2004 Arizona Cardinals season

2004 Arizona Cardinals season
2004 Arizona Cardinals season
Owner	Bill Bidwill
General manager	Rod Graves
Head coach	Dennis Green
Home field	Sun Devil Stadium
Results
Record	6–10
Division place	3rd NFC West
Playoff finish	Did not qualify
Pro Bowlers	DE Bertrand Berry
	← 2003; Cardinals seasons; 2005 →;

The 2004 season was the Arizona Cardinals' 85th season in the National Football League (NFL), their 106th overall and their 17th in Arizona. The team finished with a 6–10 record, an improvement on their 4–12 record from the previous season, and finished in third place in the NFC West, failing to make the playoffs for the sixth straight season. Season lows for the Cardinals included losing two games to the San Francisco 49ers, the only two games the 49ers won in 2004. The Cardinals, during Week 9, also defeated the Miami Dolphins for the first time in franchise history.

The season was notable for drafting wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald with the third overall pick of the draft. At the end of the season, Emmitt Smith retired after 15 years in the league.

Offseason

NFL Draft

Round	Pick	Player	Position	School/Club Team
1	3	Larry Fitzgerald	Wide receiver	University of Pittsburgh
2	33	Karlos Dansby	Linebacker	Auburn University
3	64	Darnell Dockett	Defensive tackle	Florida State University
4	100	Alex Stepanovich	Center	Ohio State University
5	135	Antonio Smith	Defensive end	Oklahoma State University
6	167	Nick Leckey	Center	Kansas State University
7	202	John Navarre	Quarterback	University of Michigan

^[1]

Pat Tillman

On April 22, 2004, former Cardinals safety Pat Tillman was killed in a friendly fire incident while on patrol. Tillman was the first professional football player to be killed in combat since the death of Bob Kalsu of the Buffalo Bills, who died in the Vietnam War in 1970. Tillman was posthumously laterally promoted from Specialist to Corporal. He also received posthumous Silver Star and Purple Heart medals. On Sunday, September 19, 2004, all teams of the NFL wore a memorial decal on their helmets in Tillman's honor. The Cardinals continued to wear this decal throughout the 2004 season.

Personnel

**2004 Arizona Cardinals staff**
	Front office President – Bill Bidwill Vice president and general counsel – Michael Bidwill Vice president of football operations – Rod Graves Senior director of football operations – John Idzik, Jr. Head coaches Head coach – Dennis Green Offensive coaches Offensive coordinator – Alex Wood Quarterbacks – Mike Kruczek Running backs – Kirby Wilson Wide receivers – Robert Ford Tight ends – Mike Wilson Offensive line – Bob Wylie Offensive quality control – Bill Khayat Offensive consultant – Carl Hargrave			Defensive coaches Defensive coordinator – Clancy Pendergast Defensive line – Deek Pollard Linebackers – Frank Bush Defensive backs – Richard Solomon Defensive quality control – Rick Courtright Special teams coaches Special teams – Kevin O'Dea Strength and conditioning Strength and conditioning – Steve Wetzel Assistant strength and conditioning – Ryan Capretta Assistant strength and conditioning – Daryl Lawrence

Roster

**2004 Arizona Cardinals roster**
Quarterbacks (QB) 4 Shaun King 12 Josh McCown 16 John Navarre Running backs (RB) 20 Damien Anderson 30 Obafemi Ayanbadejo 32 Larry Croom KR 33 Josh Scobey KR 22 Emmitt Smith Wide receivers (WR) 81 Anquan Boldin 11 Larry Fitzgerald 84 Lawrence Hamilton 80 Bryant Johnson KR 89 Nate Poole 86 Karl Williams PR Tight ends (TE) 83 Eric Edwards 88 Freddie Jones		Offensive linemen (OL) 73 Jeremy Bridges G 65 Anthony Clement T 60 Nick Leckey C 66 Alan Reuber G/T 76 Cameron Spikes G 71 Alex Stepanovich C 74 Reggie Wells G Defensive linemen (DL) 92 Bertrand Berry DE 91 Wendell Bryant DT 98 Russell Davis DT 90 Darnell Dockett DT 72 Ross Kolodziej DT 97 Calvin Pace DE 67 Antonio Smith DE 93 Kyle Vanden Bosch DE 94 Peppi Zellner DE		Linebackers (LB) 58 Karlos Dansby OLB 51 James Darling OLB 54 Gerald Hayes MLB 59 Leon Joe OLB 53 Isaac Keys OLB 57 Ronald McKinnon MLB 55 Raynoch Thompson OLB 56 LeVar Woods OLB Defensive backs (DB) 41 Clarence Curry CB 29 Quentin Harris FS 21 Renaldo Hill CB 27 David Macklin CB 37 Adrian Mayes SS 25 Ifeanyi Ohalete FS 22 Duane Starks 44 Michael Stone CB/S 26 Robert Tate CB 24 Adrian Wilson SS Special teams 48 Nathan Hodel LS 10 Scott Player P 1 Neil Rackers K				Practice squad 49 Bobby Blizzard TE 69 Rolando Cantú G/T ^Int'l 82 Lorenzo Diamond TE 15 Chris Lewis QB 45 Casey Moore FB 87 Reggie Newhouse WR 62 Jim Newton T 36 Tyrone Sanders CB Reserve 75 Leonard Davis T (IR) 47 Troy Hambrick RB (IR) 42 James Hodgins FB (IR) 95 Kenny King DT (IR) 70 L. J. Shelton T (IR) 31 Marcel Shipp RB (IR) 97 Fred Wakefield DE (IR) Rookies in italics 53 active, 7 reserve, 8 practice squad

Regular season

Schedule

In the 2004 regular season, the Cardinals' non-divisional, conference opponents were primarily from the NFC South, although they also played the New York Giants from the NFC East, and the Detroit Lions from the NFC North. Their non-conference opponents were from the AFC East.

