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1972 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 = 1972

| record = 4–9–1

| division_place = 4th NFC East

| coach = Bob Hollway

| owner = Bill Bidwill

| stadium = Busch Memorial Stadium

| playoffs = Did not qualify

| pro_bowlers = None

| shortnavlink = Cardinals seasons

}}

The 1972 St. Louis Cardinals season was the team's 53rd year with the National Football League and thirteenth in St. Louis. On September 2, Bill Bidwill purchased the stock of his brother Charles "Stormy" Bidwill to become sole owner of the Cardinals.{{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 }}NFL 2001 Record and Fact Book, Workman Publishing Co, New York, NY, {{ISBN|0-7611-2480-2}}, p.283 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 }}

After starting at 2–2, with wins over 1970 and 1971 playoff participants Baltimore and Minnesota, the Cardinals went 0–7–1, then won their final two games over the Rams and Eagles to finish at 4–9–1 for the second consecutive season and third time in the past four.

Second-year head coach Bob Hollway was fired on December 18,{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=QfYoAAAAIBAJ&sjid=x9QEAAAAIBAJ&pg=3218%2C6407799 |newspaper=Southeast Missourian |location=Cape Girardeau |agency=Associated Press |title=Cardinals fire football coach |date=December 19, 1972 |page=1}} the day after the regular season finale, and succeeded a month later by San Diego State head coach Don Coryell.{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=nWgqAAAAIBAJ&sjid=cFMEAAAAIBAJ&pg=4720%2C1056274 |work=Pittsburgh Press |agency=UPI |title=Coryell named Cardinal coach |date=January 19, 1973 |page=28}}{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=odwjAAAAIBAJ&sjid=ZSkEAAAAIBAJ&pg=3816%2C1694910 |newspaper=Milwaukee Journal |agency=press dispatches |title=Coryell is named coach of inoffensive Cardinals |date=January 19, 1973 |page=15, part 2 }}

Offseason

= NFL Draft =

{{main|1972 NFL draft}}

class="wikitable sortable"

! style="background:#870619;color:white;" width="7%"| Round

! style="background:#870619;color:white;" width="7%"| Overall

! style="background:#870619;color:white;" width="20%"| Player

! style="background:#870619;color:white;" width="15%"| Position

! style="background:#870619;color:white;" width="20%"| School/Club Team

align=center|1

|align=center|4

|align=center|Bobby Moore (Ahmad Rashad)

|align=center|Wide receiver

|align=center|Oregon

align=center|5

|align=center|110

|align=center|Conrad Dobler

|align=center|Guard

|align=center|Wyoming

Roster

class="toccolours" style="text-align: left;"
colspan="9" style="background-color: #870619; color: white; text-align: center;"|1972 St. Louis Cardinals roster
style="font-size: 95%;" valign="top" | Quarterbacks

