2011 Arizona Cardinals season
Encyclopedia
The 2011
Arizona Cardinals
season will be the franchise's 92nd season in the National Football League
and the 24th season in Arizona
. For Ken Whisenhunt
, this will be his fifth season as the head coach of the Cardinals; he has compiled an overall record of 32–32 in the regular season and 4–2 in postseason. This will be the Cardinals first season with new starting QB Kevin Kolb
, and the Cardinals hope to improve on their 5–11 record from 2010
, in which they started three QBs (Derek Anderson
, Max Hall
, and John Skelton
). The team hopes that the drafting of CB Patrick Peterson
helps out the defense, who struggled to get to the QB the previous season.
In April 2010, the Cardinals traded their original 7th-round selection and a 2010
4th-round selection to the New York Jets
for S Kerry Rhodes
. The Cardinals received a new seventh-round selection as a compensatory selection.
for CB Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie
and a 2012
2nd-round pick. The next day they signed former Carolina Panthers
starting CB Richard Marshall
.
LEGEND:
, 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, 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 33-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 (with a failed two-point conversion), but Pittsburgh held on to preserve the victory.
With the loss, Arizona fell to 1-5.
2011 NFL season
The 2011 NFL season, the 92nd regular season of the National Football League, began on Thursday, September 8, 2011 with the Super Bowl XLV champion Green Bay Packers defeating the New Orleans Saints 42–34 at Lambeau Field and will end with Super Bowl XLVI, the league's championship game, on...
Arizona Cardinals
Arizona Cardinals
The Arizona Cardinals are a professional American football team based in Glendale, Arizona, a suburb of Phoenix. They are currently members of the Western Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
season will be the franchise's 92nd season in the National Football League
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
and the 24th season in Arizona
Arizona
Arizona ; is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. It is also part of the western United States and the mountain west. The capital and largest city is Phoenix...
. For Ken Whisenhunt
Ken Whisenhunt
Kenneth "Ken" Moore Whisenhunt is the current head coach of the Arizona Cardinals NFL football team, leading them to the first Super Bowl in franchise history during the 2008 season...
, this will be his fifth season as the head coach of the Cardinals; he has compiled an overall record of 32–32 in the regular season and 4–2 in postseason. This will be the Cardinals first season with new starting QB Kevin Kolb
Kevin Kolb
Kevin Benjamin Kolb is an American football quarterback for the Arizona Cardinals of the National Football League . He was drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles in the second round of the 2007 NFL Draft. He played college football at Houston....
, and the Cardinals hope to improve on their 5–11 record from 2010
2010 Arizona Cardinals season
The 2010 Arizona Cardinals season is the 91st season for the team in the National Football League, and their 23rd season in Arizona. The Cardinals failed to improve on their 10–6 record from 2009, and were eliminated from postseason contention in Week 15....
, in which they started three QBs (Derek Anderson
Derek Anderson (American football)
Derek Matthew Anderson is an American football quarterback for the Carolina Panthers of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Baltimore Ravens in the sixth round of the 2005 NFL Draft...
, Max Hall
Max Hall
Max Hall is an American football quarterback for the Arizona Cardinals of the National Football League. He was signed by the Cardinals as an undrafted free agent in 2010. He played college football at BYU.-Early years:...
, and John Skelton
John Skelton
John Skelton, also known as John Shelton , possibly born in Diss, Norfolk, was an English poet.-Education:...
). The team hopes that the drafting of CB Patrick Peterson
Patrick Peterson
Patrick De'mon Peterson is an American football cornerback for the Arizona Cardinals of the National Football League. He was drafted fifth overall by the Cardinals in the 2011 NFL Draft. He played college football at Louisiana State....
helps out the defense, who struggled to get to the QB the previous season.
