The Dallas Cowboys (3-4) host the Arizona Cardinals (2-5) in Week 8 looking to halt a four-game losing streak against their NFC West rivals. Arizona has won eight of the last nine matchups dating back to 2008, and Cowboys wide receiver CeeDee Lamb has never beaten the Cardinals in his four career meetings since being drafted in 2020.
"I've never beaten the Cardinals since I've been in the league. So that's fair to say," Lamb said after Thursday's practice. "We've been very relaxed, and they've punched us in the mouth every single time. They've always had more energy. Just coming into the game, they're more excited regardless of if it was at 12 o'clock, Monday night, Sunday night. We played them in primetime; they beat us there."
Head coach Brian Schottenheimer offered a different explanation, pointing to a minus-11 turnover margin (15 turnovers to four takeaways) across the nine games since 2008. In last season's Monday Night Football loss, Dallas committed three turnovers without generating a takeaway, falling into a 17-point hole early in the second half. Schottenheimer noted that the Cowboys have committed zero turnovers in their three wins this season, while all four losses have featured at least one giveaway.
"I'll disagree with CeeDee a little bit," Schottenheimer said Friday. "I know why: minus-11 turnover differential in those games. Last year, we were minus-three. So the ball is what this game is going to come down to. I don't think it has to do with energy."
Dallas enters as a seven-point home favorite. The Cowboys rank fifth in scoring offense at 27.0 points per game, bolstered by new cornerback Joey Porter Jr. on defense. Arizona arrives with the NFL's worst scoring defense (29.7 points allowed per game) and the league's worst red-zone offense (42.9% touchdown rate).
"We got to win," quarterback Dak Prescott said Thursday. "They've had our number these last couple of years. Credit to their defense, credit to the way that those guys come in and play and execute. It's a new year. We just have to make sure we go out and take care of business."
