REWIND: Dallas vs. Arizona, January 2, 1999

The Cardinals were not expected to make the playoffs that year, but snuck in on the last game of the season, when Chris Jacke kicked a winning field goal against San Diego as time expired.  It set up a Wild Card Playoff matchup against the Cowboys in Dallas, and no one gave the Cardinals much of a chance.

Well, the Cardinals played the game of their lives–and handily beat the Cowboys 20-7.  The game featured two big offensive plays: a 74-yard run by Adrian Murrell and a 59-yard reception by Frank Sanders.

Jake Plummer threw two short touchdown passes to Adrian Murrell and Larry Centers.  He went 19-36 and passed for 213 yards for the day, and didn’t get sacked.

Contrast that to Troy Aikman, who was harrassed all game by a ferocious Cardinals defense, which sacked him four times (two each by Jamir Miller and Andre Wadsworth) and forced three interceptions (two by Aeneas Williams).  Aikman was able to churn out a paltry 164 yards passing.  It actually could have been a shutout, save for a late Dallas score.

Unfortunately, the playoff excitement was short lived, as the Cardinals traveled to Minnesota the following week and got blown out by the Vikings.

Certainly a lot has changed about the Cardinals since that storied playoff game against the Cowboys.  Back then, even one playoff victory was hugely satisfying.  Today, after being so close to a Super Bowl trophy, the expectations are greater.  But whenever the Cowboys and Cardinals play each other, there is a certain amount of excitement in the air.  Maybe this year’s Cardinals can relive that old magic from the 1998 season, and upset the Cowboys on Sunday.  We’ll see.