Week	Date	Opponent	Result	Record	Venue	Attendance
1	September 12	at St. Louis Rams	L 10–17	0–1	Edward Jones Dome	65,538
2	September 19	New England Patriots	L 12–23	0–2	Sun Devil Stadium	51,557
3	September 26	at Atlanta Falcons	L 3–6	0–3	Georgia Dome	70,534
4	October 3	New Orleans Saints	W 34–10	1–3	Sun Devil Stadium	28,109
5	October 10	at San Francisco 49ers	L 28–31 (OT)	1–4	Monster Park	62,836
6	Bye
7	October 24	Seattle Seahawks	W 25–17	2–4	Sun Devil Stadium	35,695
8	October 31	at Buffalo Bills	L 14–38	2–5	Ralph Wilson Stadium	65,887
9	November 7	at Miami Dolphins	W 24–23	3–5	Pro Player Stadium	72,612
10	November 14	New York Giants	W 17–14	4–5	Sun Devil Stadium	42,297
11	November 21	at Carolina Panthers	L 10–35	4–6	Bank of America Stadium	72,796
12	November 28	New York Jets	L 3–13	4–7	Sun Devil Stadium	35,820
13	December 5	at Detroit Lions	L 12–26	4–8	Ford Field	62,262
14	December 12	San Francisco 49ers	L 28–31 (OT)	4–9	Sun Devil Stadium	35,069
15	December 19	St. Louis Rams	W 31–7	5–9	Sun Devil Stadium	40,070
16	December 26	at Seattle Seahawks	L 21–24	5–10	Qwest Field	65,825
17	January 2, 2005	Tampa Bay Buccaneers	W 12–7	6–10	Sun Devil Stadium	31,650
Note: Intra-division opponents are in bold text.

Game summaries

Week 1: at St. Louis Rams

Week 1: Arizona Cardinals at St. Louis Rams – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Cardinals	0	3	7	0	10
Rams	0	6	3	8	17

at Edward Jones Dome, St. Louis, Missouri

Date: September 12
Game time: 12:05 p.m. CST/11:05 a.m. MST
Game weather: None (Indoor stadium)
Game attendance: 65,538
Referee: Bill Carollo
Box Score

Game information

First quarter

No scoring plays

Second quarter

STL – Jeff Wilkins 50-yard field goal, 11:21. Rams 3–0. Drive: 7 plays, 35 yards, 3:28.
ARI – Neil Rackers 50-yard field goal, 8:10. Tied 3–3. Drive: 5 plays, 24 yards, 3:11.
STL – Jeff Wilkins 28-yard field goal, 2:39. Rams 6–3. Drive: 11 plays, 74 yards, 5:31.

Third quarter

STL – Jeff Wilkins 22-yard field goal, 5:50. Rams 9–3. Drive: 14 plays, 83 yards, 9:10.
ARI – Emmitt Smith 11-yard run (Neil Rackers kick), 0:57. Cardinals 10–9. Drive: 9 plays, 65 yards, 4:53.

Fourth quarter

STL – Isaac Bruce 8-yard pass from Marc Bulger (Marshall Faulk run), 14:27. Rams 17–10. Drive: 5 plays, 80 yards, 1:30.

Top passers

ARI – Josh McCown – 18/29, 181 yards
STL – Marc Bulger – 23/34, 272 yards, TD, INT

Top rushers

ARI – Emmitt Smith – 16 rushes, 87 yards, TD
STL – Marshall Faulk – 22 rushes, 128 yards

Top receivers

ARI – Larry Fitzgerald – 4 receptions, 70 yards
STL – Isaac Bruce – 9 receptions, 112 yards, TD

Week 2: vs. New England Patriots

Week 2: New England Patriots at Arizona Cardinals – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Patriots	7	7	3	6	23
Cardinals	0	6	6	0	12

at Sun Devil Stadium, Tempe, Arizona

Date: September 19
Game time: 2:15 p.m. MST
Game weather: 89 °F (32 °C)
Game attendance: 51,557
Referee: Tony Corrente
Box Score

Game information

First quarter

NE – Daniel Graham 2-yard pass from Tom Brady (Adam Vinatieri kick), 2:11. Patriots 7–0. Drive: 8 plays, 68 yards, 5:15.

Second quarter

NE – Daniel Graham 19-yard pass from Tom Brady (Adam Vinatieri kick), 13:16. Patriots 14–0. Drive: 5 plays, 30 yards, 2:27.
ARI – Neil Rackers 51-yard field goal, 8:08. Patriots 14–3. Drive: 4 plays, -22 yards, 1:54.
ARI – Neil Rackers 52-yard field goal, 5:13. Patriots 14–6. Drive: 4 plays, 8 yards, 2:04.

Third quarter

NE – Adam Vinatieri 29-yard field goal, 9:21. Patriots 17–6. Drive: 12 plays, 69 yards, 5:39.
ARI – Emmitt Smith 1-yard run (pass failed), 1:33. Patriots 17–12. Drive: 11 plays, 80 yards, 7:48.

Fourth quarter

NE – Adam Vinatieri 28-yard field goal, 12:02. Patriots 20–12. Drive: 9 plays, 69 yards, 4:31.
NE – Adam Vinatieri 24-yard field goal, 6:22. Patriots 23–12. Drive: 7 plays, 44 yards, 3:56.

