2015 NFC Divisional Playoff vs Panthers

Lore & Background

The 2015 season was the Arizona Cardinals' 96th in the National Football League (NFL), their 117th overall, their 28th in Arizona, their 10th playing home games at University of Phoenix Stadium and their third under head coach Bruce Arians. The Cardinals clinched their first NFC West title since 2009, in addition to a franchise best 13 wins. They also clinched a first round bye for the first time in franchise history. The second-seeded Cardinals began their playoff run by defeating the fifth-seeded Green Bay Packers 26–20 in overtime in the divisional round, giving quarterback Carson Palmer his first career playoff win. However, they were defeated by the top-seeded 15-1 Carolina Panthers in the divisional round by a score of 23–16 (OT).

In Their Own Story

The cold Charlotte air bit at the faces of the traveling fans as the clock ticked down in overtime. Inside the stadium, tension was a physical weight. Carson Palmer had just led a methodical drive to tie the game, his eyes scanning the field with desperate hope. The Panthers lined up for fourth-and-goal from the one-yard line. Cam Newton took the snap, feinted hard left, and surged forward. Ha Ha Clinton-Dix lunged, his hands reaching out in a blur of red and white. For a heartbeat, it seemed the tackle would hold. But the whistle blew, the ball remained loose, and the stadium erupted as Carolina crossed the plane. The dream died not with a bang, but with a silence that echoed louder than any cheer.

Reader's Guide

The Cardinals called heads to win the coin toss, but Carolina dominated the game from start to finish. With the loss, the Cardinals finished the season with an overall record of 14–4. They also turned the ball over 7 times in a Championship game. It would tie the most giveaways in a single conference championship game.

Did You Know?

• The 2015 NFC Divisional Round was a rematch of the 2008 NFC Wild Card Round, which saw the 9–7 fourth-seeded Cardinals upset the 12–4 second-seeded Panthers in their home stadium.
• The Cardinals committed seven turnovers in the game, tied for the most turnovers in a divisional round game since the Los Angeles Rams were defeated by the Dallas Cowboys 28–0 in the 1978 season.
• As of 2025, this remains the most recent season the Cardinals have won a playoff game, having gone 0–2 (including the divisional round loss) since.