You may have thought the Arizona Cardinals big loss to the Cleveland Browns this past Sunday was one of the worst in franchise history, but Vince Marotta of Arizona Sports reminded us that it wasn’t the case. If there is one thing I’m not a fan of, it’s recency bias, and Marotta showed none of it in his article, with one of those losses on his list occurring all the way back in 1989.
But that 37-0 loss to the Denver Broncos also wasn’t No. 1, nor was the 49-0 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs 13 years later in 2002. Nor the time the Cards traveled to London just to lose 33-0 and return back to the States in what had to be the longest trip back home in team history.
If you saw Marotta’s article earlier, you’ll know that the Cardinals worst loss since they moved to the desert in 1988 occurred on December 9th, 2012. Not only was the Redbirds 58-0 loss the worst in franchise history, this outing was one of the most lopsided losses in NFL history, as it carried the vibe of an FBS powerhouse playing at home against a regional FCS opponent, but at the pro level.
The worst loss in Arizona Cardinals history came in December 2012
While the Cardinals offense showed more life in that game (seriously) than this past weekend’s, they also committed eight turnovers, as Marotta kindly reminded us. The loss was so bad that, if you pull up Stat Muse, it also serves as the most lopsided loss in the history of the Cardinals franchise dating back to their days in Chicago.
While they allowed 56 points once in 2008, they also scored 35 points in that game. The Cards also allowed 56 points in a 56-17 loss on October 25th, 1953 against the Philadelphia Eagles. As for the St. Louis Cardinals, they lost 55-14 on November 24th, 1977 to the Miami Dolphins, serving as the highest number of points allowed during their time in Missouri.
Overall, while the Cardinals loss this past weekend was bad, at least the defense saved this game from getting completely out of hand. You couldn’t say that about their 58-0 loss in 2012, and we can only hope that never happens again.
Source: You ain’t got no alibi: The 5 ugliest games in Arizona Cardinals history by Vince Marotta, Arizona Sports