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1971 St. Louis Cardinals (NFL) season

{{short description|NFL team season}}

{{Use mdy dates|date=August 2023}}

{{Infobox NFL team season

| team = St. Louis Cardinals (NFL)

| teamdisplay = St. Louis Cardinals

| year = 1971

| record = 4–9–1

| division_place = 4th NFC East

| owner = Bidwill brothers
(Charles, Jr. & Bill)

| stadium = Busch Memorial Stadium

| coach = Bob Hollway

| playoffs = Did not qualify

| pro_bowlers = CB Roger Wehrli

| shortnavlink = Cardinals seasons

}}

The {{nfly|1971}} St. Louis Cardinals season was the 52nd season the team was in the National Football League and twelfth in St. Louis. Led by first-year head coach Bob Hollway, the Cardinals failed to improve on their previous year's 8–5–1 record, winning only four games.[https://www.pro-football-reference.com/teams/crd/1971.htm 1971 St. Louis Cardinals] They failed to reach the playoffs for the 23rd straight season, their previous appearance was in 1948 in the championship game.

This was the last season the team was co-owned by Charles Bidwill, Jr.; he sold his share to his younger brother Bill in September 1972.{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=480fAAAAIBAJ&sjid=5NgEAAAAIBAJ&pg=5608%2C1068812 |newspaper=Southeast Missorian |location=Cape Girardeau |agency=Associated Press |title=Bill Bidwill sole owner of Cards |date=September 12, 1972 |page=8 }} The adopted sons of Charles and Violet Bidwill,{{cite news |url=http://archives.chicagotribune.com/1963/02/02/page/71/article/court-rules-for-bidwills |newspaper=Chicago Daily Tribune |last=Howard |first=Robert |title=Court rules for Bidwills |date=February 2, 1963 |page=1, part 4}}{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=ITsaAAAAIBAJ&sjid=7CYEAAAAIBAJ&pg=2373%2C430376 |newspaper=Milwaukee Journal |agency=Associated Press |title=High court rules in favor of sons |date=February 2, 1963 |page=2, part 2}} the two had co-owned the team since their mother's death in January 1962.{{cite news |url=http://archives.chicagotribune.com/1962/01/30/page/27/article/mrs-wolfner-cardinals-owner-dies |newspaper=Chicago Daily Tribune |agency=Associated Press |title=Mrs. Wolfner, Cardinals' owner, dies |date=January 30, 1962 |page=1, part 3 }}

Hired in February, Hollway was previously the defensive coordinator of the Minnesota Vikings under head coach Bud Grant.{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=e2kfAAAAIBAJ&sjid=0dQEAAAAIBAJ&pg=2833%2C4293703 |work=Southeast Missourian |location=(Cape Girardeau) |agency=Associated Press |title=Bob Hollway to head Cardinals |date=February 13, 1971 |page=4}}{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=M9UbAAAAIBAJ&sjid=qlAEAAAAIBAJ&pg=5760%2C4220148 |work=Pittsburgh Press |agency=UPI |title=Cards hire Viking aide |date=February 13, 1971 |page=6}}

Roster

class="toccolours" style="text-align: left;"
colspan="9" style="background-color: #870619; color: white; text-align: center;"|St. Louis Cardinals roster
style="font-size: 95%;" valign="top" | Quarterbacks

