Blogging The Boys
The Dallas Cowboys are using the trade deadline to try and save themselves in a 2025 season that was already on thin ice going into Monday night against a struggling Arizona Cardinals team, and might have slipped away entirely with a 27-17 primetime loss. Can you even fix a defense that painted Dallas into this near-impossible corner, no matter what Jerry Jones tried on the trade market? Is Brian Schottenheimer’s offense really a revelation after another uninspiring effort saw Dak Prescott hit nine times, sacked five, and Ryan Flournoy come up with the team’s only offensive touchdown well into the fourth quarter? Monday night saw plenty of dejected looks on the sideline after two lost fumbles, an interception, and two turnovers on downs.
We’ll set the trade deadline news aside for a second, and look at the grim result of Monday night. It put the team in the spotlight as they now go into their bye week at a miserable 3-5-1 and losers of two straight for the first time this year. The Cowboys have another Monday night game in Week 11, Thanksgiving in Week 13, and then back to back night games in Weeks 14 and 15.
The Cowboys were coming off of their eighth straight loss to the same opponent, the Denver Broncos, coming into this game, but failed to respond and end another losing streak as the Cardinals have now also won four in a row against the Cowboys. If ever there was a time for Dallas to break this streak against Arizona, Monday night had to be it.
The Cardinals were once again playing with backup quarterback Jacoby Brissett, who should have elevated himself to the starting role with a poised performance against Matt Eberflus’ defense. The Cowboys had the perceived advantage of playing at home where the offense had previously lit up the scoreboard, drawing a Cardinals secondary that was not at full strength. They should have had desperation on their side, being beat thoroughly on both sides of the ball by the Broncos their last time out.
Instead, the Cardinals looked like the better and more desperate team on both sides of the ball again, and were ready to take advantage of every Cowboys miscue much like the Broncos. Arizona stuck to the script only a little bit when it came to trying to give the game away in the fourth quarter, as they did repeatedly during their losing streak, but this time found a way to finish. Jonathan Gannon earned his second win as the Cardinals head coach against the Cowboys, in similar defensive fashion to how the first one came.
The Cowboys being caught off guard and looking confused by these aggressive, heavy man-coverage style defenses despite the personnel they have at WR and TE remains stunning. While the Cardinals secondary may not have been at full strength, they did welcome back cornerback Garrett Williams, but more importantly had rookie first-round pick Walter Nolen make his debut at defensive tackle. Nolen got...
