PATRIOTS VS . C ARDINALS SERIES HISTORY PATRIOTS VS. NFC The Patriots and Cardinals will meet for the 12th The Patriots have been successful against NFC teams in recent time and for the first time at Gillette Stadium. seasons, compiling a 30-5 (.857) record against the conference After a 1-6 series start against Arizona, New since 2001, including a 3-1 record in Super Bowls. The Patriots England has won the last four meetings to have won 14 straight regular-season games over NFC teams bring its record against the Cardinals to 5-6. dating back to 2005. New England has not lost a regular-season In their last meeting, the Patriots claimed a game to an NFC team since Sept. 18, 2005, falling on the road 23-12 victory at Sun Devil Stadium on Sept. to the Carolina Panthers, 27-17. The Patriots are 3-0 against 19, 2004. The Patriots have only faced the NFC competition this season, defeating the San Francisco 49ers Cardinals once during Bill Belichick’s tenure as head 30-21 on Oct. 5, beating the St. Louis Rams 23-16 on Oct. 26 coach (2000-present). The Patriots have faced and defeating the Seattle Seahawks 24-21 on Dec. 7. the other 30 NFL teams at least twice. Of the 11 previous meetings in the series, only three TALE OF THE TAPE have been in played in Foxborough. The last 2008 Regular Season New England Arizona time the Cardinals traveled to Foxborough was Record 9-5 8-6 on Sept. 15, 1996 when the Patriots shut out Divisional Standings T-1st 1st the Cardinals by a 31-0 score. Total Yards Gained 5,092 5,209 Cardinals 6, Patriots 5 Total Offense (Rank) 363.7 (6) 372.1 (4) Date Result Score H/A Stadium Rush Offense 137.6 (7) 73.1 (32) 11/08/70 L 0-31 A Busch Stadium Pass Offense 226.1 (11) 299.0 (2) 11/02/75 L 17-24 A Busch Stadium Points Per Game 25.0 (8) 27.6 (2) 09/10/78 W 16-6 A Busch Stadium Touchdowns Scored 37 46 11/29/81 L 20-27 H Schaefer Stadium Third Down Conversion Pct. 43.9 42.8 12/02/84 L 10-33 H Sullivan Stadium Total Yards Allowed 4,482 4,460 11/25/90 L 14-34 A Sun Devil Stadium Total Defense (Rank) 320.1 (16) 318.6 (14) 09/29/91 L 10-24 A Sun Devil Stadium Rush Defense 108.4 (15) 106.7 (14) 10/10/93 W 23-21 A Sun Devil Stadium Pass Defense 211.8 (15) 211.9 (16) 09/15/96 W 31-0 H Foxboro Stadium Points Allowed/Game 21.6 (T-14) 25.6 (T-27) 10/31/99 W 27-3 A Sun Devil Stadium Touchdowns Allowed 36 44 09/19/04 W 23-12 A Sun Devil Stadium Third Down Defense (Pct.) 45.1 45.5 Note: Franchise located in St. Louis from 1960-87. Named Phoenix Cardinals from 1988-94. Field Goals Made/Attempted 30/33 23/26 SERIES BREAKDOWN Possession Avg. 31:43 30:56 Arizona 6, New England 5 Sacks Allowed/Yards Lost 45/204 24/175 Home Record ......................................................................1-2 Sacks Made/Yards 26/200 29/172 Schaefer Stadium..............................................................0-1 Interceptions For/Against 13/11 11/13 Sullivan Stadium ...............................................................0-1 Penalties Against/Yards 48/426 94/661 Foxboro Stadium...............................................................1-0 Punts/Avg. 43/43.4 49/42.2 Away Record.......................................................................4-4 Turnover Differential -2 +1 Busch Stadium..................................................................1-2 Sun Devil Stadium.............................................................3-2 PASSING PERFORMANCES Bill Belichick vs. Arizona........................ 2-0 (1-0 with New England) Patriots quarterback Matt Cassel has never played against the Ken Whisenhunt vs. New England ................................ first meeting Cardinals. Cardinals quarterback Kurt Warner has played against the Patriots twice, both times during the 2001 season when he THE LAST MEETING was member of the Rams. Warner first faced the Patriots in PATRIOTS 23, CARDINALS 12 week 10 of the 2001 regular season when the Rams left Foxboro September 19, 2004 U Sun Devil Stadium (Att: 51,577) Stadium with a 24-17 victory. Warner saw the Patriots again at 1 2 3 4 Final the end of the 2001 season in Super Bowl XXXVI when the New England Patriots 7 7 3 6 — 23 Patriots won 20-17 to capture their first Super Bowl Arizona Cardinals 0 6 6 0 — 12 championship. The New England Patriots notched their second straight Kurt Warner vs. Patriots (1-1 as starter) victory to open the 2004 season with a 23-12 win over the Date A C Yd % TD I Rating W/L Score Arizona Cardinals at Sun Devil Stadium in Tempe, Ariz. The 11/18/01 42 30 401 .714 3 2 105.4 W 24-17 02/03/02* 44 28 365 .636 1 2 78.3 L 17-20 Patriots recorded their 17th consecutive win (including playoffs), Totals 86 58 766 .674 4 4 91.5 1-1 just one victory short of the then-NFL record of 18 straight wins. *-Super Bowl XXXVI (New Orleans, La.) In a hard-fought defensive battle, the Patriots recorded five sacks in the