Cowboys coach issues 3-word Cardinals warning ahead of MNF

The Dallas Cowboys will welcome the 2-5 Arizona Cardinals to AT&T Stadium on Monday Night Football, and Jonathan Gannon's team will be without Kyler Murray.

For most, this is a game that the Cowboys and their high-octane offense should power through and win their fourth game of the season, but as we have already seen in Week 9, the NFL is a fickle beast with upsets galore.

So, the Cowboys must be on guard against a team that, yes, has a 2-5 record, but that also means they have nothing to lose.

And head coach Brian Schottenheimer has issued a warning to his locker room.

"We didn't play very well last week,” Schottenheimer said. “There's a new opportunity ahead of us against a good football team, don't be fooled by their record. They've been in a lot of close games, and the focus is always going to be on us and what we can control, and that's having great practices and getting prepared.”

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Cowboys' playoff hopes could hinge on Cardinals win

Already at 3-4-1, the Cowboys haven't exactly been a consistent team in 2025, and Schottenheimer's franchise hasn't won back-to-back games yet either.

With the NFC wide open after the Week 9 results, the chance has presented itself for the Cowboys to ram home what little advantage they have at AT&T Stadium. Without Murray, many expect the Cardinals to be dealt with, but as Schottenheimer points out, they have been in a lot of close games.

All five of Arizona's losses have been by one score, so yes, there are losses, but the Cardinals are in every game and can't make "the" play to win the game.

Dallas better be prepared for a dogfight on Monday night, and with Schottenheimer's words echoing in their ears, the Cowboys "should" take care of business.

But don't play with your food. 

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