twice, benefiting from a perfect four-for-four field goal performance by Neil Rackers. They also were penalized eight times, as opposed to one flag thrown on the Seahawks.


Kurt Warner completed 32 of 44 passes for 395 yards with a touchdown and an interception. It was his fourth straight 300-yard performance (of an eventual five), a club record. Both wide receivers had big days, with Anquan Boldin catching 13 passes for 186 yards and Larry Fitzgerald (pictured at right) adding 10 receptions for 151 yards. J.J. Arrington ran for 40 yards on 8 carries with a TD and RB Tim Hightower had 35 yards on his 11 attempts.

For Seattle, Matt Hasselbeck was good on 17 of 29 passes for 170 yards with a TD and three interceptions (two by Rodgers-Cromartie). Deion Branch was the leading receiver with four catches for 54 yards. RB Julius Jones gained 19 yards on 10 carries to lead the team, and Hasselbeck was right behind with 17 yards on four attempts. While T.J. Duckett scored two short touchdowns, he had a total of five yards on as many carries.

The win for Arizona was as huge as the loss for the Seahawks was devastating. Any hopes for climbing back into the race were eliminated for Seattle, while the Cardinals appeared set to win the division.

It did not go so easily for Arizona the remainder of the regular season, however, as the club lost its next two games and four of the last six to end up at 9-7. While they won the NFC West title, it was widely anticipated that the Cardinals would be dispatched quickly in the postseason, but instead they defeated Atlanta, Carolina, and Philadelphia, respectively, to advance to and win the NFC Championship before barely succumbing to Pittsburgh in the Super Bowl. The Seahawks finished at 4-12 for third place in the division.

Kurt Warner ranked among the league leaders with 4583 yards and 30 touchdown passes while completing 67.1 % of his passes with only 14 interceptions. He was selected to the Pro Bowl for the first time since 2001.

Larry Fitzgerald led the NFL with 12 touchdown receptions (tied with Detroit’s Calvin Johnson) and the NFC with 1431 yards on his 96 catches. Anquan Boldin (pictured below) had 89 pass receptions for 1038 yards and 11 TDs despite missing four games due to injuries. Both also were chosen for the Pro Bowl, and Fitzgerald received All-NFL recognition as well.

1962: Sonny Randle Catches 16 Passes for 256 Yards vs. Giants

Split end Ulmo “Sonny” Randle came to the Chicago Cardinals out of the University of Virginia in 1959, and after spending a year learning his craft, broke out with an All-Pro season in ’60 (the franchise’s first year in St. Louis) in which 15 of his 62 receptions were good for touchdowns.

One of the fastest players in the NFL, his success was all the more impressive coming with a team that lacked an established quarterback. In an attempt to dramatically upgrade for 1961, the Cardinals signed 31-year-old Sam Etcheverry, an all-time great quarterback in the Canadian Football League, but he proved to be a sore-armed disappointment in the NFL. Randle’s numbers dropped to 44 catches and 9 TDs, but he was still chosen to the Pro Bowl.

St. Louis had a new head coach in 1962, Wally Lemm, and after a faltering start Etcheverry gave way to second-year QB Charley Johnson. The team was 2-4-1 and coming off of a win over the Cowboys as they took on the defending champions of the Eastern Conference, the New York Giants, at Yankee Stadium on November 4.

The Giants, under Head Coach Allie Sherman, were 5-2 and had just pulled off a big win over Washington in which QB Y.A. Tittle passed for 505 yards and seven touchdowns. They had already beaten the Cardinals convincingly in St. Louis (31-14), but that was with Etcheverry starting at quarterback and Johnson coming on in relief - they would find that Johnson was developing quickly.

New York took a 7-0 lead in the first quarter on a 39-yard pass play from Tittle to flanker Frank Gifford. But the Cardinals responded with two touchdowns in the second quarter, an eight-yard pass from Johnson to TE Taz Anderson and a four-yard run by HB John David Crow. In between, Don Chandler kicked a 33-yard field goal for the Giants. But the Cardinals defense played well, New York’s offense seemed flat after the big performance the previous week, and it was St. Louis ahead at halftime by a 14-10 score.