Top passers

NE – Tom Brady – 15/26, 219 yards, 2 TD, 2 INT
ARI – Josh McCown – 13/29, 160 yards, 2 INT

Top rushers

NE – Corey Dillon – 32 rushes, 158 yards
ARI – Emmitt Smith – 13 rushes, 31 yards, TD

Top receivers

NE – David Givens – 6 receptions, 120 yards
ARI – Freddie Jones – 4 receptions, 43 yards

Week 3: at Atlanta Falcons

Week 3: Arizona Cardinals at Atlanta Falcons – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Cardinals	0	0	0	3	3
Falcons	3	3	0	0	6

at Georgia Dome, Atlanta, Georgia

Date: September 26
Game time: 1:05 p.m. EST/11:05 a.m. MST
Game weather: None (Indoor stadium)
Game attendance: 70,534
Referee: Walt Coleman
Box Score

Game information

First quarter

ATL – Jay Feely 25-yard field goal, 7:12. Falcons 3–0. Drive: 7 plays, 73 yards, 3:28.

Second quarter

ATL – Jay Feely 23-yard field goal, 12:01. Falcons 3–0. Drive: 6 plays, 34 yards, 2:04.

Third quarter

No scoring plays

Fourth quarter

ARI – Neil Rackers 30-yard field goal, 9:24. Falcons 6–3. Drive: 4 plays, 6 yards, 2:11.

Top passers

ARI – Josh McCown – 20/26, 198 yards
ATL – Michael Vick – 10/20, 115 yards, INT

Top rushers

ARI – Emmitt Smith – 18 rushes, 45 yards
ATL – Warrick Dunn – 20 rushes, 117 yards

Top receivers

ARI – Karl Williams – 6 receptions, 90 yards
ATL – Alge Crumpler – 2 receptions, 34 yards

Week 4: vs. New Orleans Saints

Week 4: New Orleans Saints at Arizona Cardinals – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Saints	0	3	7	0	10
Cardinals	7	7	3	17	34

at Sun Devil Stadium, Tempe, Arizona

Date: October 3
Game time: 2:05 p.m. MST
Game weather: 93 °F (34 °C)
Game attendance: 28,109
Referee: Tom White
Box Score

Game information

First quarter

ARI – Adrian Wilson 35-yard fumble return (Neil Rackers kick), 4:16. Cardinals 7–0.

Second quarter

NO – John Carney 20-yard field goal, 14:56. Cardinals 7–3. Drive: 8 plays, 59 yards, 4:20.
ARI – Obafemi Ayanbadejo 21-yard pass from Emmitt Smith (Neil Rackers kick), 1:12. Cardinals 14–3. Drive: 5 plays, 69 yards, 2:36.

Third quarter

NO – Mel Mitchell 0-yard blocked punt return, 13:02. Cardinals 14–10.
ARI – Neil Rackers 26-yard field goal, 1:29. Cardinals 17–10. Drive: 10 plays, 80 yards, 5:38.

Fourth quarter

ARI – Neil Rackers 33-yard field goal, 5:44. Cardinals 20–10. Drive: 10 plays, 32 yards, 5:10.
ARI – Emmitt Smith 29-yard run (Neil Rackers kick), 5:02. Cardinals 27–10. Drive: 5 plays, 56 yards, 3:10.
ARI – Troy Hambrick 11-yard run (Neil Rackers kick), 1:54. Cardinals 34–10. Drive: 5 plays, 37 yards, 1:58.

Top passers

NO – Aaron Brooks – 24/40, 242 yards
ARI – Josh McCown – 12/28, 157 yards

Top rushers

NO – Aaron Stecker – 8 rushes, 23 yards
ARI – Emmitt Smith – 21 rushes, 127 yards, TD

Top receivers

NO – Aaron Stecker – 6 receptions, 71 yards
ARI – Larry Fitzgerald – 3 receptions, 61 yards

Week 5: at San Francisco 49ers

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

Quarter	1	2	3	4	OT	Total
Cardinals	0	14	0	14	0	28
49ers	0	6	6	16	3	31

at Monster Park, San Francisco, California

Date: October 10
Game time: 1:15 p.m. PST/2:15 p.m. MST
Game weather: 93 °F (34 °C)
Game attendance: 62,836
Referee: Walt Anderson
Box Score

Game information

First quarter

No scoring plays

Second quarter

ARI – Freddie Jones 16-yard pass from Josh McCown (Neil Rackers kick), 14:54. Cardinals 7–0. Drive: 8 plays, 70 yards, 3:27.
SF – Todd Peterson 37-yard field goal, 8:57. Cardinals 7–3. Drive: 12 plays, 70 yards, 5:57.
ARI – Troy Hambrick 2-yard pass from Josh McCown (Neil Rackers kick), 1:56. Cardinals 14–3. Drive: 7 plays, 52 yards, 2:55.
SF – Todd Peterson 42-yard field goal, 0:16. Cardinals 14–6. Drive: 9 plays, 58 yards, 1:40.

Third quarter

SF – Arnaz Battle 71-yard punt return (pass failed), 11:32. Cardinals 14–12.

Fourth quarter

ARI – Emmitt Smith 10-yard run (Neil Rackers kick), 11:47. Cardinals 21–12. Drive: 7 plays, 86 yards, 3:17.
ARI – Larry Fitzgerald 24-yard pass from Josh McCown (Neil Rackers kick), 8:19. Cardinals 28–12. Drive: 4 plays, 44 yards, 2:11.
SF – Eric Johnson 6-yard pass from Tim Rattay (Tim Rattay run), 4:35. Cardinals 28–20. Drive: 15 plays, 80 yards, 3:44.
SF – Brandon Lloyd 23-yard pass from Tim Rattay (Tim Rattay–Brandon Lloyd pass), 1:07. Tied 28–28. Drive: 8 plays, 72 yards, 1:41.

