Cardinals hand Cowboys first loss in 42–31 Monday Night Primetime stunner

ARLINGTON, TX - Monday Night Primetime delivered a shocker. The Arizona Cardinals walked into AT&T Stadium and handed the previously unbeaten Dallas Cowboys their first loss, 42-31, behind a four-touchdown night from James Conner and a near-flawless performance by Kyler Murray. Arizona moved to 6-2 while Dallas fell to 8-1.

Statement win on the road

Jonathan Gannon's team authored a complete, physical road performance, piling up 486 yards of offense and converting 8 of 10 on third down (80%). Murray went 21-of-29 for 301 yards with three touchdowns and one interception, adding 56 rushing yards, while Conner bruised his way to 134 rushing yards and three rushing scores-and caught another TD on a 42-yard catch-and-run. "We wanted to keep the gas on," Conner said. "Our O-line reset the line of scrimmage all night."

How the upset unfolded

Dallas landed the first blows, jumping ahead 14-7 in the first quarter with two rushing touchdowns. Arizona answered late in the frame when Murray found Conner on a swing that turned up the sideline for six. The Cardinals seized control in the second quarter: Murray hit Greg Dortch on a 7-yard score, then connected with Trey McBride for a 19-yard TD in the final minutes. A Cowboys field goal at :02 kept it within a score at halftime, 21-17. "We felt the momentum swing," Murray said. "Our tempo had them on their heels."

Arizona's defense stacked stops to open the second half, and Conner ripped a 28-yard touchdown run midway through the third to make it 28-17. In the fourth quarter, Conner twice knifed in from 21 yards-two nearly identical cuts off tackle-to push the lead to 42-24. Dallas answered with a short Javonte Williams TD and, after a late march, an 11-yard dart from Dak Prescott to George Pickens with :53 left-but Arizona smothered the ensuing onside and bled the clock. "We kept answering," Gannon said. "That's the identity-finish, finish, finish."

Stars and turning points

Conner's line-16 carries, 134 yards, three rushing TDs; two catches, 42 yards and a TD-headlined the night. Dortch (6-79-1) and McBride (7-85-1) repeatedly found soft spots, while rookie phenom Marvin Harrison Jr. added three grabs for 54. Safety Jalen Thompson picked Prescott, and edge Zaven Collins logged a sack and forced fumble as Arizona won the turnover battle. "We talked all week about winning third down and winning the ball," Budda Baker said. "Check and check."

Dallas still posted numbers-405 yards of offense and 50% on third down-but lived in long-yardage too often. Prescott finished 20-for-43 for 261 yards with one TD and one INT; tight end Jake Ferguson led with 7 receptions for 106 yards, and Pickens added 4 for 58 and the late score. Williams powered the ground game (14-110-3). "We didn't match their execution early in the second half," Prescott said. "That's on me." Dallas coach Andres Perez added: "We'll learn from this. The streak's over, but our goals aren't."

Numbers that tell the story

Arizona's balance and situational dominance decided it: 293 net passing yards, 193 rushing, 486 total offense, and 8-of-10 on third down. Dallas countered with 261 passing and 144 rushing, but the Cardinals' one takeaway in each phase (an interception and a recovered fumble) flipped possessions and field position. Kicker Matt Prater was perfect on six PATs; Brandon Aubrey hit all four PATs and 1 of 2 field goals (long 41). "It's complementary football," Gannon said. "Offense, defense, and special teams feeding each other."

Up Next

The Cowboys (8-1) have a Week 10 bye before visiting the Las Vegas Raiders in Week 11. The Cardinals (6-2) travel to face the Seattle Seahawks in Week 10.