History of Arizona Cardinals on Monday Night Football

Like most of the Arizona Cardinals’ 26-year history in the Valley of the Sun, their performances on Monday Night Football have left quite a bit to be desired.

How bad has it been? A win against the San Diego Chargers on Monday night would double — yes, double — the Cardinals’ total MNF wins since they moved to Arizona from St. Louis before the 1988 season.

The Cardinals have compiled a 1-8 record on Monday night since that move, with many losses coming in especially frustrating fashion. Here’s a breakdown of all nine MNF performances since 1988:

Sept. 12, 1988: Cowboys 17, Cardinals 14

In the Cardinals’ first home regular-season game in the Valley, Cowboys running back Herschel Walker racked up 149 rushing yards and a touchdown on 29 carries to help Dallas jump out to a 17-7 lead. The Cardinals rallied in the fourth quarter, as quarterback Neil Lomax connected with tight end Jay Novacek on a 23-yard TD pass, but it wasn’t enough.

The difference in the game turned out to be a 47-yard first-quarter field goal from Dallas kicker and former ASU standout Luis Zendejas.

Cardinals MVP: Lomax: 20-of-34, 266 yards, two touchdowns, no interceptions

Dec. 25, 1995: Cowboys 37, Cardinals 13

The short-lived Buddy Ryan era came to an end on Christmas Day, as the Cowboys cleaned the Cards’ clock at Sun Devil Stadium. Dallas jumped out to a 24-0 lead thanks to 350 passing yards from QB Troy Aikman and 203 receiving yards and a pair of TDs by WR Kevin Williams.

Ryan, who led the Cardinals to an 8-8 record in his first season as head coach, was dismissed after the game, as the Cards finished his second and final season with a 4-12 showing. It would be the last head coaching job of Ryan’s career.

Cardinals MVP: RB Larry Centers: 12 receptions, 172 yards

Sept. 27, 1999: 49ers 24, Cardinals 10

This game was better known as 49ers Hall of Fame QB Steve Young’s last, as a hit from cornerback Aeneas Williams in the first half resulted in a concussion that ultimately forced Young to retire.

But the 49ers rolled anyway thanks to 177 combined rushing yards from RBs Lawrence Phillips and Charlie Garner, as well as a first-quarter TD grab by Hall of Fame WR Jerry Rice, to give San Francisco a 17-0 halftime lead in Tempe. Cardinals QB Jake Plummer completed just 16-of-31 passes for 176 yards and two interceptions.

Cardinals MVP: WR Frank Sanders: seven receptions, 74 yards

Oct. 16, 2006: Bears 24, Cardinals 23

Of all the games that Cards fans would love to forget, this one may top the list. Arizona led 23-3 in the second half via six Chicago turnovers in their first MNF game at University of Phoenix Stadium, but they squandered that advantage thanks to a pair of fumble returns for touchdowns by safety Mike Brown and cornerback Charles Tillman, along with an 83-yard punt return for a TD by WR Devin Hester.

QB Matt Leinart led the Cardinals on a last-minute drive, but kicker Neil Rackers’ 40-yard field-goal attempt with less than a minute to play sailed wide.

After the loss, then-Cards coach Dennis Green contributed his famous “they are who we thought they were” sound bite.

Cardinals MVP: WR Anquan Boldin: 12 receptions, 136 yards, one touchdown

Sept. 10, 2007: 49ers 20, Cardinals 17

In their ’07 season opener, the Cards once again came close to ending their MNF drought, as Boldin’s 5-yard TD catch from Leinart gave Arizona a 17-13 lead at San Francisco with 6:40 to play. But QB Alex Smith and the 49ers engineered a late drive capped by WR Arnaz Battle’s 1-yard TD run with 22 seconds left.

It was an underwhelming performance from Leinart, who completed just half of his passes (14-of-28) for an underwhelming 102 yards, one TD and two interceptions.

Cardinals MVP: RB Edgerrin James: 26 rushes, 92 yards, one touchdown; two receptions, 20 yards

Nov. 10, 2008: Cardinals 29, 49ers 24

It took a late goal-line stand, but in their 21st season in the desert, the Cardinals finally broke through on Monday night.

The Cards trailed nearly the entire game in Glendale following cornerback Allen Rossum’s 104-yard kickoff return for a TD just 12 seconds into the first quarter. But QB Kurt Warner’s 4-yard TD toss to Boldin with 4:16 left gave Arizona its first lead.

Just like a year earlier, the 49ers put together a last-minute drive, but the Cards’ D held running backs Frank Gore and Michael Robinson out of the end zone on the game’s final two plays. The win improved the Cardinals’ record to 6-3; three months later, they made their first and only Super Bowl appearance.

Cardinals MVP: Warner: 32-of-42, 328 yards, three touchdowns, no interceptions

Dec. 14, 2009: 49ers 24, Cardinals 9

While the Cards were running away with their second consecutive NFC West division title, the host 49ers created a temporary road block by forcing seven turnovers and running all over the defending NFC champions.

Gore rushed for 167 yards and a TD on 25 carries, and the Cards fumbled seven times and committed 11 penalties to give San Francisco a comfortable win. Warner was held to 178 yards on 16-of-29 passing with no TDs and two picks.

Cardinals MVP: RB Beanie Wells: 15 rushes, 79 yards, one touchdown

Nov. 29, 2010: 49ers 27, Cardinals 6

For the second straight year, the 49ers blew out the Cardinals on MNF, opening up a 21-3 second quarter lead in Glendale thanks in part to RB Brian Westbrook’s 136 rushing yards.

In place of Warner, who retired following the 2009 season, QB Derek Anderson managed to complete just 16-of-35 passes for 196 yards, no TDs and an INT. He didn’t get much help from the backfield, as the Cards rushed for just 13 yards on 11 attempts.

After the game, Anderson contributed another classic MNF tirade for the Cardinals when asked about laughing on the sideline late in the loss.

Cardinals MVP: WR Early Doucet: five receptions, 60 yards

Oct. 29, 2012: 49ers 24, Cardinals 3

No, this isn’t a rerun: the 49ers jumped out to a big lead on MNF thanks in part to the Cardinals’ porous running game.

Smith’s 47-yard TD pass to WR Randy Moss gave San Francisco a 24-0 advantage midway through the third quarter, as the Cardinals managed just seven rushing yards on nine carries for the entire game. The Cards, which opened the season 4-0, slipped to 4-4 and finished the season 5-11, leading to the firing of Ken Whisenhunt, who remains the longest-tenured Cardinals head coach since the team relocated to Arizona.

Cardinals MVP: QB John Skelton: 32-of-52, 290 yards, no touchdowns, one interception