2011 NFL Draft
| Draft order | Player name | Position | Height | Weight | College | Contract | Notes | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Round | Choice | Overall | |||||||
| 1 | 5 | 5 | Patrick Peterson Patrick Peterson Patrick De'mon Peterson is an American football cornerback for the Arizona Cardinals of the National Football League. He was drafted fifth overall by the Cardinals in the 2011 NFL Draft. He played college football at Louisiana State.... |
CB Cornerback A cornerback is a member of the defensive backfield or secondary in American and Canadian football. Cornerbacks cover receivers, to defend against pass offenses and make tackles. Other members of the defensive backfield include the safeties and occasionally linebackers. The cornerback position... |
6'0" | 219 lbs. | LSU Louisiana State University Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College, most often referred to as Louisiana State University, or LSU, is a public coeducational university located in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The University was founded in 1853 in what is now known as Pineville, Louisiana, under the name... |
||
| 2 | 6 | 38 | Ryan Williams Ryan Williams Ryan Neil Williams is an English footballer who currently plays for Gainsborough Trinity.-Career:... |
RB | 5'9" | 212 lbs. | VT | ||
| 3 | 5 | 69 | Rob Housler Rob Housler Robert Housler, Jr. is an American football tight end for the Arizona Cardinals of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Cardinals in the third round of the 2011 NFL Draft after playing college football for Florida Atlantic.... |
TE Tight end The tight end is a position in American football on the offense. The tight end is often seen as a hybrid position with the characteristics and roles of both an offensive lineman and a wide receiver. Like offensive linemen, they are usually lined up on the offensive line and are large enough to be... |
6'5" | 215 lbs. | FAU Florida Atlantic University Florida Atlantic University, also referred to as FAU or Florida Atlantic, is a public, coeducational, research university located in , United States. The university has six satellite campuses located in the Florida cities of Dania Beach, Davie, Fort Lauderdale, Jupiter, Port St. Lucie, and in Fort... |
||
| 4 | 6 | 103 | Sam Acho Sam Acho Samuel Onyedikachi Acho is an American football linebacker for the Arizona Cardinals. Acho played college football at the University of Texas.-Early years:Acho attended St. Mark's School in Dallas, Texas... |
OLB | 6'2" | 262 lbs. | Texas Texas University Texas University or t.u. is a derogatory name for the University of Texas at Austin, mostly used by students at rival Texas A&M University.Texas University may also refer to:... |
||
| 5 | 5 | 136 | Anthony Sherman Anthony Sherman Anthony Sherman is an American football fullback for the Arizona Cardinals of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Cardinals in the fifth round of the 2011 NFL Draft. He played college football at Connecticut.... |
RB | 5'10" | 242 lbs. | UConn | ||
| 6 | 6 | 171 | Quan Sturdivant Quan Sturdivant Quan Sturdivant is an American football linebacker for the Arizona Cardinals of the NFL. He played as a middle linebacker for the University of North Carolina Tar Heels. He was considered one of the top linebackers in the Atlantic Coast Conference... |
ILB | 6'1" | 241 lbs. | UNC University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is a public research university located in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States... |
||
| 6 | 19 | 184 | David Carter David Carter David Carter may refer to:*Dave Carter , American folk singer, songwriter*David Carter , former American football offensive lineman... |
DE Defensive end Defensive end is the name of a defensive position in the sport of American and Canadian football.This position has designated the players at each end of the defensive line, but changes in formations have substantially changed how the position is played over the years... |
6'5" | 297 lbs. | UCLA | from Tampa Bay Tampa Bay Buccaneers The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are a professional American football franchise based in Tampa, Florida, U.S. They are currently members of the Southern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League – they are the only team in the division not to come from the old NFC West... via Philadelphia Philadelphia Eagles The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League... |
|
| 7 | 46 | 249 | DeMarco Sampson DeMarco Sampson DeMarco Sampson is an American football wide receiver for the Arizona Cardinals of the National Football League. He played college football at San Diego State University.-College career:... |
WR Wide receiver A wide receiver is an offensive position in American and Canadian football, and is the key player in most of the passing plays. Only players in the backfield or the ends on the line are eligible to catch a forward pass. The two players who begin play at the ends of the offensive line are eligible... |
6'2" | 204 lbs. | SDSU San Diego State University San Diego State University , founded in 1897 as San Diego Normal School, is the largest and oldest higher education facility in the greater San Diego area , and is part of the California State University system... |
Compensatory selection | |
In April 2010, the Cardinals traded their original 7th-round selection and a 2010
2010 NFL Draft
The 2010 NFL Draft was the 75th annual meeting of National Football League franchises to select newly eligible football players. Unlike previous years, the 2010 draft took place over three days, at Radio City Music Hall in New York City, with the first round on Thursday, April 22, 2010, at 7:30 pm...
