The Arizona Cardinals are facing one of the best offensive units in the league on Monday Night Football against the Dallas Cowboys. That is the bad news.
The Arizona Cardinals are facing one of the worst
defensive units in the league on Monday Night Football against the Dallas Cowboys. That is the good news.
RELATED: CRITICAL GAME ON MONDAY NIGHT
The Cowboys can score, and score often, ranking #2 in points scored with 246. That is a 30.75 points per game average. In three games so far this season, they topped scoring 40+ (40, 40, and 44). That is a lot of points for a single game at the NFL level.
However, their offense is one-sided. They are a great passing team and are set up to throw the ball.
Dallas ranks #3 in total passing yards (2,168), which is just 14 yards out of the first-place slot. They are also #3 in attempts (299), #4 in completion percentage (70.2%), #10 in passes for first down conversions, #21 in interceptions (6), and ranked #1 in two categories: completions (210), and touchdown passes (17).
But they are below average at running the ball, ranked in the bottom third of the league in all categories.
That’s their offense in a nutshell.
The Cowboys’ defense?
Lordy. This side of the ball is a mess. A huge mess. Where do you start?
Maybe begin with Dallas’ run defense. They are #30 against the run, allowing 1,168 yards so far. That averages out to being 146 yards allowed per match. #29 in rushing attempts. Sixth worst in average yards per carry (4.9) and have allowed the second most rushing touchdowns (10). This group is also dead last in allowing runs for first downs (77).
On to the Cowboys’ pass defense. This group is #11 in attempts allowed (267), #8 in completions (183), #31 in yards per attempt (8.4), #9 in fewest interceptions (4), #6 in completion percentage (68.5%), #9 in sacks (15), and dead last in several categories: most yards gained (2,185), and most passing touchdowns allowed (20). This group as a whole is ranked #32.
Basically, there is minimal to no pass rush now that Micah Parsons was shipped off to Green Bay, and they can’t cover the pass.
What this game comes down to is Dallas’ #3 passing offense against Arizona’s #5 passing defense.
And, the Cardinals’ #28 passing offense against the Cowboys’ #32 pass defense.
Neither team can run the ball, so that’s not a factor. Arizona will need to air it out for most of the game against a very weak pass defense. How to stop the Cowboys’ offensive attack? Who has to this point? The Cowboys’ offense just might be too strong for the Cardinals to handle.
This means the Cardinals’ offense will have to keep pace with the league’s #2 overall offense.
One ace in the hole for Arizona is QB Jacoby Brissett. He has the patience to wait for the pocket to form and then isn’t inclined to take off the way QB Kyler Murray does. He will run and scramble if needed, but prefers to throw it downfield.
Here’s an odd streak: Playing at AT&T Stadium, Murray is 9-0-0 in the building from high school to college to the NFL.
What to stop
The tight end position has been critical for the Arizona defense. Dallas has a very good receiving tight end in Jake Ferguson. He recently had a string of scoring six touchdowns in four games. He is a huge target in the Red Zone and will need some tight coverage from the linebackers.
The biggest weapons for Dallas are their receivers.
George Pickens (6’-3”, 200 pounds) is having a tremendous season. He has good leaping ability and is exceptional at knowing where the catch point is. Already, he has 63 targets with 43 receptions for 685 yards and has scored six touchdowns.
Pickens is a nasty player with a mean disposition. He really doesn’t care. He has a 66.7% success rate of catching the ball and can outleap most defenders. Maybe a safety over the top can contain him, but he gets open a lot. Like, a lot a lot. He will attempt to out-bully any and all defenders using his hands and shoulders. Plus, he has good speed (4.47).
Arizona will need its best cornerback on him all game. Another thing is to eliminate any soft cushion on him. He likes to catch those 5-6 yard outs and move the offense down the field. Keep it close on this one.
Then there is CeeDee Lamb (6’-2”, 200 pounds). Another great target for QB Dak Prescott. He has missed a few games this year because of injury, but will be in the lineup against Arizona.
Lamb is fast (4.51) and is a crafty route runner.
How to limit his production? Have the Cardinals’ second-best cornerback shadow him, then have safety help over the top. It may sound simplistic or normal, but this is a good receiver who can dominate a game if the defense gives him too much cushion coming off the line.
How to solve this is for the Cardinals to go into a 4-2-5 defensive scheme and bring in another safety or cornerback to help out. The Cowboys will throw a ton of passes all game because their running attack is horrible.
106 yards by six players against Denver. 31 yards in the Carolina Panthers’ loss. 117 yards in a tie with Green Bay. 119 against the Philadelphia Eagles.
Playing the league’s #32-ranked secondary
Other NFL teams have gone deep on this Cowboys’ pass defense and succeeded. The Broncos laid 44 points on them last weekend and had no issues passing the ball, no matter the down and distance.
Brissett will need to keep up his passing grade of throws over 10+ yards, which he is good at doing. That is where the soft zone lies and will become the key to success for the Cardinals’ offense. They will need to match points with this Cowboys offense or find themselves getting deeper into the hole. Dallas is also weak in tight end coverage.
This is the worst secondary in the league. Brissett will need to execute.
Brissett gives all effort into gaining large to medium chunks of real estate, then utilizes the run game to keep the defense honest and not go all out with blitz packages. Both TE Trey McBride and WR Marv Harrison need to be a major part of this offense.
Yes, the Cowboys can score a lot of points very quickly. Yes, the Cardinals will need to take advantage of the fact that Dallas has the worst secondary in the NFL, and they will need to keep scoring at will to keep up.
And maybe this is obvious, but the Cardinals’ pass rush must up their game for this one. Prescott will bury a team if given all day to sit back and wait for somebody to get open. A great tight end and dominating receivers are what Arizona’s defense is facing. Collapse the pocket and make Prescott either throw early or scramble for minimal yardage. It will be a good challenge because Dallas has only given up 10 sacks all year.
This is not going to be a fun time for Brissett, who is still looking for his first win as a Cardinal. But it could become one of his best statistical games ever. Or, just another regretful loss where Arizona is leading in the waning moments and gives the game away.
