1998 · Wild Card Round · Game 1

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Wild Card Round

Arizona Cardinals at Dallas Cowboys

Sat January 2, 1999 · Texas Stadium, kickoff 4:00pm

Pregame

Pregame: Wild Card Round
AI summary based on verified facts

Wild Card Round: Arizona Cardinals at Dallas Cowboys (Texas Stadium), the bracket opens here. Kickoff: Sat January 2, 1999 at 4:00pm. Winner advances to the divisional round. Loser starts the offseason early.[1][2]

Columnist
AI summary based on verified facts

Wild card weekend is the most chaotic football the calendar produces. Arizona Cardinals at Dallas Cowboys at Texas Stadium is the kind of game that decides whether a season was a long buildup or a quick exit. These are the games where the second-tier playoff teams have to prove they belong. Most don't. The few who do define the rest of January.

Around the league
AI summary based on verified facts

The bracket has narrowed to the teams that survived the regular season. Arizona Cardinals and Dallas Cowboys are two of them; the rest of the league is in scouting mode for the offseason. What happens in Texas Stadium shifts the rest of the tree: a road favorite winning rearranges seeding expectations; a home upset shows the bracket math underweights heart.

Trend analyst
AI summary based on verified facts

Arizona Cardinals versus Dallas Cowboys in the Wild Card Round. The teams who reach this round have already proven they survive a long schedule; the stats that matter most now are the ones that compress: scoring differential, red-zone efficiency, turnover margin. At this stage of the year, the simple math is that defenses tighten and the team that protects the ball wins more often than the team that scores the most. Whichever side of Arizona Cardinals-Dallas Cowboys cleans up the careless plays first usually walks out with the result. Conservative-game expectations should not surprise the reader; both staffs know exactly what worked all season and will lean hard on what travels. The early answer is the kicking game, where any swing of field position compounds.

League standings entering Week 18

Standings as of kickoff, Week 18 (no future-game spoilers)

Around the league

  • Best record league-wide: Minnesota Vikings (15-1).

AFC

AFC Central

TeamRecStrk
Jacksonville Jaguars11-5W1
Tennessee Oilers8-8L2
Pittsburgh Steelers7-9L5
Baltimore Ravens6-10W1
Cincinnati Bengals3-13L1

AFC East

TeamRecStrk
New York Jets12-4W6
Buffalo Bills10-6W1
Miami Dolphins10-6L1
New England Patriots9-7L1
Indianapolis Colts3-13L2

AFC West

TeamRecStrk
Denver Broncos14-2W1
Oakland Raiders8-8L1
Seattle Seahawks8-8L1
Kansas City Chiefs7-9W1
San Diego Chargers5-11L5

NFC

NFC West

TeamRecStrk
Atlanta Falcons14-2W9
San Francisco 49ers12-4W1
New Orleans Saints6-10L3
Carolina Panthers4-12W2
St. Louis Rams4-12L2

NFC Central

TeamRecStrk
Minnesota Vikings15-1W8
Green Bay Packers11-5W3
Tampa Bay Buccaneers8-8W1
Detroit Lions5-11L4
Chicago Bears4-12L1

NFC East

TeamRecStrk
Dallas Cowboys10-6W2
Arizona Cardinals9-7--
New York Giants8-8W4
Washington Redskins6-10L1
Philadelphia Eagles3-13L3

Game video

▶ Open in YouTube Cardinals vs Cowboys 1998 NFC Wild Card · channel: All Highlights

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More of this game (6):
1998 Wild Card Cardinals @ Cowboys1998 Wild Card Cardinals @ CowboysJan 2, 1999 - Cardinals vs Cowboys - 1998 NFC Wild Card PlayoffJan 2, 1999 - Cardinals vs Cowboys - 1998 NFC Wild Card Playoff1998 NFC Wildcard Arizona Cardinals at Dallas Cowboys1998 NFC Wildcard Arizona Cardinals at Dallas CowboysJan 2, 1999 - Cardinals vs Cowboys NFC Wild Card Playoff (SD)Jan 2, 1999 - Cardinals vs Cowboys NFC Wild Card Playoff (SD)The WORST Team to Ever Make the Playoffs: The Story of the 1998 Arizona CardinalsThe WORST Team to Ever Make the Playoffs: The Story of the 1998 Arizona Cardinals1998 NFC Wild Card Arizona v Dallas1998 NFC Wild Card Arizona v Dallas

Game info

Roof
outdoors
Surface
astroturf
Weather
43°F, 71% humidity, wind 24 mph
Vegas line
Dallas Cowboys -7
Over/Under
42 (under)

