WEEK 1 GAME RELEASE #AZvsTEN Mark Dal ton - Sr. Vice Presid ent, Med ia Rel ations Ch ris Mel vin - Sr. Director, Med ia Rel ations Mike Hel m - Sr. Manag er, Med ia Rel ations Chase Russell - Manager, Corporate Communications Imani Suber - Media Relations Coordinator ARIZONA CARDINALS VS. TENNESSEE TITANS Nissan Stadium | September 12, 2021 | 10:00 AM
THIS WEEK’S PREVIEW ARIZONA CARDINALS - 2021 SCHEDULE The Cardinals begin Regular Season the 2021 campaign Date Opponent Loca on AZ Time with a rare Week 1 Sep. 12 @ Tennessee Nissan Stadium 10:00 AM road game against an Sep. 19 MINNESOTA State Farm Stadium 1:05 PM AFC opponent. Sep. 26 @ Jacksonville TIAA Bank Field 10:00 AM Arizona's trip to Ten- Oct. 3 @ L.A. Rams SoFi Stadium 1:05 PM nessee this week marks the team's fi rst Week 1 road game against an AFC op- Oct. 10 SAN FRANCISCO* State Farm Stadium 1:25 PM ponent in 24 years (1997 @ Cincinna ). It also marks just the second me in the Oct. 17 @ Cleveland* FirstEnergy Stadium 1:05 PM last 16 years (2006-21) the Cardinals opened a season playing on the road against a non-division opponent (2017 @ Detroit). Oct. 24 HOUSTON* State Farm Stadium 1:25 PM Oct. 28 GREEN BAY# State Farm Stadium 5:20 PM Sunday's opener will mark the 12th mee ng in the series between Arizona and Nov. 7 @ San Francisco* Levi's Stadium 2:25 PM Tennessee, which dates back to 1970 when the Cardinals were based in St. Nov. 14 CAROLINA* State Farm Stadium 2:05 PM Louis and the Titans were known as the Houston Oilers. Nov. 21 @ Sea le* Lumen Field 2:25 PM Arizona enters this week's game holding a 7-4 advantage in the all- me series, -BYE- having won two straight and three of the last four contests. Of the Cardinals Dec. 5 @ Chicago* Soldier Field 11:00 AM seven wins in the series, four have come on the road. Dec. 13 L.A. RAMS+ State Farm Stadium 6:15 PM A er falling just one win shy of a playoff berth in 2020, the Cardinals begin Dec. 19 @ Detroit* Ford Field 11:00 AM their 2021 campaign against a Titans team coming off back-to-back seasons in Dec. 25 INDIANAPOLIS^ State Farm Stadium 6:15 PM which they earned a spot in the postseason. Although Arizona and Tennessee Jan. 2 @ Dallas* AT&T Stadium 11:00 AM are infrequent opponents, two of the Cardinals biggest names - WR DeAndre Jan. 9 SEATTLE* State Farm Stadium 2:25 PM Hopkins and DL J.J. Wa - have long rivalries with the Titans da ng back to their me in Houston. Hopkins faced the Titans 13 mes in his seven seasons + ESPN (2013-19) with the Texans while Wa played against them 15 mes in 10 sea- # FOX/NFL Network Thursday Night Football sons (2011-20). ^ NFL Network Sunday's game will be the debut of the Cardinals pass-rushing duo of Wa * Subject to fl exible scheduling decisions and LB Chandler Jones, who have combined for 198.0 sacks and 451 QB hits. The duo leads an Arizona defense that blends veteran All-Pros (Wa , Jones, S Budda Baker) with a host of young talent including the linebacker tandem of Isaiah Simmons and Zaven Collins - the Cardinals most recent two fi rst round picks. Collins, taken #16 overall in the 2021 NFL Dra , makes his NFL debut on THIS WEEK'S HIG HLIG HTS Sunday alongside fellow rookie defender CB Marco Wilson (4th round in 2021). On off ense, the Cardinals have past Pro Bowl slec ons in nearly every po- The 2021 regular season begins this week as the Cardinals face the Titans at si on group, including at WR (Hopkins and A.J. Green), QB (Kyler Murray), Nissan Stadium in Nashville on Sunday. This marks Arizona's fi rst Week 1 road OL (Rodney Hudson) and RB (James Conner). Added to that mix is dynamic game against an AFC opponent in 24 years (1997 @ Cincinna ). rookie WR Rondale Moore, Arizona's second round pick who is also set to Arizona travels to Tennessee this week looking to improve to 8-4 all- me vs. make his NFL debut in Tennessee. the Titans and 5-2 on the road in the series. Sunday's game marks just the 12th all- me matchup between the Cardinals GAME RELEASE INDEX and Titans. However, two of the Cardinals biggest names have signifi cantly more experience vs. Tennessee. DL J.J. Wa will be playing his 16th game vs. th Page Contents the Titans and WR DeAndre Hopkins will be playing his 14 . 2-3 Cardinals-Titans Matchup Notes Wa has been nearly unstoppable vs. the Titans. In 15 games vs. his 4 By The Numbers / What To Look For / NFL Schedule in Week 1 former divisional rival, he has 64 tackles, 18.0 sacks, 25 tackles for loss, 5 New Faces in 2021 / Wa & Jones Pairing 38 QB hits, 9 forced fumbles, 2 fumble recoveries and 9 passes defensed. 6 New Jersey #s / Schedule Notes / NFL Top 100 When they take the fi eld together on Sunday, Hopkins (10,009) and A.J. 7 2021 Dra Class Breakdown / Stadium Info Green (9,430) will become just the eighth WR duo in NFL history – and fi rst 8 Cardinals Leadership / Michael Bidwill / Steve Keim since Andre Johnson and Derrick Mason with Houston in 2011 – to enter a 9 2020 Season Highlights season each having 9,000+ career receiving yards. 10-11 Kyler Murray Highlights 12-13 DeAndre Hopkins Highlights LB Chandler Jones has 4.0 sacks in three career games against the Titans. 14 A.J. Green Highlights He has at least one sack in all three games, including one in Week 1 of the 2012 season at Tennessee in his NFL debut. 15 Chase Edmonds / James Conner / Chris an Kirk / O-Line 16-17 J.J. Wa Highlights Jones has at least one sack in all fi ve season-openers he has played with 18 Chandler Jones Highlights the Cardinals. 19 Budda Baker / Robert Alford / Simmons & Collins at LB Cardinals RB Chase Edmonds (5) and Titans RB Derrick Henry (7) are the 20 Special Teams Highlights / Prater / Lee / Gardeck only two RBs in the NFL with at least fi ve TD runs of 20+ yards over the last 21-32 2020 Stats / 2021 Preseason Stats / Rosters / Depth Chart two seasons (2019-20). BROADCAST INFORMATION Television: CBS / Play-By-Play: Tom McCarthy Analyst: Aaron Taylor Cardinals Radio: Arizona Sports 98.7 FM / Play-By-Play: Dave Pasch Analyst: Ron Wolfl ey Sideline: Paul Calvisi Cardinals Spanish Radio: KQMR 100.3 FM / Play-By-Play: Luis Hernandez Analyst: Rolando Cantu
1 CARDINALS-TITANS CONNECTIONS CARDINALS-TITANS ALL-TIME SERIES
TITANS CONNECTIONS The Cardinals and the Titans meet this week for the Cardinals DBs coach Marcus Robertson played S for the Titans from 1991- 12th me in the history of the series, which dates back 00 a er beging selected by the franchise in the fourth round (102nd overall) to 1970 when the Cardinals were based in St. Louis of the 1991 NFL Dra . He played 135 games (117 starts) adn posted 24 INTs and the Titans were known as the Houston Oilers. while twice earning All-Pro honors (1993, '97). He returned to the team to coach the secondary from 2007-11. Arizona enters this week's game holding a 7-4 advan- tage in the all- me series, having won two straight and Cardinals WRs coach Shawn Jeff erson held the same post in Tennessee three of the last four contests. Of the Cardinals seven from 2013-15. wins in the series, four have come on the road. That Cardinals Asst. O-line coach Brian Natkin played TE for the Titans during the includes Arizona's last visit to Tennessee in 2013 when 2001 season, appearing in three games. the Cardinals defeated the Titans 37-34 in an over me thriller. The last me the teams met - in Week 14 of the 2017 season at State Farm CARDINALS CONNECTIONS Stadium - the Cardinals earned a 12-7 victory. That con nued a trend of close Titans WRs coach Rob Moore spent the fi nal seven seasons (1995-01) of his games when these two teams meet. The last three games were decided by a played career with the Cardinals and earned 1 team All-Pro honors in 1997 