You're Top 5 most miserable losses.

[Duckjake]

Last game Don Coryell ever coached, he got fired after that.

I think The passing Don quit after the Eagles game that year.

Geez how many times has this team lost a string of games at the end of the season to fall out of the playoffs.

As stated in the '77 Miami game notes they were 7-3 and dropped 4 straight.

1970 team was 8-2-1 and lost their last 3.

1966 team was also 8-2-1 and lost their last 3.

1988 7-4 and lost their last 5.

2006 team was 1-0 and lost 8 straight.

 

[Russ Smith]

Don't remember the year but there was a shutout loss to Denver where we had 2 trips inside the 5 yard line where they stopped us on 4th down goalline stands.

Or the one under Bugel the infamous Johnny Bailey game where Bugel had the smallest RB on the roster go up the middle on the goalline like 50 times in a row (ok maybe 4).

honestly the 84 one to Washington recently discussed is the one I can never forget. The Superbowl obviously stunk but we made it the Super Bowl so that took some of the sting off for me. The 84 one cost us a playoff berth.

 

[BigRedFan]

2004 started 4-2, finished 1-9 including the 49-0 KC loss.

I think The passing Don quit after the Eagles game that year.

Geez how many times has this team lost a string of games at the end of the season to fall out of the playoffs.

As stated in the '77 Miami game notes they were 7-3 and dropped 4 straight.

1970 team was 8-2-1 and lost their last 3.

1966 team was also 8-2-1 and lost their last 3.

1988 7-4 and lost their last 5.

2006 team was 1-0 and lost 8 straight.

 

[Duckjake]

2004 started 4-2, finished 1-9 including the 49-0 KC loss.

That was 2002. What a miserable season that ended up being.

 

[Cheesebeef]

Don't remember the year but there was a shutout loss to Denver where we had 2 trips inside the 5 yard line where they stopped us on 4th down goalline stands.

Or the one under Bugel the infamous Johnny Bailey game where Bugel had the smallest RB on the roster go up the middle on the goalline like 50 times in a row (ok maybe 4).

I actually think it was 6 times in a row. their defense got a holding penalty on 3rd down giving us a fresh set of downs to not punch it in from the 1 yard line.

 

[Osbern61]

1. Bears 2006, the Monday night game.
2. Losing to Bengals in the 1997 opener, blowing a 21-3 lead.
3. Losing to the Eagles on the last play of the game when Harold Carmichael broke 2 tackles inside the 5 and scored; 1973.
4. Niners OT win at UoP in 2007. Rackers nails a game winner in OT that's nullified by a delay of game, then misses his next attempt.
5. Niners come from 16 down in the final 5 or 6 minutes in 2005. I recall those Denny Green teams always being not quite bad enough to totally quash hope, then when the light at the end of the tunnel became visable, they would fall flat on their faces.

 

[AzStevenCal]

1. Super Bowl 43 vs. Steelers 2008-09

2. Monday Night vs. Bears 2006

3. Regular Season vs. Cowboys 1998 (non-pass Interference call)

4. Regular Season vs. Rams 2006 ( Warner fumbled the snap to lose the game)

5. Regular Season vs. 49ers. (Ken Dorsey beats us.)

I think one of the reasons that I have maintained my sanity as a fan of Arizona sports teams is that I've managed to forget all the bad losses. I don't know how any of the rest of you survive if you can't let go of the bad ones.

BTW, you might want to ask them to edit your title (you're and loses) before one of us anal retentive types BIM's you.

Steve

 

[Cards_Campos]

The game where we had a 24 point lead but a starting QB got subpoenaed on the field and had to be handcuffed and taken off the field. We would have used our 2nd string QB but he forgot his jersey. We then let the visitors score 7 straight Fg's to cut the lead to 3...Bigfoot appeared on the field which made our RB fumble and the opponent ran it back for a TD to lead by 4. We run the kickoff back for a TD but they called it back because the ball wasnt inflated properly. So we march down the field and score on a 2 yard run to take another 3 point lead with 4 seconds left. For some reason the Kicker thinks the coach calls a onside kick and the opponent recovers on our 35 with 2 seconds left. After 4 offsides and a 3 12 man on the field penalties. The opponent has moved to the 1 yard line without snapping the ball. We intercept the ball on the last play...but the player is so happy he hands it to the WR to show off how good he is before the ref blows his whistle. We lose by 3 and lose the division on percentage points.

