After the Dallas Cowboys lost their leading man in Dak Prescott last week, the Arizona Cardinals were hoping to take advantage of a new look for their offense. The Cowboys have struggled to finish games this season and were entering Week 6 with a record of 2-3, while the Cardinals entered the game with an impressive record of 3-2.
First Half
Each team opened the game with a quick three and out before anyone got the ball moving down the field. The Cowboys had some offensive errors in the first quarter while the Cardinals defense missed what should have been an interception and a safety from Dallas’ errors. The majority of the first quarter was very slow and anticlimactic, until a huge play for the Cardinals’ defense. After a quick shuffle pass from Andy Dalton to Ezekiel Elliot, Budda Baker was able to strip the ball and force a fumble, which the Cardinals recovered. After a huge play like that, the Cardinals’ offense needed to bring a score to the board.
After a long drive for the Arizona Cardinals and a risky decision by Kliff Kingsbury to go for it on 4th & 1, the offense was able to execute a touchdown. Christian Kirk found his way into the endzone for the first score of the game. Zane Gonzalez kicked the extra point giving the Cardinals a 7-0 lead early in the second quarter.
The Cowboys got the ball back after the Cardinals score, but not for long. Elliot lost another ball to the Cardinals’ defense and fumbled the ball. The Cardinals received great field position off of this turnover. Kenyan Drake found the endzone for the second Arizona touchdown of the game. Both of Ezekiel Elliot’s fumbles lead to the touchdowns by the Cardinals.
Kyler Murray was having quite the game on Monday Night. In the second quarter, Murray connected with Kirk for a crazy 80-yard touchdown. An unbelievable pass gave the Cardinals a 21-0 lead. The Cowboys needed a stop or a score before half if they wanted to have any sort of chance in the game. Before the half was up, the Dallas Cowboys were able to find their way to close enough for a score and put a field goal up on the board. The score was 21-3 going into the half.
Second Half
The Dallas Cowboys were struggling during the first half of the game and needed to make moves both offensively and defensively. However, Andy Dalton was not looking strong on the field. Another mistake from the Cowboys led to an interception for the Cardinals. The Cardinals were able to take that turnover and run with it. That interception wound up leading to a Murray one-yard run to the endzone. Arizona was now up 28-3, and Kyler Murray was having a phenomenal game.
After the Cowboys continued to struggle in the third quarter and simply could not make enough plays to bring the ball far enough down the field. The Cowboys tried for a 58-yard field goal and missed it. The game was beginning to look like a complete runaway for the Arizona Cardinals.
Arizona Cardinals fans were certainly getting excited about what looked like was going to be another win. To add to the excitement, the Arizona Cardinals made a 26-yard field goal in the fourth quarter for a lead of 31-3. It seemed like the game was essentially over for the Dallas Cowboys, but they were not giving up trying. The Cowboys were finally able to find their way all the way down the field, which ended in a 1-yard touchdown from Andy Dalton to Amari Cooper. The Cowboys still trailed 31-10.
With only about 2 minutes remaining in the game, the Arizona Cardinals were trying to run the clock out with Kenyan Drake. Much to the Cowboys surprise, Drake was able to break one for a 69-yard rush all the way to the endzone! With a made extra point, the Cardinals extended their lead even further to 38-10.
The Arizona Cardinals come out of Monday Night Football with a huge win against the Dallas Cowboys and bring their record to 4-2, which fans are certainly not used to. The Arizona Cardinals defense made several moves in the game, which the offense was able to convert into scores. The Cardinals have a tough week ahead of them as they take on division rivals, the Seattle Seahawks next Sunday.
