Arizona Cardinals have struggled in matchups against Bill Belichick
By Jim Koch
Victories have been hard to come by for the Arizona Cardinals when they’ve faced Bill Belichick and the New England Patriots.
The Arizona Cardinals will be fighting for their playoff lives when they host the New England Patriots this coming Monday night. Unfortunately, Redbirds head coach Kliff Kingsbury will be matching wits with the great Bill Belichick during the primetime matchup.
In his 23 campaigns with the Patriots, the highly-successful Belichick has compiled a sparkling 260-105 regular-season record. That translates to a magnificent .712 winning percentage, and doesn’t include the equally-impressive 30-12 mark that Belichick has posted in the playoffs. Incredibly, New England has appeared in nine Super Bowls and won six with the future Hall of Famer leading the team.
The Cardinals haven’t been spared in Belichick’s road to success. In five career meetings versus the “Hoodie”, Arizona has won just once. Can Kingsbury’s squad achieve win number two over the 70-year-old during the Week 14 meeting with the Pats?
In all honesty, neither franchise appears destined for great things this season. The 4-8 Cards have been highly-disappointing thus far in 2022. At 6-6, New England’s chances for a postseason appearance will drop dramatically if they lose to “Big Red” this week.
Arizona Cardinals had limited success against Bill Belichick over the years
The first clash between the Cardinals and Belichick came back in September of 2004, when the Patriots recorded a 23-12 victory at Sun Devil Stadium. Quarterback Tom Brady threw two touchdown passes to tight end Daniel Graham, while running back Corey Dillon gashed the Arizona defense for 158 yards on the ground. The Cards’ scoring came courtesy of a pair of long field-goals (51,52) by Neil Rackers, and a one-yard touchdown run from Emmitt Smith.
In December of 2008, the Super Bowl-bound Cardinals suffered a humiliating 47-7 defeat to Belichick and the Pats at snowy Gillette Stadium. Brady fill-in Matt Cassel threw for 345 yards and three touchdowns, while Sammy Morris and LaMont Jordan combined for 166 yards rushing. Arizona’s lone score came on a 78-yard bomb from Matt Leinart to Larry Fitzgerald with 6:17 remaining in the contest.
The Cards finally got some revenge against Belichick in September of 2012 when they registered a 20-18 road win over New England. Head coach Ken Whisenhunt’s group appeared to be on the verge of a loss until Patriots kicker Stephen Gostkowski shanked a 42-yard field goal with just five seconds left in the game.
Quarterback Kevin Kolb connected with wide receiver Andre Roberts for a two-yard touchdown midway through the third quarter, and then scampered into the end zone from five yards out on the very next possession.
Belichick regained his edge over the Cardinals in 2016 with a 23-21 triumph on opening day. Jimmy Garoppolo threw for 264 yards and a score, while LeGarrette Blount ran for 70 yards and another touchdown for the Pats. Fitzgerald hauled in two scoring passes (3,1) from Carson Palmer, but Arizona ultimately came up short.
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Two years ago, Kingsbury appeared to be heading towards a triumph over Belichick, his former mentor, on the road. However, a 15-yard penalty on linebacker Isaiah Simmons late in the fourth quarter led to a game-winning, 50-yard field goal by New England placekicker Nick Folk. Kenyan Drake rushed for 78 yards and two touchdowns for the Cardinals during the 20-17 defeat.
(Statistics provided by Pro Football Reference)
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