The Dallas Cowboys finally got back in the win column Monday night, and now they get a chance to turn one good result into something more.
That’s the next step Brian Schottenheimer’s team hasn’t quite cracked yet. Dallas has only had one winning streak under Schottenheimer, and Sunday’s matchup with the Arizona Cardinals gives them another shot to start one. The Cowboys are coming off a much-needed 38-21 win over the Philadelphia Eagles, a result that got them to 3-4 and kept the NFC East race alive.
Arizona arrives in a rougher spot. The Cardinals just lost to the Denver Broncos, and the crowd situation at home drew plenty of attention, especially with the recent celebration for Larry Fitzgerald entering the Pro Football Hall of Fame this past summer. Now they travel to AT&T Stadium, where history has not been kind to Dallas in this matchup.
In fact, the Cardinals have had the Cowboys’ number for a long time. Dallas is 1-8 against Arizona since 2008, and this old NFC East rivalry has tilted heavily in Arizona’s favor over the last decade.
For the Cowboys, the path is pretty clear. Brian Schottenheimer, Dak Prescott, CeeDee Lamb, George Pickens, and Javonte Williams have to keep the offense moving.
On defense, the ask is bigger than one player, but Christian Parker needs more, and so do Quinnen Williams and Kenny Clark. Joey Porter Jr. has been excellent since Dallas acquired him.
There’s also another layer to this game: trade chatter. Dallas has been linked to Cardinals pass rusher Josh Sweat, and a Cowboys win could push Arizona closer to selling off pieces like him.
Dallas, meanwhile, needed Monday night’s win in the worst way. The 3-4 record matters in a crowded NFC East, and now the question is whether the Cowboys can actually build on it. Their schedule gives them a real opening to do exactly that.
The Josh Sweat rumor was kicked up again on Wednesday when ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler said the Cowboys could be interested in the Arizona pass rusher. Fowler also noted that making that move would be viewed as shortsighted since Dallas is a pair of games below .500. In the NFC East, though, all of it is in play.
In Other News...
CeeDee Lamb Just Gave Cowboys Fans Another Reason To Love This Rivalry
CeeDee Lamb has never been shy about embracing the spotlight, and he added another layer to the Cowboys-Eagles rivalry this week by saying on SportsCenter that winning in Philadelphia is his favorite matchup in the NFL. It was the kind of answer that lands well in Dallas, especially given how central Lamb has become to the offense again this season.
He backed it up the last time these teams met, hauling in two touchdown catches in the Cowboys 38-21 win over Philadelphia at Lincoln Financial Field. Through seven games, Lamb has piled up 53 receptions for 651 yards and six scores, a steady reminder that whenever this rivalry gets loud, he tends to be right in the middle of it. [Read more 🡒]
Troy Aikman's Emotional Cowboys-Eagles Moment Meant More Than Fans Realized
The Monday night broadcast for Cowboys-Eagles carried a heavier tone than most prime-time games, as ESPN paused to remember David Moulton, the sports radio personality and longtime part of the Monday Night Football orbit who died after a six-year battle with stage four renal cell cancer. His death was confirmed by his wife, Julie, and the tributes from Troy Aikman and Joe Buck reflected just how deeply Moulton was woven into the broadcast world around the NFL.
Moulton was remembered not just for his work, but for the professionalism and friendship he brought to everyone around him, which is why the moment resonated so strongly on a night already full of attention in Philadelphia and Dallas. Aikmans emotional tribute stood out because it underscored something fans do not always see: the relationships behind the microphones, and the loss felt when one of those familiar voices is suddenly gone. [Read more 🡒]
Cowboys Make An Unexpected Defensive Change Before Eagles Game
The Cowboys are heading into Monday nights matchup with the Eagles trying to sort out their defense as key players work back from injury. One of the more notable developments is in the middle of that unit, where linebacker Shemar James has been assigned the green dot communication role, a sign that Dallas is making a change in how the defense is being lined up and organized on the fly.
DeMarvion Overshown had been expected to reclaim that responsibility, which makes the decision more surprising with the game now here. Dallas is also dealing with the absence of starting linebacker Dee Winters because of an Achilles injury, so the Cowboys are still adjusting their personnel even as reinforcements return. Against Philadelphia, those communication duties could matter as much as any single snap. [Read more 🡒]