Cowboys get absolutely torched by Rex Ryan after crushing Cardinals loss

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Cowboys get absolutely torched by Rex Ryan after crushing Cardinals loss

Lou Landers · The Big Lead

Mon, November 2, 2026 at 2:30 PM UTC ·

3 min read

Cowboys collapse after dominating early

May 1, 2026; Frisco, TX, USA; Dallas Cowboys cornerback Caleb Downs (18) is coached through a drill with defensive coordinator Christian Parker at the Ford Center at the Star Training Facility in Frisco, Texas. Mandatory Credit: Chris Jones-Imagn Images

Dallas appeared to be in complete control for much of the afternoon. The Cowboys built a 17-3 lead and were playing some of their best defensive football of the season before everything unraveled in the second half.

Arizona made a quarterback change when Gardner Minshew replaced Jacoby Brissett, and the Cardinals immediately found another gear. Minshew threw three touchdown passes and helped lead Arizona on four consecutive touchdown drives to close regulation.

Tyler Allgeier also became a major problem for Dallas. He finished with 147 rushing yards, including a 63-yard touchdown run, while the Cardinals ultimately piled up 467 total yards compared with just 261 for the Cowboys.

The biggest gut punch came in the final minute. Minshew marched Arizona 80 yards in just over a minute and connected with Michael Wilson for a 13-yard touchdown with six seconds remaining. Chad Ryland then missed the extra point that would have won the game, giving Dallas another opportunity to escape.

Instead, the Cowboys went three-and-out in overtime after Arizona also failed to score on its opening possession. Ryland eventually redeemed himself with a 42-yard field goal to give the Cardinals the victory.

Rex Ryan unloads on Dallas

Jul 29, 2026; Oxnard, CA, USA; Dallas Cowboys coach Brian Schottenheimer (left) and owner Jerry Jones at training camp at River Ridge Playing Fields. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

That sequence was more than enough for Ryan to unload on the Cowboys.

During ESPN's Get Up , Ryan didn't mince words when discussing Dallas' inability to close out the game. His description of the loss as "one of the all-time choke jobs in the history of football" perfectly captured the level of frustration surrounding the Cowboys' collapse.

The criticism comes after Dallas appeared to have the game firmly under control, only to watch Arizona completely flip the script after halftime.

Even Jerry Jones acknowledged how damaging the defeat was. Following the loss, Jones called it "an indictment of the whole show" and said Dallas simply did not play well enough after building such a significant lead.

For a Cowboys team sitting at 3-5, the loss was another brutal reminder of how quickly games can slip away. Ryan's comments only added more fuel to the criticism surrounding Dallas after one of the most stunning collapses of the NFL season.