Overtime

SF – Todd Peterson 32-yard field goal, 11:37. 49ers 31–28. Drive: 7 plays, 47 yards, 3:23.

Top passers

ARI – Josh McCown – 19/34, 231 yards, 3 TD, INT
SF – Tim Rattay – 38/57, 417 yards, 2 TD

Top rushers

ARI – Emmitt Smith – 16 rushes, 63 yards, TD
SF – Kevan Barlow – 14 rushes, 34 yards

Top receivers

ARI – Larry Fitzgerald – 5 receptions, 94 yards, TD
SF – Eric Johnson – 13 receptions, 162 yards, TD

Week 7: vs. Seattle Seahawks

Week 7: Seattle Seahawks at Arizona Cardinals – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Seahawks	0	3	7	7	17
Cardinals	7	6	3	9	25

at Sun Devil Stadium, Tempe, Arizona

Date: October 24
Game time: 2:15 p.m. MST
Game weather: 77 °F (25 °C)
Game attendance: 35,695
Referee: Bill Vinovich
TV announcers (Fox): Spero Dedes, Erik Kramer and Kevin McCabe
Box Score

Game information

First quarter

ARI – Larry Fitzgerald 25-yard pass from Josh McCown (Neil Rackers kick), 8:23. Cardinals 7–0. Drive: 6 plays, 43 yards, 3:30.

Second quarter

SEA – Josh Brown 54-yard field goal, 6:28. Cardinals 7–3. Drive: 6 plays, 16 yards, 2:17.
ARI – Neil Rackers 55-yard field goal, 3:01. Cardinals 10–3. Drive: 7 plays, 33 yards, 3:27.
ARI – Neil Rackers 55-yard field goal, 1:01. Cardinals 13–3. Drive: 6 plays, 3 yards, 1:54.

Third quarter

ARI – Neil Rackers 50-yard field goal, 2:50. Cardinals 16–3. Drive: 10 plays, 47 yards, 6:48.
SEA – Darrell Jackson 1-yard pass from Matt Hasselbeck (Josh Brown kick), 0:05. Cardinals 16–10. Drive: 8 plays, 72 yards, 2:45.

Fourth quarter

SEA – Ken Lucas 21-yard interception return (Josh Brown kick), 13:07. Seahawks 17–16.
ARI – Team safety, 8:50. Cardinals 18–17.
ARI – Emmitt Smith 23-yard run (Neil Rackers kick), 1:53. Cardinals 25–17. Drive: 3 plays, 24 yards, 0:44.

Top passers

SEA – Matt Hasselbeck – 14/41, 187 yards, TD, 4 INT
ARI – Josh McCown – 22/36, 212 yards, TD, INT

Top rushers

SEA – Shaun Alexander – 12 rushes, 65 yards
ARI – Emmitt Smith – 26 rushes, 106 yards, TD

Top receivers

SEA – Darrell Jackson – 8 receptions, 109 yards, TD
ARI – Larry Fitzgerald – 4 receptions, 73 yards, TD

Week 8: at Buffalo Bills

Week 8: Arizona Cardinals at Buffalo Bills – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Cardinals	0	7	0	7	14
Bills	10	7	0	21	38

at Ralph Wilson Stadium, Orchard Park, New York

Date: October 31
Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST/11:00 a.m. MST
Game weather: 55 °F (13 °C)
Game attendance: 65,887
Referee: Bernie Kukar
Box Score

Game information

First quarter

BUF – Rian Lindell 25-yard field goal, 9:32. Bills 3–0. Drive: 7 plays, 19 yards, 3:16.
BUF – Willis McGahee 5-yard run (Rian Lindell kick), 4:31. Bills 10–0. Drive: 4 plays, 55 yards, 2:28.

Second quarter

ARI – Obafemi Ayanbadejo 4-yard run (Neil Rackers kick), 8:25. Bills 10–7. Drive: 9 plays, 58 yards, 4:22.
BUF – Terrence McGee 87-yard kickoff return (Rian Lindell kick), 8:12. Bills 17–7.

Third quarter

No scoring plays

Fourth quarter

BUF – Eric Moulds 8-yard pass from Drew Bledsoe (Rian Lindell kick), 14:55. Bills 24–7. Drive: 4 plays, 19 yards, 1:54.
BUF – Tim Euhus 12-yard pass from Drew Bledsoe (Rian Lindell kick), 12:05. Bills 31–7. Drive: 4 plays, 11 yards, 1:35.
BUF – Willis McGahee 1-yard run (Rian Lindell kick), 6:57. Bills 38–7. Drive: 7 plays, 30 yards, 3:11.
ARI – Bryant Johnson 28-yard pass from Josh McCown (Neil Rackers kick), 3:54. Bills 38–14. Drive: 10 plays, 72 yards, 3:03.

Top passers

ARI – Josh McCown – 9/24, 101 yards, TD
BUF – Drew Bledsoe – 8/17, 81 yards, 2 TD

Top rushers

ARI – Emmitt Smith – 22 rushes, 64 yards
BUF – Willis McGahee – 30 rushes, 102 yards, 2 TD

Top receivers

ARI – Anquan Boldin – 4 receptions, 50 yards
BUF – Eric Moulds – 3 receptions, 40 yards, TD

Week 9: at Miami Dolphins

Week 9: Arizona Cardinals at Miami Dolphins – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Cardinals	3	0	7	14	24
Dolphins	9	3	0	11	23

at Pro Player Stadium, Miami Gardens, Florida

Date: November 7
Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST/11:00 a.m. MST
Game weather: 80 °F (27 °C)
Game attendance: 72,612
Referee: Larry Nemmers
Box Score

Game information

First quarter

MIA – Bill Gramática 30-yard field goal, 12:02. Dolphins 3–0. Drive: 7 plays, 12 yards, 2:50.
ARI – Neil Rackers 29-yard field goal, 9:02. Tied 3–3. Drive: 7 plays, 67 yards, 3:00.
MIA – Rob Konrad 20-yard pass from Jay Fiedler (kick failed), 0:58. Dolphins 9–3. Drive: 8 plays, 91 yards, 4:12.