combined 11 points and none were decided by more than fi ve points. when he led the NFL with 1,584 receiving yards. Sunday's season-opener marks just the sixth mee ng between the two Titans S Ma hias Farley originally signed with Arizona as an undra ed rook- teams da ng back to 1997. It also represents just the Cardinals third-ever ie free agent in 2016. regular season visit to Nashville. Titans C Daniel Munyer played for the Cardinals from 2016-18. CARDS-TITANS REGULAR SEASON SERIES Overall Regular Season Series: 7-4 TENNESSEE CONNECTIONS Cardinals on the road at Tennessee: 4-2 Area Scout Alfonza Knight is a Nashville na ve and played ball collegiately at Se- wanee (TN): The University of the South. First Mee ng: 11/1/70 vs. Houston, W, 44-0 Last Mee ng: 12/10/17 vs. Tennessee, W, 12-7 Cardinals Area Scout Keegan Leyrer is a Nashville na ve and a ended the Univer- Last Cardinals Road Win: 12/15/13 at Tennessee, W, 37-34 (OT) sity of Tennessee. ARIZONA CONNECTIONS 2020 SEASON STATISTICS AND RANKINGS Titans OT Taylor Lewan is a na ve of Cave Creek, AZ. He a ended Chapar- ral (Sco sdale) High School as a senior (2009) a er spending three years at Cactus Shadows (Phoenix) High School. As a senior, started every game StStatistiatisticc AZ Rank TEN Rank and helped lead his team to the 2008 Class 4A-I State Championship Game. Points Scored/Game 25.6 13 30.7 4 Lewan was a SuperPrep All-American and earned the Frank Kush Award as Points Allowed/Game 22.9 12 27.4 24 the state of Arizona's top interior off ensive lineman. Yards/Play 5.68 14 6.15 4 Yards/Play Allowed 5.34 8 5.92 25 Titans DB Dane Cruikshank played two seasons (2016-17) at the University TDs Scored 49 13 62 2 of Arizona, star ng all 25 games played. TDs Allowed 42 t-10 55 t-27 Titans RBs coach Tony Dews coached WRs at the University of Arizona from Rushing TDs 22 4 26 2 2012-16. Passing TDs 27 t-13 33 t-8 Titans TE Tommy Hudson a ended Arizona State, where he appeared in Return TDs 0 t-29 3 t-8 four games between 2016-19. Rushing TDs Allowed 13 t-7 18 t-22 Passing TDs Allowed 26 14 36 31 PRO/COLLEGE CONNECTIONS Return TDs Allowed 3 t-17 1 t-5 Cardinals head coach Kliff Kingsbury and Titans head coach Mike Vrabel were Sacked/Yards Lost 29/186 t-11 25/173 t-6 teammates with the Patriots in 2003. Fumbles/Lost 22/8 t-15 15/5 t-2 Field Goals Made 23/30 t-21 20/28 27 Titans ILBs coach Jim Hasle served as the Saints head coach in 2004 while Total Yards/Game 384.6 6 396.4 t-2 Kingsbury was on the New Orleans prac ce squad. Opp. Total Yards/Game 351.9 13 398.3 28 Titans General Manager Jon Robinson was serving as a scout with the Patriots Rushing Yards/Game 139.8 7 168.1 2 during Kingsbury's season in New England. Opp. Rushing Yards/Game 125.5 22 120.8 19 Cardinals CB Robert Alford (2013-18), Titans WR Julio Jones (2011-20) and OT Passing Yards/Game 244.8 17 228.3 23 Ty Sambrailo (2017-19) played together with the Falcons. Opp. Passing Yards/Game 226.4 10 277.4 29 Turnover Ratio Even t-17 +11 1 Titans T Kendall Lamm (2015-18), OL David Quessenberry (2013-18), Cardi- Average Time of Possession 28:46 25 28:28 27 nals WR DeAndre Hopkins (2013-19) and DL J.J. Wa (2011-20) played to- gether in Houston. Cardinals RB James Conner (2017-20), Titans LB Ola Adeniyi (2020) and LB HEAD COACHES Bud Dupree (2015-20) played together in Pi sburgh. Titans CB Elijah Molden (2017-20) played alongside Cardinals CB Byron Murphy Kli ff Kingsbury Mike Vrabel Jr. (2016-18) and LB Ezekiel Turner (2015-17) at the University of Washington. 113-18-13-18-1 OOvveerallrall RRecordecord 331-21-01-21-0 Cardinals WR Chris an Kirk (2015-17) and Titans WR Josh Reynolds (2014- 113-18-13-18-1 RRegularegular SSeasoneason RRecordecord 29-19-029-19-0 16) played alongside one another at Texas A&M. 0-00-0 PPlayolayoff RecordRecord 2-22-2 Titans LB Rashaan Evans (2014-17), RB Derrick Henry (2013-15) and Cardinals 3rrdd YYearsears aass NNFLFL HHeadead CCoachoach 4tthh S Deionte Thompson (2015-18) played together at Alabama. During this me, 3rrdd YearsYears wwithith TeamTeam 4tthh the school claimed the 2015 and 2017 BCS Na onal Championships. Cardinals WR Antoine Wesley (2016-18) and Titans WR Cameron Batson Kliff Kingsbury became an NFL head coach for the fi rst me when he (2014-17) played together on Cardinals Head Coach Kliff Kingsbury’s (2013- was hired by the Cardinals on January 11, 2019, coming to Arizona a er 18) Texas Tech teams. spending the previous six seasons (2013-18) as the head coach at his alma mater, Texas Tech. In his fi rst two seasons with the Cardinals, Kingsbury Cardinals OL Kelvin Beachum (2017-19), OL Brian Winters (2013-19), Titans S helped lead a turnaround that resulted in a two-win improvement follow- Ma hias Farley (2019-20) and K Sam Ficken (2019-20) played together with ing his fi rst year in 2019 and a three-win improvement a er his second the Jets. season in 2020. Arizona went from the NFL’s 32nd ranked off ense in 2018 Titans CB Jackrabbit Jenkins (2016-19) played alongside Cardinals LB Markus to 16th in 2019 and then to 6th in 2020. A former star QB at Texas Tech, Golden (2019-20), LB Devon Kennard (2014-17) and OL Jus n Pugh (2013- Kingsbury was dra ed by the Patriots in the sixth round of the 2003 NFL 17) with the Giants. Dra . th Titans WR Marcus Johnson (2016-17) and LB Jordan Hicks (2015-18) played The Titans named Mike Vrabel the 19 head coach in franchise history on together in Philadelphia. January 20, 2018. He enters the 2021 season - his fourth in Tennessee - with a 29-19 record during the regular season and Vrabel has led the team Cardinals DT Rashard Lawrence (2016-20) and Titans CB Kris an Fulton (2016- to the postseason in each of the last two seasons. Including postseason, 20) played together at LSU and won the 2020 BCS Na onal Championship. Vrabel's 31 wins ed for the most in franchise history for a head coach in Titans S Bradley McDougald (2017-19) and Cardinals TE Darrell Daniels (2018) his fi rst three seasons. The Titans are coming off a 2020 campaign in which played together in Sea le. they posted an 11-5 record and earned their fi rst AFC South tle since 2008. In 2019 the Titans made their fi rst appearance in the AFC Champion- Titans OT Ty Sambrailo (2015-16) played alongside LS Aaron Brewer (2012-15) ship Game since 2002. A former All-American defensive lineman at Ohio and OL Max Garcia (2015-18) in Denver. State, Vrabel played 14 seasons in the NFL and was part of three Super Bowl Championship squads. 2 18 SACKS AND COUNTING VS. TENNESSEE H O P'S BIG NUMBERS VS. THE TITANS
