Dallas returns home with some momentum after a convincing 38-21 win over Philadelphia. The Cowboys are now 3-4 and face a 2-5 Arizona team that has struggled for consistency on both sides of the ball. The challenge for Dallas is making sure Monday night’s performance becomes the start of something rather than another one-off result.
When Arizona has the ball
Arizona will continue with Jacoby Brissett at quarterback, and the biggest threat in this offense is tight end Trey McBride. McBride produced 111 receiving yards against
Denver and leads Arizona with 59 catches for 472 yards. Expect the Cardinals to use him heavily over the middle, especially against Dallas linebackers and safeties.
Dallas will try to keep everything in front of them and force Arizona to put together long drives. The opportunity for the Cowboys pass rush is also there. Brissett was pressured on more than half of his dropbacks against Denver, while Dallas generated two sacks and an interception against Philadelphia. The Cowboys only have 10 sacks for the season, so this is another matchup where Quinnen Williams and the defensive front need to turn pressure into actual negative plays.
When Dallas has the ball
Dallas should start exactly where it finished in Philadelphia with Javonte Williams. The Cowboys rushed for 204 yards against the Eagles, with Williams producing 155 yards and a touchdown on 25 carries. That balance completely changed the offense. Dak Prescott only needed 27 pass attempts, was not sacked and threw three touchdowns without an interception. That is the formula Dallas has been searching for all season.
Arizona gives them every reason to continue with it. The Cardinals allowed 377 total yards and 30 points to Denver last week, including a 62-yard quarterback run and several explosive plays. Arizona entered that game at the bottom of the NFL in points allowed, so Dallas should make this defense handle Williams before spreading the field with CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens. Lamb scored twice against Philadelphia, while Pickens added another touchdown, giving Prescott several different ways to attack once Arizona starts committing defenders toward the run.
Now onto the predictions from your BTB writers…
Tom Ryle (4-3)
I wasn’t really surprised to see the win last week, or to see the early game issues, but the finish was better than I expected. Frankly, they need something very similar against the Cardinals for the same reasons. This is not a good Arizona team and it has been getting kicked around by the good teams it plays. If the Cowboys really expect to be taken seriously, they need another strong win. I don’t know if this is more a prediction or a hope, but I’ll say DAL 34 ARI 19.
Brandon Loree (5-2)
Since 2021, the Dallas Cowboys haven’t won a game where they’ve scored 18 points or less. Conversely, Dallas has the fifth-most wins when they score 21 or more points.
The Arizona Cardinals seem to have the Cowboys’ number, winning the last four matchups. Arizona isn’t great defensively, but their offense can be feisty headlined by Trey McBride and Jeremiyah Love potentially coming back from injury.
I think this week’s game comes down to a Brandon Aubrey field goal, and the Cowboys are on the positive side of the stat above, winning 24-21.
Dyllan Rivers (4-2)
I feel less comfortable this week against a struggling Cardinals teams that still has some healthy playmakers on offense. Assuming he plays, the Cowboys have to eliminate running back Jeremiyah Love as well as tight end Trey McBride. I think they do just enough defensively to get the ball back to the offense to stack some scores at some point against a struggling Cardinals run defense. I’ll take Dallas 34-24
Matt Holleran (3-4)
The Cowboys showed last week they are capable of beating an inferior opponent. The Arizona Cardinals fit that billing again this week, but it’s hard to trust the Cowboys when any sort of consistency is expected. I see this being a sloppy game, but when it matters most, Dallas’ offense makes the plays they need to. The Cowboys get a win and move back to .500 on the year. Give me Dallas in a weird one, 26-24.
Mike Poland (3-4)
The Cowboys have momentum and home field advantage here. Arizona are struggling to finish drives. They rank 22nd in the NFL in total offensive yards but rank 26th in points per game, and that’s down to the fact they rank dead last in redzone efficiency. They can move the ball to some degree through the air, but once in the redzone they fail to convert.
On the opposite side, the Cardinals defense is allowing the most points per game, have the 11th-worst redzone efficiency, and rank 15th in third-conversion allowed. Dallas takes the win here 28-17.