Ok so I wrote about a loss that is easier to understand then some of our normal ones.

 

[ajcardfan]

1. Super Bowl 43 vs. Steelers 2008-09

2. Monday Night vs. Bears 2006

Agree with those as my top two:

3. Minnesota 1997: Up 19-10, first and goal at the one. Not only do we not get the TD, Butler misses 20 yard FG. Minnesota scores 10 points in the last 3 minutes of the game, with a 54 yd FG at the gun. We lose 20-19.

4. Opening game in Cincy in 1997. Blow 21-3 4th qtr lead, Larry Centers fumbles just as he gains the clinching first down.

5. Rams game in 2005 when Leonard Davis false starts and the last nine seconds are run off the clock after Warner drove us inside the 10 for a potential game winning TD.


Lots, lots more. The close ones kill me more than the many blowouts we could choose from.

 

[Duckjake]

Rams game in 2005 when Leonard Davis false starts and the last nine seconds are run off the clock after Warner drove us inside the 10 for a potential game winning TD.

Then in 2006 also against the Rams the Cards give back St.Louis housewarming gift, when the Rams fumble only needing run a couple minutes off the clock, and fumble the ball right back inside the Ram 15 needing only a FG to win.

Ranks right up there with losing two games in OT by the identical score of 31-28 to the 49ers for SF's only wins of the year.

Not many teams can do stuff like that.

 

[Osbern61]

The game where we had a 24 point lead but a starting QB got subpoenaed on the field and had to be handcuffed and taken off the field. We would have used our 2nd string QB but he forgot his jersey. We then let the visitors score 7 straight Fg's to cut the lead to 3...Bigfoot appeared on the field which made our RB fumble and the opponent ran it back for a TD to lead by 4. We run the kickoff back for a TD but they called it back because the ball wasnt inflated properly. So we march down the field and score on a 2 yard run to take another 3 point lead with 4 seconds left. For some reason the Kicker thinks the coach calls a onside kick and the opponent recovers on our 35 with 2 seconds left. After 4 offsides and a 3 12 man on the field penalties. The opponent has moved to the 1 yard line without snapping the ball. We intercept the ball on the last play...but the player is so happy he hands it to the WR to show off how good he is before the ref blows his whistle. We lose by 3 and lose the division on percentage points.

Ok so I wrote about a loss that is easier to understand then some of our normal ones.

Actually, that sounds like one of my dreams the night before a big Cards game.

 

[phillycard]

4. 1997 - Cardinals v. Bengals 24-21 L - opening day, on the road, 21-3 lead... which we completely blow as Larry Centers fumbles with less than 2 minutes left as we can run out the clock. Carl Pickens scores game winner against us with like 20 second left. Began a streak of like 6 of 7 games where we basically lost on the lost play of the game.

Cheese, that was the last game I cried over before the Bears game. It just hurt so bad because in those days we never won openers, and we crapped away our shot.

 

[phillycard]

1. SB XVIII without question.
2. Monday night Bears Meltdown
3. KC Chiefs Anihalation
4. The Miami Sunday Night game where Dan Marino basically proved we had no business on the field against him.
5. The Jets game where Adrian Murrell owned us. I remember not only getting embarrassed by an atrocious Jets team, but getting clowned by the sports bar manager for asking which TV would have the game. The guy flat out laughed in my face and put me in the back of the bar with a 13 inch TV as my two boys watched their Cowboys and Eagles on big screens.

Honorable mention 1. Literally any game at Texas Stadium. We stayed getting embarrassed on a regular basis there, but managed to beat them the one time it counted.

Honorable mention 2. ANY EAGLES LOSS

 

[RugbyMuffin]

warner 06 wasnt the one leanord davis lost by false starting?

Nope. The Warner fumble happened in UoP stadium. The false start was at Sun Devil.

Oh, man. Great tragic memories.