A er 10 seasons of ba ling Tennessee during his me with the Texans in the WR DeAndre Hopkins faced the Titans 13 mes during his seven seasons AFC South, the Titans become the fi rst team DL J.J. Wa will face as a member (2013-19) with the Texans. In those contests, he totaled 83 recep ons for 1,313 of the Cardinals. yards and seven TDs. His 83 recep ons and 1,313 receiving yards are more than Wa has put up remarkable numbers he has against any other opponent in his career. His seven TD catches are ed against Tennessee. In 15 games vs. his for- (Chiefs) for the most against any opponent. mer divisional rival, the All-Pro totaled 64 Hopkins has four 100-yard receiving performances in his last six games against tackles, 18.0 sacks, 25 tackles for loss, 38 the Titans, and his seven-career 100-yard ou ngs against Tennessee rank third QB hits, 9 forced fumbles, 2 fumble recover- by an ac ve player against a single opponent – Julio Jones (9 vs. Tampa Bay) and ies and 9 passes defensed. T. Y. Hilton (8 vs. Houston). His sack, tackle for loss, QB hits and forced His 238 yards vs. Tennessee in 2014 remain a career single-game high. Hopkins fumble totals against the Titans are more has four 100-yard performances at Nissan Stadium, including in each of his last than he has against any other opponent in two visits to the venue: 2019 (119) and his career. Since individual sacks became an 2018 (110). o cial sta s c in 1982, no player has more sacks vs. the Titans than Wa . ffi Hopkins 100-Yard Performances vs. Titans NFL History – Career Sacks vs. Tennessee Yards Date Rec TD Rnk Player (Years) Sacks Gms 238 11/30/14 vs. Ten 9 2 1 J.J. Wa (2011-) 18.0 15 123 1/1/17 @ Ten 7 0 2 Dwight Freeney (2002-17) 13.0 21 119 12/15/19 @ Ten 6 0 3 Bruce Smith (1985-03) 12.0 11 117 12/27/15 @ Ten 7 1 4 Clay Ma hews (1978-96) 11.5 22 117 9/15/13 vs. Ten 7 1 5 Keith Willis (1982-93) 11.0 17 Among ac ve players, only Cameron Jordan (21.0 vs. Atlanta) has more sacks vs. a single opponent. CARDINALS VS. TITANS CHEAT SHEET NFL History – Sacks vs. Single Opponent (Ac ve Players) Rnk Player (Team) Sacks Opponent Gms The last three games in the series 1 Cameron Jordan (NO) 21.0 Falcons 20 were decided by a combined 11 2 J.J. Wa (AZ) 18.0 Titans 15 points (3, 3 & 5 points). 3 J.J. Wa (AZ) 17.0 Jaguars 16 4t Von Miller (Den) 16.0 Chargers 19 The last two mes the Cardinals 4t Everson Griff en (Min) 16.0 Lions 19 played against the AFC South (2013, 2017) the team posted a combined Wa has mul ple sacks (1.5 or more) in seven of the 15 games he has played 7-1 record. vs. the Titans. He joins Cameron Jordan as the only ac ve players in the NFL with at least seven mul -sack games vs. a single opponent. The 2021 campaign will mark just the second me (2017 @ Detroit) in Ac ve NFL Leaders - Mult-Sack Games vs. Single Opponent the last 16 years (2006-21) the Cardi- Rnk Player (Team) Gms Opponent nals opened a season playing on the 1t J.J. Wa (AZ) 7 Titans road against a non-division opponent. 1t Cameron Jordan (NO) 7 Falcons 3t J.J. Wa (AZ) 6 Jaguars It will mark the fi rst me since 1997 (@ Cincinna ) the Cardinals opened a 3t Jus n Houston (Bal) 6 Broncos season on the road against an AFC opponent. 5t 10 diff erent players 4 - This will mark the second consecu ve year the Cardinals opened a season Wa 's Career Mul -Sack Games vs. Titans against a team that won 11+ games and made the playoff s the previous season. Sacks Date In 2020, Arizona began the season with a Week 1 victory over the defending 2.5 11/1/15 vs. Ten NFC Champion 49ers in San Francisco. 2.0 11/30/14 vs. Ten Cardinals RB Chase Edmonds (5) and Titans RB Derrick Henry (7) are the only 2.0 10/26/14 @ Ten two RBs in the NFL with at least fi ve TD runs of 20+ yards over the last two 2.0 9/15/13 vs. Ten seasons (2019-20). 2.0 12/2/12 @ Ten 2.0 9/30/12 vs. Ten Cardinals LB Chandler Jones has 4.0 sacks in three career games against the 1.5 11/26/18 vs. Ten Titans. He has at least one sack in all three games, including one in Week 1 of the 2012 season at Tennessee in his NFL debut. Wa 's 9 forced fumbles and 25 tackles for loss vs. Tennessee both represent the highest total for any ac ve player vs. a single opponent. Forced Fumbles vs. Single Opponent (Ac ve Players) C ARDINALS - BEST O F WEEK 1 Rnk Player (Team) FF Opponent Gms 1 J.J. Wa (AZ) 9 Titans 15 2 Ryan Kerrigan (Phi) 6 Eagles 19 Below is a look at Cardinals single-game records for the season opener: 3t Melvin Ingram (Pit) 5 Raiders 15 3t Whitney Mercilus (Hou) 5 Jaguars 15 Rushing 3t Von Miller (Den) 5 Raiders 16 100-yard games: 9 Last 100-yard game: 9/7/08 @ SF, Edgerrin James (100) Tackles for Loss vs. Single Opponent (Ac ve Players) Most yards: 193, O s Anderson, 9/2/79 vs. Dal Rnk Player (Team) TFL Opponent Gms Longest run: 76, O s Anderson, 9/2/79 vs. Dal (TD) 1t J.J. Wa (AZ) 25 Titans 15 Rushing TDs: 2 (7X), last Wayne Morris, 9/7/80 vs. NYG 1t J.J. Wa (AZ) 25 Colts 15 3 Cameron Jordan (NO) 23 Falcons 20 Receiving 4 Lavonte David (TB) 21 Falcons 17 100-yard games: 22 5 Aaron Donald (LAR) 20 Seahawks 14 Last 100-yard game: 151, DeAndre Hopkins, 9/13/20 @ SF Most yards: 217, Anquan Boldin, 9/7/03 @ Det Longest rec.: 85, Woodley Lewis, 9/27/59 vs. Was (TD) AN ALL-TIME TRIO O F REC EIVERS Receiving TDs: 3, Sonny Randle, 9/23/60 @ LA Rams Recep ons: 14, DeAndre Hopkins, 9/13/20 @ SF Three of the NFL's top-5 ac ve receiving leaders will Passing share the fi eld Sunday when the Cardinals visit the 300-yard games: 11 Titans. Last 300-yard game: 308, Kyler Murray, 9/8/19 vs. Det Most yards: 383, Charley Johnson, 9/19/65 @ Phi The league's leading receiver among ac ve players, Julio Jones (12,896 receiving yards), will make his Ten- Passing TDs: 4, John Roach, 9/23/60 @ LA Rams nessee debut, while DeAndre Hokpins (10,009) and Kickoff Return TD A.J. Green (9,430) – who rank 4th and 5th respec vely 1, two mes, last Les Goble, 94 yards, 9/26/54 vs. NYG – will line up together for the fi rst me as teammates. Punt Return TD NFL Leaders – Receiving Yards (Ac ve Players) 1, two mes, last Patrick Peterson, 89 yards, 9/11/11 vs. Car Rnk Player (Rookie Year) Yards Gms Yds/G 1 Julio Jones (2011) 12,896 135 95.5 Intercep ons 2 Antonio Brown (2010) 11,746 139 84.5 2, three mes, last Adrian Wilson, 9/12/10 @ StL Rams 3 DeSean Jackson (2008) 10,656 160 66.6 Intercep on Return TD 4 DeAndre Hopkins (2013) 10,009 126 79.4 1, fi ve mes, last Jus n Bethel, 82 yards, 9/10/17 @ Det 5 A.J. Green (2011) 9,430 127 74.3 3 BY THE NU MBERS WHAT TO LOOK FOR IN THE OPENER
11 WITH A WIN THIS WEEK... Total points that the last three games between the Cardinals and Titans were Arizona would improve to 8-4 all- me vs. the Titans and 5-2 on the road in decided by (3, 3 & 5 points). That includes Arizona's last visit to Tennessee in the series. 2013 when the Cardinals defeated the Titans 37-34 in an over me thriller. The Cardinals would push their winning streak vs. Tennessee to three games, 18.0 which would match the longest winning streak in the history of the series for Sacks for DL J.J. Wa in 15 career games vs. the Titans. The All-Pro also has 25 either team (Cards won three straight from 1970-79). Arizona would also im- tackles for loss, 38 QB hits, 9 forced fumbles, 2 fumble recoveries and 9 passes prove to 4-1 in its last fi ve games vs. the Titans. defensed against his former division rival. Arizona would open a season with a win vs. an AFC opponent for the fi rst me since 2014 (home vs. San Diego). The Cardinals would have a Week 1 road win 1,313 vs. an AFC opponent for the fi rst me since 1985 (@ Cleveland). Receiving yards for WR DeAndre Hopkins in 13 career games against Tennes- The Cardinals would have Week 1 road wins in back-to-back seasons for the see. His 83 recep ons and 1,313 receiving yards are more than he has against fi rst me since 1972-73. any other opponent in his career. Hopkins has seven 100-yard receiving per- formances against the Titans, including four in his last six ou ngs vs. the team. MILESTONES WITHIN REACH LB Chandler Jones 1 With a sack, Jones would have at least one sack in a season-opener for the Number of NFL players with 100 or more recep ons in each of the last three seventh me in his career - including in all six seasons with the Cardinals. seasons: DeAndre Hopkins. With a sack, Jones would have 5.0 sacks in four career games vs. the Titans. He 5 would have at least one sack in all four games. Season openers that LB Chandler Jones has played with the Cardinals. He has WR DeAndre Hopkins at least one sack in all fi ve of those contests. With a recep on, Hopkins would extend his streak to 127 consecu ve games 198.0 with a catch. He would have at least one catch in every game of his NFL career. Combined sacks for Wa (101.0) and Jones (97.0) in their careers. The duo have With 100 receiving yards, Hopkins would have eight career 100-yard ou ngs combined for 9 Pro Bowl selec ons, 7 1 -team All-Pro nods, 451 QB hits, 278 vs. the Titans. He would have 100+ receiving yards in three straight - and in fi ve tackles for loss and 52 forced fumbles. of the last six - visits to Nissan Stadium. With 100+ receiving yards, Hopkins would reach the century mark in a season 61.0 opener for the third consecu ve year. Sacks for Jones in just 69 games with the Cardinals. He enters this year needing just 6.0 sacks to pass Freddie Joe Nunn (66.5) as the franchise all- me sack DL J.J. Wa leader. With a sack, Wa would have 19.0 sacks in 16 career games against the Titans. He would also have 9.0 sacks in eight career games at Nissan Stadium. 