Buccaneers vs. Arizona Cardinals 
OPPONENT SPOTLIGHT Updated · Matchup record through
Meet the Arizona Cardinals
Captain Booty heard that our next opponent profile involved the Red Sea and immediately ordered the ship provisioned. The Parrot had to explain that this particular sea is full of football fans, the destination is in the desert, and a treasure map is not a substitute for road directions.
Chicago roots. St. Louis memories. An Arizona home. The Cardinals bring a long, well-traveled history—and a special place in Tampa Bay’s own story: our first home victory came against this franchise.
Through the November 30, 2025 meeting, Tampa Bay leads the regular-season series 12–11. This archive follows the same Cardinals franchise across its city names, keeps every completed matchup, and links a GameDay report only when a matching archive destination is supplied.
23 regular-season games
Buccaneers’ home record
St. Louis and Arizona
No playoff matchup
Sources: Game-by-game series record through 2025 · Buccaneers: November 30, 2025 game recap.
TEAM BRIEFING — KNOW THE BIRD GANG
- Origins
- Morgan Athletic Club · Chicago · 1898
- NFL charter
- 1920 · The league was then called the APFA
- Names in this series
- St. Louis, Phoenix and Arizona Cardinals
- Division
- NFC West
- Home field
- State Farm Stadium · Glendale, Arizona
- Colors
- Cardinal red, white and black
- Fan identity
- Bird Gang · Red Sea · Big Red
- Championships
- NFL: 1925 and 1947 · NFC: 2008
- First Bucs meeting
- December 18, 1977 · Tampa Stadium · Bucs won 17–7
A new coaching chapter in 2026
Mike LaFleur became Arizona’s head coach in 2026 after three seasons as the Los Angeles Rams’ offensive coordinator. His appointment starts a new era rather than extending the older coaching history in this archive.
The Cardinals’ current directory lists Michael J. Bidwill as owner and Monti Ossenfort as general manager. The historical timeline below remains separate from these dated leadership details.
The Captain’s scouting note: “A bird with a covered stadium and a grass field on wheels? Clearly this creature has a better treasure accountant.”
The Parrot: “Or fewer expenses listed as emergency rum.”
Sources: Pro Football Hall of Fame: franchise facts · Pro Football Hall of Fame: franchise history · Cardinals: Mike LaFleur biography · Cardinals: front-office directory · State Farm Stadium: venue and retractable field.
ALL GAMES — ONE FRANCHISE, THREE CITY NAMES
Every completed regular-season meeting is listed below. Scores are shown in separate Bucs and Cardinals columns. The result is always from Tampa Bay’s perspective. Preseason games are not included in these totals.
A dash in the report column means that no matching GameDay report is supplied for that date. The game remains part of the history; a missing article never means a missing result.
Showing 23 regular-season games: Tampa Bay 12 wins, 11 losses. No postseason meetings.
