The Cowboys’ 33-30 loss was a major disappointment.
Everything was trending in the right direction for the Cowboys when they led 14-3 at the half. The Cowboys’ defense held Jacoby Brissett in check and forced four sacks, four punts, and two turnovers.
Minshew shows the way against Dallas (photo courtesy of Yahoo! Sports)
But once again, Dallas didn’t play a complete game, allowing Arizona to stay in the game. The Cardinals made a quarterback change (from Jacoby Brissett to Gardner Minshew), shifting the game’s momentum.
Minshew completed 17/23 passes (74% completion rate), threw for 188 yards, and notched three touchdowns. Arizona racked up 27 second-half points, and Dallas was outscored by 13 points … that should have been 14 points.
Gardner Minshew threw a 13-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Michael Wilson (eight receptions for 111 yards) with six seconds remaining to tie the game at 30 all. But Kicker Chad Ryland missed the PAT.
Sadly for Dallas fans, the Cowboys weren’t saved by that gaffe. Arizona drove the length of the field on their second OT possession to set up Ryland’s redeeming and game-winning 42-yard field goal.
Arizona’s running back Tyler Allgeier (11 carries/147 rushing yards, 44 receiving yards) led the charge, breaking off a 63-yard touchdown and then a 52-yard run to complement a 5-yard receiving touchdown. Dak Prescott had a decent game statistically, completing 19 of 29 passes (65%) for 195 yards and a touchdown. He was also sacked four times.
Dallas’s defensive flaws were exposed … again. The Cowboys couldn’t stop the run when it mattered or stop the passing game in key moments. But the offense shares the blame, too, suffering from conservative playcalling.
Every win is a must now for this #13-ranked NFC playoff team. The 3-5 Cowboys (two games out of first in the NFC East) next face the 2-6 Indianapolis Colts on Sunday at 1:00 PM at Lucas Oil Stadium.