Score

Reveal through:

Arizona Cardinals None, Dallas Cowboys None

1234T
Arizona Cardinals7373710172020
Dallas Cowboys000700077

Scoring plays

Q1

TeamPlayScore
CardinalsAdrian Murrell 12 yard pass from Jake Plummer ( Chris Jacke kick)7-0

Q2

TeamPlayScore
CardinalsChris Jacke 37 yard field goal10-0

Q3

TeamPlayScore
CardinalsLarry Centers 3 yard pass from Jake Plummer ( Chris Jacke kick)17-0

Q4

TeamPlayScore
CardinalsChris Jacke 46 yard field goal20-0
CowboysBilly Davis 6 yard pass from Troy Aikman ( Richie Cunningham kick)20-7

Recap

Recap
AI summary based on verified facts

Arizona Cardinals defeated Dallas Cowboys 20-7 at Texas Stadium in the Wild Card Round. The final scoring play was Cowboys: Billy Davis 6 yard pass from Troy Aikman ( Richie Cunningham kick). Top line of the day: Jake Plummer: 213 pass yards on 19-of-36, 2 TD, 2 INT. Arizona Cardinals advance to the divisional round.[1][2]

Columnist recap
AI summary based on verified facts

Arizona Cardinals walked out of Texas Stadium as the team that survived a Wild Card Round Dallas Cowboys will replay in its head for the entire offseason. The scoreboard says 20-7. The final scoring play came from Cowboys: Billy Davis 6 yard pass from Troy Aikman ( Richie Cunningham kick). Whether it was the game-decider or just the period at the end of the sentence depends on what the camera caught earlier. Arizona Cardinals advance to the divisional round.

By the numbers
AI summary based on verified facts

Arizona Cardinals 20, Dallas Cowboys 7. Round: Wild Card Round. Attendance: 62969. Q1: 1 scoring play. Q2: 1 scoring play. Q3: 1 scoring play. Q4: 2 scoring plays. Top performers:
- Jake Plummer: 213 pass yards on 19-of-36, 2 TD, 2 INT
- Adrian Murrell: 95 rush yards on 12 carries
- Patrick Jeffers: 7 catches for 92 yards

Film room
AI summary based on verified facts

Wild Card Round, played at Texas Stadium. Final: Arizona Cardinals 20, Dallas Cowboys 7, with Arizona Cardinals taking the result by 13. **First quarter**

- Cardinals: Adrian Murrell 12 yard pass from Jake Plummer ( Chris Jacke kick)

Second quarter

- Cardinals: Chris Jacke 37 yard field goal

Third quarter

- Cardinals: Larry Centers 3 yard pass from Jake Plummer ( Chris Jacke kick)

Fourth quarter

- Cardinals: Chris Jacke 46 yard field goal
- Cowboys: Billy Davis 6 yard pass from Troy Aikman ( Richie Cunningham kick)

Top performers

- Jake Plummer: 213 pass yards on 19-of-36, 2 TD, 2 INT
- Adrian Murrell: 95 rush yards on 12 carries
- Patrick Jeffers: 7 catches for 92 yards

Box score

CardinalsCowboys
Team totals
First Downs1420
Total Yards346260
Turnovers23
Passing
Comp/Att19/3622/49
Pass yards213191
Pass TD21
Interceptions23
Sacks taken04
Sack yards lost027
Net pass yards213164
Rushing
Rushes2920
Rush yards13396
Rush TD00
Discipline
Fumbles02
Fumbles lost00
Penalties75
Penalty yards5535

Passing

PlayerC/AYdsTDIntRate
ARI
Jake Plummer19/3621322
DAL
Troy Aikman22/4919113

Rushing

PlayerAttYdsTDLong
ARI
Adrian Murrell1295074
Mario Bates113207
Larry Centers3506
Jake Plummer3104
DAL
Emmitt Smith1674013
Sherman Williams322020
Troy Aikman1000

Receiving

PlayerRecYdsTDLong
ARI
Frank Sanders372059
Eric Metcalf348020
Rob Moore541015
Adrian Murrell216112
Larry Centers316112
Chris Gedney215012
Johnny McWilliams1505
DAL
Patrick Jeffers792019
Michael Irvin432011
Billy Davis425111
Eric Bjornson21200
Emmitt Smith110010
Hayward Clay1909
Sherman Williams2604
Daryl Johnston1505

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Canonical title: [Rewatch Party] 1998 Wild Card Round - Arizona Cardinals at Dallas Cowboys - Game Thread