Cowboys lengthy history of problems with Cardinals stretches 2 decades

The Dallas Cowboys have a long-standing rivalry with the Arizona Cardinals, spanning two decades and 10 matchups. While several teams have posed challenges to Dallas over that period, none have consistently troubled the Cowboys like the Cardinals.

Other NFC East opponents, like the Green Bay Packers and San Francisco 49ers, have put up stiff resistance in recent years. However, Dallas has emerged victorious in three games against the Packers and five against the 49ers during the last 20 seasons.

Despite being the more dominant team over the past two decades, the Cowboys have struggled against the Cardinals. They have a 2-8 record in their last 10 games against the Cardinals, losing the majority of those matchups when the Cowboys had five winning seasons.

The Cardinals' dominance is evident in several key facts. They have never won at AT&T Stadium, Dallas' home field, since 2006, when the team played at the old Texas Stadium. Additionally, Arizona holds the most road victories against the Cowboys from any team outside their division, trailing only the New York Giants and Washington Commanders by one win.

The Cardinals have a four-game winning streak against the Cowboys, but they haven't achieved a winning record in any of those seasons, with an overall record of 19-48. Only two of the eight victories the Cowboys have secured against the Cardinals have resulted in a winning record for the visiting team.

Currently, Dallas finds itself in a precarious position, unable to afford a loss to a subpar team. After suffering a defeat to the winless Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who played with an undrafted rookie free agent quarterback, the Cowboys have exhausted their allowance for bad losses for the season. Brian Schottenheimer's team is now focused on accumulating wins rather than suffering embarrassing defeats.

However, it will not be an easy contest for the Cowboys. The Cardinals showed their competitive spirit by defeating the Los Angeles Rams two weeks ago. Given their own losing record, the Cowboys cannot afford to underestimate the Cardinals.

This rivalry has been a tumultuous 20 years for the Cowboys, with the Cardinals seemingly getting the upper hand. To compete for a postseason berth in 2026, Dallas cannot allow the Cardinals to humiliate them once again. There is a crucial home game against Arizona scheduled for Week 8, where Dallas needs to find a solution to stop the Cardinals' dominance.