The Dallas Cowboys had few good moments, but one mistake might have cost them the game in their 33-30 Week 8 overtime loss to the Arizona Cardinals.
Dallas led by 10 with under three minutes left, and the Cowboys’ defense had just made a big stop on third-and-10 at the Cardinals‘ 29-yard line. That was until Cowboys edge rusher Rashan Gary was called for roughing the passer on Arizona QB Gardner Minshew. Gary leaned in and hit Minshew above the shoulders.
Arizona would score a touchdown on the next play and eventually came back to win in overtime with a game-winning field goal. Fans and the media heavily criticized Gary’s mistake as a turning point in the game. With it already being a disappointing season for him, things are only getting worse for Gary.
Rashan Gary Facing Massive Criticism After Dallas Cowboys Loss
96.7 The Ticket host Bob Sturm expressed his frustration with the penalty that Gary got late in the game. Sturm made his feelings about Gary’s mistake plain.
“This is so brutally stupid I cannot properly express. They were facing a 4th and 11 if he doesn’t short circuit. Definitely would consider a strong statement if I was running this thing.”
After someone asked Sturm what he meant by “strong statement,” he made it even clearer. He’s looking for some kind of consequences for Gary’s actions.
“You can scratch him for a few games, you can cut him, you can do any number of things.”
Gary finished the game with 5 pressures, 2 tackles, and 2 quarterback hits in the loss. For the season, he has 19 tackles, 8 quarterback hits, 1 tackle for loss, and 1 sack in eight games.
Rashan Gary Might Have Defined Cowboys’ 2026 Season With One Mistake
It was one of the biggest mistakes of the season for the Cowboys and one that many will revisit for the rest of the year. DallasCowboys.com’s Nick Eastman wrote about how that play impacted the game.
“With the Cowboys leading 27-17 with 2:23 to play, it was about to be fourth-and-10 with the game completely on the line for Arizona. A deep pass to the end zone was incomplete on third down, but the Cards got new life when Rashan Gary was flagged for an unnecessary helmet-to-helmet hit on Minshew. Not only did that move the ball to the 14-yard line with a first down, but the Cardinals were able to score on the next play, ahead of the 2:00 warning, with 2:12 remaining. Why does that matter? Well, if the Cowboys had still given up the touchdown, but after the 2:00 warning, then they would’ve been able to likely take the clock down to about 30 seconds when Arizona eventually took over, instead of 1:09, which was enough time to go score.”
Gary has really put himself in trouble with the franchise after the Cowboys traded for him from the Green Bay Packers in the offseason. That trade is turning into a bad move.
This is a defining moment for the Cowboys to see how they respond. They may need to send a message that mistakes like that can’t be tolerated.
Cowboys’ $32 Million Disaster Faces Backlash After ‘Brutally Stupid’ Mistake