Cowboys Stunned in the Desert

The Dallas Cowboys went on the road and got pushed around all afternoon long in a 28-16 loss to the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, AZ. The Cowboys were out of sync from the opening kickoff and could never really overcome the many mistakes made in their first defeat of the 2023 season. It was ugly. Let’s get to it.

DEFENSE OUT OF SYNC

The Cardinals had a plan on offense, and it worked.

They smacked the Cowboys defense around from the opening possession.

Dallas was undone by big runs, long scrambles and untimely penalties in its first loss of the season.

From confusing the front seven with inside zone runs to Rondale Moore and quarterback keeps by Joshua Dobbs that easily got outside the Cowboys containment, to open throws down the field to Marquise Brown, Zach Ertz and Michael Wilson. It made for a long afternoon for the NFL’s top defense after two weeks.

The Cardinals had a plan for the NFL’s Defensive Player of the Week – Micah Parsons, and Cowboys defensive coordinator Dan Quinn didn’t have the answer. He was double teamed, triple teamed, chip blocked and cut blocked all game long, and it worked. Parsons finished with one solo tackle and one sack, to end the third quarter and the Cowboys still one score down.

The Cowboys were blitzed to the tune of 400 total yards by a backup quarterback that has only been in Arizona for a little over a month after a trade. Running back James Connor tagged the Cowboys for 98 yards on the ground, while Dobbs threw for just 189 yards on 17 of 21 passing.

It was a solid game plan from Arizona, as the Cardinals used 30 runs and a controlled passing game for a win in a game they never trailed.

PENALTIES COST POINTS

Head referee Alex Kemp and his crew were flag happy on Sunday, calling 21 accepted penalties in the 60-minute game.

The penalties on Dallas were point producers for the Cardinals all afternoon long.

The Cowboys were called for 13 penalties, including 10 in the first half – the most in the NFL in over a decade. In the end, the 107 yards in infractions was too much for Dallas to overcome on the road.

From the many Cowboys mistakes on defense, to their struggle with three new offensive linemen on offense it was a long day for a team that had been penalized 11 times total in two games.

Each one seemed to key a Cardinals score.

DaRon Bland was called for a pass interference on second and 10 from the AZ35 that extended a drive that ended with a James Connor touchdown run and a 9-0 lead.

Then Jourdan Lewis was called for defensive holding on third and 11 at the AZ42 that extended a drive that ended with a Rondale Moore TD run and a 15-3 lead.

Then an inexcusable offsides by Juanyeh Thomas on fourth and five and the Cardinals settling for a 51-yard field goal, gave the Cardinals new life that ended with another FG attempt and an 18-10 lead.

Finally, an offsides on Dante Fowler Jr. on first and 10 at the AZ43 ended with a 62-yard field goal from Matt Prater to give Arizona a 21-10 lead at the half.

Dallas would get within one score in the second half, but the mistakes kept them from getting any closer.

RED ZONE STRUGGLES

The Cowboys continue to struggle inside the opponents 20.

Against the Cardinals, the Cowboys got in the red zone five times and came away with just one touchdown – a 15-yard catch and run by Rico Dowdle on a screen pass from Dak Prescott. They got two Brandon Aubrey field goals, but also turned the ball over on downs after going for it on fourth and four early in the fourth quarter and trailing 21-13.

Dak Prescott threw his first interception of the season on the final red zone trip of the game. It came in the end zone and the Cowboys trailing by 12.

In the first two weeks of the season, the Cowboys have entered the red zone 11 times, but only came away with four touchdowns. That is in the bottom third of NFL teams this season, above only seven – Titans, Cardinals, Panthers, Saints, Buccaneers, Jets and Texans.

Dallas now has five touchdowns in 16 trips inside the opponents 20-yard line, and that’s not good enough to be a consistent winner in the NFL.

OFFENSIVE LINE PLAY

It was a rough day for the Cowboys offensive line. They had new starters at left tackle, center and right guard, as well as a left guard that is making his season debut after missing the first two weeks of the season.

Missing two future Hall of Famers in Zach Martin and Tyron Smith, as well as veteran Tyler Biadasz, they started the game with Chuma Edoga at LT, Tyler Smith at left guard, Brock Hoffman at C, T.J. Bass at RG and Terrence Steele at right tackle, and the line held up.

They didn’t get hurt, but they also didn’t play very well.

Multiple false starts and holdings throughout the game made it difficult for the offense to find any rhythm.

Steele was called for two false starts, while Bass and Edoga were each flagged once for holding. Hoffman and the offense were called for delay of game once early in the game.

The line gave up two sacks and the Cardinals were credited for four quarterback hurries. But, let’s be honest, the Arizona defense was all over Prescott. He had no time to throw for most of the game, including several throws that came off the back foot and his first interception of the game.

CRUSHED BY GROUND ATTACK

After giving up 108 yards to the Giants and just 64 yards to the Jets in the first two weeks of the season, the Cowboys run game was gashed for 205 yards by Arizona on Sunday.

The Cowboys defense, who gave up 182 yards in the first half, was gashed by zone reads, traps and just straight-ahead runs that had the Cowboys guessing wrong.

The Cardinals attacked the teeth of the Cowboys defense – Osa Odighizuwa, Jonathan Hankins, Leighton Vander Esch, Jayron Kearse and Malik Hooker, and dominated them from the opening play.

James Connor led the way with 98 yards on 14 carries, scoring the Cardinals first touchdown of the game. The Cardinals had three players go over 50 yards, with quarterback Joshua Dobbs and Rondale Moore going for 54 yards – which including a 45-yard TD run in the second quarter by the wide receiver, to go with Connor’s day.

BONUS: FORGOTTEN RUN GAME EARLY

After hammering the Jets with a heavy dose of Tony Pollard last week, Cowboys play caller Mike McCarthy all but forgot about using his newly minted RB1 early against the Cardinals.

With three new starting offensive linemen, the Cowboys could have helped them out by leaning on the run game early and often in the game. They chose to put those three guys – left tackle Chuma Edoga, center Brock Hoffman, and right guard T.J. Bass, in the toughest position possible – pass protection.

McCarthy called for the run in just 30 of 75 snaps in the game, most coming late and the Cowboys trailing by two scores.

Pollard did lead the way with 23 touches, including 10 in the first half, for 122 yards. Rico Dowdle added four carries, while receiver CeeDee Lamb had two carries and fullback Hunter Luepke got one. Dak Prescott scrambled for his life on three different occasions, gaining 24 yards.