93.6 With two sacks, Wa (103.0) would pass Jim Jeff coat (102.5) for 30 place on Pass-blocking grade for OL Rodney Hudson over the last six seasons (2015-20) the NFL's all- me sacks list. according to ProFootballFocus.com, which ranks first among all NFL centers. The site credits him with just three sacks allowed in 3,445 pass-blocking snaps WR A.J. Green and a 1.2% pressure rate during that span. With 100+ receiving yards, Green would have 34 career 100-yard games - in- cluding three in fi ve career ou ngs vs. Tennessee. 6,153 RB Chase Edmonds Total yards for the Cardinals off ense in 2020 - the third-highest season total With 100+ rushing yards, Edmonds would become the rst AZ RB with 100+ in franchise history. It also gave Arizona the NFL's #6 ranked off ense in 2020 fi (384.6 ypg). rushing yards in a season-opener since Edgerrin James (100) in 2008. 2,237 Rushing yards for the Cardinals in 2020. Along with their 22 rushing TDs, it WEEK 1 ARO UND THE NFL marked just the sixth me in franchise history - and fi rst me since 1984 - the Cardinals had 2,000+ rushing yards and 20+ rushing TDs in a season. Thursday, September 9 179 Dallas Cowboys at Tampa Bay Buccaneers - 5:20 PM (NBC) Tackles for loss for the Cardinals defense in two seasons (2019-20) under Sunday, September 12 defensive coordinator Vance Joseph. Only Pi sburgh (193) has more during Arizona Cardinals at Tennessee Titans - 10:00 AM (CBS) that span. Jacksonville Jaguars at Houston Texans - 10:00 AM (CBS) Los Angeles Chargers at Washington - 10:00 AM (CBS) 61 Sea le Seahawks at Indianapolis Colts - 10:00 AM (FOX) Total TDs (passing and rushing) for QB Kyler Murray in his fi rst two NFL sea- New York Jets at Carolina Panthers - 10:00 AM (CBS) sons. In league history. Only Dan Marino (68) and Cam Newton (62) had more Minnesota Vikings at Cincinna Bengals - 10:00 AM (FOX) total TDs in their fi rst two NFL seasons. San Francisco 49ers at Detroit Lions - 10:00 AM (FOX) Pi sburgh Steelers at Buff alo Bills - 10:00 AM (CBS) 67.2 Philadelphia Eagles at Atlanta Falcons - 10:00 AM (FOX) Comple on percentage for Murray in 2020 - a new franchise single-season Cleveland Browns at Kansas City Chiefs - 1:25 PM (CBS) record. Combined with his 64.4 comple on percentage in 2019, Murray has Green Bay Packers at New Orleans Saints (in Jax) - 1:25 PM (FOX) posted two of the top-5 comple on percentage totals in franchise history in his Denver Broncos at New York Giants - 1:25 PM (FOX) fi rst two NFL seasons. Miami Dolphins at New England Patriots - 1:25 PM (CBS) 115 Chicago Bears at Los Angeles Rams - 5:20 PM (NBC) Recep ons for WR DeAndre Hopkins in 2020. That set a franchise single-sea- Monday, September 13 son record and also ed his career high for a single season. Hopkins ed for Bal more Ravens at Las Vegas Raiders - 5:15 PM (ESPN) #2 in the NFL in recep ons, ranked #3 in receiving yards (1,407) and his seven 100-yard ou ngs ed for #2 in the league last season. K EEPING UP WITH THE C ARDINALS 850 Scrimmage yards for RB Chase Edmonds in 2020. He had more scrimmage yards in 2020 than he had in his first two seasons (2018-19) combined (719). The Cardinals 2021 media guide can be Edmonds also had a career-high five TDs in 2020. found at the team’s media site on NFL On- line Media Guide (www.NFLOMG.com). 1,454 The all-encompassing media resource is up- Career points for K Ma Prater, which ranks third among ac ve players behind dated con nuously and will include the fol- only 49ers K Robbie Gould (1,731) and Packers K Mason Crosby (1,682). lowing: 13 Tradi onal media guide informa on Career TD recep ons of 50+ yards for WR A.J. Green. Over the last 10 seasons Player bios that will feature career and sea- (2011-20), only DeSean Jackson (19) has more TD catches of 50+ yards. sons stats updated in real- me. 7.0 Offi cial league sta s cs from NFL GSIS Sacks in 2020 for LB Dennis Gardeck - who signed with the Cardinals as a rookie Tweet-ready charts and stat grids that up- free agent out of Sioux Falls in 2018. Gardeck's 7.0 sacks were the most in date in real me franchise history by a player who entered the league undra ed. He piled up Customizable in-game reports 7.0 sacks despite playing just 93 snaps on defense in 2020. Final game books and sta s cs Records and milestones tracked live Postgame quotes 4 NEW FAC ES IN 20 21 QUARTERBACKS BEWARE
Below is a breakdown of the Cardinals 2021 Week 1 roster: The Cards added 10 veterans and 5 rookies (all dra picks) that were not with the team at any point last season. In all, 15 of the 53 players (26.4%) on the cur- rent roster were not with the Cardinals during the 2020 season. Below is a look at how the Cardinals roster turnover from 2020-21 ranks dur- ing the me Steve Keim has served as GM. Regular Season Week 1 Roster (2013-21) Year New Players Pct 2013 26 49.1 2014 18 33.9 2015 17 32.1 2016 11 20.8 2017 14 26.4 2018 24 45.3 2019 28 52.8 With DL J.J. Wa and LB Chandler Jones both staring down opposing off enses in 2020 13 24.5 2021, the Cardinals defense now features the most accomplished pass-rushing 2021 15 28.3 duo in the NFL. Between the two All-Pros, Wa and Jones have combined for: The 2021 season marks just the second me in nine years under Keim that no undra ed rookie made the Week 1 roster. Sta s c Total Total Seasons Played 19 A LOOK AT THE NEW FACES IN 2021 Pro Bowls 8 1st-Team All-Pro Selec ons 7 Games Played 252 Sacks 198.0 Quarterback Hits 451 Tackles For Loss 278 Forced Fumbles 52 VETERANS Fumble Recoveries 25 Player Posi on Prev. Team Luq Barcoo Cornerback Jaguars Seasons Leading NFL Sacks 3 James Conner Running Back Steelers Seasons of 17.0+ Sacks 5 A.J. Green Wide Receiver Bengals Demetrius Harris Tight End Bears Seasons of 10+ Sacks 11 Rodney Hudson Off ensive Line Raiders SHARED DOMINANCE Colt McCoy Quarterback Giants Wa has 101.0 sacks in his career, while Jones enters the 2021 season with 97.0 Ma Prater Kicker Lions sacks. Jones needs 3.0 sacks for the Cardinals to become the fi rst team to feature J.J. Wa Defensive Line Texans mul ple players with 100.0+ career sacks since the Vikings (John Randle/Chris Antoine Wesley Wide Receiver Ravens Doleman) and Chiefs (Derrick Thomas/Leslie O’Neal) both in 1999. Brian Winters O ensive Line Bills ff Da ng back to 2012 (Jones' rookie season), the duo rank #1 and #2 in the NFL in 2021 DRAFT PICKS both total sacks and games with mul ple sacks (1.5 or more). Player Posi on Rnd (Overall) School NFL Leaders – Sacks (2012-20) Zaven Collins Linebacker 1 (16 ) Tulsa Rnk Player (Current Team) Sack Rondale Moore Wide Receiver 2ⁿ (49 ) Purdue Marco Wilson Cornerback 4 (136 ) Florida 1 Chandler Jones (AZ) 97.0 2 J.J. Wa (AZ) 95.5 Victor Dimukeje Linebacker 6 (210 ) Duke 3 Von Miller (Den) 94.5 Tay Gowan Cornerback 6 (223 ) Central Florida 4 Cameron Jordan (NO) 93.5 In addi on to the players, the Cardinals also hired three new coaches: 5 Jus n Houston (Bal) 92.0 Coaching Staff (New Addi ons) NFL Leaders – Games w/ Mul ple Sacks (2012-20) Shawn Jeff erson - Wide Receivers Rnk Player (Current Team) Games Devin Fitzsimmons - Assistant Special Teams 1 J.J. Wa (AZ) 30 Ronald Booker - Defensive Assistant 2 Chandler Jones (AZ) 24 3 Jus n Houston (Bal) 23 4t Aaron Donald (LAR) 22 AWARD-WINNING ACQ UISITIONS 4t Cameron Jordan (NO) 22 Wa (2012, 2014-15) and Jones (2017, 2019) are the only ac ve players in the NFL with mul ple seasons of 17.0+ sacks. Among the new addi ons to the Cardinals ros- ter are fi ve players who have a combined 18 Ac ve NFL Leaders – Seasons w/ 17+ Sacks Pro Bowl selec ons and 11 All-Pro nods. DL J.J. Rnk Player (Current Team) 17+ Years (Sacks) Wa (5), WR A.J. Green (7), OL Rodney Hud- 1 J.J. Wa (AZ) 3 2012 (20.5), 2014 (20.5), 2015 (17.5) son (3) and K Ma Prater (2) have all been 2 Chandler Jones (AZ) 2 2017 (17.0), 2019 (19.0) named to mul ple Pro Bowls while RB James 3t Shaquil Barre (TB) 1 2019 (19.5) Conner earned Pro Bowl honors in 2018. 