The Dallas Cowboys just can’t beat the Arizona Cardinals. Even when the Cardinals are having a rough year, the Cowboys can’t seem to figure them out, as they have now lost four straight to those redbirds.
Monday night’s 27-17 loss marks the first time this season the Cowboys have lost two in a row, suffering their first loss of the year at AT&T Stadium. It’s been a rough season for the Cowboys as they now sit with a 3-5-1 record heading into the bye week with the slow realization that this team isn’t going to amount to much in 2025. Here are 10 thoughts on another disappointing showing by the Cowboys.
1. Stop teasing us!
For the second-straight game, the Cowboys’ offense took the opening kickoff and drove all the way down inside the five-yard line, only to not be able to finish the job. Last week against the Broncos, they got all the way down near the goal line, but had to settle for a field goal when the playcalling fizzled. Against the Cardinals, they didn’t want to start in the same fashion and decided to go for it on fourth down. Unfortunately, Dak Prescott was sacked, and they came away with nothing.
2. Fourth-down decisions
Brian Schottenheimer will be scrutinized for his fourth-down decisions in this game. Not only did they not come away with points on their opening drive, but they came away empty on their first drive in the fourth quarter as well. The Cowboys were down by 17 points, and it might have seemed like they should have taken the points (especially if you listened to Troy Aikman and Joe Buck) to make it a two-score game. While that’s all and good in hindsight, we have to remember that the Cowboys’ defense hadn’t been making stops in this game. The Cardinals’ offense had scored points in five of their last six possessions, so being assertive and going for the touchdown was the right thing to do.
3. Sam Williams using his head
Whenever we bring up fourth-year edge rusher Sam Williams’ name, it’s usually because he’s either made a big splash play or caught making a bonehead penalty. On this night, Williams used his head, but in a good way. On the Cardinals’ first punt of the game, the Cowboys’ special teams bull-rushed the blockers and raced right into the face of punter Pat O’Donnell. The punt deflected off the helmet of Williams and bounced into the end zone where Marshawn Kneeland carefully landed on it for the touchdown. It was a great play by the Cowboys’ special teams and the lone bright spot of the first half.
4. Coming up empty
It’s no secret that the Cowboys’ defense is bad. The Cardinals scored 27 points during five of their first six possessions. It was pretty clear that this was going to be another game where the defense wouldn’t give the team a chance. But this one can’t be pinned on just the defense. The Cowboys’ offense couldn’t score its first points until midway through the third quarter, and they didn’t score their first touchdown until just under 11 minutes left in the game. But it wasn’t for a lack of chances. The Cowboys’ offense had six possessions of seven plays or more, and four of them ended without points. Twice they turned the ball over on downs, and twice they fumbled. For a team that must account for a weak defense, the offense cannot afford to perform at that efficiency.
5. Too little too late
It was tough to stomach how easily the Cardinals’ offense moved the ball against the Cowboys’ defense. We all knew it wasn’t going to be good, but we were hoping for something better than this. Even when the Cowboys made some good plays on first and second down, they just couldn’t make a stop on third down. In the first half, the Cardinals’ offense was 7/9 on third-down conversions. That’s absolutely dreadful. The defense did tighten up towards the end as the Cardinals went 0/4 on third-down conversions in the second half, but these stops came a little too late as the Cowboys weren’t able to climb themselves out of the hole.
6. Javonte giveth
There wasn’t much to get excited about in this one, but running back Javonte Williams had a masterful three-play sequence that single-handedly sparked the team’s first touchdown drive. First, he showed great hustle and pounced on the loose ball after George Pickens fumbled. Then, he delivered a smashing block when picking up the blitz that allowed Dak to hit Pickens again for a 16-yard gain. And then finally, he burst through the hole for an impressive 19-yard run. On the ensuing play, Prescott found Ryan Flournoy in the back of the end zone for the touchdown.
7. A surprise defensive stand
After the Cowboys cut the lead to 10, 27-17, with just under 11 minutes left in the game, the defense came alive and made some plays. They kicked things off when Jacoby Brissett turned right into the arms of Dante Fowler for a nine-yard loss. Unfortunately, the Cardinals immediately converted a first down when Brissett found tight end Trey McBride for a 19-yard gain. But the defense kept at it with three-straight negative gain plays, a one-yard loss from Bam Knight, a seven-yard sack from Reddy Stewart, and a one-yard loss when Kenny Clark sniffed out a screen pass. Just like that, the Cowboys had new life.
8. Javonte taketh away
For a brief moment, it looked like the Cowboys might be able to fight their way back into the game. Down by 10, they were driving down the field, trying to make it a one-score game. Sadly, on a third-and-12, Prescott connected with Williams, but then had the ball stripped from his hands, resulting in a turnover. And just like that, the game was, for all intents and purposes, over.
9. Aubrey had a shot at the record
It was just a couple of weeks ago against Washington when Cowboys’ kicker Brandon Aubrey would have had a chance to break the NFL record for the longest field goal. They had the ball at midfield, setting up a potential 67-yarder. Sadly, Brian Schottenheimer didn’t let Aubrey give it a go. That record would’ve only lasted two weeks because Jacksonville Jaguars kicker Cam Little nailed a 68-yard field goal against the Las Vegas Raiders on Sunday. At the end of the first half, Aubrey had a shot to tie that record, but the kick went wide left.
10. Cancel the trade!
With this loss, the Cowboys drop to 3-5-1. The chances of making the playoffs just got a whole lot harder, while their current draft pick continues to get better. And if Monday night’s game is any indication, things are going to get much worse before they get better, meaning their draft capital will continue to improve. The front office should always look for a good deal to improve the team, but they should be very cautious with their draft resources because a top 10 draft position doesn’t come around that often for that team, and they shouldn’t panic and frivolously throw it away.