4th-round selection to the New York Jets
New York Jets
The New York Jets are a professional football team headquartered in Florham Park, New Jersey, representing the New York metropolitan area. The team is a member of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
for S Kerry Rhodes
Kerry Rhodes
Kerry Rhodes is an American football safety for the Arizona Cardinals of the National Football League. He was drafted by the New York Jets in the fourth round of the 2005 NFL Draft...
. The Cardinals received a new seventh-round selection as a compensatory selection.
Acquisitions
On July 28, 2011 the Cardinals acquired Kolb from the Philadelphia Eagles2010 Philadelphia Eagles season
The 2010 Philadelphia Eagles season was the 78th season for the team in the National Football League , who looked to improve on their 11–5 record from 2009. They finished with a 10–6 record, but lost to the Green Bay Packers in the Wild Card playoffs. For head coach Andy Reid, this was his 12th...
for CB Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie
Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie
-Arizona Cardinals:Rodgers-Cromartie was drafted by the Cardinals in the first round of the 2008 NFL Draft. On July 25, he signed a 5-year, $15.1 million contract with the team that includes $9 million in guarantees. Rodgers-Cromartie was named the starting nickelback for the 2008 season, behind...
and a 2012
2012 NFL Draft
The 2012 NFL Draft will be the 77th annual meeting of National Football League franchises to select newly eligible football players.-Trades:...
2nd-round pick. The next day they signed former Carolina Panthers
2010 Carolina Panthers season
-Coaching staff:-Preseason:The Panthers preseason schedule was announced on March 31, 2010.-Regular season:-Week 1: at New York Giants:The Panthers began their season at New Meadowlands Stadium for an NFC duel with the New York Giants. In the first quarter, Carolina got the stadium's very first...
starting CB Richard Marshall
Richard Marshall
Richard Jaquelin Marshall was a Major General in the US Army.He served in the 1st Division during World War I and became the Chief of Staff of United States Army Forces in the Pacific Theater of Operations by the end of World War II.-Early life:Richard J. Marshall was born at the "Crag," in...
.
Schedule
The Cardinals' preseason schedule was announced on April 12, 2011.| Week | | Date | | Kickoff | | Opponent | | Results | | Game site | | TV | | NFL.com recap |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Final score | Team record | |||||||
| 1 | August 11 | 7:00 p.m. | at Oakland Raiders 2011 Oakland Raiders season The 2011 Oakland Raiders season is the franchise's 42nd season in the National Football League and the 52nd overall. 2011 also marks the final season under the ownership of Al Davis, who died on October 8, 2011... |
W 24–18 | 1–0 | O.co Coliseum | Recap | |
| 2 | August 19 | 5:00 p.m. | at Green Bay Packers 2011 Green Bay Packers season The 2011 Green Bay Packers season is the franchise's 91st season in the National Football League, the 93rd season overall and the sixth under head coach Mike McCarthy... |
L 20–28 | 1–1 | Lambeau Field Lambeau Field Lambeau Field is an outdoor football stadium in Green Bay, Wisconsin, the home of the NFL's Green Bay Packers. Opened in 1957 as City Stadium, it replaced the original City Stadium as the Packers' home field... |
Recap | |
| 3 | August 27 | 7:00 p.m. | San Diego Chargers 2011 San Diego Chargers season The 2011 San Diego Chargers season will be the franchise's 42nd season in the National Football League and the 52nd overall. The team hopes to improve on its 9–7 record from 2010, in which the team missed the playoffs. For Norv Turner, this will be his fifth season as the head coach of the... |
L 31–34 | 1–2 | University of Phoenix Stadium University of Phoenix Stadium University of Phoenix Stadium, opened August 1, 2006, is a multipurpose football stadium located in Glendale, Arizona. It is the home of the Arizona Cardinals of the National Football League and the annual Fiesta Bowl... |
Recap | |
| 4 | September 1 | 7:00 p.m. | Denver Broncos 2011 Denver Broncos season The Denver Broncos season is the franchise's 42nd season in the National Football League and the 52nd overall. It also marks the first season under new head coach John Fox, as well as the first with John Elway as the team's Executive Vice President of Football Operations... |
