The biggest thorn in the Dallas Cowboys’ side comes to town with the arrival of the Arizona Cardinals. It has been a struggle for the Cowboys to beat the Cardinals, no matter what kind of season each team has had over the last 20 years, and it doesn’t get any easier in Week 8.

Both teams head into the matchup needing a win; the Cardinals are trying to stay in the NFC West race, while the Cowboys are seeking to build momentum in their own division. It’s an uncomfortable game for the Cowboys, and there are three reasons to hate the Week 8 contest with the Cardinals.

A LaFleur at coach

The first-year coach of the Cardinals doesn’t have a great team in 2026, but they’ve been competitive in most of their seven games. Despite being 2-5, Mike LaFleur’s team played the San Francisco 49ers close in a narrow loss and beat the Los Angeles Rams on the road just two weeks ago.

His last name alone should scare the organization. His brother, Green Bay Packers head coach Matt LaFleur, has been running circles around the Cowboys since he arrived in 2019. The Packers’ offense has scored an average of 35.2 points a game against Dallas and are 4-0-1. If Mike LaFleur follows the same plan for attacking the Cowboys, it could be another long game.

Trey McBride

The Cardinals don’t have a dynamic offense, but they do have one of the top tight ends in the league. McBride is a matchup nightmare for the Cowboys, who have a horrific pass defense. 

After coming in second in the NFL in receptions last season, to go along with a career high of 1,239 yards and 11 touchdowns, McBride is backing those numbers up with another stellar campaign. McBride leads the league in catches with 59, is third in targets and leads all TEs in receptions and receiving yards through seven weeks.

The fifth-year TE is more of a receiver than blocker and is a nightmare to defend. McBride is a top offensive weapon and if the defense doesn’t slow him down, he can beat the Cowboys singlehandedly.

The rookie returns

The Cowboys have issues stopping the run, as witnessed by their problems stopping a gimpy Saquon Barkley last time out. It’s a similar situation in Week 8, where the defense is looking at a starting running back returning to possibly run all over them.

Love is expected to come back from an ankle injury after two weeks of sitting on the sideline.

The rookie has gotten off to an OK start, but he’s an elite player who was selected third overall to transform the Cardinals’ offense. Love hurt his ankle in the preseason and reinjured it in the regular season so the team gave him a few weeks of rest to get it healed.

If Love is healthy and feeling better, the Cowboys’ defense could be in for another long day. They rank last in the NFL against the run and playing against a talented, fresh RB is not ideal.