1970 St. Louis Cardinals (NFL) season explained

Team:St. Louis Cardinals (NFL)
Teamdisplay:St. Louis Cardinals
Year:1970
Record:8–5–1
Division Place:3rd NFC East
Coach:Charley Winner
Stadium:Busch Memorial Stadium
Playoffs:Did not qualify
Pro Bowlers:T Ernie McMillan
TE Jackie Smith
RB MacArthur Lane
LB Larry Stallings
CB Roger Wehrli
FS Larry Wilson
Shortnavlink:Cardinals seasons

The 1970 St. Louis Cardinals season was the 51st season the team was in the league. The team improved on their previous output of 4–9–1, winning eight games.[1] Despite them shutting out three consecutive opponents (and holding a fourth, the defending Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs, without a touchdown in a 6–6 draw), they failed to reach the playoffs for the 22nd straight season, thanks to three consecutive losses in December. The Cardinals entered their regular season finale at Washington needing to defeat the Redskins, plus for losses by the Cowboys (to the Oilers) and the Giants (to the Rams), to reach the playoffs. It all became academic after the Cardinals lost 28-27 to the Redskins and the Cowboys mauled the Oilers 52–10 to win the NFC East.

Prior to the season-ending skid, the Cardinals swept the Dallas Cowboys, with the second victory a 38–0 destruction on Monday Night Football at the Cotton Bowl. Dallas did not lose again until it fell to the Baltimore Colts in Super Bowl V. The Cardinals swept the Cowboys only one other time, in 1989, (one year after the Cardinals' relocation to Arizona), when Dallas went 1-15 under first-year coach Jimmy Johnson. (The Cardinals and Cowboys have not been division rivals since 2001, as the now-Arizona Cardinals were moved to the NFC West in 2002.)

Offseason

NFL Draft

See main article: 1970 NFL draft.

RoundPickPlayerPositionSchool/Club Team
18Larry StegentRunning BackTexas A&M
233Jim CorrigallLinebackerKent State
238Chuck HutchisonGuardOhio State
358Charlie PittmanRunning BackPenn State

Schedule

WeekDateOpponentResultRecordVenueAttendance
1at Los Angeles RamsL 13–340–1Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum63,130
2September 27Washington RedskinsW 27–171–1Busch Memorial Stadium44,246
3October 4Dallas CowboysW 20–72–1Busch Memorial Stadium50,780
4October 11New Orleans SaintsW 24–173–1Busch Memorial Stadium45,294
5October 18at Philadelphia EaglesW 35–204–1Franklin Field59,002
6October 25at New York GiantsL 17–354–2Yankee Stadium62,984
7November 1Houston OilersW 44–05–2Busch Memorial Stadium47,911
8November 8Boston PatriotsW 31–06–2Busch Memorial Stadium46,446
9at Dallas CowboysW 38–07–2Cotton Bowl69,323
10November 22at Kansas City ChiefsT 6–67–2–1Municipal Stadium50,711
11November 29 Philadelphia EaglesW 23–148–2–1Busch Memorial Stadium46,581
12December 6at Detroit LionsL 3–168–3–1Tiger Stadium56,362
13December 13New York GiantsL 17–348–4–1Busch Memorial Stadium50,845
14December 20 at Washington RedskinsL 27–288–5–1RFK Stadium50,415
Note: Intra-division opponents are in bold text.

Standings

Notes and References

  1. https://www.pro-football-reference.com/teams/crd/1970.htm 1970 St. Louis Cardinals