FRISCO, Texas -- The Cowboys return to AT&T Stadium on Monday night for one final game before they reach their bye week, which as many coaches have said in the past never comes at a bad time.
First comes business though, as Dallas hosts the Arizona Cardinals and looks to get back in the win column and move to 4-4-1 heading into the break.
In order to do that, the Cowboys will have to find a way to slow Kyler Murray down, who is expected to return for the Cardinals this week and has never lost in nine games at AT&T Stadium dating back to his days at Allen High School.
Our staff writers make their picks ahead of Week 9's primetime matchup:
Tommy: I wasn't in Texas to watch Kyler Murray during his time at Allen high school. Ever since I've moved down here though, I've heard all the stories about being undefeated and winning three straight titles, and have seen plenty of highlights about how difficult he was to deal with. Some people don't believe in magic. I think the turf at AT&T Stadium feeds a little bit of it to Murray every time he takes the field there. He's such a unique player, and that's been the case since he got to Oklahoma and then Arizona too.
That said, there's more too it than Kyler, like his struggling protection from his tackles and an inconsistent defense. Equally as talented as Murray is on AT&T Stadium's turf is Dak Prescott when coming off of a loss, and I think the Cowboys will have a chance to rebound pretty convincingly on offense in this game. If Dallas' defense can do just enough to hold off the Murray storm, I think the Cowboys win in a thriller. Cowboys 31, Cardinals 28.
Patrik: I'll chock the trip to Denver up as a bad day at the office for the offense, so I expect Dak Prescott and that unit, which should include Cooper Beebe returning to action, to bounce back against a Cardinals' defense that is most definitely a capable one, but also isn't a worldbeater like the one they faced in the Mile High City; and I don't see Jake Ferguson getting zero targets ever again with Prescott under center. As for the Cowboys' defense, though? I have to assume the worst and hope for a pleasant surprise, at this point.
Kyler Murray is trending towards playing and he's basically a video game sprite running around making plays and moving chains, and that will stress not just the linebackers, but also a secondary that is in dire straits at the safety position — depth-wise. Murray (or Jacoby Brissett) will likely have a handful of chunk plays, and that's the problem, but the solution is Prescott and the offense continuing their stellar point production at home. Murray's undefeated streak of 9-0 at AT&T Stadium likely ends this coming Monday, even if narrowly. 34-27, Cowboys
Nick: Points. That's my what my gut is telling me about this game. Lots of points - both sides of the ball. Remember, the Cowboys haven't scored less than 40 points at AT&T Stadium this season. Even in the preseason, when they were 0-2, the Cowboys put up 31 points with nothing but backups in the lone exhibition game at Arlington. So the Cowboys are going to light up the scoreboard at home, we know that.
The problem is, the Cardinals are coming off a bye week. They're getting Kyler Murray back and oh by the way, he's a perfect 9-0 in this building. Doesn't matter if he's playing for Allen High School, Oklahoma or the Cardinals, Murray knows how to win there. Actually, he doesn't know how to lose there either. So something has to give. Because the Cowboys are on this crazy up-and-down roller coaster this year, I think this week it goes back up. We joked all the team about this team being 8-8. under Jason Garrett but that went away with the 17-game schedule. Or did it? Now they have a tie on their record, it seemed destined again the Cowboys go back to the 8-8-1 mark. And to do that, going into the bye week, it makes too much sense for them to be 4-4-1. And with all those 4s, I'll pick another 40 burger. Give me the Cowboys to win 44-39, giving the Cardinals eight straight games of one-score finishes.
Mickey Spagnola: Thought of this on our podcast, Mick Shots, that over the years there have been some wacky scores between the Cowboys and Cardinals, no matter if they have been in St. Louis or Arizona, no matter if they have been the Phoenix Cardinals or the Arizona Cardinals, but all prior to them being the Chicago Cardinals (1945-59) before the Cowboys came into existence in 1960 when they moved to St. Louis. Check this out: 16-10, 17-9, 25-22, 13-0, 9-6 in overtime, 27-26, 19-13 overtime and another 25-22. So that last one seems to have been and popular score, I'm going Cowboys 25, Cardinals 22. And even during the Cowboys 13-game winning streak over the Cardinals form 1990-96, six of those games were one score victories, and with the Cardinals winning seven of the last eight, four of those victories were one score games, including two in overtime. Always seemingly a struggle shuffling along with the Cards.
Kyle Youmans: Dallas did not look good last week against the Broncos, that's no secret. But this is the perfect chance to rebound against an Arizona team that enters on a five-game losing streak. However, due to the Cardinals' desperation and recent success inside AT&T Stadium, this is also not a game Dallas can afford to sleepwalk into. They've been within a single possession in each of their five losses this season and Kyler Murray returns to a place he's 9-0 and extremely comfortable. Dallas is the better team, and they need to get off to a quick start. I believe they will. Dallas wins a gritty one, 27-23.
