Three of the past four times they teams met, the game wasn't decided until the last play, twice going to overtime.
The Cardinals won all four of those games, but the Cowboys stopped the streak with a 28-17 victory on Monday night at University of Phoenix Stadium.
Dak Prescott threw two touchdown passes, Ezekiel Elliot ran for a score, and the Cowboys, who gained just 57 total yards in the first half, rebounded from a humbling 42-17 loss in Denver the previous week.
Quarterback Dak Prescott #4 of the Dallas Cowboys throws a pass during the second quarter of the NFL game against the Arizona Cardinals at the University of Phoenix Stadium on September 25, 2017 in Glendale, Arizona.
Image credit: Getty Images
The Cowboys were leading 21-14 after Prescott found Brice Butler in the end zone for a 37-yard touchdown with just under 12 minutes left. Prescott was under pressure, rolled out to his right and hung the pass up in the air. Butler outleaped cornerback Justin Bethel for the ball and hauled it in for the score.
The Cardinals looked as if they were on their way to tying the game, but a 16-play drive resulted in a 37-yard field goal from Phil Dawson.
Prescott and the Cowboys made the Cardinals pay for that as the Dallas quarterback rolled out to his right once again and found Butler again for a 53-yard completion.
Head coach Jason Garrett of the Dallas Cowboys watches the action during the second half of the NFL game against the Arizona Cardinals at the University of Phoenix Stadium on September 25, 2017 in Glendale, Arizona.
Image credit: Getty Images
Elliott capped things with an 8-yard touchdown run with 4:57 remaining. A week after finishing with just 8 yards on nine carries against the Broncos, he ran for 80 yards on 22 carries against the Cardinals.
Six minutes into the third quarter, Prescott hooked up with wide receiver Dez Bryant to give the Cowboys their first lead of the game at 14-7. Elliott broke a 20-yard run on the previous play to give the Cowboys the ball at the Arizona 15-yard line before Prescott found Bryant over the middle.
Initially, it appeared the Cardinals had him stopped well short of the end zone, but Bryant kept moving the pile, and after a second, third and fourth effort, got the ball to cross the plane for the touchdown.
The Cardinals needed their star wide receiver to match the effort, and Larry Fitzgerald, 34, obliged. He hauled in a 37-yard bomb from Carson Palmer down the left sideline and two plays later caught a 15-yard touchdown to tie the score at 14.
Running back Andre Ellington #38 of the Arizona Cardinals and wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald #11 react after scoring a 15 yard touchdown during the third quarter of the NFL game against the Dallas Cowboys at the University of Phoenix Stadium on September
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The catch, Fitzgerald's 10th of the game at that point, gave him 98 receiving yards, moving him ahead of Marvin Harrison (14,580) for eighth place on the league's all-time receiving yards list. He finished the night with 13 catches for 149 yards and one touchdown.
Palmer was 29 of 47 for 325 yards and two touchdowns with no interceptions. Prescott, meanwhile, completed 13 of 18 passes for 183 yards with no interceptions.
Before the match Cowboys owner Jerry Jones, a donator and public backer of Donald Trump, joined his players as they all knelt before the national anthem.
The Dallas Cowboys players, coaches staff and owner Jerry Jones take a knee prior to the National Anthem before the game against the Arizona Cardinals at University of Phoenix Stadium
Image credit: Reuters
They did however stand with arms locked when the anthem was played.
Quarterback Dak Prescott #4 of the Dallas Cowboys links arms with teammates offensive tackle Tyron Smith #77 and offensive guard Chaz Green #79 during the National Anthem before the start of the NFL game against the Arizona Cardinals at the University of
Image credit: Getty Images
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