3t Aaron Donald (LAR) 1 2018 (20.5) 3t Jus n Houston (Bal) 1 2014 (22.0) Cardinals Award-Winning Acquisi ons 3t Von Miller (Den) 1 2012 (18.5) Player PB All-Pro 3t Robert Quinn (Chi) 1 2013 (19.0) J.J. Wa 5 6 (5x 1 team) 3t Aldon Smith (FA) 1 2012 (19.5) A.J. Green 7 2 (both 2ⁿ team) PRESSURE GOES BEYOND SACKS Rodney Hudson 3 1 (2ⁿ team) Since 2012, Jones and Wa are two of three players with 25+ forced fumbles. Ma Prater 2 1 (2ⁿ team) James Conner 1 - NFL Leaders – Forced Fumbles (2012-20) Rnk Player (Current Team) FF ADDING AN ALL-PRO ON THE OFFENSIVE LINE 1t Chandler Jones (AZ) 27 Arizona acquired Hudson and a 7th-round selection in the 2021 NFL Draft from Las 1t Robert Quinn (Chi) 27 Vegas in exchange for the Cardinals 3 -round selection. He is a 10-year NFL vet- 3 J.J. Wa (AZ) 25 eran who played the past six seasons (2015-20) with the Raiders where he started 4 Lavonte David (TB) 24 at center in all 92 games he appeared in. 5t Khalil Mack (Chi) 23 Recent Success: All three of Hudson's Pro Bowl selections (2016-17, 2019) have 5t Von Miller (Den) 23 come in the last 5 seasons. He was named to the Pro Bowl and earned 2nd-team In the last 10 seasons (2011-20), a player has recorded at least 28 tackles for All-Pro honors in 2019. loss in a season fi ve mes. Wa (3x) and Jones (1x) account for four of those A Reliable Player: In the last eight seasons, Hudson played 124 of a possible 128 fi ve seasons. games - missing just one game in the last five years. Hudson has played at least NFL Players w/ 28+ Tackles For Loss in a Season (2011-20) 800 snaps each of the last eight seasons, including six years playing 1,000+ snaps. Rnk Player (Year) TFL 1 J.J. Wa (2012) 39 Keeping His QBs Clean: According to Pro Football Focus, Hudson ranks first among 2t J.J. Wa (2014) 29 all NFL centers with a 93.6 pass-blocking grade dating back to 2015. The site cred- 2t J.J. Wa (2015) 29 its him with just three sacks allowed in 3,445 pass-blocking snaps and a 1.2% pres- 4t Chandler Jones (2017) 28 sure rate over the last six seasons. 4t Von Miller (2012) 28 5 FAMILIAR FACES WITH NEW NUMBERS DEBUT OF THE 17-GAME REGULAR SEASON
A er the NFL announced that DBs, LBs, RBs, For the fi rst me ever, the NFL will have a 17- TEs and WRs are now allowed to wear single game regular season beginning in 2021. Teams digit numbers on their jerseys, Cardinals fans have played a 16-game regular season since will no ce a group of players that will wear 1978. The league had a 14-game regular season single-digit jersey numbers in 2021. between 1961-77. Cardinals Players w/ New Number in 2021 To accommodate the 17 game, teams went Player New # Previous # from a four-game preseason to three games. RB Chase Edmonds 2 29 HOW THE EXTRA MATCHUP IS DECIDED S Budda Baker 3 32 The addi onal game is an interconference WR Rondale Moore 4 85 matchup between AFC and NFC divisions two CB Byron Murphy, Jr. 7 33 years removed from their last mee ng, going LB Isaiah Simmons 9 48 against the team that fi nished in the same spot in their respec ve divisions. The site of a team’s 17th game will rotate each year, with the AFC ge ng a 9th home game in 2021. # 99 COMES O UT O F RETIREMENT That will give Arizona a 9th road game this season. For the Cardinals - who fi nished 3 in the NFC West in 2020 - the extra game means a trip to Cleveland to face the Browns, who fi nished 3 in the AFC DL J.J. Wa has been wearing the #99 jersey since North last season. That game will take place in Week 6. his college days at Wisconsin. When the Cardinals acquired him in free agency, a number change CARDINALS SCHEDULE NOTES IN 2021 seemed inevitable since the digits were re red by Below is a look at Arizona’s scheduled opponents for the 2021 season and the Cardinals in tribute to Marshall Goldberg, a how they fi nished in 2020. star on the 1947 championship team. Home ‘20 Rec Away ’20 Rec However, #99 was unre red for Wa a er he L.A. Rams 10-6 L.A. Rams 10-6 received permission to wear it from Goldberg's San Francisco 6-10 San Francisco 6-10 daughter, Ellen Goldberg Tullos. Wa was pre- Sea le 12-4 Sea le 12-4 Green Bay 13-3 Detroit 5-11 pared to select a new number a er learning of Minnesota 7-9 Chicago 8-8 Goldberg's impressive legacy, but then read an Houston 4-12 Tennessee 11-5 ar cle saying Tullos would be fi ne with him tak- Indianapolis 11-5 Jacksonville 1-15 ing over #99. Wa gave her a call to confi rm and Carolina 5-11 Dallas 6-10 indeed had her blessing. Cleveland 11-5 Remembering Marshall Goldberg The Cardinals join the Ravens and Seahawks as the only three teams Goldberg played eight seasons (1939-43, ’46-48) for the Cardinals a er a being that start the season with three of their fi rst four games on the road. selected in the 1939 NFL Dra . The Cardinals take on the AFC South (Houston, Indianapolis, Jacksonville, Was a member of the 1947 NFL Championship team, and his late INT in the Tennessee) and the NFC North (Chicago, Detroit, Green Bay, Minnesota). tle game vs. the Eagles sealed the victory. The Cardinals will play nine games against teams that earned a spot in the A six- me All-Pro defensive back, Goldberg also postseason in '20 - Sea le (twice), the L.A. Rams (twice), Green Bay, Chicago, played hal ack/fullback and was a return special- Cleveland, Indianapolis and Tennessee. Five of those games will be played on ist. During the 1941 season Goldberg rushed for the road and four will be played at State Farm Stadium. 427 yards and 3 TDs and had 313 receiving yards on off ense. He also led the NFL with 7 INTs, 12 kick- off returns, 290 kickoff return yards and 1,236 all- CARDS MAKE BIG CLIMB IN NFL TOP-100 purpose yards. Goldberg’s playing career was interrupted by Last month, NFL Network released its annual list of his service during World War II. He joined the the Top 100 Players and four Arizona players were Navy in 1943 and spent two years in the South featured: WR DeAndre Hopkins (#8), S Budda Baker Pacifi c rising to the rank of lieutenant. In prepara- (#19), QB Kyler Murray (#39) and DL J.J. Wa (#66). on for his service Goldberg underwent rigorous BAKER MAKES ONE OF THE BIGGEST JUMPS UP THE LIST Scout and Ranger training in a unit that was a forerunner of the Navy Seals. Baker made his debut on the NFL Network Top 100 list in 2020 when he came in at #97. Following a sea- son in which he was named fi rst-team All-Pro and HIG HLY ACCOMPLISHED TEAMMATES ed for the lead among NFL DBs in tackles, Baker jumped all the way up to #19 in 2021. A TRIO WITH 13 SEASONS OF DOUBLE-DIGIT SACKS Baker is the highest-ranking safety on the Top 100. He also jumped 78 spots from 2020 to 2021. The only DL J.J. Wa and LB Chandler Jones aren't the only accomplished pass rushers on the Cardinals defense. NFL player with a greater year-to-year jump is Dol- Add in LB Markus Golden and Arizona has a trio of phins CB Xavien Howard (unranked to #17). defenders who have each posted 10.0+ sacks in mul- MURRAY UP ALL THE WAY TO #39 ple seasons in their careers. The three players have Following a 2019 campaign in which he earned NFL Off ensive Rookie of the combined for 13 seasons with double-digit sacks in Year honors, Murray made the Top 100 list for the fi rst me in 2020 when he their careers, including nine seasons with at least came in at #90. 