In addition, Coach Lemm had moved Randle from his usual split end position to flanker, where he was defended by CB Dick Lynch rather than Erich Barnes, and it was paying off.

The Cardinals defense continued to stymie the Giants in the scoreless third quarter. New York was able to gain only 29 yards on its possessions and Tittle missed on 12 consecutive passes before finding Gifford again for a 32-yard touchdown early in the fourth quarter. The Giants were back in front at 17-14, but the action began to heat up considerably.

St. Louis came right back, with Johnson throwing to Randle for a 55-yard touchdown and a 21-17 lead. New York fought back on the next drive, with a fake field goal being the key play. Facing a fourth down on the St. Louis 31, the Giants lined up for an apparent 38-yard field goal attempt by Chandler, but the holder, backup QB Ralph Guglielmi, instead fired a pass to DE Andy Robustelli, who was lined up as a receiver with the field goal unit, for a 26-yard gain to the five yard line. Two plays later, FB Alex Webster ran off tackle from three yards out for a TD and the Giants were back in front at 24-21.

The St. Louis offense wasn’t finished and drove 80 yards in 12 plays, four of which were passes to Randle. Johnson also ran for a 16-yard gain and capped the drive with a one-yard plunge. With 4:55 left on the clock, the Cardinals were back in the lead by 28-24.

The Giants struck quickly after the ensuing kickoff was returned 33 yards by HB Sam Horner. Tittle tossed a pass to HB Phil King that gained 37 yards to the St. Louis 20, and then followed up with a pass to Webster for the final 20 yards and a touchdown.

The Cardinals again battled back, but with under two minutes remaining Lynch, a talented player who had his hands full covering Randle, intercepted a pass by Johnson at the New York 27 to avoid the upset and nail down the 31-28 win.

In defeat, the big story was Sonny Randle’s performance as he caught 16 passes for 256 yards and a touchdown. It was the second-highest single-game pass receiving performance up to that time, and against one of the NFL’s most highly-regarded defenses.

The Cardinals rolled up an impressive 494 total yards and 29 first downs, to 266 yards and 15 first downs for New York. However, they also gave up five turnovers, to one by the Giants.


Charley Johnson (pictured at left) completed 26 of 41 passes for 365 yards with two touchdowns and three interceptions. John David Crow was the leading rusher for St. Louis, gaining 56 yards on 19 attempts, including a TD. FB Prentice Gautt added 44 yards on 12 carries.

In winning, Y.A. Tittle was successful on only 8 of 31 passes for 172 yards, but three were for touchdowns against one interception. Phil King had three catches for 62 yards while Frank Gifford scored on both of his pass receptions that totaled 71 yards. Alex Webster was New York’s top ground gainer with 50 yards on 16 attempts, including a TD, and caught one pass for the game-winning touchdown.

The Giants, having survived the scare, went undefeated the rest of the way through the regular season to finish at 12-2 and again win the Eastern Conference, although they lost to Green Bay in the NFL title game once more. St. Louis ended up at 4-9-1 and in sixth place in the conference, but the stage was set for significant improvement over the next two seasons.

Sonny Randle finished second in the league in both receptions (63 – one ahead of teammate Bobby Joe Conrad) and yards (1158). His seven TD catches tied for seventh, and his 18.4 yards per catch was his highest to date. Randle was selected to the Pro Bowl for the third straight year. He played eight years with the Cardinals, going to one more Pro Bowl following the 1965 season, then was with the 49ers in 1967 and the start of his last year in ’68. Randle moved on to Dallas, where he ended his career – his final totals were 365 receptions for 5996 yards (16.4 avg.) and 65 touchdowns.

Charley Johnson ranked second in the NFL in yards per completion (16.3) as he threw for 2440 yards with 16 touchdowns and 20 interceptions. His emergence, aided by an outstanding receiving corps and Etcheverry’s tutelage, would correspond with the club’s improvement.

1975: Terry Metcalf’s 3 TDs Lead Cardinals Past Patriots

After three straight 4-9-1 seasons, the St. Louis Cardinals improved dramatically in 1974 under second-year Head Coach Don Coryell. They not only had a winning record for the first time since 1970, but at 10-4 won the NFC East. Coryell was an offense-minded coach, and three of the major cogs were veteran QB Jim Hart, second-year all-purpose HB Terry Metcalf (pictured at right), and fleet WR Mel Gray. All three were selected to the Pro Bowl.