| Game date | Cardinals identity | Location / stadium | Bucs result | Bucs | Cardinals | GameDay report |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| St. Louis Cardinals | HomeTampa Stadium | WIN | 17 | 7 | GameDay archive | |
| St. Louis Cardinals | HomeTampa Stadium | WIN | 20 | 10 | GameDay archive | |
| St. Louis Cardinals | HomeTampa Stadium | LOSS | 27 | 34 | GameDay archive | |
| St. Louis Cardinals | HomeTampa Stadium | WIN | 16 | 0 | GameDay archive | |
| St. Louis Cardinals | HomeTampa Stadium | LOSS | 19 | 30 | GameDay archive | |
| St. Louis Cardinals | AwayBusch Memorial Stadium · St. Louis | LOSS | 17 | 21 | GameDay archive | |
| St. Louis Cardinals | AwayBusch Memorial Stadium · St. Louis | LOSS | 28 | 31 | GameDay archive | |
| St. Louis Cardinals | HomeTampa Stadium | LOSS | 14 | 31 | GameDay archive | |
| Phoenix Cardinals | HomeTampa Stadium | LOSS | 24 | 30 | GameDay archive | |
| Phoenix Cardinals | AwaySun Devil Stadium · Tempe | WIN | 14 | 13 | GameDay archive | |
| Phoenix Cardinals | HomeTampa Stadium | WIN | 23 | 7 | GameDay archive | |
| Phoenix Cardinals | AwaySun Devil Stadium · Tempe | WIN | 7 | 3 | GameDay archive | |
| Arizona Cardinals | AwaySun Devil Stadium · Tempe | LOSS | 9 | 13 | GameDay archive | |
| Arizona Cardinals | HomeHoulihan’s Stadium · Tampa | WIN | 19 | 18 | GameDay archive | |
| 2004 season finale | Arizona Cardinals | AwaySun Devil Stadium · Tempe | LOSS | 7 | 12 | GameDay archive |
| Arizona Cardinals | HomeRaymond James Stadium | WIN | 17 | 10 | GameDay archive | |
| Arizona Cardinals | AwayUniversity of Phoenix Stadium · Glendale | WIN | 38 | 35 | GameDay archive | |
| Arizona Cardinals | HomeRaymond James Stadium | LOSS | 10 | 13 | GameDay archive | |
| Arizona Cardinals | AwayUniversity of Phoenix Stadium · Glendale | LOSS | 7 | 40 | GameDay archive | |
| Arizona Cardinals | AwayUniversity of Phoenix Stadium · Glendale | LOSS | 33 | 38 | — | |
| Arizona Cardinals | HomeRaymond James Stadium | WIN | 30 | 27 | — | |
| Arizona Cardinals | AwayState Farm Stadium · Glendale | WINOvertime | 19 | 16 | — | |
| Arizona Cardinals | HomeRaymond James Stadium | WIN | 20 | 17 | — |
On a narrow screen, swipe or scroll inside the table. University of Phoenix Stadium and State Farm Stadium are different names for the same Glendale building. Tampa Stadium was also known as Houlihan’s Stadium for the 1997 meeting; the historical Tampa venue is kept distinct from Raymond James Stadium.
Sources: Game-by-game series record through 2025 · Buccaneers: historical series notes through 2016 · Buccaneers: Christmas 2022 overtime win · Buccaneers: November 30, 2025 game recap · Cardinals: September 2018 stadium renaming · 1997 box score: Houlihan’s Stadium.
LATEST MEETING — BIG-MAN TOUCHDOWN, BIG LATE STOPS
November 30, 2025 · Raymond James Stadium · Buccaneers 20, Cardinals 17.
Sometimes the winning catch comes from the man usually protecting the passer. Tristan Wirfs caught a two-yard touchdown from Baker Mayfield, turning a tackle-eligible play into an unexpected entry in the scoring column. Bucky Irving added a 13-yard touchdown run, and Tampa Bay built a 17–3 lead.
Arizona rallied, but Chase McLaughlin’s 57-yard field goal supplied the Bucs’ final three points. Anthony Nelson stopped a fourth-down run, and SirVocea Dennis later broke up a fourth-down pass to end the Cardinals’ last possession. The finish preserved a three-point win and Tampa Bay’s third consecutive victory in the series.
Mayfield finished 18-of-28 for 194 yards and one touchdown. Chris Godwin led Tampa Bay with 78 receiving yards, while Irving returned to lead the ground game with 61 rushing yards.
Captain Booty: “The tackle is catching treasure now! Promote him to cargo master!”
The Parrot: “He already protects the most valuable cargo. You just noticed because he scored.”
The game is included in the ledger without inventing a BuccaneersFan.com GameDay-report address. The links below are research sources, not substitute archive reports.
Sources: Buccaneers: November 30, 2025 game recap · Buccaneers: 2025 rapid reaction and player totals.
BUCCANEERS MEMORIES — HOME FIRSTS & DESERT DRAMA
The first home celebration
A week after the franchise’s first victory in New Orleans, Tampa Bay defeated the St. Louis Cardinals at Tampa Stadium. Fans poured onto the field and brought down the goalposts. This was not just another win: the home crowd finally had one of its own.