{{NFLplayer|10|Pete Beathard}}

{{NFLplayer|17|Jim Hart|d=American football}}

Running backs

{{NFLplayer|39|Cid Edwards}}

{{NFLplayer|36|MacArthur Lane}}

{{NFLplayer|23|Johnny Roland}}

{{NFLplayer|27|Roy Shivers}}

{{NFLplayer|35|Larry Stegent}}

{{NFLplayer|30|Paul White|d=running back}}

Wide receivers

{{NFLplayer|85|Mel Gray|d=wide receiver|rookie=y}}

{{NFLplayer|44|John Gilliam}}

{{NFLplayer|88|Fred Hyatt}}

{{NFLplayer|80|Dave Williams|d=wide receiver}}

Tight ends

{{NFLplayer|83|Jim McFarland}}

{{NFLplayer|81|Jackie Smith}}

| style="width: 25px;" |

| style="font-size: 95%;" valign="top" |Offensive linemen

{{NFLplayer|72|Dan Dierdorf|rookie=y|T}}

{{NFLplayer|76|Vern Emerson|T}}

{{NFLplayer|55|Irv Goode|G}}

{{NFLplayer|65|Chuck Hutchison|G}}

{{NFLplayer|73|Ernie McMillan|T}}

{{NFLplayer|50|Wayne Mulligan|C}}

{{NFLplayer|74|Bob Reynolds|d=American football, born 1939|T}}

{{NFLplayer|63|Clyde Williams|d=American football, born 1940|G}}

Defensive linemen

{{NFLplayer|70|Rolf Krueger|DT}}

{{NFLplayer|75|Bob Rowe|d=American football|DT}}

{{NFLplayer|82|Joe Schmiesing|DE}}

{{NFLplayer|79|Chuck Walker|d=American football|DE}}

{{NFLplayer|78|Ron Yankowski|rookie=y|DE}}

| style="width: 25px;" |

| style="font-size: 95%;" valign="top" | Linebackers

{{NFLplayer|60|Jim Hargrove|d=linebacker}}

{{NFLplayer|56|Mike McGill|d=American football}}

{{NFLplayer|58|Terry Miller|d=linebacker}}

{{NFLplayer|53|Jamie Rivers|d=American football}}

{{NFLplayer|34|Rocky Rosema}}

{{NFLplayer|67|Larry Stallings}}

Defensive backs

{{NFLplayer|20|Miller Farr}}

{{NFLplayer|49|Dale Hackbart}}

{{NFLplayer|45|George Hoey}}

{{NFLplayer|46|Tom Longo}}

{{NFLplayer|21|Jerry Stovall}}

{{NFLplayer|43|Norm Thompson|d=American football|rookie=y|CB}}

{{NFLplayer|22|Roger Wehrli}}

{{NFLplayer|33|Larry Willingham|rookie=y}}

{{NFLplayer|8|Larry Wilson|d=American football}}

Special teams

{{NFLplayer|25|Jim Bakken|K}}

{{NFLplayer|26|Chuck Latourette|P}}

| style="width: 25px;" |

| style="font-size: 95%;" valign="top" | Reserve lists

Practice squad

rookies in italics

Schedule

class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
style="{{NFLPrimaryStyle|St. Louis Cardinals|year=1971|border=2}}"| Week

!style="{{NFLPrimaryStyle|St. Louis Cardinals|year=1971|border=2}}"| Date

!style="{{NFLPrimaryStyle|St. Louis Cardinals|year=1971|border=2}}"| Opponent

!style="{{NFLPrimaryStyle|St. Louis Cardinals|year=1971|border=2}}"| Result

!style="{{NFLPrimaryStyle|St. Louis Cardinals|year=1971|border=2}}"| Record

!style="{{NFLPrimaryStyle|St. Louis Cardinals|year=1971|border=2}}"| Venue

!style="{{NFLPrimaryStyle|St. Louis Cardinals|year=1971|border=2}}"| Attendance

style="background:#fcc"

! 1

| September 19

| Washington Redskins

| L 17–24

| 0–1

| Busch Memorial Stadium

| 46,805

style="background:#cfc"

! 2

| {{dow tooltip|September 27, 1971}}

| New York Jets

| W 17–10

| 1–1

| Busch Memorial Stadium

| 50,358

style="background:#fcc"

! 3

| October 3

| New York Giants

| L 20–21

| 1–2

| Busch Memorial Stadium

| 49,571

style="background:#cfc"

! 4

| October 10

| at Atlanta Falcons

| W 26–9

| 2–2

| Atlanta Stadium

| 58,850

style="background:#fcc"

! 5

| October 17

| at Washington Redskins

| L 0–20

| 2–3

| RFK Stadium

| 53,041

style="background:#fcc"

! 6

| October 24

| San Francisco 49ers

| L 14–26

| 2–4

| Busch Memorial Stadium

| 50,419

style="background:#cfc"

! 7

| October 31

| at Buffalo Bills

| W 28–23

| 3–4

| War Memorial Stadium

| 40,040

style="background:#fcc"

! 8

| November 7

| Dallas Cowboys

| L 13–16

| 3–5

| Busch Memorial Stadium

| 50,486

style="background:#fcc"

! 9

| {{dow tooltip|November 15, 1971}}

| at San Diego Chargers

| L 17–20

| 3–6

| San Diego Stadium

| 46,486

style="background:#fcc"

! 10

| November 21

| Philadelphia Eagles

| L 20–37

| 3–7

| Busch Memorial Stadium

| 48,658

style="background:#cfc"

! 11

| November 28

| at New York Giants

| W 24–7

| 4–7

| Yankee Stadium

| 62,878

style="background:#ffc"

! 12

| December 5

| Green Bay Packers

| T 16–16

| 4–7–1

| Busch Memorial Stadium

| 50,443

style="background:#fcc"

! 13

| December 12

| at Philadelphia Eagles

| L 7–19

| 4–8–1

| Veterans Stadium

| 65,358

style="background:#fcc"

! 14

| {{dow tooltip|December 18, 1971}}

| at Dallas Cowboys

| L 12–31

| 4–9–1

| Texas Stadium

| 66,672

style="{{NFLPrimaryStyle|St. Louis Cardinals|year=1971|border=2}}"

|colspan="8"| Note: Intra-division opponents are in bold text.

= Standings =

{{1971 NFC East standings}}

References

{{reflist|30em}}

{{Arizona Cardinals}}

{{Arizona Cardinals seasons}}

{{1971 NFL season by team}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:1971 St. Louis Cardinals (Nfl) Season}}

Category:Arizona Cardinals seasons

St. Louis Cardinals