Week 9 of the 2025 NFL season is rounded out with a Monday night showdown between the Arizona Cardinals and the Dallas Cowboys in Texas. Here is The Predictors' guide to the conclusion of Week 9.
Arizona
The Cardinals might be the unluckiest 2-5 team in the NFL right now. They have lost five consecutive games by a combined 13 points, including two four-point losses to the Green Bay Packers and Indianapolis Colts, two one-point losses to the Tennessee Titans and San Francisco 49ers, and a three-point loss to the Seahawks.
However, that is just the style of football Arizona has been playing this year. Every game it has played has been decided by one score, even its two wins: a 27-22 win over the Carolina Panthers and a 20-13 win over the New Orleans Saints.
Granted, the last four games, Arizona has played without its starting quarterback, Kyler Murray, and Jacoby Brissett has taken over the role. Murray is once again inactive for Monday nights contest, and Brissett will remain as the Cardinals' primary signal caller will make the start against Dallas.
With Brissett as the starting quarterback, the Cardinals’ offensive efficiency seemed to improve with Murray on the bench. In Murray’s first five starts, the Cardinals ranked 25th in the league in points per game (11.8), 26th in yards per game (288.4), 30th in passing yards per game (170.2) and 16th in third down conversion rate (39.7%).
In Brissett’s last three starts, he improved Arizona to 12th in points per game (25.5), 10th in yards per game (365), 5th in passing yards per game (274) and 1st in third down conversion percentage (57.1%).
Tight end Trey McBride has been the Cardinals' top target by a long shot, tallying 47 receptions on 66 targets for 421 receiving yards and four touchdowns. The only other Arizona pass catcher to record 2+ touchdowns is Marvin Harrison Jr., who has tallied 24 receptions for 396 receiving yards and two scores.
Even after missing the last three games, Murray is still the Cardinals' leading rusher with 173 rushing yards, so it is clear that if they want to upset Dallas on the road, their offense will need to come through the air.
Dallas
On the other hand, the Cowboys might be one of the streakiest four-loss teams in the league, who have shown they can not only play up, but also play down to their competition.
They dropped their season-opener to the Philadelphia Eagles 24-20, and bounced back with a much-needed 40-37 win over an at the time, still healthy New York Giants. However then they fell well short against the Chicago Bears, and fell to 1-2 after an abysmal 31-14 loss on the road. But then, they tied one of the best teams in the league — the Packers 40-40 at home — and it looked like they could compete with the best. They scraped by a winless New York Jets team 37-22, and then fell short to the Carolina Panthers 30-27, handing them their second win of the season.
Just when it looked like you could count the Cowboys out, they dominated the Commanders 44-22 in Jayden Daniels' first game back from injury, but then just the next week met the same fate as Washington, as they fell to the Denver Broncos 44-24.
Nothing about this team has been consistent, except for quarterback Dak Prescott, who is playing one of the best seasons of his career. Halfway through his 2025 campaign, he has thrown for 2,069 passing yards and 16 touchdowns, while tossing just five interceptions.
Running back J Williams has also been a diamond in the rough. He leads Dallas in rushing yards (633) and rushing touchdowns (8), and has also racked up 93 yards and a touchdown through the air on 24 receptions. He has the most total touchdowns (9) on the team, other than Prescott.
Stats to know:
Cardinals:
-22nd in total offense / 23rd in passing offense / 20th in rushing offense
-19th in total defense / 25th in passing defense / 20th in rushing defense
-21.9 points per game / 22 points per game allowed to opponents
-329.4 yards per game / 347.1 yards per game allowed to opponents
-8-15 all-time on Monday Night Football
-Cardinals are 4-3 against the spread
-Cardinals are 22-24-1 on the road against the Cowboys all-time
-Cardinals are 7-3 vs the Cowboys in their last 10 games
Cowboys:
-2nd in total offense / 1st in passing offense / 13th in rushing offense
-31st in total defense / 31st in passing defense / 29th in rushing defense
-30.8 points per game / 31.3 points allowed to opponents per game
-389.1 yards per game / 419.1 yards allowed per game to opponents
-Cowbys are Cowboys are 4-4 against the spread
-Cowboys are 51-40 all-time on Monday Night Football, they have played on MNF more than any other team
-Dak Prescott is 5-1 all-time on Monday Night Football, throwing 14 touchdowns passes and only two interceptions
Odds per DraftKings Sportsbook: Cowboys -2.5 / Total O/U 54.5 / Cardinals ML +124
Best Bets:
- Dak Prescott 3+ passing touchdowns +165
- Dak Prescott has been playing at an MVP level this season with 16 passing touchdowns, clearing this line in four-of-the-last-five games. He did not having a passing touchdown against the Broncos last week, which means he is due to have a big primetime game against a bad Cardinals pass defense. Expect the Cowboys offense to bounce back after a tough week 8 showing, and Prescott is the engine to the second best offense in the NFL.
- George Pickens over 59.5 receiving yards
- Pickens has flourished in the Cowboys offense since being traded this offseason. With all eyes on star WR1 CeeDee Lamb, Pickens has been able to exploit CB2’s in most matchups and averages 85.6 receiving yards this season. Pickens shows up in big games and this Monday Night matchup sets the Georgia alum up for another big game especially after being somewhat limited in week 8.
Banged up Score/Injury Report
Cardinals
BUS (last 4 weeks)
Week 5: 71.9
Week 6: 67.9
Week 7: 67.9
Week 8: 67.5
The big news for the Cardinals this week is that QB Kyler Murray is not ready to make his return and will miss his 3rd game with a foot injury. He is officially listed as questionable, however the team has announced that Brissett will be starting today. LB BJ Ojulari and DL Walter Nolen III have both been on the PUP list, Ojulai with a knee injury and Nolen with a calf injury. Nolan is eligible to play tonight, however Ojulari will remain out for the time being. A bright spot for the Cardinals is the likely return of CB Garret Williams who has been on IR with an injury since week 1. The Cardinals have also stated that LB Will Johnson, who is listed as questionable with a groin injury is also likely to play and his limited practice was more a precaution. As of this morning, LB Cody Simon is also dealing with an illness and questionable to play.
Cowboys
BUS (last 4 weeks)
Week 5: 80.0
Week 6: 76.0
Week 7: 80.3
Week 8: 79.1
The defense looks like the most interesting side of the ball for injuries for the Cowboys going into week 9. In the secondary, S Donovan Wilson has been dealing with elbow and shoulder injuries that kept him out last and S Juanyeh Thomas has missed 2 games with migraines. Wilson has been ruled out and Thomas is listed as questionable, Alijah Clark, who is listed behind Wilson on the depth chart is also out with a rib injury. The linebaking group is also thin as Jack Sanborn has been ruled out with a groin injury and LB Demarvion Overshown isn’t returning from IR until after the week 10 bye. Overshown tore his ACL in 2024 and had previously torn the other ACL, taking him out for his rookie season in 2023. On a positive note, the offensive line should see the return of starting center Cooper Beebe, which is good news for QB Dak Prescott as he has seen more pressure over the past 6 weeks with Beebe out of the lineup.