12.5 sacks. A er earning Pro Bowl honors last season, Murray jumped 51 spots to #39 Seasons with Double Digit Sacks on this year's list. Player 10+ Years (Sacks) HOPKINS LANDS IN TOP-10 FOR SECOND STRAIGHT YEAR Jones 6 2019 (19.0), 2017 (17.0), 2018 (13.0), 2015 (12.5), 2013 (11.5), 2016 (11.0) For the second consecu ve year, Hopkins landed at #8 on the Top 100 list. Wa 5 2014 (20.5), 2012 (20.5), 2015 (17.5), 2018 (16.0), 2013 (10.5) Top-10 in NFL Network Top 100 Players of 2021 (Alphabe cal) Golden 2 2016 (12.5), 2019 (10.0) Rnk Player Team HOPKINS AND GREEN IN ELITE COMPANY AS A PAIR 1 QB Patrick Mahomes* Kansas City When they take the fi eld together at Tennessee this weekend, WRs DeAndre 2 DT Aaron Donald* LA Rams Hopkins and A.J. Green will become just the eighth WR duo in NFL history - and 3 QB Aaron Rodgers Green Bay fi rst since 2011 - to enter a season with each having 9,000+ receiving yards. 4 RB Derrick Henry* Tennessee 5 TE Travis Kelce Kansas City NFL History - Teammates with 9,000+ Career Receiving Yards Entering Season 6 WR Davante Adams Green Bay Team Year(s) Players 7 QB Tom Brady Tampa Bay Arizona 2021 DeAndre Hopkins & A.J. Green 8 WR DeAndre Hopkins* Arizona Houston 2011 Andre Johnson & Derrick Mason 9 LB T.J. Wa Pi sburgh Cincinna 2010 Terrell Owens & Chad Johnson 10 QB Josh Allen Buff alo New England 2009 Randy Moss & Joey Galloway *Only four players ranked top-10 each of the last two years St. Louis 2006-07 Isaac Bruce & Torry Holt Oakland 2001-03 Jerry Rice & Tim Brown WATT MAKES IT NINE STRAIGHT YEARS IN TOP 100 A er coming in at #66 in 2021, Wa made the Top 100 for the ninth con- Washington 2000 Irving Fryar & Andre Reed secu ve year. He is the only non-QB to accomplish that feat, joining Tom Oakland 2000 Tim Brown & Andre Rison Brady, Aaron Rodgers and Russell Wilson. 6 5 DRAFT PIC KS MAKE THE RO STER POTENTIAL MILESTONES IN 2021
ZAVEN COLLINS - ROUND 1 (16TH) - TULSA LB CHANDLER JONES Needs just 3.0 sacks to reach 100.0 sacks for his ca- Was the second linebacker selected in the 2021 reer. Would become one of 17 players in NFL history to dra (Micah Parsons, 12th to Cowboys) and the reach 100.0 career sacks in their fi rst 10 seasons. fourth defender selected. Needs 6.0 sacks to pass Freddie Joe Nunn (66.5) as A three-year starter (2018-20) at Tulsa, played in the franchise all- me leader. 32 career games and totaled 236 tackles, 29 tack- With 17.0 sacks, would join Reggie White (3) and cur- les for loss, 7.5 sacks, 8 passes defensed, 5 INTs, 3 rent teammate J.J. Wa (3) as the only players in NFL fumble recoveries and 3 forced fumbles. Recipient history with at least three seasons of 17.0 sacks. of the Lombardi Award, Bronko Nagurski Trophy and the Chuck Bednarik Award in 2020. Was also a unan- WR DEANDRE HOPKINS imous 1st-team All-American selec on. Needs 800 receiving yards to become the third player in NFL history with 800+ receiving yards in each of his fi rst nine seasons: Jerry Rice (12) and Gary Clark (9). Hails from Hominy, Oklahoma which has a popula- on of 3,500. Did not received a single DI scholar- Needs 991 receiving yards to become the seventh player in NFL history with 11,000+ receiving yards through his fi rst nine seasons. ship off er un l his mom, Haley, took money from her 401K and drove him to 12 camps across the region. Tulsa was his sole DI off er. Needs 99 recep ons to surpass Marvin Harrison (845) for the most recep ons by a player through his fi rst nine seasons in NFL history. Has a rare combina on of size and speed - even at the linebacker posi on. At 6-4 and 260 pounds, the All-American clocked a 4.67 40-yard dash me at his pro Needs 100 recep ons to become the third player in NFL history with 100+ day. Athle cism was on display in 2020 when - despite playing just eight games catches in at least four consecu ve seasons. - he recorded 4 INTs and 152 return yards, with TD returns of 38 and 96 yards. QB KYLER MURRAY Can become the fi rst player in NFL history with 3,500+ passing yards and 500+ RONDALE MOORE - ROUND 2 (49TH) - PURDUE rushing yards in each of his fi rst three seasons. Can become just the fourth QB in NFL history with 3,500+ passing yards and • In three seasons (2018-20) at Purdue, appeared in 20 games 20+ TD passes in each of his fi rst three seasons. and recorded 178 recep ons for 1,915 yards and 14 TDs. Also rushed for 248 yards and three TDs on 30 carries, returned 42 Needs 10 rushing TDs to join Cam Newton (3x) as the only QBs in NFL history kicko s for 813 yards and 17 punts for 118 yards. with 10+ rushing TDs in mul ple seasons. Murray would become the fi rst QB to ff accomplish the feat in consecu ve seasons. • Earned a Business degree from Purdue in just 2.5 years. To do so, he averaged 21 hours a semester majoring in Selling DL J.J. WATT and Sales Management. Took 27 hours during 2020 Fall se- Needs 9.0 sacks to become the eighth player to reach 110 sacks in 145 games mester and graduated with 3.5 GPA. or fewer. Wa enters the 2021 season with 101.0 sacks in 128 career games. Won the Paul Hornung Award in both high school (best WELCOMING BACK THE RED SEA IN 2021 player in state of Kentucky) and college (most versa le player in the na on) in back-to-back years (2017 & 2018). Ran the fastest 40-yard dash in the na on coming out of high school (4.33) and Following a 2020 campaign in which ran the 40 in 4.29 seconds at his Pro Day. the majority of NFL teams played in mostly empty stadiums due to the CO- TH VID-19 pandemic, the Cardinals wel- MARCO WILSON - ROUND 4 (136 ) - FLORIDA comed fans back to State Farm Stadium as the team opened its 16 season at • Arizona traded into the fourth-round to acquire Wilson, the venue during the preseason. The who started 35-of-36 games played at Florida (2017-20) and Cardinals will have their regular season recorded 103 tackles, 3 INTs and 17 passes defensed. home-opener in Week 2 vs. Minnesota. Showed up at Florida and became an immediate starter. Of Arizona's 16 regular season games last year, just fi ve were played with the Joined an exclusive list of Gators who started at CB in a general public in a endance. Those fi ve contests saw a total of just 39,894 fans season-opener as a freshman (Joe Haden, Janoris Jenkins, on hand. A combined total of 116,225 fans were in a endance for the Cardinals Marcus Roberson). two home preseason contests vs. Dallas and Kansas City. Had a record-se ng performance at Pro Day: his 43.5- A er State Farm Stadium opened in 2006 the Cardinals sold out every pre-pan- inch ver cal was 5 -best ever by a college CB and his 136- demic game played there. inch broad jump ed for 3 -best ever by a corner. A CATALYST FOR THE CARDINALS SUCCESS USA Today All-American at Planta on High School, where he played along- State Farm Stadium has proven to be a catalyst for the Cardinals success. side fellow 2021 dra picks CB Patrick Surtain II (9th overall to Denver) and CB Below is a look at the Cardinals results at State Farm Stadium compared to Tyson Campbell (33rd overall to Jacksonville). 18 seasons at Sun Devil Stadium.