I cannot put the SB loss on worse, losses. Great game, and great experience.

Loss to Cleveland Browns: 44-6. Besides the lockout, closest I have ever been to giving up on this organization and team.

 

[Cheesebeef]

Cheese, that was the last game I cried over before the Bears game. It just hurt so bad because in those days we never won openers, and we crapped away our shot.

you cried over the Bears game?

Man... I get being completely diswraught when we lose games like the Bengals/Niners MNF openers... or those awful Niner OT losses because the games still meant something at that point in the season, but the Bears game? we were already a laughingstock that season having found everyway possible to lose close games. To me, that game was pure unadulterated comedy. That team was going nowhere, I LOATHED DG by that point and you just KNEW we were going to blow it. That game doesn't even come close to entering the pantheon of gut-wrenching losses to me.

 

[Cheesebeef]

FAVORITE LOSS:

2003 - Niners V. Cards - was down to my last unemployment check with no job in sight and the Cardinals were just the abysmal road team I'd ever seen that season (rug's 44-6 Clevelander was in that one). We were 15 point dogs and late Saturday night, I convinced my roommates to drive me to Vegas and then convinced them all (none of which knew ANYTHING about football) to drop their unemployment checks against the Cardinals.

We got to Vegas at 12:45 pm, dropped our bets just before kick-off, went back to the car to drink since we were so broke and by the time we got back, with 6 minutes to go in the first quarter, we were already down 21-0!

That was a glorious defeat IMO. Made 450 bucks off the boys that day.

2nd Favorite:

Definitely the Bears MNF game. That was just a classic and the text messages/phone calls/board banter afterward was just priceless.

 

[Section108]

Titans lose in 09 hurt bad, Vince Young going 99 yards for the win. Was it Haggans being held?

or

Shaun Alexander in 05 running in 4 tds against us at SDS.....

those hurt

 

[gmabel830]

you cried over the Bears game?

Man... I get being completely diswraught when we lose games like the Bengals/Niners MNF openers... or those awful Niner OT losses because the games still meant something at that point in the season, but the Bears game? we were already a laughingstock that season having found everyway possible to lose close games. To me, that game was pure unadulterated comedy. That team was going nowhere, I LOATHED DG by that point and you just KNEW we were going to blow it. That game doesn't even come close to entering the pantheon of gut-wrenching losses to me.

I agree with this.. I remember watching that game on TV (was in college) thinking the whole time "we will find a way to blow this... we will find a way to blow this"... and then when it actually happened it was both amazing and laughable. And let's all be honest with ourselves, now that this game is in the distant past, would anyone trade a victory in that game for the post-game Dennis Green tantrum? I'd say we got the better end of the deal. Same with the DA meltdown last year.

 

[THESMEL]

the last 5 and counting

 

[Duckjake]

I agree with this.. I remember watching that game on TV (was in college) thinking the whole time "we will find a way to blow this... we will find a way to blow this"... and then when it actually happened it was both amazing and laughable. And let's all be honest with ourselves, now that this game is in the distant past, would anyone trade a victory in that game for the post-game Dennis Green tantrum? I'd say we got the better end of the deal. Same with the DA meltdown last year.

It is really sad when you're team is up 23-10 in the third quarter and you turn to the person next to you and say we're going to miss not having that 24th point.

 

[MrYeahBut]

It is really sad when you're team is up 23-10 in the third quarter and you turn to the person next to you and say we're going to miss not having that 24th point.

That's the way I felt we were going to lose the Atl playoff game. Up 30-24 late, I just knew Cards were going to lose by 1 pt. Glad I was wrong on that one

 

[BigRedFan]

it also help lead to a change in head coaches which in part led to the Super Bowl appearance. Some attribute this mostly to Kurt Warner, but I dont see this team having gone to the Super Bowl under Green.

I agree with this.. I remember watching that game on TV (was in college) thinking the whole time "we will find a way to blow this... we will find a way to blow this"... and then when it actually happened it was both amazing and laughable. And let's all be honest with ourselves, now that this game is in the distant past, would anyone trade a victory in that game for the post-game Dennis Green tantrum? I'd say we got the better end of the deal. Same with the DA meltdown last year.