Second quarter

MIA – Bill Gramática 29-yard field goal, 8:07. Dolphins 12–3. Drive: 12 plays, 61 yards, 6:29.

Third quarter

ARI – Duane Starks 41-yard interception return (Neil Rackers kick), 8:12. Dolphins 12–10.

Fourth quarter

ARI – Emmitt Smith 5-yard run (Neil Rackers kick), 9:44. Cardinals 17–12. Drive: 8 plays, 80 yards, 4:39.
MIA – Bill Gramática 28-yard field goal, 7:53. Cardinals 17–15. Drive: 6 plays, 54 yards, 1:51.
MIA – Sammy Morris 1-yard run (A.J. Feeley–Randy McMichael pass), 1:56. Dolphins 23–17. Drive: 4 plays, 39 yards, 1:50.
ARI – Larry Fitzgerald 2-yard pass from Josh McCown (Neil Rackers kick), 0:19. Cardinals 24–23. Drive: 9 plays, 70 yards, 1:37.

Top passers

ARI – Josh McCown – 18/31, 162 yards, TD
MIA – Jay Fiedler – 12/21, 129 yards, TD

Top rushers

ARI – Troy Hambrick – 4 rushes, 70 yards
MIA – Travis Minor – 11 rushes, 90 yards

Top receivers

ARI – Larry Fitzgerald – 5 receptions, 92 yards, TD
MIA – Chris Chambers – 7 receptions, 104 yards

Week 10: vs. New York Giants

Week 10: New York Giants at Arizona Cardinals – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Giants	7	7	0	0	14
Cardinals	0	10	7	0	17

at Sun Devil Stadium, Tempe, Arizona

Date: November 14
Game time: 2:15 p.m. MST
Game weather: 72 °F (22 °C)
Game attendance: 42,297
Referee: Peter Morelli
Box Score

Game information

First quarter

NYG – Jeremy Shockey 2-yard pass from Kurt Warner (Steve Christie kick), 3:38. Giants 7–0. Drive: 6 plays, 43 yards, 3:30.

Second quarter

ARI – Neil Rackers 41-yard field goal, 13:36. Giants 7–3. Drive: 7 plays, 33 yards, 3:27.
NYG – Tiki Barber 2-yard run (Steve Christie kick), 9:03. Giants 14–3. Drive: 6 plays, 43 yards, 3:30.
ARI – Emmitt Smith 2-yard run (Neil Rackers kick), 0:39. Giants 14–10. Drive: 6 plays, 43 yards, 3:30.

Third quarter

ARI – Emmitt Smith 3-yard run (Neil Rackers kick), 1:09. Cardinals 17–14. Drive: 6 plays, 43 yards, 3:30.

Fourth quarter

No scoring plays

Top passers

NYG – Kurt Warner – 19/30, 193 yards, TD
ARI – Josh McCown – 12/24, 90 yards

Top rushers

NYG – Tiki Barber – 21 rushes, 108 yards, TD
ARI – Emmitt Smith – 19 rushes, 67 yards, 2 TD

Top receivers

NYG – Amani Toomer – 8 receptions, 100 yards
ARI – Bryant Johnson – 3 receptions, 32 yards

Week 11: at Carolina Panthers

Week 11: Arizona Cardinals at Carolina Panthers – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Cardinals	0	0	10	0	10
Panthers	14	14	0	7	35

at Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, North Carolina

Date: November 21
Game time: 1:05 p.m. EST/11:05 a.m. MST
Game weather: 68 °F (20 °C)
Game attendance: 72,796
Referee: Bill Carollo
Box Score

Game information

First quarter

CAR – Nick Goings 2-yard run (Jeff Chandler kick), 6:55. Panthers 7–0. Drive: 9 plays, 96 yards, 4:51.
CAR – Nick Goings 57-yard run (Jeff Chandler kick), 1:53. Panthers 14–0. Drive: 3 plays, 79 yards, 1:31.

Second quarter

CAR – Nick Goings 1-yard run (Jeff Chandler kick), 4:31. Panthers 21–0. Drive: 2 plays, 1 yard, 0:11.
CAR – Muhsin Muhammad 28-yard pass from Jake Delhomme (Jeff Chandler kick), 0:02. Panthers 28–0. Drive: 4 plays, 39 yards, 0:56.

Third quarter

ARI – Larry Fitzgerald 21-yard pass from Shaun King (Neil Rackers kick), 9:20. Panthers 28–7. Drive: 10 plays, 84 yards, 4:36.
ARI – Neil Rackers 28-yard field goal, 4:40. Panthers 28–10. Drive: 7 plays, 41 yards, 2:53.

Fourth quarter

CAR – Muhsin Muhammad 17-yard pass from Jake Delhomme (Jeff Chandler kick), 11:38. Panthers 35–10. Drive: 3 plays, 18 yards, 0:56.

