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A tough season just got even tougher. In game that many expected the ²ÝÝ®ÊÓƵÏÂÔØÈë¿Ú to win at home instead saw the team fall, 27-17, to an Arizona Cardinals club that had lost its previous five outings.

Now, the Cowboys head into their bye week not only having to worry about their defense but perhaps also their offense as well. For the second week in a row, Dak Prescott and company struggled, failing to reach the end zone until the fourth quarter when the game was largely already decided.

Sacked five times and under pressure for most of the night, the Dallas quarterback completed 24 of 39 passes for 250 yards with one touchdown and an interception for a 77.9 passer rating. CeeDee Lamb led the aerial effort with 85 receiving yards while George Pickens and Jake Ferguson chipped in 79 and 50, respectively.

But for all that yardage, totaling 333 overall, Dallas converted just 33 percent of its tries in the red zone, which included failing twice on fourth-and-goal.

Meanwhile, the rollercoaster ride that is the Cowboys defense continued as the Cardinals converted 54 percent of their third down attempts and 75 percent of their trips into the red zone. In all, Arizona totaled 340 yards while dominating the time of possession, 33:20 to 26:40.

With local high-school legend Kyler Murray still sidelined due to injury, the Cardinals turned to backup quarterback Jacoby Brissett, who diced up Dallas for 261 passing yards and two touchdowns for a 115.1 passer rating. Wideout Marvin Harrison Jr. proved to be a handful, especially in the first half, as he finished the game with a career-high seven catches for 96 yards.

First Quarter

Things looked a little too familiar as the game got underway. The Cowboys at first made it look easy on their opening possession – until they got into the red zone. There the drive stalled, and on fourth-and-goal at the Arizona 4-yard line, head coach Brian Schottenheimer opted to go for it, only to have Prescott sacked for a 7-yard loss.

Which was then followed by the Cardinals going on a 15-play, 60-yard march that saw the visitors pick up the needed yardage on four third downs, one coming thanks to a Dallas penalty. The Cowboys did manage to limit the damage, though, as Arizona had to settle for a 48-yard field goal for the game's first points, 3-0.

Second Quarter

With the Cowboys forced to punt from deep in their own territory, the Cardinals' next series had them already starting at the Dallas 47-yard line. Less than three minutes into the second quarter, and despite the possession starting with a 10-yard sack of Brissett, they were in the end zone. That was due in large part to the quarterback connecting with Harrison three times for a combined 31 yards, the last of which was a 4-yard strike for the touchdown.

Finally, the Cowboys found some life, and it came thanks to special teams. With the Cardinals punting from their own 36-yard line, Sam Williams stormed through to block the attempted punt, and the ball bounced all the way into the end zone. Marshawn Kneeland then outraced a trio of Dallas defenders to fall on the prize for the Cowboys' first blocked punt return for a touchdown since the 2021 season.

Unfortunately, whatever momentum the home team might have had soon swung back the other way. With 3:50 still left in the half, that was plenty of time for the Cardinals to quickly work their way down the field for another touchdown. Brissett completed five of his six pass attempts for 59 yards before eventually crossing the goal line himself on a quarterback sneak from the 1-yard line.

But with 41 seconds on the clock and no time outs, the Cowboys got into position for kicker Brandon Aubrey to attempt a 68-yard field goal, which would tie the record for the longest in NFL history, set just the day before. However, although his attempt had the distance, the kick sailed wide left, no good, so Dallas went into the break still trailing, 17-7.

Third Quarter

Things didn't get any better as the second half got underway. On the first play of the quarter, Brissett hooked up with wideout Michael Wilson for a 50-yard gain, and then two snaps later, he found tight end Trey McBride for the touchdown, the Cowboys now down by 17 points.

Dallas would add another three points off a 26-yard field goal, but it came after the team once again failed to cross the goal line after having a first-and-goal. Prescott led his troops quickly down the field, but the drive stalled at the 5-yard line after he was sacked for a 9-yard loss. Instead of going for it on fourth down, this time Schottenheimer opted for the sure three points.

Not that doing so moved the needle much since the Cardinals came right back and kicked a 26-yard field goal of their own to make the score 27-10. In doing so, they chewed another 5:33 off the clock, using 12 plays to travel 65 yards.

Fourth Quarter

On the first play of the fourth quarter, the game was essentially over. Up to that point, the Cowboys had worked their way to the Arizona 21-yard line, the big blow coming when Prescott found Lamb over the middles for a 33-yard gain. But went facing fourth-and-3, this time Schottenheimer decided to go for it, and when Prescott's pass to Lamb was broken up, Dallas' fate was sealed.

The Cowboys weren't going to go quietly into the night, though. Prescott led the team 78 yards in seven plays, completing four of five passes for 43 yards, which included a pair of tosses to Ryan Flournoy. The second of those was a 5-yard touchdown throw for the offense's first score of the night.

And the Cowboys continued to find success on their next possession with Prescott picking apart the soft Cardinals secondary. But on third-amd-12 at the Arizona 37-yard line, Williams took a short pass and turned up the right sideline, only to have the ball stripped away as he was being taken down. Linebacker Akeem Davis-Gaither fell on the fumble, the Cardinals taking possession.

One final interception by Prescott added more salt to the wound before the game came to an end, not that it mattered much to the outcome. The Cowboys now head into the bye with a 3-5-1 record and will next head to Las Vegas to take on the Raiders in another Monday night showdown in two weeks.