1996 Arizona Cardinals season

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1996 Arizona Cardinals season
OwnerBill Bidwill
Head coachVince Tobin
Home fieldSun Devil Stadium
Results
Record7–9
Division place4th NFC East
Playoff finishDid not qualify
Pro BowlersFB Larry Centers
WR Rob Moore
CB Aeneas Williams
AP All-ProsFB Larry Centers (1st team)
CB Aeneas Williams (2nd team)

The 1996 Arizona Cardinals season was the franchise's 98th season, 77th in the National Football League and ninth in Arizona. The team improved upon their previous output of 4–12, winning seven games.[1] Despite this improvement, the Cardinals failed to qualify for the playoffs for the fourteenth consecutive season.

The low point of the season was providing a notorious New York Jets team with its only win in front of fewer than thirty thousand people. This was the first time the Cardinals had opposed the Jets since 1978.[2] The reason for this is that before the admission of the Texans in 2002, NFL scheduling formulas for games outside a team’s division were much more influenced by table position during the previous season.[3]

This was Boomer Esiason's only season with the Cardinals as he would re-sign with the Cincinnati Bengals after this season.

Offseason[edit]

NFL Draft[edit]

1996 Arizona Cardinals draft
Round Pick Player Position College Notes
1 3 Simeon Rice *  Defensive end Illinois
2 32 Leeland McElroy  Running back Texas A&M
3 64 Johnny McWilliams  Tight end USC
4 112 Aaron Graham  Center Nebraska
5 137 James Dexter  Offensive tackle South Carolina
5 161 Harry Stamps  Offensive tackle Oklahoma
5 162 Dell McGee  Auburn
6 169 Mike Foley  Defensive end New Hampshire
7 212 Jarius Hayes  Tight end North Alabama
      Made roster    *   Made at least one Pro Bowl during career

Personnel[edit]

Staff[edit]

1996 Arizona Cardinals staff

Front office

Head coaches

Offensive coaches

Defensive coaches

Special teams coaches

  • Special teams – Al Everest

Strength and conditioning

  • Strength and conditioning – Bob Rogucki

Roster[edit]

1996 Arizona Cardinals final roster
Quarterbacks

Running backs

Wide receivers

Tight ends

Offensive linemen

Defensive linemen

Linebackers

Defensive backs

Special teams

Reserve lists


Practice squad

53 active, 5 inactive, 5 practice squad
Rookies in italics

Regular season[edit]

Schedule[edit]

Week Date Opponent Result Record Venue Attendance
1 September 1 at Indianapolis Colts L 13–20 0–1 RCA Dome 48,133
2 September 8 Miami Dolphins L 10–38 0–2 Sun Devil Stadium 55,444
3 September 15 at New England Patriots L 0–31 0–3 Foxboro Stadium 59,118
4 September 22 at New Orleans Saints W 28–14 1–3 Louisiana Superdome 34,316
5 September 29 St. Louis Rams W 31–28 (OT) 2–3 Sun Devil Stadium 33,116
6 Bye
7 October 13 at Dallas Cowboys L 3–17 2–4 Texas Stadium 64,096
8 October 20 Tampa Bay Buccaneers W 13–9 3–4 Sun Devil Stadium 27,738
9 October 27 New York Jets L 21–31 3–5 Sun Devil Stadium 28,088
10 November 3 at New York Giants L 8–16 3–6 Giants Stadium 68,262
11 November 10 at Washington Redskins W 37–34 4–6 RFK Stadium 51,929
12 November 17 New York Giants W 31–23 5–6 Sun Devil Stadium 34,924
13 November 24 Philadelphia Eagles W 36–30 6–6 Sun Devil Stadium 36,175
14 December 1 at Minnesota Vikings L 17–41 6–7 Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome 45,767
15 December 8 Dallas Cowboys L 6–10 6–8 Sun Devil Stadium 70,763
16 December 15 Washington Redskins W 27–26 7–8 Sun Devil Stadium 34,260
17 December 22 at Philadelphia Eagles L 19–29 7–9 Veterans Stadium 63,658
Note: Intra-division opponents are in bold text.