Top passers

ARI – Shaun King – 28/52, 343 yards, TD, 3 INT
CAR – Jake Delhomme – 12/25, 157 yards, 2 TD, INT

Top rushers

ARI – Emmitt Smith – 11 rushes, 26 yards
CAR – Nick Goings – 22 rushes, 121 yards, 3 TD

Top receivers

ARI – Larry Fitzgerald – 7 receptions, 92 yards, TD
CAR – Muhsin Muhammad – 6 receptions, 118 yards, 2 TD

Week 12: vs. New York Jets

Week 12: New York Jets at Arizona Cardinals – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Jets	0	3	10	0	13
Cardinals	0	3	0	0	3

at Sun Devil Stadium, Tempe, Arizona

Date: November 28
Game time: 2:15 p.m. MST
Game weather: 63 °F (17 °C)
Game attendance: 35,820
Referee: Gerry Austin
Box Score

Game information

First quarter

No scoring plays

Second quarter

NYJ – Doug Brien 28-yard field goal, 3:28. Jets 3–0. Drive: 12 plays, 45 yards, 5:39.
ARI – Neil Rackers 20-yard field goal, 0:00. Tied 3–3. Drive: 10 plays, 77 yards, 3:28.

Third quarter

NYJ – Doug Brien 46-yard field goal, 4:53. Jets 6–3. Drive: 11 plays, 57 yards, 5:24.
NYJ – Santana Moss 69-yard pass from Quincy Carter (Doug Brien kick), 2:41. Jets 13–3. Drive: 1 play, 69 yards, 0:10.

Fourth quarter

No scoring plays

Top passers

NYJ – Quincy Carter – 8/12, 133 yards, TD
ARI – Shaun King – 14/26, 119 yards, INT

Top rushers

NYJ – Curtis Martin – 24 rushes, 99 yards
ARI – Larry Croom – 10 rushes, 25 yards

Top receivers

NYJ – Santana Moss – 5 receptions, 109 yards, TD
ARI – Anquan Boldin – 8 receptions, 87 yards

Week 13: at Detroit Lions

Week 13: Arizona Cardinals at Detroit Lions – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Cardinals	3	9	0	0	12
Lions	7	7	6	6	26

at Ford Field, Detroit, Michigan

Date: December 5
Game time: 1:05 p.m. EST/11:05 a.m. MST
Game weather: None (Indoor stadium)
Game attendance: 62,262
Referee: Jeff Triplette
Box Score

Game information

First quarter

ARI – Neil Rackers 42-yard field goal, 11:09. Cardinals 3–0. Drive: 6 plays, 20 yards, 2:38.
DET – Tai Streets 17-yard pass from Joey Harrington (Jason Hanson kick), 3:05. Lions 7–3. Drive: 9 plays, 76 yards, 5:14.

Second quarter

ARI – Neil Rackers 33-yard field goal, 14:13. Lions 7–6. Drive: 7 plays, 23 yards, 3:52.
DET – Kevin Jones 2-yard run (Jason Hanson kick), 8:13. Lions 14–6. Drive: 5 plays, 61 yards, 2:28.
ARI – Freddie Jones 33-yard pass from John Navarre (pass failed), 3:40. Lions 14–12. Drive: 9 plays, 80 yards, 4:33.

Third quarter

DET – Jason Hanson 45-yard field goal, 7:32. Lions 17–12. Drive: 8 plays, 38 yards, 3:35.
DET – Jason Hanson 22-yard field goal, 3:17. Lions 20–12. Drive: 4 plays, 7 yards, 1:26.

Fourth quarter

DET – Jason Hanson 31-yard field goal, 10:00. Lions 23–12. Drive: 9 plays, 67 yards, 4:51.
DET – Jason Hanson 36-yard field goal, 5:13. Lions 26–12. Drive: 7 plays, 12 yards, 2:47.

Top passers

ARI – John Navarre – 18/40, 168 yards, TD, 4 INT
DET – Joey Harrington – 15/27, 196 yards, TD, INT

Top rushers

ARI – Larry Croom – 18 rushes, 49 yards
DET – Kevin Jones – 26 rushes, 196 yards, TD

Top receivers

ARI – Anquan Boldin – 5 receptions, 48 yards
DET – Roy Williams – 4 receptions, 76 yards

Week 14: vs. San Francisco 49ers

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

Quarter	1	2	3	4	OT	Total
49ers	7	14	7	0	3	31
Cardinals	0	3	7	18	0	28

at Sun Devil Stadium, Tempe, Arizona

Date: December 12
Game time: 2:15 p.m. MST
Game weather: 74 °F (23 °C)
Game attendance: 35,069
Referee: Bill Leavy
Box Score

Game information

First quarter

SF – Brandon Lloyd 5-yard pass from Ken Dorsey (Todd Peterson kick), 9:48. 49ers 7–0. Drive: 6 plays, 11 yards, 2:07.

Second quarter

SF – Cedrick Wilson 19-yard pass from Ken Dorsey (Todd Peterson kick), 13:36. 49ers 14–0. Drive: 11 plays, 75 yards, 6:05.
SF – Maurice Hicks 1-yard run (Todd Peterson kick), 8:19. 49ers 21–0. Drive: 6 plays, 44 yards, 3:05.
ARI – Neil Rackers 44-yard field goal, 3:15. 49ers 21–3. Drive: 12 plays, 54 yards, 5:04.

Third quarter

SF – Cedrick Wilson 27-yard pass from Ken Dorsey (Todd Peterson kick), 9:57. 49ers 28–3. Drive: 9 plays, 69 yards, 5:03.
ARI – Obafemi Ayanbadejo 4-yard run (Neil Rackers kick), 1:59. 49ers 28–10. Drive: 9 plays, 87 yards, 4:04.

Fourth quarter

ARI – Obafemi Ayanbadejo 1-yard run (Neil Rackers kick), 11:53. 49ers 28–17. Drive: 8 plays, 53 yards, 4:08.
ARI – Emmitt Smith 8-yard run (Josh McCown run), 2:40. 49ers 28–25. Drive: 6 plays, 56 yards, 1:08.
ARI – Neil Rackers 22-yard field goal, 0:59. Tied 28–28. Drive: 5 plays, 16 yards, 1:17.

