Login
Login

1959 Chicago Cardinals season

{{short description|NFL team season}}

{{Use mdy dates|date=November 2013}}

{{Infobox NFL team season

| logo = 1959-Cardinals-mediaguide.jpg

| team = Chicago Cardinals

| year = 1959

| record = 2–10

| division_place = 6th NFL Eastern

| owner = Violet Bidwill Wolfner

| coach = Pop Ivy

| stadium = Soldier Field &
Metropolitan Stadium
(Bloomington, Minnesota)

| playoffs = Did not qualify

| next = {{nowrap|1960 (St. Louis)}}

| shortnavlink = Cardinals seasons

}}

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.{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=V_8jAAAAIBAJ&sjid=sg8EAAAAIBAJ&pg=3812%2C2037780 |newspaper=Milwaukee Sentinel |title=NFL standings: final |date=December 14, 1959 |page=4, part 2 }}

Their final home game in Chicago was on November 29, a 31–7 loss to the cross-town rival Bears at Soldier Field.{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=8swwAAAAIBAJ&sjid=hA8EAAAAIBAJ&pg=5310%2C5239766 |newspaper=Milwaukee Sentinel |agency=UPI |title=Bears stay alive with 31-7 win |date=November 20, 1959 |page=2, part 2}} The home games of October 25 and November 22, both losses, were played in Minnesota at Metropolitan Stadium in Bloomington,{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=1gMkAAAAIBAJ&sjid=0iUEAAAAIBAJ&pg=2870%2C3679702 |newspaper=Milwaukee Journal |agency=Associated Press |title=Cardinals blow lead, lose to Philadelphia |date=October 26, 1959 |page=14, part 2}}{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=SDEaAAAAIBAJ&sjid=0CUEAAAAIBAJ&pg=7115%2C1940420

|newspaper=Milwaukee Journal |agency=Associated Press |title=Giants beat Cards, take Eastern lead |date=November 23, 1959 |page=18, part 2}} 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,{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=XigjAAAAIBAJ&sjid=5gQEAAAAIBAJ&pg=1869%2C623073 |newspaper=Ocala Star-Banner |location=Florida |agency=Associated Press |title=National Football League's Cards to move to St. Louis |date=March 14, 1960 |page=8}}{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=WDNWAAAAIBAJ&sjid=wOcDAAAAIBAJ&pg=4452%2C4736946|newspaper=Spokesman-Review |location=Spokane, Washington |agency=Associated Press |title=Chicago Cardinals to move to St. Louis this season |date=March 14, 1960 |page=11 }}{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=WTNWAAAAIBAJ&sjid=wOcDAAAAIBAJ&pg=7150%2C5106035 |newspaper=Spokesman-Review |location=Spokane, Washington |agency=Chicago Tribune press service |title=St. Louis-bound Cardinals Chicago's oldest grid pros |date=March 15, 1960 |page=11 }} bringing the NFL back to Missouri. They subsequently moved from St. Louis to the Phoenix area in Arizona.

Preseason

class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
style="{{NFLPrimaryStyle|Chicago Cardinals|year=1959|border=2}}"| Week

!style="{{NFLPrimaryStyle|Chicago Cardinals|year=1959|border=2}}"| Date

!style="{{NFLPrimaryStyle|Chicago Cardinals|year=1959|border=2}}"| Opponent

!style="{{NFLPrimaryStyle|Chicago Cardinals|year=1959|border=2}}"| Result

!style="{{NFLPrimaryStyle|Chicago Cardinals|year=1959|border=2}}"| Record

!style="{{NFLPrimaryStyle|Chicago Cardinals|year=1959|border=2}}"| Venue

!style="{{NFLPrimaryStyle|Chicago Cardinals|year=1959|border=2}}"| Attendance

!style="{{NFLPrimaryStyle|Chicago Cardinals|year=1959|border=2}}"| Sources

style="background:#cfc"

! 1

| {{dow tooltip|August 5, 1959}}

| at Toronto Argonauts

| W 55–26

| 1–0

| Exhibition Stadium

| 27,152

|

style="background:#fcc"

! 2

| {{dow tooltip|August 15, 1959}}

| vs. Detroit Lions

| L 19–21

| 1–1

| Oklahoma Memorial Stadium

| 40,000

|

style="background:#cfc"

! 3

| {{dow tooltip|August 22, 1959}}

| vs. Pittsburgh Steelers

| W 21–10

| 2–1

| Texas Memorial Stadium

| 15,000

|

style="background:#fcc"

! 4

| {{dow tooltip|August 28, 1959}}

| at Los Angeles Rams

| L 21–34

| 2–2

| Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum

| 52,013

|

style="background:#cfc"

! 5

| {{dow tooltip|September 5, 1959}}

| vs. San Francisco 49ers

| W 27–24

| 3–2

| Husky Stadium

| 23,000

|

style="background:#fcc"

! 6

| {{dow tooltip|September 11, 1959}}

| vs. Pittsburgh Steelers

| L 13–21

| 3–3

| Busch Stadium

| 30,055

|

style="background:#cfc"

