The Cardinals didn’t wait until kickoff week to start tightening the screws for Sunday’s matchup with Dallas.
Arizona made two practice squad elevations on Saturday, bringing up defensive lineman Jared Harrison-Hunte and tight end Kenny Yeboah for the game against the Cowboys. It was the maximum number of standard elevations the team could use.
The timing matters because the Cardinals already ruled out defensive lineman Walter Nolen III and offensive lineman Jon Gaines on Friday. Harrison-Hunte gives Arizona more depth up front, and the move also hints the team feels good enough about questionable center Hjalte Froholdt to have him available on Sunday. The same logic could apply to questionable cornerback Max Melton and safety Andrew Wingard.
Yeboah’s elevation stands out a little more. Trey McBride, Elijah Higgins and Teagan Quitoriano were all healthy this week, but Arizona may simply want another body in that tight end room. The Cardinals lean on 13 personnel - one running back and three tight ends - more than almost anyone in the league.
All of this comes with a bigger backdrop: Week 8 feels like a fork in the road for Arizona. A win over Dallas would move the Cardinals to 3-5 and keep a slim path open for a turnaround. A loss would drop them to 2-6 and make the outlook for the 2026 season look all but sealed.
There’s also a strange little wrinkle hanging over this matchup. Arizona has won eight of its last nine games against the Cowboys, and Dallas’ last victory in the series came in 2017.
That’s a jarring run considering how the two teams are usually viewed. The Cardinals have spent plenty of time near the bottom of the NFL standings, while the Cowboys are typically treated as annual playoff contenders.
“Yeah, it's just crazy,” Cowboys WR CeeDee Lamb told reporters on never beating Arizona since he came into the league (h/t Cowboys' Official Team Site). “[We were] being very, very relaxed, and they punched us in the mouth every single time. They've always had more energy They were more excited, regardless of if it was a 12 o'clock, Sunday night or Monday night.
"We've played them in prime time, they beat us there. So, we need to treat them as if they are a Super Bowl contending team, which they may be, you know what I'm saying?
Hats off to them in their prep, and we just got to go match them. If not overpowered that."
Now Arizona gets another shot to keep that trend going at AT&T Stadium.
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Cardinals Have Another Chance To Ruin Dallas Expectations
The early part of this NFL season has been kind to big underdogs, and Arizona has been one of the teams helping fuel that trend. Through seven weeks, teams catching at least 6.5 points were 19-9-3 with 10 outright wins, a run that has kept bettors and observers alike interested in the weekly mismatch games, especially after recent surprises like the Giants' outright win over Houston.
Week 8 brings another chance for the Cardinals to play spoiler against Dallas, a matchup that has long carried more intrigue than the spread suggests. Arizona has already delivered in this role more than once this season, and the question now is whether it can keep doing it against a Cowboys team that expects to be in control, even if the numbers and recent underdog history say otherwise. [Read more 🡒]
Trey McBrides Season Just Took Another Costly Turn
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Mike LaFleur has made clear how much McBride means to the offense, praising his skill set and the value he brings to the unit. But the discipline issues are starting to add up around a player the Cardinals need on the field and in rhythm, and the financial hit is becoming hard to ignore as the season moves forward. [Read more 🡒]
Cardinals Debate Is Getting Harder To Ignore Under Mike LaFleur
Mike LaFleur came into his first season in Arizona talking about building from the trenches, which is why the Cardinals decision to use such a premium draft asset on a running back has become impossible to separate from the rest of the season. The move was bold then and even more glaring now, with the offense still trying to find its footing and the team sitting at 2-5 as the costs of that choice keep coming into focus.
Jeremiyah Love has flashed enough to remind everyone why he was such a tempting pick, but the larger question around him is less about talent than value. A back taken that high has to change the math for a roster, and every week he misses only sharpens the debate over whether Arizona would be better off with the kind of impact player it passed on in the spring. [Read more 🡒]