The Arizona Cardinals pulled off a stunning 33-30 overtime comeback over the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday — and the catalyst was a quarterback change. Gardner Minshew replaced an ineffective Jacoby Brissett in the third quarter and led four straight touchdown drives, but head coach Mike LaFleur still wouldn’t commit to a starter for Week 9.
Gardner Minshew (Credits: ESPN)
Gardner Minshew Sparks Cardinals’ Comeback Win Over Cowboys
With the Cardinals trailing 17-3 and Brissett completing just 10 of 23 passes for 119 yards and an interception, LaFleur pulled the plug with 1:35 left in the third quarter. Minshew came in and caught fire: 17 of 23 for 188 yards and three touchdowns in his first action of the season, per ESPN.
Trailing 30-24 with 1:05 to go and no timeouts, Minshew marched the Cardinals 80 yards in eight plays, hitting Michael Wilson for a 13-yard tying touchdown. Kicker Chad Ryland then missed the extra point that would have won it with 6 seconds left — making Arizona only the third team since 2000 to miss a go-ahead PAT in the final 10 seconds of regulation — but Ryland redeemed himself with a 42-yard field goal in overtime to seal the 33-30 win.
Running back Tyler Allgeier fueled the rally with a career-long 63-yard touchdown run and another score, finishing the only healthy back available after rookie Jeremiyah Love exited with an ankle injury. The win pushed Arizona to 3-5 and kept the Cardinals’ perfect 5-0 record at AT&T Stadium intact.
Will Gardner Minshew Start for the Cardinals in Week 9?
After the game, LaFleur said he made the switch because the team needed “a spark” — but he refused to name Minshew the starter for next week’s road test in Seattle. Minshew himself said he wasn’t told whether he is the guy going forward.
Brissett, who received a significant raise for 2026 and opened the season as the unquestioned starter, has now finished four of the last five games with a passer rating under 80. With Minshew posting a 137.3 rating in relief, turning back to Brissett would be a hard sell — but LaFleur isn’t saying.
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Source: ESPN — read the full story there.
