How Cardinals Defense Bent - But Didn't Break - in Upset vs Cowboys

The Arizona Cardinals pulled off a stunning 28-16 upset victory against one of the NFL's high-flying squads.

Just as we all predicted, the Arizona Cardinals secured their first win against a Dallas Cowboys offense that had bowled over both of their previous opponents and scored a daunting 70 points over two games heading into Week 3.

While Arizona's offense certainly worked efficiently, racking up over 400 total yards and scoring on their first five consecutive drives, the true difference between this game and the previous heartbreaking loss lies with the Cardinals' defensive toughness.

Against New York in Week 2, Arizona gave up 31 second-half points, allowing the Giants to blaze back into the game and steal a victory. 

Week 3 was a different story. 

The Cardinals allowed a 13-play, 75-yard drive that ended with a 15-yard score from Rico Dowdle with just over five minutes to play in the 2nd quarter.

That would be the last time the Cowboys scored a touchdown. 

Dallas Cowboys QB Dak Prescott threw his first interception of the season in the dying moments of their loss against the Arizona Cardinals. 

A 21-10 halftime lead still seemed ominous, considering the 20-point lead that was erased in the blink of an eye by Daniel Jones and co. prior. Jonathan Gannon and Nick Rallis' unit immediately allowed a long, lengthy drive, but held firm at the goal line to force a Cowboys' field goal. 

A stagnant offensive drive later from Arizona and another quick trip to the red zone, it appeared as if the lead was about to vanish in front of our eyes once more with Dallas threatening to score again. The Cowboys ran five plays inside the red zone, but were turned away on at the four-yard line on 4th down. 

Dallas was afforded two more 12-plus play drives, and Rallis' soft zone coverage looked as if it would once again choke away a lead. The first drive ended in another red zone stand, stopping Dallas at the 8 and forcing another field goal.

With a 28-16 lead and just under seven and a half minutes remaining, the Cowboys began to march quickly up the field in a must-score situation. The Cardinals' run defense stood up RB Tony Pollard twice, for a loss of yards, and then, it happened. 

On 3rd and goal from the Arizona 6, LB Kyzir White intercepted QB Dak Prescott--Dak's first pick of the season--in the end zone, effectively icing the game for Arizona.

This defense has been unbelievable on the goal line. #AZCardinals pic.twitter.com/63XRfkwu5k

— Alex D’Agostino (@AlexDagAZ) September 24, 2023

HC Jonathan Gannon praised White's performance postgame. 

“He’s a captain for a reason. He wears the green dot," said Gannon, "he keeps those guys composed even when it doesn't look like it’s going good but what I’m proud of is not just Kyzir, but really all the captains and the entire team is the fight."

This is precisely the gritty type of defensive performance that could have held onto the lead against New York, especially in clutch moments. Forcing the Cowboys to open the playbook, playing smart in coverage and not allowing huge chunk plays to tire them out as much allowed them to clamp down in the red zone when it mattered most. 

Arizona's defense held Prescott to just 249 yards and one score through the air, completing just 25 of his 40 passes, for a passer rating of merely 78.0. Victor Dimukeje and Zaven Collins each had a sack on Prescott.

The Cardinals did however allow 185 rushing yards, 123 coming from Pollard. The Cowboys offense had little trouble moving the ball, showing flashes of the high-octane offense of the prior two weeks. Helped along by some crucial penalties on Kei'Trel Clark, and some overall poor tackling, it looked as if the Cowboys were about to cruise through the game. 

Arizona Cardinals defensive captain Kyzir White and his unit didn't fold against the Dallas Cowboys, regardless of multiple opportunities. 

Rallis' unit ultimately came away with critical stops on three of Dallas' four red zone trips. They allowed points on only four of the Cowboys' eight total drives, three of which ended in field goals.

HC Jonathan Gannon knew the importance of holding things down in the second half going into this week. 

"With how we lost the game in Week 2, you can’t do that and our guys understood," said Gannon postgame, "...even if they go down the field we can’t go down the field fast.’ That was a point of emphasis for our guys and they competed and made plays.”

Performances like this cannot be understated when examining the Cardinals as competitors. For pessimists like myself, watching the Cowboys move the ball so easily made it look like another halftime lead was doomed to collapse. But good teams fight through that. 

The Cardinals might be overmanned, but Rallis, Gannon and the young defense never once gave up on a drive, and that says a great deal about what this team is truly made of.

In a season where wins (in all likelihood) will be few and far between, taking down a top team while holding them to only 16 points could do wonders for their confidence and growth as a culture moving forward.

A well-coached, tough-fought game, on both sides of the ball. 

I'll be honest, 1-2 never felt so good.