Game summaries[edit]

Week 1: at Indianapolis Colts[edit]

Week 1: Arizona Cardinals at Indianapolis Colts – Game summary
Period 1 2 34Total
Cardinals 3 3 0713
Colts 0 10 01020

at RCA Dome, Indianapolis, Indiana

  • Date: September 1
  • Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST/11:00 a.m. MST
  • Game weather: None (Indoor stadium)
  • Game attendance: 48,133
  • Box Score
Game information

Week 2: vs. Miami Dolphins[edit]

Week 2: Miami Dolphins at Arizona Cardinals – Game summary
Period 1 2 34Total
Dolphins 7 17 7738
Cardinals 0 0 10010

at Sun Devil Stadium, Tempe, Arizona

  • Date: September 8
  • Game time: 6:00 p.m. MST
  • Game weather: 90 °F (32 °C)
  • Game attendance: 55,444
  • Box Score
Game information

Week 3: at New England Patriots[edit]

Week 3: Arizona Cardinals at New England Patriots – Game summary
Period 1 2 34Total
Cardinals 0 0 000
Patriots 7 13 8331

at Foxboro Stadium, Foxborough, Massachusetts

  • Date: September 15
  • Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST/11:00 a.m. MST
  • Game weather: 64 °F (18 °C)
  • Game attendance: 59,118
  • Box Score
Game information

Week 4: at New Orleans Saints[edit]

Week 4: Arizona Cardinals at New Orleans Saints – Game summary
Period 1 2 34Total
Cardinals 3 3 81428
Saints 0 7 0714

at Louisiana Superdome, New Orleans, Louisiana

  • Date: September 22
  • Game time: 1:00 p.m. CST/12:00 p.m. MST
  • Game weather: None (Indoor stadium)
  • Game attendance: 34,316
  • Box Score
Game information

Week 5: vs. St. Louis Rams[edit]

Week 5: St. Louis Rams at Arizona Cardinals – Game summary
Period 1 2 34OTTotal
Rams 7 14 70028
Cardinals 0 14 014331

at Sun Devil Stadium, Tempe, Arizona

  • Date: September 29
  • Game time: 2:00 p.m. MST
  • Game weather: 83 °F (28 °C)
  • Game attendance: 33,116
  • Box Score
Game information

Week 7: at Dallas Cowboys[edit]

Week 7: Arizona Cardinals at Dallas Cowboys – Game summary
Period 1 2 34Total
Cardinals 0 0 033
Cowboys 0 3 7717

at Texas Stadium, Irving, Texas

  • Date: October 13
  • Game time: 12:00 p.m. CST/11:00 a.m. MST
  • Game weather: 71 °F (22 °C)
  • Game attendance: 64,096
  • Box Score
Game information

Week 8: vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers[edit]

Week 8: Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Arizona Cardinals – Game summary
Period 1 2 34Total
Buccaneers 0 0 369
Cardinals 3 7 3013

at Sun Devil Stadium, Tempe, Arizona

  • Date: October 20
  • Game time: 2:00 p.m. MST
  • Game weather: 73 °F (23 °C)
  • Game attendance: 27,738
  • Box Score
Game information

Week 9: vs. New York Jets[edit]

Week 9: New York Jets at Arizona Cardinals – Game summary
Period 1 2 34Total
Jets 3 14 01431
Cardinals 0 0 14721

at Sun Devil Stadium, Tempe, Arizona

  • Date: October 27
  • Game time: 2:00 p.m. MST
  • Game weather: 53 °F (12 °C)
  • Game attendance: 28,088
  • Box Score
Game information

Week 10: at New York Giants[edit]