The Cardinals were off to a 4-2 start in 1975 as they played host to the New England Patriots on November 2 at Busch Memorial Stadium. The Patriots, coached by Chuck Fairbanks, were off to a slow start, having lost their first four games before winning the two most recent. However, starting QB Jim Plunkett was out with a shoulder injury, and rookie Steve Grogan was taking his place.

New England got an early break when Hart’s arm was hit by DE Julius Adams as he attempted to pass and LB Steve Nelson intercepted at the St. Louis 40. The Patriots capitalized to take the lead on a 32-yard field goal by John Smith. However, the Cardinals got on the board in spectacular fashion in the second quarter when Metcalf returned a punt for a 69-yard touchdown - the only TD on a punt return of his career.

But St. Louis wasn’t able to get anything going on offense against a tough Patriots defense. Meanwhile, Grogan played well, completing 8 of 14 passes in the first half, including one for an 11-yard touchdown to WR Randy Vataha that put the Patriots back in front. The Cardinals came back, converting a fourth-and-one situation at the New England 33 with a two-yard run by slow-but-rugged FB Jim Otis. They came up empty, however, when Patriots nose tackle Ray Hamilton blocked a 44-yard field goal attempt by Jim Bakken, who had been successful on his last ten straight.

New England had another shot at the end of the half, but CB Norm Thompson intercepted Grogan’s pass at the St. Louis two yard line on the last play of the second quarter. The Patriots led by 10-7 at the intermission.

The Cardinals managed to run for only 35 yards in the first half as Metcalf had just four yards in seven attempts while Otis gained 31 yards on 10 carries, and Hart was having difficulty completing passes (not helped when veteran TE Jackie Smith was forced to leave the game with an injury).

In the third quarter, the defense added to New England’s margin as Hamilton picked up a fumble by Hart, who was attempting to hand off to Otis, and rumbled 23 yards for a touchdown. The Patriots were now ahead by ten points at 17-7.

In response, the Cardinals offense came alive and Hart was successful on six straight passes, including a 12-yard throw to WR Earl Thomas to the New England 10, on a drive that finally stalled at the three yard line. The result was a 21-yard Bakken field goal to narrow the Patriots’ lead to 17-10.


New England was forced to punt on its next series, and Gray (pictured at left), only recently being used on punt returns, ran the kick back 19 yards to give the Cardinals good field position at the Patriots’ 45. St. Louis made the most of it, driving to a one-yard touchdown plunge by Metcalf early in the fourth quarter, set up by a pounding eight-yard run by Otis.

After CB Roger Wehrli made a great play to break up a long pass attempt from Grogan to Vataha, Mike Patrick punted again for the Patriots and Gray returned the kick 27 yards to the New England 33. Five plays later Metcalf ran for a seven-yard touchdown that proved to be the winning score with 6:15 remaining.

The St. Louis defense took control in the second half, but the Patriots managed one last drive down the field late in the game. However, LB Pete Barnes intercepted a fourth down Grogan pass at the St. Louis 13 to clinch the 24-17 win for the Cardinals.

The team statistics were remarkably even, with the Patriots having a one-yard edge in total yardage (274 to 273) and the Cardinals having one more first down (18 to 17). Both teams turned the ball over three times. The game was very physical, with the Patriots playing aggressively on defense, as manifested by their being penalized 11 times to six flags on St. Louis.

After a slow start, Jim Hart completed 20 of 32 passes for 158 yards with no TDs and one intercepted. Jim Otis gained 65 yards on 21 carries, and Terry Metcalf was held to 44 yards on 17 attempts, although he had the two rushing touchdowns in addition to the TD on the long punt return. Metcalf also caught 5 passes for 33 yards, making him the team’s co-leader with Earl Thomas, who had 5 receptions for 58 yards.