TH Overall Comparison 15+ seasons at 18 seasons at VICTOR DIMUKEJE - ROUND 6a (210 ) - DUKE Sta s c State Farm Stadium Sun Devil Stadium Sellouts 146 12 Hails from Lagos, Nigeria, and moved to the U.S. with Regular Season Home Record 68-50-2 64-80 his family when he was 8 years old. Home Win % .575 .444 Postseason Record 5-4 1-1 Started all 49 games at Duke a er becoming starter as a Postseason Home Record 4-0 0-0 true freshman. Recorded 166 tackles, 36 tackles for loss, Seasons with Winning Record 5 1 21.5 sacks, 28 QB pressures, 5 forced fumbles and 3 fum- Postseason Berths 4 1 ble recoveries. Freshman All-America selec on in 2017. Division Titles 3 0 Conference Championship Games 2 0 His 21.5 career sacks are the 2ⁿ -most in Duke history. Super Bowl Appearances 1 0 Graduated from Duke a semester early with a degree in Evolu onary Anthropology. Also earned a Marke ng and Management Cer fi cate. IT GETS LOUD IN THERE
RD With fans back in NFL stadiums across the TAY GOWAN - ROUND 6b (223 ) - CEN. FLORIDA country in 2021, the Cardinals return to one of the league's best home fi eld advan- Became the fi rst UCF player ever dra ed by the Cardinals. tages. Opted out of 2020 season to protect the health of his new- From the inaugural year at State Farm Sta- born daughter, Skylar, who was born prematurely and with dium in 2006 through 2019, Cardinals op- health complica ons. ponents accumulated 170 accepted false start penal es in the regular season. That As a junior in 2019, Pro Football Focus gave him an 80.1 was the most for any home team in the NFL during that span. coverage grade a er he gave up just 20 recep ons on 50 tar- gets. According to the site, his 26.6 passer ra ng allowed in NFL Leaders - Opponent False Start Penal es (2006-2019) single coverage since 2019 was the best in the na on. Rnk Home Team FS Stadium 1 Cardinals 170 State Farm Stadium Transferred to UCF in 2019 from Butler (El Dorado, KS) Community College and 2 Seahawks 152 CenturyLink Field had a breakout season, appeared in 12 games (9 starts) with 31 tackles, 2 INTs 3t Vikings 148 U.S. Bank Stadium/Metrodome/TCF Bank and 8 passes defensed. Gave up just 20 recep ons on 50 targets that season. 3t Titans 148 Nissan Stadium 5 Lions 143 Ford Field 7 ELEVATING A FRANC HISE S UPER BO WL COMING BAC K TO AZ
The 2021 season marks the 15th since owner Valley Will Host 4th Super Bowl When Game Returns in 2023 Michael Bidwill began leading the organiza on. His leadership during that me has been instru- In June, the Na onal Football League and mental in transforming the franchise both on the Arizona Super Bowl Host Commi ee an- and off the fi eld. nounced that Super Bowl LVII will be played at State Farm Stadium on Sunday, February Highlights of Bidwill’s tenure: 12, 2023. Michael con nues a tradi on of Bidwill owner- ship of the Cardinals that dates back to his grandfa- “The selec on of the date for Super Bowl LVII ther, Hall of Famer Charles Bidwill, in 1933. means we are ge ng closer to the event all of Arizona is an cipa ng,” said David Rousseau, Of the franchise’s seven all- me postseason Chairman of the Arizona Super Bowl Host wins, fi ve have come with Michael leading the or- Commi ee. “The exposure and economic im- ganiza on. Arizona has played in nine postseason pact it brings to our region is unmatched and contests over the last 14 seasons, a er having ap- so is the level of community support required peared in just seven total playoff games prior. to execute such a massive undertaking.” Arizona has appeared in the NFC Championship Game twice since 2008 in- cluding a victory in the 2008 conference tle game that led to the franchise’s Arizona was selected to host Super Bowl LVII fi rst-ever Super Bowl appearance (Super Bowl XLIII). in May of 2018, marking the fourth me that a Super Bowl was awarded to the state. It is the third me the na on’s most popular spor ng event will be Among Bidwill’s most substan al accomplishments with the Cardinals is the played at State Farm Stadium and fi rst since Super Bowl XLIX following the crea on of State Farm Stadium. The world-class venue has proved a cri cal turn- 2014 season. ing point for the franchise, an economic engine for the state of Arizona, and most recently, a crucial resource in the ba le against the COVID-19 pandemic. Arizona joins South Florida, New Orleans, Los Angeles and Tampa Bay as the Since State Farm Stadium opened in 2006 it has hosted two Super Bowls (with only sites selected to host the Super Bowl at least four mes. a third – Super Bowl LVII – set to cap the 2022 season) and the Cardinals sold out Past Super Bowls in Arizona every pre-pandemic game played there. Super Bowl Site Date Result In addi on to his role in helping Arizona land Super Bowls XLII, XLIX and LVII XLIX (49) State Farm Stadium Feb. 1, 2015 Patriots 28, Seahawks 24 Michael was also instrumental in ge ng the 2015 Pro Bowl moved to State XLII (42) State Farm Stadium Feb. 3, 2008 Giants 17, Patriots 14 Farm Stadium; played a week before Super Bowl XLIX, the two events com- XXX (30) Sun Devil Stadium Jan. 28, 1996 Cowboys 27, Steelers 17 bined to deliver a record economic impact of $720 million to the region. ECONOMIC IMPACT: The last me the game was staged in Arizona, it pro- State Farm Stadium served as a cri cal site since the outbreak of the COV- duced a record economic impact for the state. A 2015 study by the Seidman ID-19 pandemic in 2020. The venue hosted three blood drives at the beginning Research Ins tute, W.P. Carey School of Business at Arizona State University of the outbreak and in 2021 it became one of the fi rst - and most successful - determined that Super Bowl XLIX, the 2015 Pro Bowl and related events pro- mass vaccina on site in the na on. duced a gross economic impact of $719.4 million for the region. That was the largest economic impact of any special event ever held in Arizona. In addi on In January of 2018, Michael was one of fi ve owners named to the NFL’s Play- to the games played in Glendale, more than 1 million people visited Verizon er-Owner Commi ee focused on social and racial jus ce ini a ves. In Decem- Super Bowl Central in downtown Phoenix and more than 500,000 people en- ber of 2014, Commissioner Roger Goodell tapped Bidwill to chair the league’s joyed events in downtown Sco sdale. Conduct Commi ee. The commi ee reviews the league’s Personal Conduct Policy at least annually and recommends appropriate changes with advice from In a span of just over 26 months in 2015-17, State Farm Stadium hosted a outside experts. Pro Bowl, Super Bowl, College Football Na onal Championship Game and the Cardinals Under Michael Bidwill (2007-Present) NCAA Men’s Final Four. Sta s c Totals It was an unprecedented stretch for a stadium that generated $1.3 billion in Overall Record (RS + Post) 115-116-2 Overall Win Pct. .498 Postseason Record 5-4 Regular Season Home Record 65-45-2 KEIM HAS BUILT SOME OF THE BEST Postseason Home Record 4-0 Overall Home Record (RS + Post) 69-45-2 Seasons with .500 Record or Be er 9 A er 14 seasons working within the Seasons with 10+ Wins 4 Cardinals personnel department, Best Regular Season Record 13-3 Steve Keim was elevated to GM on Postseason Berths 4 January 8, 2013. The teams put to- Division Titles 3 gether by Keim have been some of the Conference Championship Games 2 Super Bowl Appearances 1 most successful in franchise history. In 2014, the Cardinals ed the fran- chise record for wins in a season (11) CARDS HONOR ADELE HARRIS WITH SCHOLARSHIP before se ng a new mark in 2015 when Arizona won 13 games and earned its fi rst-ever postseason bye. In May, the Cardinals announced the creation of the “Adele Harris Scholarship” to commemorate During Keim’s tenure, Arizona has established franchise records for wins in the 50 anniversary of Harris becoming the first a season (13 in 2015), points in a season (489 in 2015), led the NFL in total of- African American female to hold a front office posi- fense for the fi rst me in team history (#1 in 2015) and led the NFL in sacks for tion in the NFL. the second me ever (48.0 in 2016). Arizona has featured a top-10 defense four mes and a top-10 off ense three Harris spent 26 years in a variety of public and com- mes da ng back to Keim’s fi rst season as GM. The Cardinals had a top-10 munity relations roles within the Cardinals organi- defense in three consecu ve seasons (2015-17) for the fi rst me since the zation before retiring in 2001. A Chicago native, she 1970 merger. In 2020, Arizona off ense ranked #6 overall a er pos ng 6,153 was raised in St. Louis and joined the Cardinals in total yards, the third-most in franchise history. 1971 as an assistant in the PR department. She left the club to pursue a degree in business manage- Selected QB Kyler Murray with the #1 overall pick in the 2019 NFL Dra . ment and returned in 1978 as a publicity assistant. Murray was named the 2019 NFL Off ensive Rookie of the Year and followed up in 2020 by becoming the youngest QB in franchise history (23) to earn a By 1980, Harris became Director of Community Pro Bowl nod. Relations and was instrumental in the team’s civic efforts when it relocated to Arizona in 1988. She Among the trades nego ated by Keim during his tenure as GM are the ac- played a key role in the formation of Cardinals quisi on of QB Carson Palmer from Oakland in 2013, acquiring LB Chandler Charities, which was launched in 1990 as a vehicle to support programs designed Jones from New England in 2016, the trade that landed WR DeAndre Hopkins to improve the quality of life and enhance opportunities for children, women and from Houston in 2020 and the trade with Las Vegas to acquire OL Rodney minorities in Arizona. Adele passed away in 2007 at the age of 65. Hudson in 2021. The 2021 free agency period was one of Keim’s busiest as GM. The players The $10,000 “Adele Harris Scholarship” will be awarded annually to assist a gradu- the Cardinals acquired have a combined 20 Pro Bowl selec ons and 11 All- ating high school student in the state of Arizona who is pursuing a career in sports. Pro nods. Arizona brought in six diff erent Pro Bowlers in the off season: DL “This scholarship serves two main purposes,” said Cardinals owner Michael Bid- J.J. Wa , WR A.J. Green, OL Rodney Hudson, K Ma Prater and RB James will. “It recognizes the valuable role that Adele played within our organization for Conner. more than a quarter of a century and also connects her to future generations who Named Spor ng News 2014 NFL Execu ve of the Year and earned back-to- aspire to follow in her footsteps. We are grateful for the opportunity to do both back NFL Execu ve of the Year honors from the editors of Pro Football Talk of those things.” (2013-14).