 

[Cheesebeef]

I agree with this.. I remember watching that game on TV (was in college) thinking the whole time "we will find a way to blow this... we will find a way to blow this"... and then when it actually happened it was both amazing and laughable. And let's all be honest with ourselves, now that this game is in the distant past, would anyone trade a victory in that game for the post-game Dennis Green tantrum? I'd say we got the better end of the deal. Same with the DA meltdown last year.

exactly. I remember right when the Bears got their first defensive touchdown with like 10 seconds left in the third, I immediately sent a text to my best friend that said "we're going to lose" and by the time I typed it and sent it... I had already gotten the EXACT same text from him back.

 

[Duckjake]

you cried over the Bears game?

Man... I get being completely diswraught when we lose games like the Bengals/Niners MNF openers... or those awful Niner OT losses because the games still meant something at that point in the season, but the Bears game? we were already a laughingstock that season having found everyway possible to lose close games. To me, that game was pure unadulterated comedy. That team was going nowhere, I LOATHED DG by that point and you just KNEW we were going to blow it. That game doesn't even come close to entering the pantheon of gut-wrenching losses to me.

I'm with you. Miserable losses to me are the ones where the Cards just get killed when they should win or at least be competitive.

I break them down into 4 categories: Miserable, Heartbreaking, humorous and Embarrassing.

The Cowboys game in '06 was embarrassing. Cards just laid down and quit in their own house. The Washington game in '84 was heartbreaking. The 38-10 loss to Dallas in 1998 was miserable, and numerous games have been humorous. Games where there was no expectation of winning and the Cards looked so awful it was funny. Like the Dallas game that led to Buddy Ryan going home early on Christmas Day 1995.

 

[NJCardFan]

3. Thanksgiving 1977, Miami 55 Cardinals 14. Humiliation on national TV, the Cardinals go in with a 6 game win streak, follow it up with 12 straight losses through next season, out of playoffs, loss of coach who goes on to build the best offense in the NFL, and 20 years of (mostly) losing.

This is #1 for me because we were a hot team, were coming off of 3 straight winning season and were among the elite of the NFC, and were in a position to win our 3rd division title in 4 seasons. Then we melt down against Miami on that fateful Thanksgiving game, which, BTW was a tradition being bestowed upon us but when we failed, it was given to the Cowboys. We didn't recover from this loss until 1982 when we began our 3 year winning season run. Anyhoo, this loss was bad enough, then we get bounced by a bad Giants team then lose the final game against the then 1-26 Bucs. We should have been 10-4 at worst that season.

2) 1999-Jets 12 Cards 7: The Jets' only win that season.

3) 1984-Packers 24 Cards 23-Some point to the end of season loss to Washington as a miserable loss, however, we had terrible record in Washington and the 'Skins were a great team then so losing to them in their home park isn't that terrible. Sure the way we lost it was but even worse was this loss. O'Donahue missed an extra point which cost us the game.

4) 2006-Bears 24 Cards 23: The infamous Monday Night game. Here's the deal with this one. We weren't going anywhere that year. We were a developing team but the offense was starting to click with James at RB and Leinart was actually looking good throwing to Fitz and Boldin. Then in come the then undefeated Bears and we were taking them to the shed until Green decided to put the football in his pocket. Now, it isn't losing that made this a miserable game because as I said, we were going nowhere and the Bears were SB bound. No, it was the way we lost. I think you're going to have to look long and hard for a team to have won a game where they score 24 points and only 3 by their offense. Add to that that the Bears offense, and more specifically, Grossman, had 6 turnovers. I can still see James going up the middle for like the 12th time, getting stripped, and Tillman going in for the score. That, to me, was the writing on the wall.

5) 2002-Cards 28 49ers 38-Harken back to this season, Plummers last as a Cardinal. The Cards open the season 4-2 and our 2 losses were good, hard fought games. Then we go into SF and get smoked(yes it was only 10 points but they dominated us all game long). That started a streak where we lost 9 of our last 10(the only win being an OT win against Detroit) which included the 49-0 shellacking by the Chiefs and the game where McNabb lights us up for 4TD on a broken ankle.