Overtime

SF – Todd Peterson 31-yard field goal, 8:38. 49ers 31–28. Drive: 6 plays, 36 yards, 2:22.

Top passers

SF – Ken Dorsey – 18/34, 191 yards, 3 TD
ARI – Josh McCown – 26/44, 307 yards, INT

Top rushers

SF – Maurice Hicks – 34 rushes, 139 yards, TD
ARI – Emmitt Smith – 18 rushes, 53 yards, TD

Top receivers

SF – Cedrick Wilson – 5 receptions, 83 yards, 2 TD
ARI – Anquan Boldin – 9 receptions, 109 yards

Week 15: vs. St. Louis Rams

Week 15: St. Louis Rams at Arizona Cardinals – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Rams	0	7	0	0	7
Cardinals	10	7	7	7	31

at Sun Devil Stadium, Tempe, Arizona

Date: December 19
Game time: 2:05 p.m. MST
Game weather: 75 °F (24 °C)
Game attendance: 40,070
Referee: Mike Carey
Box Score

Game information

First quarter

ARI – Josh McCown 1-yard run (Neil Rackers kick), 5:24. Cardinals 7–0. Drive: 10 plays, 73 yards, 4:12.
ARI – Neil Rackers 48-yard field goal, 1:44. Cardinals 10–0. Drive: 8 plays, 14 yards, 3:25.

Second quarter

ARI – Larry Fitzgerald 8-yard pass from Josh McCown (Neil Rackers kick), 12:24. Cardinals 17–0. Drive: 6 plays, 45 yards, 2:46.
STL – Leonard Little 61-yard fumble return (Jeff Wilkins kick), 0:07. Cardinals 17–7.

Third quarter

ARI – Larry Fitzgerald 4-yard pass from Josh McCown (Neil Rackers kick), 7:02. Cardinals 24–7. Drive: 10 plays, 54 yards, 4:44.

Fourth quarter

ARI – Josh McCown 9-yard run (Neil Rackers kick), 10:54. Cardinals 31–7. Drive: 10 plays, 80 yards, 4:39.

Top passers

STL – Jamie Martin – 16/30, 188 yards
ARI – Josh McCown – 22/34, 287 yards, 2 TD

Top rushers

STL – Marshall Faulk – 10 rushes, 22 yards
ARI – Emmitt Smith – 19 rushes, 71 yards

Top receivers

STL – Torry Holt – 6 receptions, 95 yards
ARI – Bryant Johnson – 3 receptions, 69 yards

Week 16: at Seattle Seahawks

Week 16: Arizona Cardinals at Seattle Seahawks – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Cardinals	7	0	0	14	21
Seahawks	0	10	7	7	24

at Qwest Field, Seattle, Washington

Date: December 26
Game time: 1:15 p.m. PST/2:15 p.m. MST
Game weather: 46 °F (8 °C)
Game attendance: 65,825
Referee: Tony Corrente
TV announcers (Fox): Curt Menefee, Tim Green and Tony Ventrella
Box Score

Game information

First quarter

ARI – Anquan Boldin 31-yard pass from Josh McCown (Neil Rackers kick), 4:23. Cardinals 7–0. Drive: 4 plays, 52 yards, 1:32.

Second quarter

SEA – Shaun Alexander 1-yard run (Josh Brown kick), 4:44. Tied 7–7. Drive: 6 plays, 20 yards, 2:41.
SEA – Josh Brown 34-yard field goal, 0:00. Seahawks 10–7. Drive: 10 plays, 53 yards, 3:10.

Third quarter

SEA – Shaun Alexander 17-yard run (Josh Brown kick), 3:06. Seahawks 17–7. Drive: 4 plays, 55 yards, 2:28.

Fourth quarter

SEA – Shaun Alexander 23-yard run (Josh Brown kick), 14:50. Seahawks 24–7. Drive: 5 plays, 82 yards, 2:49.
ARI – Larry Fitzgerald 29-yard pass from Josh McCown (Neil Rackers kick), 11:32. Seahawks 24–14. Drive: 5 plays, 39 yards, 2:53.
ARI – Larry Fitzgerald 29-yard pass from Josh McCown (Neil Rackers kick), 2:30. Seahawks 24–21. Drive: 9 plays, 76 yards, 3:18.

Top passers

ARI – Josh McCown – 21/33, 248 yards, 3 TD, 2 INT
SEA – Trent Dilfer – 10/26, 128 yards, INT

Top rushers

ARI – Emmitt Smith – 23 rushes, 65 yards
SEA – Shaun Alexander – 30 rushes, 154 yards, 3 TD

Top receivers

ARI – Anquan Boldin – 7 receptions, 107 yards, TD
SEA – Darrell Jackson – 6 receptions, 101 yards

Week 17: vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Week 17: Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Arizona Cardinals – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Buccaneers	0	0	7	0	7
Cardinals	3	3	0	6	12

at Sun Devil Stadium, Tempe, Arizona

Date: January 2
Game time: 2:05 p.m. MST
Game weather: 63 °F (17 °C)
Game attendance: 31,650
Referee: Walt Anderson
Box Score

Game information

First quarter

ARI – Neil Rackers 40-yard field goal, 9:06. Cardinals 3–0. Drive: 8 plays, 47 yards, 3:15.

Second quarter

ARI – Neil Rackers 45-yard field goal, 0:03. Cardinals 6–0. Drive: 6 plays, 12 yards, 0:40.

Third quarter

TB – Michael Clayton 75-yard pass from Chris Simms (Jay Taylor kick), 1:24. Buccaneers 7–6. Drive: 1 play, 75 yards, 0:15.

