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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