The Dallas Cowboys closed out Week 9 with a 27-17 loss to the Arizona Cardinals on Monday Night Football, and head coach Brian Schottenheimer was direct about what went wrong. Despite recording five sacks, the defense failed to finish drives, allowing the Cardinals to go 7-for-13 on third down.

Sports Dissected’s Sydney Staples took to her X (formerly known as Twitter) following the Cardinals vs. Cowboys loss and captured the first-year coach’s thoughts on the root cause of the defensive breakdowns in 2025.

“Really good job on first and second down… with 5 sacks… Biggest problem on defense was third down,” where they struggled to get off the field.

The insight from Schottenheimer revealed a clear disconnect. Early-down success meant little as the defense repeatedly failed on third down. Cardinals backup quarterback Jacoby Brissett, a 10-year veteran, and tight end Trey McBride kept drives alive, including a crucial third-and-14 completion to second-year receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. that led to a touchdown.

The Cowboys’ defensive struggles came at a pivotal moment. Entering the game as favorites, Dallas faced a Cardinals team without its starting quarterback and riding a five-game losing streak. Yet Arizona controlled the pace and kept the defense on the field for extended stretches.

Schottenheimer’s assessment matched what fans saw. The Monday Night Football loss exposed more than execution flaws — it pointed to an inability to adjust in-game. Defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus kept the unit in soft zone coverages, which the Cardinals exploited repeatedly on long-yardage situations.

The Cowboys are now 3-5-1 and approaching a critical stretch in their season. As the team’s new head coach noted, the defense must do more than create disruption — it has to finish drives. Until that happens, the Cowboys will continue to be defined more by missed opportunities than meaningful stops.