first half and held the Cardinals to just 50 yards IT’S BEEN A WHILE rushing on the day. Linebacker Willie McGinest and safety The Arizona Cardinals will make their first appearance in Rodney Harrison recorded two sacks each. Defensive back Foxborough since Sept. 15, 1996. The 12-year gap between Eugene Wilson registered two interceptions on the day, each games in Foxborough is the second longest of any Patriots kick-starting a Patriots scoring drive. opponent. Carolina has the longest streak without playing in On the offensive side of the ball, running back Corey Dillon New England – a 13-year hiatus that will end next season. broke the 100-yard mark for the 29th time in his NFL career, LONGEST TIME SINCE APPEARING IN FOXBOROUGH rushing for 158 yards on 32 carries, the highest number of (Includes regular season and playoff games) carries for a Patriots rusher in over seven years. David Givens Team Last Meeting Next Meeting led the Patriots’ aerial attack, snagging six catches for a career- Carolina Panthers.................. 10/29/95 ................2009 Season high 118 yards. Tight end Daniel Graham was on the receiving Arizona Cardinals.............. 9/15/96 ............... 2008 Season end of two touchdown tosses from Tom Brady. Atlanta Falcons ..................... 11/08/98 ................2009 Season Green Bay Packers ................ 10/13/02 ................None Scheduled 2008 N EW ENGLAND PATRIOTS PATRIOTS VS . C ARDINALS UNFAMILIAR TERRITORY CONNECTIONS The Patriots have played just three regular-season home games Z!Patriots quarterback Matt Cassel served as Cardinals against the Cardinals and have not hosted Arizona since 1996. quarterback Matt Leinart ’s backup at the University of The three games make the Cardinals tied as the least-frequent Southern California from 2003-04. visitor to New England of any non-expansion team. Only Z!Cardinals special teams coach Kevin Spencer served as a Baltimore (2 trips since entering the NFL in 1996), Carolina (1 coaching assistant for the Cleveland Browns from 1991-94 trip since entering the NFL in 1995) and Houston (1 trip since when Bill Belichick was the Brown’s head coach. entering the NFL in 2002) have appeared in New England fewer Z!Cardinals offensive coordinator Todd Haley served as the times than the Cardinals. New York Jets Offensive assistant/wide receivers coach from 1997-99 when Bill Belichick served as the Jets assistant PATRIOTS’ LEAST FREQUENT HOME OPPONENTS head/secondary coach. (Includes regular-season and playoff games) Z!Cardinals running back coach Maurice Carthon began his Team Games Entered NFL* coaching career with the Patriots in 1994. Carthon went on to Houston Texans.......................................... 1 .......................... 2002 Carolina Panthers........................................ 1 .......................... 1995 be the Patriots’ running backs coach from 1995-96. Z! Baltimore Ravens ........................................ 2 .......................... 1996 Patriots wide receiver Randy Moss (Marshall-1997) and Arizona/Phoenix/St. Louis Cardinals .... 3 ........................ 1920 Cardinals wide reciever Larry Fitzgerald (Pittsburgh-2003) Chicago Bears............................................. 3 .......................... 1920 are two of only three only sophomores to ever win the Fred *-The Patriots entered the AFL in 1960 and began playing NFL teams in 1970 following the AFL-NFL Biletnikoff Award, which goes to top college football receiver. , merger. Buccaneers wide receiver Antonio Bryant also won as a FIRST TIME VISITORS sophomore (Pittsburgh-2000) The Cardinals will make their first regular-season appearance at Z!Cardinals running back coach Maurice Carthon worked with Gillette Stadium, becoming the 29th different opponent to travel Patriots head coach Bill Belichick from 1996-99. In 96, the to the Patriots’ state-of-the-art facility for a regular-season or two worked on the Patriots coaching staff as Carthon was playoff game. New England holds an all-time record of 24-4 the running backs coach and Belichick served as assistant against first-time visitors to Gillette Stadium and has won 20 of head/ secondary coach. From 1997-99 each were assistant its last 21 games against teams making their inaugural head coaches on the Jets. appearance there. Following this week’s game, only two clubs Z!Maurice Carthon was a fullback for the New York Giants will have not yet appeared at Gillette Stadium for a regular- from 1985-90 when Belichick served as the Giants assistant season or playoff game (Atlanta and Carolina). head/secondary coach. Cardinals quarterbacks coach Jeff Rutledge was on the Giants from 1982-89. FIRST-TIME VISITORS TO GILLETTE STADIUM (24-4) Z!Cardinals wide receiver Sean Morey grew up in Marshfield, (Regular-season and playoff games) Mass., and attended Brown University.