Reliving Arizona Cardinals bleak recent history vs. Carolina

The Arizona Cardinals have seemingly always struggled against Carolina, including three blowout losses since September 2019. 

During the Kliff Kingsbury era, the Arizona Cardinals trail the Carolina Panthers by a combined score of 103-51. And they weren’t exactly playing the 2015 Panthers, a team that blew out the Cardinals 49-15 in one of the most lopsided NFC Championship Games in recent memory.

Let’s relive the previous three times the teams have met and figure out what went wrong for the Cardinals and company. Especially since they weren’t exactly heavy underdogs in any of the games listed below.

Arizona Cardinals vs. Panthers – September 22nd, 2019

The Cardinals faced the Panthers at home during the two teams’ first meeting of the Kliff-Kyler era and initially, the Redbirds kept things interesting. They struck first with a touchdown before allowing 14 points in the second quarter.

The Cardinals pulled ahead 17-14 in the third, only for the Panthers to strike back and take a 21-17 lead. An ensuing field goal pulled Arizona within one, but 17 unanswered points in the late third and fourth quarters put this game out of reach.

While the Cards kept this one close, it was an overall blowout loss considering the way they collapsed in the fourth quarter. But it was nowhere near as bleak as the 2020 matchup.

Cardinals vs. Panthers – October 4th, 2020

This game was far more lopsided than the 31-21 final score indicated. The Cardinals looked lost against the Teddy Bridgewater-led Panthers who didn’t have star running back Christian McCaffrey for the game. And by halftime, the Panthers found themselves in control, leading 21-7.

Just 4:19 into the third, Carolina took a 28-7 lead, and coasted the rest of the way as the Cardinals put up a touchdown in the third and one other in garbage time with 2:13 to go. Overall, it was a massive disappointment in the week following a 26-23 loss to the hapless Detroit Lions.

Arizona vs. Carolina – November 14th, 2021

Easily the most debilitating loss on the list. The Arizona Cardinals sat at 8-1 while the Panthers were busy toiling through a quarterback controversy. That didn’t stop Carolina from making quick work of the Cardinals as they jumped out to a 23-0 lead at halftime.

The Panthers extended their advantage to 31-3 and by the time the fourth quarter arrived, the Cats put it in cruise control. You may give the Cardinals a reprieve here, stating Colt McCoy led the outing instead of Kyler Murray. But then again, McCoy, in the three games he started in Murray’s absence, went 2-1, including upset wins over two NFC West rivals.

Further, the Panthers were playing an aging Cam Newton and the fringe P.J. Walker. This is a game the Panthers wanted to give the Cardinals, but instead, it was the other way around.

(Historical data provided by Pro-Football-Reference)