Cowboys Look to Rebound on Monday Night Football
The fans at AT&T Stadium will see the Arizona Cardinals and the Dallas Cowboys battle on Monday Night Football. There are plenty of question marks in this game, especially for the Cowboys.
TIME: 8:15 p.m. ET. TV: ESPN; BETTING LINE: Cowboys -1 / TOTAL 55 Over -114
The biggest question mark is what happens when the Cowboys begin life without star quarterback Dak Prescott. Monday Night Football and a national stage puts things further under the spotlight.
Prescott’s season is over after he sustained a compound fracture and dislocation of his right ankle. The gruesome injury happened during last Sunday’s game against the New York Giants.
Prescott had already passed for an NFL-leading 1,856 yards this season and was on a roll. Now veteran Andy Dalton will be asked to keep the Dallas offense running like a machine. The Cowboys lead the NFL in total offense at 488.0 yards per game and rank third in scoring at 32.6 points per game.
Running back Ezekiel Elliott indicated he isn’t the least bit concerned with the change. It is not like Dalton is chopped liver. Dalton also has nine prior years of experience as an NFL starter for the Cincinnati Bengals.
“Dak definitely is special,” Elliott said. “He definitely is special but I think we have a lot of pieces in this offense and Andy’s played at a high level in this league. I think we should still be one of the best offenses in the league.”
The Dalton is a Pretty Good QB
Dalton was a three-time Pro Bowl selection and has passed for 31,705 yards and 204 touchdowns in his career. The Bengals released Dalton in late April after using the No. 1 overall draft pick on quarterback Joe Burrow. Dallas signed him as insurance behind Prescott a few days later. It may end up being one of the smartest moves of the offseason.
That $3 million the Cowboys guaranteed Dalton now looks like a smart investment after Prescott’s injury. It will be on display on Monday Night Football.
The defense will be the bigger issue when the Cowboys try to slow down quarterback Kyler Murray and the Cardinals (3-2).
Dallas is allowing an NFL-worst 36.0 points per game and ranks 27th in total defense giving up a robust 404.4 yards. Murray and offensive-minded coach Kliff Kingsbury are likely chomping at the bit at the matchup possibilities.
Cardinals Look to Put on Offensive Show
Murray is familiar with AT&T Stadium in Arlington because he won three state high school titles in the facility while playing for Allen High, which is located about 25 miles north of Dallas.
Murray passed for a career-best 380 yards in last Sunday’s 30-10 victory over the New York Jets in New York. The second-year pro has passed for 1,299 yards, eight touchdowns and six interceptions so far this season. He has also rushed for 296 yards and five touchdowns.
Murray and top offseason acquisition DeAndre Hopkins have quickly formed a bond. Hopkins had six catches for 131 yards and one touchdown versus the Jets. He leads the NFL in receptions with 45 and receiving yards with 528.
Hopkins spent his first seven NFL seasons with the Houston Texans prior to the trade. He said he is fitting in well with the Cardinals.
“Those guys trust me to get me the ball downfield,” Hopkins said. “A lot of people look at me as just a possession receiver, I guess. And my abilities and my talent, obviously show that I’m not just a possession receiver but I’m a downfield threat.”
This, That, and a Dart Throw
Arizona an injury blow Sunday when star linebacker Chandler Jones suffered a season-ending torn biceps. Jones was the runner-up for NFL Defensive Player of the Year honors last season. He had a career-best 19 sacks and tied for the league lead with eight forced fumbles.
Cardinals safety Chris Banjo (hamstring) was a full practice participant on Thursday. He is hopeful of returning after a two-game absence.
Safety Jalen Thompson (ankle) is practicing and could be activated from injured reserve. He was hurt in Week 1 against the San Francisco 49ers.
Dallas standout linebacker Leighton Vander Esch returned to practice Thursday and might be activated from IR. Vander Esch has missed the past four games since breaking his collarbone in the season opener. That game was against the Los Angeles Rams.
The Cowboys won the last matchup 28-17 in 2017. Arizona had won the previous four matchups.
The Dart Throw: Cardinals 34, Cowboys 27
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Monday Night Football Matchup
| Dallas Cowboys | Category | Arizona Cardinals |
| 3-2 | W/L | 2-3 |
| 1-1 | HOME | 2-1 |
| 2-1 | AWAY | 0-2 |
| 3-2 | ATS | 0-5 |
| 1-1 | ATS HOME | 0-3 |
| 2-1 | ATS AWAY | 0-2 |
| 0-5 | O/U | 4-1 |
| 0-2 | O/U HOME | 3-0 |
| 0-3 | O/U AWAY | 1-1 |
Monday Night Football Betting Odds & Trends
| Dallas Cowboys |
|---|
| Dallas is 0-5 ATS in its last 5 games |
| The total has gone OVER in 5 of Dallas’s last 6 games |
| Dallas is 2-5 ATS in its last 7 games at home |
| Dallas is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games at home |
| The total has gone OVER in 5 of Dallas’s last 5 games at home |
| Dallas is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games when playing Arizona |
| Dallas is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing Arizona |
| Dallas is 5-1 ATS in its last 6 games when playing at home against Arizona |
| Dallas is 14-2 SU in its last 16 games when playing at home against Arizona |
| Arizona Cardinals |
|---|
| Arizona is 8-16-1 SU in its last 25 games |
| The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Arizona’s last 5 games |
| Arizona is 8-2-2 ATS in its last 12 games on the road |
| Arizona is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games when playing Dallas |
| Arizona is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing Dallas |
| Arizona is 1-5 ATS in its last 6 games when playing on the road against Dallas |
| Arizona is 2-14 SU in its last 16 games when playing on the road against Dallas |
Next up:
Arizona home to Seattle Sunday, October 25
Dallas at Washington Sunday, October 25
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