Week 10: Arizona Cardinals at New York Giants – Game summary
Period 1 2 34Total
Cardinals 0 0 088
Giants 3 0 31016

at Giants Stadium, East Rutherford, New Jersey

  • Date: November 3
  • Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST/11:00 a.m. MST
  • Game weather: 42 °F (6 °C)
  • Game attendance: 64,096
  • Box Score
Game information

Week 11: at Washington Redskins[edit]

Week 11: Arizona Cardinals at Washington Redskins – Game summary
Period 1 2 34OTTotal
Cardinals 3 10 021337
Redskins 3 10 147034

at Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium, Washington, District of Columbia

  • Date: November 10
  • Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST/11:00 a.m. MST
  • Game weather: 42 °F (6 °C)
  • Game attendance: 51,929
  • Box Score
Game information

Week 12: vs. New York Giants[edit]

Week 12: New York Giants at Arizona Cardinals – Game summary
Period 1 2 34Total
Giants 0 6 71023
Cardinals 14 7 7331

at Sun Devil Stadium, Tempe, Arizona

  • Date: November 17
  • Game time: 2:00 p.m. MST
  • Game weather: 57 °F (14 °C)
  • Game attendance: 34,924
  • Box Score
Game information

Week 13: vs. Philadelphia Eagles[edit]

Week 13: Philadelphia Eagles at Arizona Cardinals – Game summary
Period 1 2 34Total
Eagles 7 3 31730
Cardinals 3 10 32036

at Sun Devil Stadium, Tempe, Arizona

  • Date: November 24
  • Game time: 2:00 p.m. MST
  • Game weather: 61 °F (16 °C)
  • Game attendance: 36,175
  • Box Score
Game information

Week 14: at Minnesota Vikings[edit]

Week 14: Arizona Cardinals at Minnesota Vikings – Game summary
Period 1 2 34Total
Cardinals 0 3 01417
Vikings 3 10 141441

at Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome, Minneapolis, Minnesota

  • Date: December 1
  • Game time: 12:00 p.m. CST/11:00 a.m. MST
  • Game weather: None (Indoor stadium)
  • Game attendance: 45,767
  • Box Score
Game information

Week 15: vs. Dallas Cowboys[edit]

Week 15: Dallas Cowboys at Arizona Cardinals – Game summary
Period 1 2 34Total
Cowboys 0 0 7310
Cardinals 3 3 006

at Sun Devil Stadium, Tempe, Arizona

  • Date: December 8
  • Game time: 2:00 p.m. MST
  • Game weather: 63 °F (17 °C)
  • Game attendance: 70,763
  • Box Score
Game information

Week 16: vs. Washington Redskins[edit]

Week 16: Washington Redskins at Arizona Cardinals – Game summary
Period 1 2 34Total
Redskins 3 13 7326
Cardinals 7 7 31027

at Sun Devil Stadium, Tempe, Arizona

  • Date: December 15
  • Game time: 2:00 p.m. MST
  • Game weather: 61 °F (16 °C)
  • Game attendance: 34,260
  • Box Score
Game information

Week 17: at Philadelphia Eagles[edit]

Week 17: Arizona Cardinals at Philadelphia Eagles – Game summary
Period 1 2 34Total
Cardinals 0 3 31319
Eagles 13 10 3329

at Veterans Stadium, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

  • Date: December 22
  • Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST/11:00 a.m. MST
  • Game weather: 30 °F (−1 °C)
  • Game attendance: 63,658
  • Box Score
Game information

Standings[edit]

NFC East
W L T PCT PF PA STK
(3) Dallas Cowboys 10 6 0 .625 286 250 L1
(5) Philadelphia Eagles 10 6 0 .625 363 341 W2
Washington Redskins 9 7 0 .563 364 312 W1
Arizona Cardinals 7 9 0 .438 300 397 L1
New York Giants 6 10 0 .375 242 297 L2

References[edit]