An Uncle Rico Production
No Kyler Murray. No Budda Baker. No wins. Top Defense coming into the “House of Horrors”...
No Problem.
When Kyzir White caught an errant throw from quarterback Dak Prescott in the end zone (strikingly similar to the one D.J. Brown of Notre Dame DIDN’T make in the waning moments of the OSU/ND game), it marked a game-changing moment for the Cardinals’ in their victory over the Dallas Cowboys, half of the crowd at State Farm Stadium erupted; the other half had the looks of utter dismay strewed across their faces.
However, Jonathan Gannon stood stoically; focused, knowing the job wasn’t done. But he also knew if his offensive line could put together one more strong series (a revamped group overlooked by many pundits, including this one), then they would put the game on ice.
As a “Forever” Cardinals fan & journalist, I honestly can’t remember the last time our running game, when presented the opportunity, bludgeoned a #1 NFL Defense to clinch a victory at home, let alone against our perennial rivals the Dallas Cowboys
Yet, throughout Sunday, the Cardinals’ offensive front managed to stand strong against the formidable Cowboys’ defense. And when Gannon most required their resilience, they seized the moment & came through.
After two major let-downs in the previous games (blowing 2nd half leads, one of which was as bad as 28-7), new offensive coordinator Drew Petzing decided to simplify the game for current Cardinals starting quarterback Joshua Dobbs.
I have been critical of Dobbs, even going as far as calling him a bum, but both Petzing & Dobbs stayed the course.
Leaning on the run game Sunday, Dobbs was able to play a highly efficient, turnover-free game, going 17-21 for 189 yards & 1/0.
While those numbers won’t jump off the page in a pass-heavy NFL, football historians like myself crave a game like yesterdays: lots of defensive stands in the red-zone, strategy & ball-control (TOP), & plenty of action on the line of scrimmage. It was the command & poise that Dobbs played with throughout the game; making the throws when he had to, running it when it was asked of him, & being decisive & accurate when the bullets (Micah Parsons) were flying.
Dobbs acknowledged several impressive plays during the match but was particularly proud of the team’s performance in the last few minutes, an area which has been nationally criticized.
Young offensive lineman Paris Johnson Jr. humorously mentioned deserving a lavish steak meal, a sentiment applicable to the entire line, who did a commendable job containing the dynamic Micah Parsons during the contest.
Steak might be a treat, but the taste of triumph is unmatched. Although, a tomahawk from Von Hansens cooked to rare-to-mid-rare could put up quite a fight.
Young offensive lineman Paris Johnson Jr. humorously mentioned deserving a lavish steak meal, a sentiment applicable to the entire line, who did a commendable job containing the dynamic Micah Parsons during the contest.
Steak might be a treat, but the taste of triumph is unmatched. Although, a tomahawk from Von Hansens cooked to rare-to-mid-rare could put up quite a fight.
When questioned about the offensive line’s ability to find openings against a top-tier NFL defense, Humphries acknowledged Danish C Hjalte Froholdt’s contributions.
“’72’ in the middle kept us together all night. Things got a little weird there with the looks they were giving us, but Fro made sure we stayed together all night. For a group that hasn’t been together, especially for me, I’ve been in the same group for so long. To see everybody stick together in a situation like that was huge.”
Johnson also mentioned the team’s collective appetite for success, noting that they were well aware of the buzz around the Dallas defense. But it was “Bear Claw” who stood out as the leader of the Cardinals front. The stout but nimble C (former D-lineman at Arkansas) was seemingly everywhere yesterday, hair on fire like the Scandinavian gods of old. He played with an edge that was contagious, and the results were clear; the more the Red Sea parted, the more the O-line’s confidence grew.
The efforts of the 29-year old DC Nick Rallis’ defense (the youngest coach in the NFL) cannot be overstated. They’ve been the one consistent through the first three games of the season. Clearly, they didn’t get the memo that the Cardinals are trying to tank this season to put themselves in top position to enter the “Caleb Williams Sweepstakes” (the defending Heisman Trophy winner who plays QB for USC). Even without their top defender in pro-bowler & team captain Budda Baker, their youthful exuberance shows on the pitch. While having a young defense is expected to make inexperienced mistakes, their effort is never lacking, seeing every snap as a chance to “make it” in a league with an average playing career of 3.3 years.
This game will make a lot of headlines on “Overreaction Monday” as it should, but the only real conclusions that will be honest (and not clickbait) is:
- The Cardinals beat a team who suffered from losing their top cornerback Treyvon Diggs mid-week to a torn ACL.
- Josh Dobbs is not the next Geno Smith. Nor is he expected to be.
- The Cardinals proved they aren’t packing it in immediately to gain favor with the draft gods.
- Their upgrades on the offensive line (Hjalte Froholdt-FA / Paris Johnson Jr.-#6 pick in the NFL Draft) have kept Dobbs upright, possibly enticing Kyler Murray to come back sooner than later.
- The defense is still the strength of the team.
- They need to string together multiple victories inside the “Birds Nest” to exercise the demons of the past.
- They need to have another strong showing in Silicon Valley against the San Francisco 49ers to prove to themselves that the game was no fluke.
That being said, it was incredibly satisfying to send the unreasonably proud Cowboys fans home with disgust on their face. They are still one of the better teams in the NFC, but on any given Sunday……