Steve Grogan’s passing numbers went in the opposite direction of Hart’s - after the solid first half, he ended up completing just 14 of 34 passes for 173 yards with a touchdown and two interceptions. A mobile quarterback, he also gained 21 yards on three carries. HB Andy Johnson led the Patriots with 50 yards on 16 attempts, while FB Sam Cunningham added 42 yards on 11 runs and also caught a team-leading four passes for 41 yards.

The big punt returns had made the difference, either directly scoring or setting up all three St. Louis touchdowns. Said New England’s Coach Fairbanks, “I take my hat off to Metcalf and Gray for the returns they made against us. We tried to make adjustments but they didn’t work.”

Of his punt return touchdown, Metcalf said, “Their contain man (DB Ron Bolton) kind of overran his position. It was what we had seen on their films.” He also pointed out that Gray was the lead blocker. Added Gray, “Since the offense wasn’t clicking, the special teams had to get on the ball. I think the special teams won the game.”

The win put the Cardinals in a three-way tie atop the NFC East with Dallas and Washington, on the way to repeating as division champions with an 11-3 record. They lost to the Rams in the Divisional playoff round. New England limped to a 3-11 finish at the bottom of the AFC East.

Terry Metcalf’s performance against the Patriots highlighted the all-around skills that allowed him to break the year-old record by New England’s Mack Herron for all-purpose yards with 2462 (his record would last for ten years). He gained a career-high 816 yards on 165 carries for a 4.9-yard average with nine touchdowns, caught 43 passes for 378 more yards (8.8 avg.) and two TDs, had 285 yards on 23 punt returns (an NFC-leading 12.4 avg.) with a score, and 960 yards on 35 kickoff returns (27.4 avg.) that included a touchdown. He topped all of that off with 23 yards on a fumble recovery. Maligned for a tendency to fumble, Metcalf nevertheless was a versatile and flashy key to the club’s success.

Mel Gray didn’t return many more punts (7 in all, for a 7.6 avg.), but had another good season at wide receiver as he caught 48 passes for 926 yards and a league-leading 11 touchdowns (tied with Pittsburgh’s Lynn Swann). His 19.3 yards per catch ranked second in the NFC and he was a consensus All-Pro selection.

Jim Otis (pictured below), the complement to Metcalf as the plodding inside runner, led the NFC with 1076 yards on 269 carries for a 4.0 average gain and five TDs. In the best season of his nine-year career, he was selected to the Pro Bowl along with Metcalf, Gray, Hart, CB Wehrli, PK Bakken, C Tom Banks, OT Dan Dierdorf, and G Conrad Dobler.

1959: Rams Trade 9 Players to Cardinals for Ollie Matson

On March 23, 1959 the Los Angeles Rams swung one of the most celebrated trades in pro football history, sending nine players (including two draft picks) to the Chicago Cardinals for the great all-purpose running back, Ollie Matson.

The 6’2”, 220-pound Matson had certainly been an outstanding player in his six seasons with the Cardinals, appearing at halfback, fullback, in the defensive backfield, and as a record-breaking kick returner. He gained 3331 yards rushing on 761 carries for a 4.4-yard average and 24 touchdowns – his highest season total was 924 yards in 1956. He also caught 130 passes for 2150 yards (16.5 yards per catch) and another 16 TDs. Matson returned 86 kickoffs for a 28.5-yard average and record six touchdowns, leading the league with a 35.5 average in ’58. Returning punts, he averaged 10.9 yards on 48 returns with three more TDs. Adding in 51 yards on three interception returns, he had accumulated 8459 all-purpose yards, twice leading the NFL in that category. Honors included selection to the Pro Bowl after all six seasons and consensus first team All-Pro honors after four of them.

For all of Matson’s heroics, the Cardinals had not done well on the field. From 1952 through ’58 (and excluding 1953, when Matson missed the season due to military service), the team went a combined 22-48-2 with just one winning record (7-5 in ’56). The opportunity to deal their star for a big package of players was not one to disregard.

The Rams gave up OT Ken Panfil, DT Frank Fuller, DE Glenn Holtzman, DT Art Hauser plus 1959 draftees RB Don Brown, RB Larry Hickman, and end John Tracey along with two picks in the 1960 draft (second and fourth rounds). The deal, swung by GM Pete Rozelle (the future NFL commissioner), proved to be disastrous for the Rams, but didn’t lift the Cardinals into contention either.