W 26–7 | 2–2 | University of Phoenix Stadium | Recap | |
Schedule
| Week | | Date | | Kickoff | | Opponent | | Results | | Game site | | TV | | NFL.com recap |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Final score | Team record | |||||||
| 1 | September 11 | 1:15 p.m. | Carolina Panthers 2011 Carolina Panthers season The 2011 Carolina Panthers season will be the franchise's 17th season in the National Football League and the first season for Ron Rivera as the head coach. In Week 16 of the 2010 season, the team clinched the NFL's worst record of the year and was given the #1 pick in the 2011 NFL Draft, with... |
W 28–21 | 1–0 | University of Phoenix Stadium University of Phoenix Stadium University of Phoenix Stadium, opened August 1, 2006, is a multipurpose football stadium located in Glendale, Arizona. It is the home of the Arizona Cardinals of the National Football League and the annual Fiesta Bowl... |
Fox NFL on FOX NFL on Fox is the brand name of the Fox Broadcasting Company's coverage of the National Football League's National Football Conference games, produced by Fox Sports... |
Recap |
| 2 | September 18 | 10:00 a.m. | at Washington Redskins 2011 Washington Redskins season The 2011 Washington Redskins season will be the 79th season for the team in the National Football League and their 74th representing the District of Columbia . Their home games will be played at FedEx Field in Landover, Maryland for the 15th consecutive year. Washington will play in the Eastern... |
L 21–22 | 1–1 | FedEx Field | Fox | Recap |
| 3 | September 25 | 1:15 p.m. | at Seattle Seahawks 2011 Seattle Seahawks season The 2011 Seattle Seahawks season is the franchise's 36th season in the National Football League, the 10th playing their home games at CenturyLink Field and the second under head coach Pete Carroll... |
L 10–13 | 1–2 | CenturyLink Field | Fox | Recap |
| 4 | October 2 | 1:05 p.m. | New York Giants 2011 New York Giants season The 2011 New York Giants season is the 87th season for the team in the National Football League. The Giants finished with a 10–6 record in 2010 however they missed the playoffs... |
L 27–31 | 1–3 | University of Phoenix Stadium | Fox | Recap |
| 5 | October 9 | 10:00 a.m. | at Minnesota Vikings 2011 Minnesota Vikings season -Week 2: at Seattle Seahawks:-Week 3: vs. Dallas Cowboys:-Week 4: vs. Houston Texans:-Schedule:COLOR KEY & NOTES:-Week 1: at San Diego Chargers:-Week 2: vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers:-Week 3: vs. Detroit Lions:-Week 4: at Kansas City Chiefs:... |
L 10–34 | 1–4 | Mall of America Field at Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome | Fox | Recap |
| 6 | Bye Bye (sports) A bye, in sports and other competitive activities, most commonly refers to the practice of allowing a player or team to advance to the next round of a playoff tournament without playing... |
|||||||
| 7 | October 23 | 1:05 p.m. | Pittsburgh Steelers 2011 Pittsburgh Steelers season The 2011 Pittsburgh Steelers season will be the team's 79th season as a professional sports franchise and as a member of the National Football League . It is expected to be the twelfth season under the leadership of general manager Kevin Colbert and the fifth under head coach Mike Tomlin... |
L 20–32 | 1–5 | University of Phoenix Stadium | CBS NFL on CBS The NFL on CBS is the brand name of the CBS television network's coverage of the National Football League's American Football Conference games, produced by CBS Sports.-Market coverage and television policies:... |
Recap |
| 8 | October 30 | 10:00 a.m. | at Baltimore Ravens 2011 Baltimore Ravens season The 2011 Baltimore Ravens season will be the 16th in the National Football League and city of Baltimore, Maryland, and the 14th to host home games at M&T Bank Stadium. The Ravens will seek to act upon their 12–4 record from 2010 and win the American Football Conference's North division title for... |
L 27–30 | 1–6 | M&T Bank Stadium M&T Bank Stadium M&T Bank Stadium is a multi-purpose football stadium located in Baltimore, Maryland. It is the home of the Baltimore Ravens of the National Football League. The stadium is immediately adjacent to Oriole Park at Camden Yards, the home of the Baltimore Orioles. Served by the Hamburg Street station of... |
