How the Cardinals Beat the Cowboys

The Cardinals were clicking on all cylinders tonight against the Cowboys, walking away with a 27-17 victory. Jacoby Brissett has been with six different teams, helping the Cardinals defeat the Cowboys in eight if their last nine matches since 2008.

Let’s take a look at some of the key stats that led to a Cardinals victory tonight.

Jacoby Brissett with a strong showing

I feel like it is only fitting to start with Jacoby Brissett. He was sacked five times, but still posted a 115.1 quarterback rating throughout the evening.

Could we potentially make the argument that Brissett should be the starter moving forward if he keeps this up? He is arguably the best backup quarterback in football, and he has put up some quality numbers as a starter as well in Arizona. Tonight was one of them.

Productive Passing Game

Marvin zharrison Jr. — Nov 3, 2025; Arlington, Texas, USA; Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. (18) runs against Dallas Cowboys cornerback DaRon Bland (26) in the second half at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images | Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images

The Cardinals put up 261 total receiving yards tonight against the Cowboys. The leader of that pack was Marvin Harrison Jr., with seven catches for 96 yards and a touchdown. Harrison has certainly had his struggles. But games like tonight clearly show that he needs to be more involved in the passing game.

Strong Pass Rush

The Cardinals' pass rush also had a strong showing tonight. Dak Prescott was sacked five times throughout the game. One of those sacks was by rookie Walter Nolen, who had a little coming out game for him tonight.

He also recorded two tackles for loss and a pass deflection. He’s dealt with lingering injuries throughout his rookie campaign. Tonight was a strong showing from him and the rest of the pass rush.

Secondary Impresses

It was a little coming out party for the rookies tonight from guys like Will Johnson and Denzel Burke, who nearly led the pack with six total tackles, two pass deflections and an interception. The Cardinals have a young secondary, and we have spent weeks talking about how they have a cornerback problem.

Could they still trade for one? Sure. But they certainly made a case against doing that tonight. They only allowed the Cowboys to get in the end zone once through the air.

Little Mistakes Throughout the game

Sure, the Cardinals had that blocked punt in the second quarter to narrow their lead to just three. But, Jacoby Brissett didn’t throw a single interception, and there really were very little mistakes made through up this entire game.

A phrase you hear multiple times from many coaches around the league is playing “complementary football”. That’s exactly what the Cardinals did on Monday.

Arizona still has plenty of work to do to catch up to those other teams in the NFC West. They’ll have four more divisional matchups the rest of the season, starting with Seattle this week.

How the Cardinals Beat the Cowboys — By the Numbers

Jacoby Brissett with a strong showing

Productive Passing Game

Strong Pass Rush

Secondary Impresses

Little Mistakes Throughout the game

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