Arizona Cardinals clinch playoff berth for first time since 2015
Dec 26, 2021, 2:04 PM
Arizona Cardinals fans cheer during the second half of an NFL football game against the Indianapolis Colts, Saturday, Dec. 25, 2021, in Glendale, Ariz. (AP Photo/Rick Scuteri)
(AP Photo/Rick Scuteri)
Christmas came late for the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday as they clinched a spot in the NFL playoffs thanks to a loss by the Minnesota Vikings.
The present came at the hands of the Los Angeles Rams who beat the Vikings 30-23 in Minnesota.
With the win, Los Angeles pulls into a lead of the NFC West over Arizona, but the loss prevents Minnesota from catching the Cardinals in the win column and guarantees Arizona will have a top-7 record in the NFC.
The berth marks the first time Arizona is back in the playoffs since 2015. That season, the Cardinals made it to the NFC Championship game before falling to the Carolina Panthers.
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It’s also the team’s 11th playoff appearance in franchise history.
They also snap the second-longest playoff drought in the NFL.
The Cardinals will now look to improve their playoff seeding over the final two weeks of the regular season against the Dallas Cowboys in Week 17 and the Seattle Seahawks to close things out before the postseason kicks off.
Arizona earned the playoff spot despite losing in Week 16 to the Indianapolis Colts, 22-16.
The Cardinals are riding a three-game losing streak and have lost their last four games at State Farm Stadium.
If the standings hold as is, they will be on the road throughout the playoffs.