8 A TO P-10 O FFENSE IN 20 2 0 DEFENSE SHINES DESPITE HEAVY LOSSES IN 2020
For the fi rst me since 2015 - and just the third me in 12 seasons - Arizona The Cardinals suff ered heavy losses on the defensive side of the ball last season, fi nished with a top-10 off ense in 2020. The Cardinals fi nished with the NFL's including losing team captains LB Chandler Jones and DL Corey Peters for the #6 ranked off ense last season, averaging 384.6 yards per game. season and a host of other key contributors landing on injured reserve. NFL Leaders – Total Off ense (2020) Arizona's Defense in 2020 Rnk Team Yds/G 26 players started at least 1 game 1 Kansas City 415.8 18 players had at least 1.0 sack; total ranked #1 in the NFL 2t Buff alo 396.4 12 players with 2.0+ sacks; total ranked #1 in the NFL 2t Tennessee 396.4 5 players had an INT 4 Minnesota 393.3 5 players had a forced fumble 5 Green Bay 389.0 6 Arizona 384.6 3 players had 2+ INTs 7 Tampa Bay 384.1 Despite all the turnover in 2020, the unit s ll ranked among the top-15 in: 8 Las Vegas 383.3 9 L.A. Chargers 382.1 Sta s c # Rnk 10 Indianapolis 378.1 Goal-to-Go TD Pct. 54.84 1 Red Zone TD Pct. 51.79 3 Arizona also ranked #10 in total off ensive TDs scored (49) in 2020. Sacks 48 t-4 Tackles for Loss 88 t-4 2020 NFL Leaders - Off ensive TDs Rnk Team TDs YEAR-TO-YEAR IMPROVEMENT Passing Yards Allowd/Play 6.36 7 Rushing TDs Allowed 13 t-7 1 Green Bay 64 Below is a look at the Cardinals off ensive th 2 Tennessee 59 improvement in Kingsbury's fi rst two sea- Yards Allowed/Play 5.34 8 3t New Orleans 58 sons vs. the year prior to his arrival. Off ensive TDs Allowed 39 t-8 QB Hits 100 9 3t Tampa Bay 58 Cardinals Off ense Last 3 Seasons 5 Bu alo 56 Stat 2018 2019 2020 Passing Yards Allowed/Game 226.4 10 ff Points Allowed/Game 22.9 12 6t Sea le 55 W-L 3-13 5-10-1 8-8 3rd Down Percentage 39.6 12th 6t Minnesota 55 PPG 14.1 22.6 25.6 th 8 Kansas City 53 Total YPG 241.6 341.7 384.6 Yards Allowed/Game 351.9 13 9 Bal more 51 Pass YPG 157.7 217.3 244.8 INJURIES PILE UP ON DEFENSIVE SIDE OF THE BALL 10 Arizona 49 Rush YPG 83.9 124.4 139.8 Of the 10 players who ended the 2020 season on the injured reserve list, nine were defensive players. The team had 20 diff erent defenders miss a combined The Cardinals had 6,153 total net yards on off ense (3,916 passing; 2,237 100 games in '20. rushing) in 2020. That represents the third-highest total in franchise history. Arizona also scored 410 points in 2020, which ranks fi h in franchise history. Defensive Players Lost To Injury in 2020 Player Injury Gms Franchise Record – Total Yards (Net) Franchise Record - Total Points CB Robert Alford Pectoral (IR) 16 Rnk Year Yards Rnk Year Pts S Jalen Thompson Ankle 11 LB Chandler Jones Biceps (IR) 11 1 2015 6,533 1 2015 489 LB Isaiah Irving Neck (IR) 9 2 1984 6,345 2 2008 427 DL Rashard Lawrence Calf 7 3 2020 6,153 3 1984 423 DL Corey Peters Knee (IR) 7 4 2016 5,868 4 2015 418 DL Jordan Phillips Hamstring (IR) 7 5 2008 5,852 5 2020 410 DL Josh Mauro Hamstring (IR) 6 DL Leki Fotu Ankle 5 SCORING WAY UP UNDER KINGSBURY CB Kevin Peterson Concussion 4 The Cardinals scored 21+ points in 23 of 32 games in their fi rst two seasons un- CB Johnathan Joseph Neck (IR) 4 der head coach Kli Kingsbury.Arizona scored 21+ points in an NFL-low 9 games S Chris Banjo Hamstring/Covid-19 3 ff LB Kylie Fi s Hamstring/Hand (IR) 3 in the two seasons prior to his arrival (2017-18). LB Devon Kennard Calf/Covid-19 3 Between Games 14-16 of the 2019 season through Game 10 of 2020, the LB Dennis Gardeck Knee (IR) 2 S Budda Baker Thumb 1 Cardinals scored 21+ points in a franchise record 13 consecu ve games. CB Dre Kirkpatrick Thigh 1 Consecu ve Games Scoring 21+ Pts CB Byron Murphy Jr. Covid-19 1 Rnk Year(s) Gms S Deionte Thompson Covid-19 1 1 2019-20 13 S Charles Washington Groin 1 2 1983-84 11 Total 100 3t 2007-08 10 3t 1948-49 10 5 1975-76 9 PRESSURE CAME FROM EVERYWHERE
A HIGHLY PRODUCTIVE RUN GAME Despite playing the majority of the season without one of the NFL's leading sack artists in LB Chandler Jones, the Cardinals managed to finish the 2020 season with 48.0 sacks, tied with Tampa Bay for fourth in the NFL. Arizona rushed for 2,237 yards and 22 TDs on NFL Team Leaders – Sacks (2020) 479 carries (4.7 avg.) in 2020. It marked just the Rnk Team Sacks sixth me in franchise history - and fi rst me 1 Pittsburgh 56.0 since 1984 - that the Cardinals had 2,000+ 2 L.A. Rams 53.0 rushing yards and 20+ rushing TDs in a season. 3 Philadelphia 49.0 4t Arizona 48.0 Franchise History 4t Tampa Bay 48.0 Seasons w/ 2,000+ Rush Yards & 20+ Rush TDs Year Yards TDs A Avg. Arizona had an NFL-high 18 players who recorded at least 1.0 sack in 2020 and 2020 2,237 22 479 4.7 an NFL-high 12 players who recorded 2.0+ sacks. 1984 2,088 21 488 4.3 Cardinals Players w/ a Sack in 2020 1981 2,213 20 519 4.3 Player Sacks 1979 2,582 24 566 4.6 LB Haason Reddick 12.5 1949 2,130 21 467 4.6 LB Dennis Gardeck 7.0 1948 2,560 25 531 4.8 LB Devon Kennard 2.5 In addi on to having the NFL’s #6 ranked off ense, the Cardinals had the NFL’s #7 DL Angelo Blackson 2.5 ranked rushing a ack, averaging 139.8 rushing yards per game in 2020. LB Markus Golden 3.5 DL Zach Allen 2.0 NFL Leaders – Rushing Yards/Game (2020) S Budda Baker 2.0 Rnk Team Yds/Gm DL Corey Peters 2.0 1 Bal more 191.9 LB Isaiah Simmons 2.0 2 Tennessee 168.1 LB De'Vondre Campbell 2.0 3 Cleveland 148.4 CB Byron Murphy 2.0 4 New England 146.6 DL Jordan Phillips 2.0 5 Minnesota 142.7 LB Josh Mauro 1.0 6 New Orleans 141.6 LB Chandler Jones 1.0 7 Arizona 139.8 DL Michael Dogbe 1.0 8 Green Bay 132.4 DL Trevon Coley 1.0 9 Philadelphia 126.7 DL Leki Fotu 1.0 10 L.A. Rams 126.1 LB Tanner Vallejo 1.0 9 KYLER MURRAY - AT A G LANCE HISTO RY MADE IN 1ST TWO SEASO NS