2011 Arizona Cardinals season


The 2011 season was the Arizona Cardinals' 92nd in the National Football League, their 24th in Arizona and their fifth under head coach Ken Whisenhunt. This was going to be the Cardinals first season with new starting quarterback Kevin Kolb, but he was injured and replaced by John Skelton. The team improved on their 5–11 record from the 2010 season, but missed the playoffs for a second consecutive season.
The 2011 Cardinals won four overtime games, an NFL record.

Offseason

Signings

Departures

2011 NFL Draft

Acquisitions

On July 28, 2011 the Cardinals acquired Kolb from the Philadelphia Eagles for CB Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie and a 2012 2nd-round pick. The next day they signed former Carolina Panthers starting CB Richard Marshall.

Schedule

Preseason

The Cardinals' preseason schedule was announced on April 12, 2011.

Regular season

Game summaries

Week 1: vs. Carolina Panthers

Week 2: at Washington Redskins

Week 3: at Seattle Seahawks

Week 4: vs. New York Giants

Week 5: at Minnesota Vikings

Week 7: vs. Pittsburgh Steelers

Coming off their bye week, the Cardinals went home for a Week 7 interconference duel with the Pittsburgh Steelers, in a rematch of Super Bowl XLIII. Arizona trailed early in the first quarter as Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger completed a 12-yard touchdown pass to tight end Heath Miller. Pittsburgh would add onto their lead in the second quarter as Roethlisberger completed a 95-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Mike Wallace. The Cardinals would answer with a 1-yard touchdown run from running back Alfonso Smith. The Steelers would close out the half with kicker Shaun Suisham getting a 41-yard field goal.
Arizona opened the third quarter with quarterback Kevin Kolb finding running back LaRod Stephens-Howling on a 73-yard touchdown pass, but Pittsburgh struck back with Roethlisberger completing a 4-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders, along with Kolb's intentional grounding penalty in the endzone resulting in a safety. In the fourth quarter, the Steelers continued to pull away with Suisham making a 42-yard and a 39-yard field goal. The Cardinals tried to rally as Kolb found wide receiver Early Doucet on a 2-yard touchdown pass, but Pittsburgh held on to preserve the victory.
With the loss, Arizona fell to 1–5.

Week 8: at Baltimore Ravens

Week 9: vs. St. Louis Rams

Week 10: at Philadelphia Eagles

Week 11: at San Francisco 49ers

Week 12: at St. Louis Rams

Week 13: vs. Dallas Cowboys

Week 14: vs. San Francisco 49ers

Week 15: vs. Cleveland Browns

Week 16: at Cincinnati Bengals

Week 17: vs. Seattle Seahawks

Standings

Coaching staff

Final roster

Footnotes