Fox | Recap |
| 9 | November 6 | 2:15 p.m. | St. Louis Rams 2011 St. Louis Rams season The 2011 St. Louis Rams season will be the team's 74th season in the National Football League, the 17th overall in St. Louis and the third under head coach Steve Spagnuolo. The Rams are coming off a 2010 season, in which they compiled more victories than in the previous 3 years combined... |
W 19–13 (OT) | 2–6 | University of Phoenix Stadium | Fox | Recap |
| 10 | November 13 | 11:00 a.m. | at Philadelphia Eagles 2011 Philadelphia Eagles season The 2011 Philadelphia Eagles season will be the 79th season for the team in the National Football League . The Eagles will play all of their home games at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.-Personnel changes:... |
W 21–17 | 3–6 | Lincoln Financial Field Lincoln Financial Field Lincoln Financial Field is the home stadium of the National Football League's Philadelphia Eagles. It has a seating capacity of 68,532 . It is located in South Philadelphia on Pattison Avenue between 11th and 10th streets, also aside I-95 as part of the South Philadelphia Sports Complex... |
Fox | Recap |
| 11 | November 20 | 2:05 p.m. | at San Francisco 49ers 2011 San Francisco 49ers season The 2011 San Francisco 49ers season is the franchise's 66th season overall, and 62nd in the National Football League . It is the first season under head coach Jim Harbaugh and general manager Trent Baalke... |
L 7–23 | 3–7 | Candlestick Park | Fox | Recap |
| 12 | November 27 | 11:00 a.m. | at St. Louis Rams | W 23–20 | 4–7 | Edward Jones Dome Edward Jones Dome The Edward Jones Dome The Edward Jones Dome The Edward Jones Dome (more formally known as the Edward Jones Dome at America's Center, and previously known as The Trans World Dome (from 1995–2001) is a multi-purpose stadium in St. Louis, Missouri, and home of the St. Louis Rams of the NFL. It was... |
Fox | Recap |
| 13 | December 4 | 2:15 p.m. | Dallas Cowboys 2011 Dallas Cowboys season The 2011 Dallas Cowboys season will be the Cowboys' 52nd season in the NFL, the third season playing their home games at Cowboys Stadium and the first full season under head coach Jason Garrett, who served as the interim head coach for the team's final eight games in 2010... |
University of Phoenix Stadium | Fox | |||
| 14 | December 11 | 2:05 p.m. | San Francisco 49ers | University of Phoenix Stadium | Fox | |||
| 15 | December 18 | 2:15 p.m. * | Cleveland Browns 2011 Cleveland Browns season The 2011 Cleveland Browns season will be the team's 65th season as a professional sports franchise and its 61st season as a member of the National Football League . The team will attempt to improve on its 2010 season, where it finished with a record of 5–11 and placed third in the AFC North... |
University of Phoenix Stadium | CBS | |||
| 16 | December 24 | 11:00 a.m. | at Cincinnati Bengals 2011 Cincinnati Bengals season The 2011 Cincinnati Bengals season will be the team's 44th season as a professional sports franchise and its 42nd season as a member of the National Football League . The team has improved on its 2010 season, where it finished with a record of 4–12 and placed fourth in the AFC North. This marks... |
Paul Brown Stadium Paul Brown Stadium Paul Brown Stadium is an American sports stadium located in Cincinnati, Ohio. It is the home venue of the Cincinnati Bengals of the National Football League. It opened on August 19, 2000. The stadium was named after Bengals' founder Paul Brown. The stadium is located on approximately of land and... |
Fox | |||
| 17 | January 1 | 2:15 p.m. * | Seattle Seahawks | University of Phoenix Stadium | Fox | |||
LEGEND:
- ArizonaArizonaArizona ; is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. It is also part of the western United States and the mountain west. The capital and largest city is Phoenix...
is in the Mountain Time ZoneMountain Time ZoneThe Mountain Time Zone of North America keeps time by subtracting seven hours from Coordinated Universal Time, also known as Greenwich Mean Time, during the shortest days of autumn and winter , and by subtracting six hours during daylight saving time in the spring, summer, and early autumn...
