Arizona At Cowboys: Can Dallas Break The 'Curious Cardinals Curse'?

FRISCO - Way back on January 28, 1996, the Dallas Cowboys won Super Bowl XXX in Tempe, Arizona’s Sun Devil Stadium.

Who knew it would be both the beginning of a 30-year drought and the launching of one of the weirdest curses in all of American sports?

When the Cowboys kick off Sunday at noon inside AT&T Stadium they’ll try to do something that the rest of the NFL does in its sleep but something "America's Team'' finds almost impossible ...

Beat the lowly Arizona Cardinals.

Since winning XXX in the Cardinals’ then-home stadium, the Cowboys are only 11-15 against one of the NFL’s worst franchises. Included in that inexplicable stretch are four losses in a row, a 1-7 record in the last eight meetings, and a handful of head-scratching defeats.

You think you are starving for Cowboys contention?

The crappy Cardinals own the longest championship drought in all of American sports: 79 years, dry since 1947. They have won only one playoff game since 2010, and none since 2015. Their laughable legacy of non-descript head coaches includes forgettable names such as Vince Tobin, Dave McGinnis, Ken Whisenhunt, Steve Wilks, Jonathan Gannon and Mike Lafleur. Their starting quarterback Sunday is 33-year-old journeyman Jacoby Brissett, who has played for seven teams in 11 seasons and has a career record as a starter of 22-50 including losses in 20 of his last 24.

But somehow, the Cowboys always turn Cardinals’ scrubs into stars.

To wit ...

*In 1998, the Cowboys lost to the Cardinals, 20-7, in the last home playoff game of the Troy Aikman-Emmitt Smith-Michael Irvin era. It was the only postseason win of quarterback Jake Plummer’s career.

*In 2008, backup linebacker Monty Beisel blocked Mat McBriar’s punt and returned it for a touchdown in a 30-24 overtime loss.

*In 2010, kicker Jay Feely made a 48-yard field goal as time expired in a 27-26 loss.

*In 2011, head coach Jason Garrett called a timeout just before Dan Bailey made what should have been a game-winning field goal. After Garrett iced his own kicker, Bailey missed and the Cowboys lost 19-13 in overtime when backup running back LaRod Stephens-Howling took a screen pass 52 yards for a touchdown.

*In 2025, Brissett threw two touchdowns and ran for another in leading the Cardinals to a 27-17 win in Arlington on Monday Nigh Football. Other than that game, Brissett was 0-11 as a starter last season.

Part of Arizona's success - especially here in this building - is due to Plano native Kyler Murray's uncanny ability to own AT&T. He's 9-0 here (five wins in high school, one in college, two in the NFL).

But Murray's now in Minnesota (where his Vikings are 6-0). So just in time for Halloween Weekend, it's time to end the Curious Cardinals Curse.

Right?

Maybe this curse is simply the pendulum of payback for all these years in the 1960s-90s when the Cowboys dominated them in the old NFC East. Or perhaps it’s due to Emmitt taking his final Hall-of-Fame handoffs with a Cardinal on his helmet instead of a star.

The 3-4 Cowboys should win this year’s crippled NFC East. But, in order to do that, they also should finally beat a 2-5 Cardinals’ team that is a 6.5-point underdog that we don't really want to bet against ... as it has proven to be Dallas' mysterious nemesis.