{{NFLplayer|15|Gary Cuozzo}}

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

{{NFLplayer|16|Tim Van Galder|rookie=y}}

Running backs

{{NFLplayer|44|Donny Anderson|P}}

{{NFLplayer|48|Craig Baynham}}

{{NFLplayer|38|Leon Burns|FB}}

{{NFLplayer|47|Steve Conley|d=running back|rookie=y}}

{{NFLplayer|32|Leo Hayden}}

{{NFLplayer|23|Johnny Roland}}

{{NFLplayer|27|Roy Shivers}}

Wide receivers

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

{{NFLplayer|84|Walker Gillette}}

{{NFLplayer|88|Fred Hyatt}}

{{NFLplayer|28|Ahmad Rashad|rookie=y}}

{{NFLplayer|42|Bob Wicks|rookie=y}}

Tight ends

{{NFLplayer|83|Jim McFarland}}

{{NFLplayer|30|Ara Person}}

{{NFLplayer|81|Jackie Smith}}

| style="width: 25px;" |

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

{{NFLplayer|54|Tom Banks|d=American football|C}}

{{NFLplayer|55|Dave Bradley|G}}

{{NFLplayer|72|Dan Dierdorf|T}}

{{NFLplayer|60|Conrad Dobler|rookie=y|G}}

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

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

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

{{NFLplayer|62|Steve Wright|d=American football, born 1942|T}}

{{NFLplayer|64|Bob Young|d=offensive lineman|G}}

Defensive linemen

{{NFLplayer|89|Tom Beckman|rookie=y|DE}}

{{NFLplayer|62|Martin Imhof|rookie=y|DE}}

{{NFLplayer|76|Scott Palmer|d=American football|DT}}

{{NFLplayer|71|John Richardson|d=American football|DT}}

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

{{NFLplayer|78|Ron Yankowski|DE}}

| style="width: 25px;" |

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

{{NFLplayer|57|Mark Arneson|rookie=y}}

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

{{NFLplayer|59|Jeff Lyman|rookie=y}}

{{NFLplayer|56|Mike McGill}}

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

{{NFLplayer|67|Larry Stallings}}

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

Defensive backs

{{NFLplayer|31|Chuck Beatty|S}}

{{NFLplayer|20|Miller Farr|CB}}

{{NFLplayer|49|Dale Hackbart|FS}}

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

{{NFLplayer|40|Eric Washington|d=defensive back|rookie=y|CB}}

{{NFLplayer|22|Roger Wehrli|SS}}

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

Special teams

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

| style="width: 25px;" |

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

Practice squad

rookies in italics

Regular season

=Schedule=

class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
style="{{NFLPrimaryStyle|St. Louis Cardinals|year=1972|border=2}}"| Week

!style="{{NFLPrimaryStyle|St. Louis Cardinals|year=1972|border=2}}"| Date

!style="{{NFLPrimaryStyle|St. Louis Cardinals|year=1972|border=2}}"| Opponent

!style="{{NFLPrimaryStyle|St. Louis Cardinals|year=1972|border=2}}"| Result

!style="{{NFLPrimaryStyle|St. Louis Cardinals|year=1972|border=2}}"| Record

!style="{{NFLPrimaryStyle|St. Louis Cardinals|year=1972|border=2}}"| Venue

!style="{{NFLPrimaryStyle|St. Louis Cardinals|year=1972|border=2}}"| Attendance

style="background:#cfc"

! 1

| September 17

| at Baltimore Colts

| W 10–3

| 1–0

| Memorial Stadium

| 53,652

style="background:#fcc"

! 2

| September 24

| at Washington Redskins

| L 10–24

| 1–1

| RFK Stadium

| 53,039

style="background:#fcc"

! 3

| October 1

| Pittsburgh Steelers

| L 19–25

| 1–2

| Busch Memorial Stadium

| 49,140

style="background:#cfc"

! 4

| October 8

| at Minnesota Vikings

| W 19–17

| 2–2

| Metropolitan Stadium

| 49,687

style="background:#fcc"

! 5

| October 15

| Washington Redskins

| L 3–33

| 2–3

| Busch Memorial Stadium

| 50,454

style="background:#fcc"

! 6

| October 22

| at New York Giants

| L 21–27

| 2–4

| Yankee Stadium

| 62,756

style="background:#fcc"

! 7

| October 29

| Chicago Bears

| L 10–27

| 2–5

| Busch Memorial Stadium

| 50,464

style="background:#ffc"

! 8

| November 5

| at Philadelphia Eagles

| T 6–6

| 2–5–1

| Veterans Stadium

| 65,720

style="background:#fcc"

! 9

| November 12

| at Dallas Cowboys

| L 24–33

| 2–6–1

| Texas Stadium

| 65,218

style="background:#fcc"

! 10

| November 19

| New York Giants

| L 7–13

| 2–7–1

| Busch Memorial Stadium

| 48,014

style="background:#fcc"

! 11

| {{dow tooltip|November 27, 1972}}

| at Miami Dolphins

| L 10–31

| 2–8–1

| Miami Orange Bowl

| 80,010

style="background:#fcc"

! 12

| December 3

| Dallas Cowboys

| L 6–27

| 2–9–1

| Busch Memorial Stadium

| 49,787

style="background:#cfc"

! 13

| December 10

| Los Angeles Rams

| W 24–14

| 3–9–1

| Busch Memorial Stadium

| 36,873

style="background:#cfc"

! 14

| December 17

| Philadelphia Eagles

| W 24–23

| 4–9–1

| Busch Memorial Stadium

| 34,872

style="{{NFLPrimaryStyle|St. Louis Cardinals|year=1972|border=2}}"

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

= Standings =

{{1972 NFC East standings}}

Awards and records

{{Empty section|date=August 2023}}

References

{{reflist|30em}}

  • [https://www.pro-football-reference.com/teams/crd/1972.htm?redir Cardinals on Pro Football Reference]
  • [http://www.jt-sw.com/football/pro/results.nsf/Teams/1972-stl Cardinals on jt-sw.com]

{{Arizona Cardinals}}

{{Arizona Cardinals seasons}}

{{1972 NFL season by team}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:1972 St. Louis Cardinals (Nfl) Season}}

St. Louis

Category:Arizona Cardinals seasons