Open the GameDay archive →A shutout out of nowhere
The Bucs entered 0–9, then held St. Louis scoreless. A season full of frustration suddenly produced a clean sheet—and the second shutout in Buccaneers history. The Captain would gladly have framed that scoreboard.
Open the GameDay archive →Five straight to start
A one-point victory kept Tampa Bay unbeaten at 5–0. Karl Williams’ crucial fourth-down conversion helped the Bucs escape with a win that matched the franchise’s best start. Not every treasure chest opens easily.
Open the GameDay archive →Halloween in the desert
Four interceptions, two defensive touchdowns and LeGarrette Blount’s two rushing scores powered a wild road win. A late Aqib Talib interception and Blount’s soaring leap over a defender made the closing minutes especially memorable.
Open the GameDay archive →A ninety-two-yard answer
Jamel Dean’s late interception set up a 92-yard drive, finished by Peyton Barber’s one-yard touchdown. The Bucs ended a four-game skid in their first game back at Raymond James Stadium in 49 days.
Christmas treasure, after overtime
Tampa Bay erased a 10-point fourth-quarter deficit before Ryan Succop settled the game with a 40-yard field goal in overtime. The Captain counts it as a holiday delivery; the Parrot insists that late gifts still require proper bookkeeping.
Sources: Buccaneers: the first home victory · Buccaneers: historical series notes through 2016 · Buccaneers: Halloween 2010 victory · Buccaneers: November 2019 comeback · Buccaneers: Christmas 2022 overtime win.
POSTSEASON — TAMPA HOST, NOT TAMPA OPPONENT
The Buccaneers and Cardinals have not met in the postseason through this update. The regular-season ledger is therefore not mixed with playoff results, preseason exhibitions or championship appearances against other clubs.
The Cardinals did play a Super Bowl in Tampa: their 2008 NFC championship season ended with a 27–23 loss to Pittsburgh in Super Bowl XLIII at Raymond James Stadium. That is a Tampa connection, not a Buccaneers–Cardinals matchup.
A note for the ship’s historian: the St. Louis, Phoenix and Arizona entries all belong to the same Cardinals franchise. They are not three different opponents, and none of these games was against the Chicago Bears.
Sources: Game-by-game series record through 2025 · Pro Football Hall of Fame: franchise facts.
FRANCHISE HISTORY — FROM RACINE AVENUE TO THE RED SEA
1898–1920: Chicago roots and a color that stuck
The franchise traces its beginnings to Chris O’Brien’s Morgan Athletic Club in Chicago in 1898. Its early identity was shaped by used University of Chicago jerseys whose faded maroon color was described as cardinal red. The familiar name began with the color of the shirts, long before the modern bird-head helmet.
The Cardinals joined the American Professional Football Association in 1920. That league became the NFL. Their Racine name referred to Chicago’s Racine Avenue, a useful distinction when tracing the club’s early history.
Chicago: two championships and a wartime merger
The NFL recognizes Cardinals championships in 1925 and 1947. The 1925 title remains associated with the Pottsville controversy; it is listed here as an officially recognized championship, not as a new judgment on that dispute.
During World War II, the Cardinals combined with Pittsburgh for the 1944 season as Card-Pitt. The clubs then separated. In 1947, Chicago defeated Philadelphia 28–21 for the championship; the Eagles won their snowy rematch the following year.
1960–1987: the St. Louis Football Cardinals
The move to St. Louis brought the “Football Cardinals” and “Big Red” identities used to distinguish the club from the city’s baseball team. Division titles in 1974 and 1975 were among the era’s high points. This is the version of the franchise Tampa Bay first met in December 1977.
1988–1994: Phoenix becomes Arizona
The Cardinals moved to Arizona for the 1988 season and played at Sun Devil Stadium in Tempe. They initially used the Phoenix name, then became the Arizona Cardinals in 1994. The game table preserves those names rather than applying today’s label to every historic encounter.
1998–2015: postseason breakthroughs
A playoff victory over Dallas following the 1998 season ended a postseason-win drought stretching back to the 1947 championship. A decade later, the Cardinals won the NFC and reached their first Super Bowl, with the championship game itself taking place in Tampa.
