Cardinals’ trip to Dallas feels like an early crossroads for Mike LaFleur

Only the greatest directors can turn bad scripts into great movies. Arizona Cardinals head coach Mike LaFleur is not there yet.

But Sunday’s game in Dallas against the Cowboys represents another perceptual pivot point in the Valley. It’s the second time in his rookie season that LaFleur is feeling the heat.

The first came after a blowout loss at home to the Detroit Lions. After the defeat, LaFleur said he needed to huddle up with his coaches to make sure such an embarrassment “never ever happens again as long as I’m here.” Big words, and his team responded with a nourishing win in Los Angeles against the Rams.

Now, the Cardinals are 2-5 and wearing the shame of another Glendale embarrassment. They are on the brink of selling off key assets before the NFL trade deadline. The Cowboys represent the last chance to get back into the season, the last chance to get whole before a pair of division games against the Seattle Seahawks and the Rams.

The optics will matter Sunday in Texas. So will the results.

LaFleur came to the Cardinals with a glow that most rookie head coaches do not possess. His time served under Sean McVay and Kyle Shanahan seemed to promise a dynamic offense was in our near future, especially after the Cardinals selected Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love with the third overall pick.

Instead, the Cardinals have only mastered the dinks and dunks. They are a boring, predictable offense that has looked hapless in the red zone over the past two weeks. They look nowhere near as dangerous as they did in 2025, when Drew Petzing ran the show. And LaFleur’s comments on Arizona Sports’ Burns & Gambo have caused many raised eyebrows.

“It’s a different style offense than I’ve ever run,” he said.

LaFleur is likely alluding to numerous factors that have slowed the team’s roll: a bad offensive line deeply wounded by serious injuries; the bust factor of Marvin Harrison Jr. and the lack of speed at wide receiver; and a porous defense that makes ball control and time of possession non-negotiable.

And that’s why LaFleur must find a way to make this offense balanced, dangerous and unpredictable. Especially with the impending return of Love. Especially against the Cowboys, a team that Arizona has dominated in recent history.

If not, we all see where this movie is going: A team that offers very little entertainment and even less hope for the future. And that shine will soon be missing from our rookie head coach.

Reach Bickley at dbickley@arizonasports.com. Listen to Bickley & Marotta weekdays from 6 a.m. – 10 a.m. on Arizona Sports 98.7.

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