Winner-era in StL

[74_75_78_79_]

When fans, or at least casual ones, think of the Cardinals' time in StL, all eyes seem to be on the Coryell era and of course understandably so. However, Charley Winner's time seems 'lost' in history. Hannifan's time in the '80s seems to be much more remembered. Though never making the playoffs at all and never posting two-consecutive winning seasons, the three winning seasons Charley posted each got something to say. In '66 - in a real tough Eastern Conference - they sweep Philly, beat Cleveland on the road, and tie Dallas en route to a 8-2-1 start only to lose-out the rest of the way. Two years later, they actually sweep Century-champ-to-be, Cleveland, but to no avail for they come up a half-game short to them (9-4-1 to 10-4) - a reoccurring theme, it seems, between both clubs in the '60s. Exactly like four years prior, they start out 8-2-1 in '70 only to again lose-out which, I'm sure, is what cost Winner his job. A greater 'clone' to '66 that season was because of that mid-season 3-consecutive shutout stretch that cumulated on MNF, at the Cotton Bowl, with the Cards walloping conference-champ-to-be, Dallas, 38-0. I'm sure most outside Minnesota & Baltimore were labeling them the favored to win-it-all the Tuesday after.

This all said, I would strongly figure the best single season the Cards had in StL was in '64 under Wally Lemm. Despite a 9-3-2 finish and besting Champs-to-be Cleveland head-to-head, 1-0-1, they come up...a half-game short from actually hosting the NFL Championship Game vs the Colts. FWIW, they beat Vince in the Playoff Bowl.

[Saban1]

The 1960's Cardinals seemed to have a tendency to self destruct. In 1964, the Cards lost to the last place Giants (2-10-2) and had a tie with them in their 2nd game between the 2 teams. That is what cost them the Eastern Conference title that year, even though they beat Cleveland twice. The Giants just seemed to have some kind of hex on the Cards during that time, or the Cards just did not match up well with the Giants of something.

In 1968, the Cards also beat Cleveland twice, but a tie with the lowly Steelers (2-11-1) did them in that year. Of course, Cleveland lost their second game with the Cards that year in the season's final game when they had their division clinched the week before.

1970 was the worst when the Cards beat Dallas twice (38 to 0 in one game), but lost to the Giants twice again (like 1964). The Giants were better in 1970 than they were in 1964 with Tarkenton, Ron Johnson, etc., but the Cards seemed to be running away with the Eastern division that year. They were 8-2-1, but then lost their last 3 games, letting Dallas back into winning the division and then the Cowboys went on to the Super Bowl.

In 1966, the Cards were unlucky, as they seemed to be running away with the Eastern Conference, but then their very good quarterback, Charley Johnson, had a season ending injury (against the Giants), and lost almost all of their games that year after that.

[Mark L. Ford]

I don't think there's ever been a franchise whose record was as bland as that of the St. Louis Cardinals, never too good, never too awful, always somewhere in between. During their 18 seasons in the NFL, they never won more than 11 games, always won at least four, clinched their division only a couple of times, never won a playoff game. It's somewhat unusual that they managed to finish 4-9-1 five out of those 18 seasons, three of them consecutively (1971, 1972 and 1973). Doomed to be forever described as "the football Cardinals" because the St. Louis Cardinals were the city's baseball team, their's may have been the most average club in NFL history.

[JWL]

In 1966, the Cards were unlucky, as they seemed to be running away with the Eastern Conference, but then their very good quarterback, Charley Johnson, had a season ending injury (against the Giants), and lost almost all of their games that year after that.

Yes, they started 7-1-1 and then Johnson got injured. Terry Nofsinger took over and was terrible. They went 1-4 the rest of the way. The win was over Pittsburgh by a score of 6-3. Included in the collapse was a loss to the expansion Falcons.