Just because a team has been around for a long time does not mean that they have a history of success. The Arizona Cardinals started as the Chicago Cardinals in 1920 and it has not been an easy road. They moved to Arizona in 1994 and the team has just six winning seasons since.
The Cardinals are hoping that the new duo of head coach Kliff Kingsbury and quarterback Kyler Murray can make the franchise relevant. Arizona saw some success in the late-2000's but was not able to win the big one. They are one of 12 NFL teams to never win a Super Bowl.
Arizona definitely had their chance in recent memory. There are teams on this list of the best that could have been crowned champs. Here are the top three teams in franchise history.
3. 2015
The Bruce Arians era started off with a bang. He led the Cardinals to three straight winning seasons, three playoff appearances, and a franchise-best 13 wins in 2015. Arizona won the NFC West for the first time in six years and entered the postseason as the No. 2 seed.
Arizona earned a first-round bye and faced the Green Bay Packers in the divisional round. This game should have been easier than it was. The Cardinals kicked a field goal with 1:55 left in the game to go up 20-13. Green Bay faced fourth-and-20 from their own four-yard line when Rodgers threw a 61-yard pass to Jeff Janis. This set up the famous Hail Mary at the end of regulation to tie it.
The Cardinals wasted no time in the extra period when Carson Palmer found Larry Fitzgerald and the future Hall of Famer took it 75 yards to the four-yard line. Two plays later, the same two connected in the end zone.
Unfortunately, the momentum did not continue to the NFC Championship game. Arizona was dominated by the Carolina Panthers 49-15. This team will be remembered as one of the most exciting teams in franchise history.
2. 2008
The Cardinals won a weak NFC West in 2008 with a 9-7 record. Kurt Warner won the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year award that year but did not have the team playing well down the stretch losing four of their final six games. That was not the case come postseason time.
Arizona scored at least 30 points over the first three games of the postseason. They faced the Pittsburgh Steelers in the Super Bowl and this was a classic matchup. Well, it was classic for the Steelers. The moments that will go down in history will be Warner throwing a 100-yard pick-six on the final play of the first half and Santonio Holmes catching a late touchdown in the back of the end zone.
The Cardinals would return to the playoffs in 2009 with a 10-6 record but there was not the same feel. The 2008 team is the best team to never win a championship.
1. 1947
The Cardinals never won a Super Bowl but they did win an NFL Championship in 1947 as the Chicago Cardinals. Jimmy Conzelman was named Coach of the Year after leading the Cardinals to a division title over the Chicago Bears.
Chicago finished 9-3 that season carried by the “Million Dollar Backfield” of Elmer Angsman, Charley Trippi, Paul Christman, and Pat Harder. The title game took place at Comiskey Park in Chicago.
The Cardinals took down the Philadelphia Eagles 28-21 and to this day, it is the only championship in team history.
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