Fourth quarter

ARI – Neil Rackers 39-yard field goal, 11:07. Cardinals 9–7. Drive: 10 plays, 56 yards, 5:17.
ARI – Neil Rackers 31-yard field goal, 6:12. Cardinals 12–7. Drive: 4 plays, 1 yard, 1:43.

Top passers

TB – Chris Simms – 16/32, 224 yards, TD, 2 INT
ARI – Josh McCown – 16/36, 115 yards, INT

Top rushers

TB – Michael Pittman – 16 rushes, 50 yards
ARI – Emmitt Smith – 23 rushes, 69 yards

Top receivers

TB – Michael Clayton – 2 receptions, 86 yards, TD
ARI – Larry Fitzgerald – 3 receptions, 36 yards

Standings

NFC West
view talk edit	W	L	T	PCT	DIV	CONF	PF	PA	STK
⁽⁴⁾ Seattle Seahawks	9	7	0	.563	3–3	8–4	371	373	W2
⁽⁵⁾ St. Louis Rams	8	8	0	.500	5–1	7–5	319	392	W2
Arizona Cardinals	6	10	0	.375	2–4	5–7	284	322	W1
San Francisco 49ers	2	14	0	.125	2–4	2–10	259	452	L3

NFC^[2] view talk edit
#	Team	Division	W	L	T	PCT	DIV	CONF	SOS	SOV	STK
Division leaders
1	Philadelphia Eagles	East	13	3	0	.813	6–0	11–1	.453	.409	L2
2	Atlanta Falcons	South	11	5	0	.688	4–2	8–4	.420	.432	L2
3	Green Bay Packers	North	10	6	0	.625	5–1	9–3	.457	.419	W2
4	Seattle Seahawks	West	9	7	0	.563	3–3	8–4	.445	.368	W2
Wild cards
5^[a]	St. Louis Rams	West	8	8	0	.500	5–1	7–5	.488	.438	W2
6^[a]^[b]	Minnesota Vikings	North	8	8	0	.500	3–3	5–7	.480	.406	L2
Did not qualify for the postseason
7^[a]^[b]	New Orleans Saints	South	8	8	0	.500	3–3	6–6	.465	.427	W4
8	Carolina Panthers	South	7	9	0	.438	3–3	6–6	.496	.366	L1
9^[c]	Detroit Lions	North	6	10	0	.375	2–4	5–7	.496	.417	L2
10^[c]	Arizona Cardinals	West	6	10	0	.375	2–4	5–7	.461	.417	W1
11^[c]^[d]	New York Giants	East	6	10	0	.375	3–3	5–7	.516	.417	W1
12^[c]^[d]^[e]	Dallas Cowboys	East	6	10	0	.375	2–4	5–7	.516	.375	L1
13^[c]^[d]^[e]	Washington Redskins	East	6	10	0	.375	1–5	6–6	.477	.333	W1
14^[f]	Tampa Bay Buccaneers	South	5	11	0	.313	2–4	4–8	.477	.413	L4
15^[f]	Chicago Bears	North	5	11	0	.313	2–4	4–8	.465	.388	L4
16	San Francisco 49ers	West	2	14	0	.125	2–4	2–10	.488	.375	L3
Tiebreakers^[g]
^ ^a ^b ^c St. Louis clinched the NFC #5 seed instead of Minnesota or New Orleans based on better conference record (7–5 to Minnesota’s 5–7 to New Orleans’ 6–6). ^ ^a ^b Minnesota clinched the NFC #6 seed instead of New Orleans based on head-to-head victory. ^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e Detroit finished ahead of Arizona and New York Giants based upon head-to-head record (2–0 versus Arizona’s 1–1 and New York Giants’ 0–2). Division tiebreak was initially used to eliminate Dallas and Washington. ^ ^a ^b ^c New York Giants finished ahead of Dallas and Washington in the NFC East based on better head-to-head record (3–1 to Dallas‘ 2–2 to Washington’s 1–3). ^ ^a ^b Dallas finished ahead of Washington in the NFC East based on head-to-head sweep. ^ ^a ^b Tampa Bay finished ahead of Chicago based upon head-to-head victory. ^ When breaking ties for three or more teams under the NFL's rules, they are first broken within divisions, then comparing only the highest-ranked remaining team from each division.

References

^ "2004 Arizona Cardinals Draftees".
^ "2004 Conference Standings". NFL.com. Retrieved April 6, 2024.

[8–8a-3] St. Louis clinched the NFC #5 seed instead of Minnesota or New Orleans based on better conference record (7–5 to Minnesota’s 5–7 to New Orleans’ 6–6).

[8–8b-4] Minnesota clinched the NFC #6 seed instead of New Orleans based on head-to-head victory.

[6–10a-5] Detroit finished ahead of Arizona and New York Giants based upon head-to-head record (2–0 versus Arizona’s 1–1 and New York Giants’ 0–2). Division tiebreak was initially used to eliminate Dallas and Washington.

[6–10b-6] New York Giants finished ahead of Dallas and Washington in the NFC East based on better head-to-head record (3–1 to Dallas‘ 2–2 to Washington’s 1–3).

[6–10c-7] Dallas finished ahead of Washington in the NFC East based on head-to-head sweep.

[5–11-8] Tampa Bay finished ahead of Chicago based upon head-to-head victory.

[9] When breaking ties for three or more teams under the NFL's rules, they are first broken within divisions, then comparing only the highest-ranked remaining team from each division.

[1] "2004 Arizona Cardinals Draftees".

[standings-conf-NFL-2] "2004 Conference Standings". NFL.com. Retrieved April 6, 2024.

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