, but does not observe Daylight saving timeDaylight saving timeDaylight saving time —also summer time in several countries including in British English and European official terminology —is the practice of temporarily advancing clocks during the summertime so that afternoons have more daylight and mornings have less...
(except in the Navajo NationNavajo NationThe Navajo Nation is a semi-autonomous Native American-governed territory covering , occupying all of northeastern Arizona, the southeastern portion of Utah, and northwestern New Mexico...
), so it is effectively on Pacific Daylight TimePacific Time ZoneThe Pacific Time Zone observes standard time by subtracting eight hours from Coordinated Universal Time . The clock time in this zone is based on the mean solar time of the 120th meridian west of the Greenwich Observatory. During daylight saving time, its time offset is UTC-7.In the United States...
from mid-March to early November. Therefore, all game times during the preseason and from Weeks 1–8 during the regular season are in Pacific time mode. - Indicates that the game time is subject to change as a result of flexible scheduling.
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 SteelersPittsburgh Steelers
The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional football team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The team currently belongs to the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Founded in , the Steelers are the oldest franchise in the AFC...
, in a rematch of Super Bowl XLIII
Super Bowl XLIII
Super Bowl XLIII was an American football game pitting the American Football Conference champion Pittsburgh Steelers against the National Football Conference champion Arizona Cardinals to decide the National Football League champion for the 2008 season. The game was played on February 1, 2009,...
. Arizona trailed early in the first quarter as Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger
Ben Roethlisberger
Benjamin Todd "Ben" Roethlisberger , nicknamed Big Ben, is an American football quarterback for the Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Steelers in the first round in the 2004 NFL Draft...
completed a 12-yard touchdown pass to tight end Heath Miller
Heath Miller
Earl Heath Miller, Jr. is an American football tight end for the Pittsburgh Steelers of the NFL. He was selected as the 30th overall pick of the 2005 NFL Draft out of the University of Virginia.-Early years:...
. Pittsburgh would add onto their lead in the second quarter as Roethlisberger completed a 95-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Mike Wallace
Mike Wallace (American football)
-Pittsburgh Steelers:Wallace was selected by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the third round of the 2009 NFL Draft with the 84th overall selection. Wallace was the 11th wide receiver chosen in the draft. On June 18, 2009, Wallace signed a three year contract with the Steelers worth $1.740 million which...
. The Cardinals would answer with a 1-yard touchdown run from running back Alfonso Smith
Alfonso Smith (running back)
Alfonso Smith is an American football running back for the Arizona Cardinals of the National Football League. He was signed by the Cardinals as an undrafted free agent in 2010...
. The Steelers would close out the half with kicker Shaun Suisham
Shaun Suisham
Shaun Christopher Suisham is a Canadian placekicker of American football for the Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League . He was signed by the Cowboys as an undrafted free agent in 2005...
getting a 41-yard field goal.
Arizona opened the third quarter with quarterback Kevin Kolb
Kevin Kolb
Kevin Benjamin Kolb is an American football quarterback for the Arizona Cardinals of the National Football League . He was drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles in the second round of the 2007 NFL Draft. He played college football at Houston....
finding running back LaRod Stephens-Howling
LaRod Stephens-Howling
LaRod Stephens-Howling is an American football running back and kickoff returner for the Arizona Cardinals of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Cardinals in the seventh round of the 2009 NFL Draft...
on a 73-yard touchdown pass, but Pittsburgh struck back with Roethlisberger completing a 4-yard touchdown pass, 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 33-yard and a 39-yard field goal. The Cardinals tried to rally as Kolb found wide receiver Early Doucet
Early Doucet
Early Joseph Doucet, III is an American football wide receiver for the Arizona Cardinals of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Cardinals in the third round of the 2008 NFL Draft. He played college football at Louisiana State.-Early years:Early Doucet prepped at St. Martinville...
on a 2-yard touchdown pass (with a failed two-point conversion), but Pittsburgh held on to preserve the victory.
With the loss, Arizona fell to 1-5.