The 2015 team, coached by Bruce Arians, finished 13–3 and advanced to the NFC Championship Game after an overtime win over Green Bay. Those seasons belong alongside the older Chicago championships when telling the franchise’s story, rather than leaving the profile frozen in one era.
2026: a new coach and a permanent place for No. 11
Mike LaFleur’s arrival adds the latest dated chapter. This is a historical opponent profile, not a live depth chart: coaching and front-office details are identified for the October 26, 2026 revision, while the matchup totals stop at the latest completed Bucs–Cardinals game.
On October 25, 2026, Larry Fitzgerald entered the Cardinals’ Ring of Honor and his No. 11 was retired during halftime of Arizona’s home game against Denver. The ceremony honored a player whose entire NFL career was spent with the Cardinals and whose 2026 recognition also included the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Across the relocations and changing uniforms, the thread is the same franchise. The Captain’s map may need three city labels, but the Parrot needs only one opponent ledger.
Sources: Pro Football Hall of Fame: franchise history · Pro Football Hall of Fame: franchise facts · Cardinals: Mike LaFleur biography · Cardinals: October 25, 2026 Fitzgerald Ring of Honor ceremony.
The wartime, championship and 2015 passages are retained and condensed from the uploaded historical profile. Franchise names and milestone dates were cross-checked against the Hall of Fame; the 2026 coaching information is a separately sourced update.
Original Getty archive embed retained from your page; it is not presented as a photograph of the 2026 team.
Original Getty archive embed retained with its existing image identifier and embed settings.
TAMPA CONNECTIONS — FAMILIAR FACES, DIFFERENT COLORS
Bruce Arians
Arians coached Arizona from 2013 through 2017 before taking over Tampa Bay in 2019. His later Super Bowl LV victory with the Buccaneers gives this series a familiar face whose story belongs to both sidelines.
Todd Bowles
Bowles coordinated Arizona’s defense in 2013 and 2014 under Arians, earning major assistant-coach honors in 2014. He later reunited with Arians in Tampa Bay before becoming the Buccaneers’ head coach in 2022.
Simeon Rice
Arizona selected Rice third overall in 1996. After five Cardinals seasons, he joined Tampa Bay in 2001 and became a crucial part of the defense that won Super Bowl XXXVII. His Buccaneers Ring of Honor ceremony was scheduled for the November 30, 2025 Cardinals game—a particularly fitting opponent.
Sources: Buccaneers: Arians and Bowles coaching history · Buccaneers: Todd Bowles biography · Buccaneers: Simeon Rice, Ring of Honor · Buccaneers: Rice ceremony scheduled for the 2025 Cardinals game.
The connection is more than a list of former employees. Coaches carried ideas and relationships between the organizations, and Rice’s move helped define one of Tampa Bay’s greatest defenses. These are useful threads for fans exploring both teams’ histories.
MASCOTS & FANS — BIG RED MEETS THE PARROT
Your original Getty feature embed remains in place. Its historical image is separate from the current team briefing.
Big Red: the Parrot meets a much larger bird
Big Red has represented the Cardinals since 1998. The team’s fan guide describes his game-day appearances, larger-than-life personality and community role. The original profile records October 4, 1998 as his ceremonial “hatching” date.
The Red Sea and Bird Gang give Cardinals supporters their own language of belonging. The Cardinals Cheerleaders are part of the game-day presentation and also take part in community appearances. This update avoids freezing roster sizes or annual activity totals that may change.
Captain Booty: “Is that your cousin?”
The Parrot: “Not every bird is related. And stop asking whether his nest has room for our ship.”
LOGOS & UNIFORMS — RED ROOTS, DESERT DETAILS
From cardinal red to the familiar bird head
The name’s color-based origin connects the club’s earliest jerseys to the red identity it still carries. Your original uniform history charts the evolution from older Chicago and St. Louis designs to Arizona’s helmet logo and the 2005 redesign. Those older photographs remain historical illustrations, not examples of today’s complete uniform set.