The trade was certainly considered a good one for the Cardinals at the time. The key players sent to Chicago were Fuller and Panfil. Fuller (pictured at left), a four-year defensive tackle in LA, went to the Pro Bowl in 1959 and remained with the Cardinals until the end of his career in 1963, proving to be the best of the acquisitions. Panfil had been with the Rams for three seasons and started at right tackle – he also went to the Pro Bowl with the Cardinals in ’59 but played only one more full year before suffering a cracked kneecap in a 1961 preseason game that effectively ended his career as he appeared in just four contests in ‘61 and ’62. Glenn Holtzman had been a starter on the Rams defensive line, but never played in another regular season game. Art Hauser was another four-year veteran with the Rams who had missed the 1958 season and appeared in just two games with Chicago before being sent to the Giants.

Of the rookies in the deal, Larry Hickman lasted one season and gained 18 yards rushing on five carries and caught one pass. John Tracey did little as a tight end with the Cardinals before being moved to linebacker in his second season – he ended up starring at that position, but with the AFL’s Buffalo Bills. Don Brown didn’t play for the Cardinals due to injury.

The choices in the 1960 draft were used to take G Mike McGee out of Duke, who played three seasons with the Cardinals, and Marquette end Silas Woods, who didn’t make the club.

Overall, the team’s record was a disappointing 2-10 in 1959, the franchise’s last year in Chicago before relocating to St. Louis in ’60. With the move came greater competitiveness on the field as the Cardinals went 6-5-1 in 1960 and 7-7 in ’61. However, they would not become contenders until after the impact of the Matson deal had largely passed.

Matson played well for the Rams, gaining 863 yards to finish third in rushing in 1959. But the team that had contended with an 8-4 record in ’58 dropped to 2-10 and a last place finish. They would remain a losing team until the arrival of George Allen as head coach in 1966. Matson became a target of controversy as the club lost games and the deal that had brought him to Los Angeles was viewed as the chief reason for the downfall. It didn’t help that, particularly after Bob Waterfield replaced Sid Gillman as head coach in 1960, his production dropped off significantly.

Waterfield moved Matson to safety late in the 1960 season, but he was moved back to offense in ‘61 and used as a slot back and blocking fullback. While he caught 29 passes for 537 yards, he ran the ball only 24 times for 181 yards. The situation worsened in 1962 as Matson, typically quiet and classy, complained about the way he was being used and ended up being benched for much of the season.

Matson’s numbers in the three seasons following his solid 1959 showing were 88 rushes for 351 yards (4.0 average) with three touchdowns, 47 catches for 684 yards (14.6 average) and four scores, a 4.1-yard average on 15 punt returns and 23.2 average on 25 kickoff returns. They were hardly the statistics anticipated when Matson was dealt for at such a huge price, but he couldn’t be blamed for multiple errors by the front office (the Matson trade wasn't the only questionable move made by the Rams in the late 50s) and misuse by his coaches.

Matson was dealt to Detroit and played sparingly in 1963, but resurrected his career with the Philadelphia Eagles at age 34 in ’64, where he proved to be a valuable backup at halfback for the final three seasons of his Hall of Fame career.

1978: Cardinals Hire Bud Wilkinson as Head Coach

The St. Louis Cardinals had done well under Head Coach Don Coryell, winning the NFC East in 1974 and ’75 and just missing with a 10-4 record in 1976. It was the first time the team had made it to the postseason since 1948, but the Cardinals failed to win any playoff games, and when the club sank to 7-7 in 1977, Coryell was forced to resign.

On March 2, 1978 owner Bill Bidwill announced that collegiate coaching legend Bud Wilkinson would be the new head coach. The news was met with more than a little astonishment. To be sure, Wilkinson was a college coaching icon who had put together a 145-29-4 record at Oklahoma from 1947 thru 1963. In the midst of that was a remarkable 47-game winning streak from 1953-57. The Sooners won eight of ten bowl appearances during that time, as well as three national championships.

However, since leaving Oklahoma in 1963, Wilkinson had stayed away from coaching; he ran a losing campaign for the US Senate in 1964, served as director of the President’s Council on Physical Fitness, and spent ten years as a broadcaster of college football games. There was speculation that, at age 62 (making him the oldest head coach in the NFL at the time), he had been away from active involvement in the game for too long and would have difficulty relating to modern pro football players.

