The Dallas Cowboys wanted to remain a threat in the NFC even after trading away Micah Parsons. But after a 3-4-1 start, the situation was getting desperate for them. As they tried to climb their way back up the standings, going against an Arizona Cardinals team that had lost five straight seemed like the perfect opportunity.
Through three quarters, a 27-10 deficit was proving to be too much for the Cowboys. As their desperation grew, a touchdown gave the team renewed hope before they were able to put the brakes on the Cardinals on the next drive. However, a curious detail led to a larger section of the NFL fan base accusing the team of trying to cheat its way to victory.
Were the Cowboys Cheating Against the Cardinals?
The whole situation came to the forefront after a sack on Jacoby Brissett to push Arizona to a seemingly insurmountable 3rd and 18 situation. However, right after the play, it seemed like the clock came to a standstill.
With the home team still 10 points behind, fans believed it was a case of Dallas trying to manipulate the clock to give its team more time to mount a comeback. Of course, no such scenario exists in the current NFL, as a league-appointed operator handles the clock.
But for fans, the situation reeked of desperation from a home team trying to keep its playoff hopes alive. One fan complained on social media, “Why did the clock stop running when the Cowboys got a sack lmfao they trying to start the BS.”
Another pointed to the game against the Green Bay Packers as an opportunity where they could have benefited from a friendly clock. With an incompletion from Jordan Love, leaving less than a second on the clock, it allowed the road team to hit a game-tying field goal.
But shaving a few tenths of a second could have resulted in the Cowboys getting the victory in an emotionally invested game that marked Parsons’ return to AT&T Stadium. As a result, one fan noted, “Where was this hometown cooking from the AT&T Stadium clock operator for the Cowboys-Packers game?”
Where was this hometown cooking from the AT&T Stadium clock operator for the Cowboys-Packers game 😂
— Master (@MasterTes) November 4, 2025
Another fan, though, wasn’t swayed by previous evidence pointing to the contrary, as they outright claimed, “Cowboys tryna cheat. Tryna stop the clock and s**t”
One fan didn’t go so far as to call it cheating. But he did accuse the organization of being “shady.” He wrote, “Why tf is the clock not running? Cowboys staff being shady- no way do they deserve to get back in this game!”
Why tf is the clock not running? Cowboys staff being shady- no way do they deserve to get back in this game!
— John, Colin & Brody B. (@JohnColinBrodyB) November 4, 2025
Even though the league operates the clock at every game, one fan wasn’t convinced and claimed, “Cowboys time keeper trying to cheat and stop the clock for no reason.”