! 7

| September 20

| vs. Baltimore Colts

| W 31–17

| 4–3

| Fairgrounds Stadium

| 16,671

|

{{Cite web|url=https://www.profootballarchives.com/1959nflchic.html|title=1959 Chicago Cardinals (NFL)|publisher=Pro Football Archives|access-date=October 28, 2023}}

Regular season

For the 1959 season the Cards offered seats in three price tiers. Field box and upper box tickets were $5.00, seats in the reserved grandstand cost $4.00, and bleacher seats were priced at $2.50.E.J. O'Malley, "Purchasing NFL Tickets: A Guide to Ticket Information," Sports Forecast, vol. 2, no. 2. Chicago: E.J. O'Malley Publishing Co., 1959; p. 78. Season tickets for a four game home slate at Soldier Field cost $18, $14, and $10, respectively. The club also offered a $10 "family plan," which admitted two children, age 14 or under, to every game with an adult season ticket purchase.

= Schedule =

class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
style="{{NFLPrimaryStyle|Chicago Cardinals|year=1959|border=2}}"| Game

!style="{{NFLPrimaryStyle|Chicago Cardinals|year=1959|border=2}}"| Date

!style="{{NFLPrimaryStyle|Chicago Cardinals|year=1959|border=2}}"| Opponent

!style="{{NFLPrimaryStyle|Chicago Cardinals|year=1959|border=2}}"| Result

!style="{{NFLPrimaryStyle|Chicago Cardinals|year=1959|border=2}}"| Record

!style="{{NFLPrimaryStyle|Chicago Cardinals|year=1959|border=2}}"| Venue

!style="{{NFLPrimaryStyle|Chicago Cardinals|year=1959|border=2}}"| Attendance

!style="{{NFLPrimaryStyle|Chicago Cardinals|year=1959|border=2}}"| Recap

!style="{{NFLPrimaryStyle|Chicago Cardinals|year=1959|border=2}}"| Sources

style="background:#cfc"

! 1

| September 27

| Washington Redskins

| W 49–21

| 1–0

| Soldier Field

| 21,892

| [https://www.pro-football-reference.com/boxscores/195909270crd.htm Recap]

|

style="background:#fcc"

! 2

| October 4

| Cleveland Browns

| L 7–34

| 1–1

| Soldier Field

| 19,935

| [https://www.pro-football-reference.com/boxscores/195910040crd.htm Recap]

|

style="background:#fcc"

! 3

| October 11

| at Washington Redskins

| L 14–23

| 1–2

| Griffith Stadium

| 25,937

| [https://www.pro-football-reference.com/boxscores/195910110was.htm Recap]

|

style="background:#fcc"

! 4

| October 18

| at Cleveland Browns

| L 7–17

| 1–3

| Cleveland Stadium

| 46,422

| [https://www.pro-football-reference.com/boxscores/195910180cle.htm Recap]

|

style="background:#fcc"

! 5

| October 25

| Philadelphia Eagles

| L 24–28

| 1–4

| Metropolitan Stadium

| 20,112

| [https://www.pro-football-reference.com/boxscores/195910250crd.htm Recap]

|

style="background:#cfc"

! 6

| November 1

| Pittsburgh Steelers

| W 45–24

| 2–4

| Soldier Field

| 23,187

| [https://www.pro-football-reference.com/boxscores/195911010crd.htm Recap]

|

style="background:#fcc"

! 7

| November 8

| at New York Giants

| L 3–9

| 2–5

| Yankee Stadium

| 56,779

| [https://www.pro-football-reference.com/boxscores/195911080nyg.htm Recap]

|

style="background:#fcc"

! 8

| November 15

| at Philadelphia Eagles

| L 17–27

| 2–6

| Franklin Field

| 28,887

| [https://www.pro-football-reference.com/boxscores/195911150phi.htm Recap]

|

style="background:#fcc"

! 9

| November 22

| New York Giants

| L 20–30

| 2–7

| Metropolitan Stadium

| 26,625

| [https://www.pro-football-reference.com/boxscores/195911220crd.htm Recap]

|

style="background:#fcc"

! 10

| November 29

| Chicago Bears

| L 7–31

| 2–8

| Soldier Field

| 48,687

| [https://www.pro-football-reference.com/boxscores/195911290crd.htm Recap]

|

style="background:#fcc"

! 11

| December 6

| at Detroit Lions

| L 21–45

| 2–9

| Briggs Stadium

| 45,811

| [https://www.pro-football-reference.com/boxscores/195912060det.htm Recap]

|

style="background:#fcc"

! 12

| December 13

| at Pittsburgh Steelers

| L 20–35

| 2–10

| Forbes Field

| 19,011

| [https://www.pro-football-reference.com/boxscores/195912130pit.htm Recap]

|

colspan="10"| Note: Intra-division opponents are in bold text.

Standings

{{1959 NFL Eastern standings}}

References

{{reflist|2}}

{{Arizona Cardinals}}

{{Arizona Cardinals seasons}}

{{1959 NFL season by team}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:1959 Chicago Cardinals Season}}

1959

Chicago Cardinals

Chicago Card