2 winners & 4 losers in Cowboys' inexcusable Week 9 loss vs Cardinals

The Dallas Cowboys had a chance to go into the bye week with plenty of momentum and a chance to add to their confidence at the NFL trade deadline. Instead, they find themselves at 3-5-1 following a terrible loss to a team they should have been able to beat.

Dallas hosted the Arizona Cardinals, who were without starting quarterback Kyler Murray. That didn’t matter as backup Jacoby Brissett had one of the best games of his career, leading the Cardinals to a big win over the Cowboys.

MORE: Cowboys defense gets ripped by Cardinals player with NSFW insult on national TV

There’s a lot of blame to go around, which is why there are twice as many losers as there are winners for the Cowboys this week.

2 winners & 4 losers in Cowboys' inexcusable Week 9 loss vs Cardinals

Arizona Cardinals linebacker Josh Sweat celebrates after a sack against Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott. / Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

Dallas had a promising opening drive end with zero points when Dak Prescott was sacked on fourth-and-goal. After getting the ball to the Arizona four, the Cowboys went for it and left tackle Tyler Guyton was beaten by Josh Sweat, who took Prescott down for a seven-yard loss.

The rest of the game went about the same with the offensive line struggling to keep Sweat and the rest of the Arizona defense from pressuring Prescott.

Winner: Jadeveon Clowney, DE

Dallas Cowboys defensive end Jadeveon Clowney sacks Arizona Cardinals quarterback Jacoby Brissett. / Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

The Cowboys were in trouble after Jake Ferguson fumbled the ball in Arizona territory. Already down 10-0, their defense hadn’t been able to stop the Cardinals, but Jadeveon Clowney changed that.

On second-and-10, Clowney sacked Brissett to force a third-and-16. On the ensuing third-down play, Clowney again beat his guy and drew a hold on Paris Johnson Jr. The Cards were short on third down, but it wouldn’t have mattered if they did convert thanks to Clowney.

Overall, the defense was a mess, but Clowney had his moments.

Dallas Cowboys offensive tackle Terence Steele and center Brock Hoffman against the Philadelphia Eagles. / Eric Hartline-Imagn Images

Tyler Guyton wasn’t the only offensive lineman to struggle with Josh Sweat, as the defensive end also had his way with Terence Steele. He helped end a promising drive by getting past Steele on second and goal to sack Prescott, leading to a field goal rather than a touchdown.

Steele wasn’t 100 percent in this game and it showed. He had a tough time holding the edge, allowing far too many defenders to get right past him.

Winner: Sam Williams, EDGE

Dallas Cowboys defensive end Sam Williams blocks a punt by Arizona Cardinals punter Pat O’Donnell. / Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images

Right after Jadeveon Clowney destroyed Arizona’s drive late in the second quarter, Sam Williams made a huge play to give his team some momentum. Williams broke through the offensive line on fourth down and blocked a punt.

— NFL (@NFL) November 4, 2025

The ball went into the end zone, where fellow defensive end Marshawn Kneeland fell on it for the touchdown. That made it a 10-7 game, giving the Cowboys some life after being pushed around for much of the first half.

Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Michael Wilson runs against Dallas Cowboys cornerback DaRon Bland. / Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images

Dallas had a chance to make a statement early when they forced Arizona into a third-and-eight on the opening drive. They were unable to get an early three-and-out, though with Marvin Harrison Jr. beating DaRon Bland for an 18-yard gain and a fresh set of downs.

Bland was again bested by Harrison early in the second quarter when he slipped in coverage, allowing Harrison to score an easy touchdown from four yards out.

— NFL (@NFL) November 4, 2025

Bland had one of his worst showings as a pro, making this a game he will want to forget.

Loser: Dak Prescott, QB

Arizona Cardinals linebacker Josh Sweat sacks Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott. / Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

One reason the Cowboys were expected to be active players at the trade deadline was the outstanding play of Dak Prescott this season. The thought was that his elite-level play would give them a chance against anyone if their defense could simply be average.

Over the past two games, however, Prescott has been far from elite. He had arguably his worst outing of the season in their Week 8 loss to the Denver Broncos. In Week 9, he was outplayed by Jacoby Brissett, which is inexcusable for the highest-paid player in the NFL.