The Arizona Cardinals needed overtime to finish off the Dallas Cowboys in Week 8, and the game ended with a familiar kicker drama before Chad Ryland got the last word.
Ryland had a chance to put Arizona ahead after a last-second touchdown in regulation tied the score, but he missed the try. It was his first extra point miss since 2024.
That miss pushed the game into overtime, where the Cardinals regrouped and set up a field goal to win it. Ryland then made good on the opportunity and delivered the game-winner.
It was not a clean path to victory, but the Cardinals still walked out with the result they wanted.
The bigger story for Arizona may have been Gardner Minshew, who did not start the game. Jacoby Brissett opened at quarterback but struggled, and head coach Mike LaFleur turned to Minshew to try to spark the offense. Minshew answered with exactly that, leading four touchdown drives and helping keep the Cardinals in the game.
Gardner Minshew CARRIED the Cardinals to their overtime win over the Cowboys 💪
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) November 1, 2026
🔸 Came in at 1:35 of the 3rd Quarter
🔸 Cardinals down 17-3
🔸 15/20 passing
🔸 188 pass yards
🔸 3 TD passes
(📸 via Jerome Miron/Imagn) pic.twitter.com/nUaCT6YTJA
That performance has created a real question moving forward: does Minshew stay in the lineup, or does LaFleur go back to Brissett? Based on how Minshew played, riding the hot hand would make a lot of sense.
The win moved Arizona to 3-4, and it at least gives the Cardinals something to build on. They still have plenty of ground to make up in a division where the San Francisco 49ers and Seattle Seahawks are playing well, and the Los Angeles Rams can catch fire at any moment. But for one night, the Cardinals found a way, and Minshew may have changed the conversation about their quarterback situation.
In Other News...
Cowboys Passing Plan Just Got More Complicated For The Cardinals
The Cowboys passing game appears set to get a major piece back for Sundays matchup with Arizona, even if George Pickens is still carrying a questionable tag into the week. Dallas coach Brian Schottenheimer said the wide receiver is likely to suit up against the Cardinals after being limited in practice, a development that changes the look of a game plan that already had to account for multiple moving parts.
For Arizona, the bigger issue is not just whether Pickens is active, but how much of him the Cowboys can actually use. His shoulder and hamstring injuries have kept him on a restricted practice schedule, and the hamstring is the part that could matter most if it limits his snaps or forces Dallas to manage him carefully during the game. Fantasy managers are being told to start him with caution, and the Cardinals will be watching closely for the same reason. [Read more 🡒]
Gardner Minshew May Have Changed Everything For The Cardinals
A late quarterback switch gave Arizona exactly the kind of spark it had been searching for, and Gardner Minshew made the most of the opportunity against Dallas. After replacing Jacoby Brissett late in the third quarter, Minshew settled the offense and helped the Cardinals claw back into a game that looked headed the wrong way, finishing 15 of 20 with three touchdowns in a performance that immediately changed the tone around the sideline.
The comeback only got better from there, with Arizona's defense forcing a three-and-out in overtime before Chad Ryland delivered the winning field goal to seal a 3-5 record. However the Cardinals sort out the quarterback picture from here, Minshew's outing gave them a live option and a much-needed reminder that the offense can still find another gear when the moment gets tight. [Read more 🡒]
Bills Face A Trade Deadline Debate Over One Proven Pass Rusher
The NFL trade deadline has already started to stir movement around the league, and the Arizona Cardinals have found themselves in the middle of the conversation because of Josh Sweat. After recent deals involving the Colts and Titans, the market for edge help is getting harder to ignore, and Sweats name has surfaced as one of the more intriguing possibilities thanks to his proven pass-rushing track record and the need he could fill for a contender looking to shore up its defense.
Buffalo is among the teams being discussed as a fit, with the Bills facing the kind of debate that comes with weighing short-term help against future value. Sweats recent production and injury status add another layer to the discussion, and while there is plenty of interest being floated around him, nothing has been settled yet. For Arizona, it leaves open an important question at the deadline: whether to cash in on a veteran defender now or hold onto a player who could still matter in the stretch run. [Read more 🡒]