1959 Chicago Cardinals season
The 1959 Chicago Cardinals season was the team's 40th and final season in Chicago. The Cardinals opened the season with a 49–21 home win over the Washington Redskins at Soldier Field, but finished with a record of two wins and ten losses, last place in the Eastern Conference. They tied with the Los Angeles Rams for the worst record in the 12-team league.[1]
1959 Chicago Cardinals season | |
---|---|
Head coach | Pop Ivy |
Owner | Violet Bidwill Wolfner |
Home field | Soldier Field & Metropolitan Stadium (Bloomington, Minnesota) |
Results | |
Record | 2–10 |
Division place | 6th NFL Eastern |
Playoff finish | Did not qualify |
Their final home game in Chicago was on November 29, a 31–7 loss to the cross-town rival Bears at Soldier Field.[2] The home games of October 25 and November 22, both losses, were played in Minnesota at Metropolitan Stadium in Bloomington,[3][4] the future home of the expansion Minnesota Vikings, starting two years later in 1961.
In March 1960, the Chicago Cardinals relocated to St. Louis and became the St. Louis Cardinals,[5][6][7] bringing the NFL back to Missouri.
Regular season
Schedule
Week | Date | Opponent | Result | Record | Venue | Attendance |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | September 27 | Washington Redskins | W 49–21 | 1–0 | Soldier Field | |
2 | October 4 | Cleveland Browns | L 34–7 | 1–1 | Soldier Field | |
3 | October 11 | at Washington Redskins | L 23–14 | 1–2 | Griffith Stadium | |
4 | October 18 | at Cleveland Browns | L 17–7 | 1–3 | Cleveland Stadium | |
5 | October 25 | Philadelphia Eagles | L 28–24 | 1–4 | Metropolitan Stadium | |
6 | November 1 | Pittsburgh Steelers | W 45–24 | 2–4 | Soldier Field | |
7 | November 8 | at New York Giants | L 9–3 | 2–5 | Yankee Stadium | |
8 | November 15 | at Philadelphia Eagles | L 27–17 | 2–6 | Franklin Field | |
9 | November 22 | New York Giants | L 30–20 | 2–7 | Metropolitan Stadium | |
10 | November 29 | Chicago Bears | L 31–7 | 2–8 | Soldier Field | |
11 | December 6 | at Detroit Lions | L 45–21 | 2–9 | Briggs Stadium | |
12 | December 13 | at Pittsburgh Steelers | L 35–20 | 2–10 | Forbes Field |
Standings
NFL Eastern Conference | |||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
W | L | T | PCT | CONF | PF | PA | STK | ||
New York Giants | 10 | 2 | 0 | .833 | 8–2 | 284 | 170 | W4 | |
Philadelphia Eagles | 7 | 5 | 0 | .583 | 6–4 | 268 | 278 | L1 | |
Cleveland Browns | 7 | 5 | 0 | .583 | 6–4 | 270 | 214 | W1 | |
Pittsburgh Steelers | 6 | 5 | 1 | .545 | 6–4 | 257 | 216 | W1 | |
Washington Redskins | 3 | 9 | 0 | .250 | 2–8 | 185 | 350 | L5 | |
Chicago Cardinals | 2 | 10 | 0 | .167 | 2–8 | 234 | 324 | L6 |
Note: Tie games were not officially counted in the standings until 1972.
References
- "NFL standings: final". Milwaukee Sentinel. December 14, 1959. p. 4, part 2.
- "Bears stay alive with 31-7 win". Milwaukee Sentinel. UPI. November 20, 1959. p. 2, part 2.
- "Cardinals blow lead, lose to Philadelphia". Milwaukee Journal. Associated Press. October 26, 1959. p. 14, part 2.
- "Giants beat Cards, take Eastern lead". Milwaukee Journal. Associated Press. November 23, 1959. p. 18, part 2.
- "National Football League's Cards to move to St. Louis". Ocala Star-Banner. Florida. Associated Press. March 14, 1960. p. 8.
- "Chicago Cardinals to move to St. Louis this season". Spokesman-Review. Spokane, Washington. Associated Press. March 14, 1960. p. 11.
- "St. Louis-bound Cardinals Chicago's oldest grid pros". Spokesman-Review. Spokane, Washington. Chicago Tribune press service. March 15, 1960. p. 11.