The initial reaction of some of the Cardinals players was not encouraging. Center Tom Banks, already trying to renegotiate his contract, called the hiring “one of the weirdest things I’ve ever seen. Insanity prevails.” Eric Williams, a second-year linebacker, summed up the feelings of several players when he stated “Everybody said, ‘Wow, like that dude is old.’”

To Wilkinson’s credit, he won over many of the doubters, including Banks. Known for his low-key and gentlemanly manner, he was an excellent motivator. He kept Coryell’s offensive line coach, Jim Hanifan, who had been a candidate for the head coaching job and fell in line behind the new coach, who in turn recognized that the offense had been one of the team’s strengths.

However, there were problems facing the Cardinals that persuasion couldn’t overcome. Coryell had clashed with Bidwill on personnel matters, and the team had typically drafted poorly. Before Wilkinson was hired, HB Terry Metcalf, an all-purpose talent who was the team’s best outside running threat, left for the Canadian Football League. WR Ike Harris and G Conrad Dobler were traded to New Orleans, weakening both positions.

The naysayers appeared to be vindicated when St. Louis proceeded to lose the first eight games of the ’78 season. Without Metcalf’s breakaway ability, the offense was forced to rely solely on the inside running tandem of FB Jim Otis and RB Wayne Morris – as a result, the Cardinals ranked 25th in team rushing (1954 yards). TE J.V. Cain suffered from a bad heel and the offensive line encountered numerous injury problems. The defense was poor against the run. First draft pick Steve Little, a placekicker/punter out of Arkansas who Wilkinson had promoted as the key to improving the team’s ability to win the battle of field position, suffered from a knee injury and was unable to dislodge veteran placekicker Jim Bakken while proving to be a mediocre punter.

Wilkinson took his share of the heat for the poor start, but he also drew credit when the club turned the season around and went 6-2 the rest of the way. As QB Jim Hart said, “He kept us together. He was always positive. I think people expected us to fall apart when we kept losing, but we didn’t and Bud was the major factor.” Hart, the 34-year-old offensive captain, played his part as he passed for 3121 yards and was voted the club’s MVP by his teammates.

While Wilkinson was able to maintain the team’s morale and, moreover, took a major step toward improving the running game with the drafting of RB Ottis Anderson from the University of Miami in the first round of the ’79 draft, deficiencies in the front office and the meddling of owner Bidwill ultimately brought a premature end to his coaching regime in the second year.

Tragedy in training camp, as Cain died of heart failure, cast an early pall on the 1979 season. Anderson had an immediate impact, rushing for 193 yards in the season opening game against Dallas, but the Cardinals lost that game and were 3-10 when Wilkinson was let go. Bidwill’s insistence on starting Steve Pisarkiewicz, the 1977 first round draft choice out of Missouri, ahead of the savvy veteran Hart at quarterback had been resisted by Wilkinson, and in combination with the failure to build upon the strong second half showing in ’78, was the final straw that led to the legendary coach’s dismissal. He had completed not quite half of the four-year contract he was signed to.

Larry Wilson, the all-time great Cardinals free safety, stepped in as interim coach for the rest of the way. With Pisarkiewicz at quarterback, St. Louis won two of the last three games for an overall 5-11 record and last place finish in the NFC East. The two wins didn’t herald stardom for the young quarterback – he was gone in 1980, finishing out his NFL career as a backup in Green Bay. Jim Hanifan, who had been passed over in favor of Wilkinson in ’78, was elevated to head coach.

As for Bud Wilkinson, the stint with the Cardinals was a mediocre postscript to an outstanding coaching career. His overall record for the 1978 and ’79 seasons was a dismal 9-20. However, he had displayed class and grace under pressure, and also showed that he had not lost his skill as a motivator. But he couldn’t overcome the organization’s failings, which likely doomed his tenure before it even started. And as a postscript, prior to the tenure of Ken Whisenhunt, who became the Cardinals’ coach in 2007, none of Wilkinson’s successors left the club with an overall winning record.