2023: a cleaner modern uniform
Arizona introduced a redesigned uniform collection for the 2023 season: red home, white road and black alternate looks. The update included a larger bird-head helmet logo and silver details. The white primary helmet continued, while the black alternate helmet remained in the collection.
2025: a desert-inspired Rivalries addition
The Cardinals unveiled their “Built To Last” NFL/Nike Rivalries uniform in August 2025 and designated their September 25 home game against Seattle for its debut. The desert-inspired outfit was an additional uniform option, not a replacement for every traditional red, white or black combination.
The Captain approves of a costume built for the desert. The Parrot would settle for a hat that does not blow into the parking lot every time the Captain shouts “BRING ON THE BOOTY!”
Sources: Pro Football Hall of Fame: franchise history · Cardinals: 2023 uniform redesign · Cardinals: August 2025 Rivalries uniform reveal · Cardinals: 2025 Rivalries debut.
STADIUMS — FOLLOW THE FRANCHISE, NOT JUST THE SIGN
| Era | Home base | What to know |
|---|---|---|
| Chicago era · through 1959 | Chicago, Illinois | The franchise’s original home region. The Buccaneers did not exist during this era, so there are no Tampa Bay matchups to add. |
| 1960–1987 | St. Louis, Missouri | The Football Cardinals era. Tampa Bay’s two road meetings there were played at Busch Memorial Stadium. |
| 1988–2005 | Sun Devil Stadium · Tempe | The club’s first Arizona home, covering both the Phoenix name and the early Arizona-name seasons. |
| 2006–present | State Farm Stadium · Glendale | The current building opened in 2006 and used the University of Phoenix Stadium name before becoming State Farm Stadium in September 2018. |
A roof the Captain cannot ignore
State Farm Stadium combines a retractable roof with a roll-out natural-grass playing field. The grass can move outside for sunlight, while the enclosed building can accommodate other events. The venue operator lists a standard capacity of approximately 63,400, expandable for major events.
It is the same Glendale stadium under two sponsor names—not a new venue constructed in 2018. That distinction matters when reading the 2010, 2016, 2017 and 2022 rows in the matchup ledger.
Captain Booty: “Their roof opens, their grass rolls outside, and the bird never gets rained on! What is the status of our Raymond James roof fund?”
The Parrot: “The X-marked bag contains several doblones and a drawing of a pulley. Keep scoring.”
Sources: Pro Football Hall of Fame: franchise history · State Farm Stadium: venue and retractable field · Cardinals: September 2018 stadium renaming.
ARCHIVE NOTES — KEEP EVERY GAME, LINK THE RIGHT REPORT
The original archive remains the foundation. Your Cardinals artwork, matchup graphic, ticket graphic, three Getty embeds and shared Dreamweaver Library content are preserved. The older narrative has been reorganized into readable eras; updated team information and factual corrections are attributed in the research links beside the relevant sections.
Corrections and additions: December 25, 2022 is a 19–16 Tampa Bay overtime win, replacing the incorrect 7–40 loss in the supplied row. The 20–17 win on November 30, 2025 has been added. The series totals now read 12–11. The January 2, 2005 game is identified as part of the 2004 season.
Report-link policy: 19 matching GameDay destinations are retained from your archive and saved sitemap. The 2017, 2019, 2022 and 2025 games have no matching report supplied and are therefore listed without links. Older-game redirects and the blank 2019 link have been removed. The research sources are intentionally separate from the report column.
Historical names: St. Louis, Phoenix and Arizona are the same Cardinals franchise. Stadium labels retain their historical context, and current naming is explained separately. The profile records the club’s 1898 origins without repeating an unsupported exact February founding day.
Edition date: team information was reviewed for October 26, 2026. This is a static page; future results and leadership changes require another edit. The report links have been matched to the supplied archive records, not certified by a new live-site crawl.
Captain Booty and the Parrot’s dialogue is original fan humor, not a quotation from any player, coach, club official or stadium representative. BuccaneersFan.com is an independent fan site.