Not getting points on their second offensive drive of the game when the Cardinals went 66 yards and didn't score was "huge," coach Bruce Arians said. First a touchdown was nullified by a holding penalty on right tackle Jared Veldheer and then kicker Phil Dawson missed a 36-yard field goal. The touchdown would've given Arizona a 14-0 lead early in the second quarter. "Anytime a touchdown comes off the board, it's frustrating," wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald said.
Cardinals coach Bruce Arians was critical of the kicking game, both punting and kicking. "We have to do better jobs there," Arians said. Andy Lee had six punts Monday night and averaged 45.2 yards per punt. Phil Dawson missed one of his two field goal attempts.
Cardinals coach Bruce Arians said the No. 1 issue for Arizona in Monday night's loss was field position. Their average starting field position was their own 22. The Cardinals started three drives either on their own 10 or inside it, an all three were three-and-outs and resulted in punts. "Offensively, when we were backed up we did a very, very poor job of swapping ends of the field setting them up with short fields and not making the plays put our defense out there in those short (fields)," Arians said
Cardinals coach Bruce Arians took the blame for Arizona's lackluster rushing game that gained just 49 yards in a loss to the Cowboys on Monday night. "There running game was dependent on me. I loved what we had passing the ball. We just had to protect better."
Apparently Cardinals left guard Alex Boone was injured during Monday night's loss, according to Cardinals quarterback Carson Palmer. "We lost Alex tonight, unfortunately, but we are hoping to get him back." Boone's apparent injury was not mentioned prior to Palmer's comment. Coach Bruce Arians meets with the media at noon Tuesday.
The Cowboys wanted to maintain what Jerry Jones called the sanctity of the national anthem and the flag in their pregame protest. “The flag and the anthem represent a fight for nearly 250 years for the ideals of our country,” Jason Garrett said. “And I think everybody respected that. You've heard many players form around the league say, This has never been about the flag. This has been about equality and it's been about rights.' We had candid conversations with our team. This country is not perfect. The flag represents the fight and the hundreds and hundreds of thousands of men and women over the last 240 or so years who have been fighting for these ideals all over the world and I think our players understood that. It just felt like it was important to somehow someway demonstrate that and do it in a way that did not involve the flag or the anthem.”
Jason Witten's comments from the locker room after the team's pregame display: In my 15 years in this league, the brotherhood I've been able to form with guys from different walks, beliefs, thoughts and that's what makes a locker room special. I'm going to stand for the national anthem with my hand over my heart until the day I die. And I respect our country and love and honor the service men that represent our flag and one nation under God with liberty and justice for all. I believe in that. I believe in that wholeheartedly. I also can respect and agree to disagree. That's what a locker room is all about when divisive thoughts come in. There are lots of different ways. That's what special about a locker room because there's a lot of different opinions, lot of different thoughts. What's important to us and it's important for me is that you take the high road and you show unity and you look for a better good. I think our team tried to do that tonight.
The Cardinals' offense started hot during an emotional game but six sacks were one major reason it slowed down for the rest of the game.
Cardinals coach Bruce Arians did not want to talk about his team's pregame demonstration, when they linked arms while standing on the goal line: "That's all over with. I coach football. I'm not a politician.” He later said the team had one meeting about what to do and the decision was made by the players.
The update on Michael Crabtree today was that there was no update. Crabtree took a blow to the chest on a high sideline pass Sunday night in Washington and did not return to the game. He was in the locker room after the 27-10 loss but not available for comment. Here is what Raiders coach Jack Del Rio said in his Monday media conference:
FINAL: The Cardinals couldn't carry a great start through the rest of the game. Their run game wasn't effective on offense, despite 149 yards from Larry Fitzgerald, in large part to six sacks of Carson Palmer. The defense gave up two long jump balls that ended up being the difference.
DeMarcus Lawrence had 3.0 sacks. He's the 2nd Cowboys player with 3.0 sacks on Monday Night Football, joining Ed "Too Tall" Jones in Week 8 of 1987 against the Giants.
The Cowboys offense fought for everything it got in their 28-17 win against the Arizona Cardinals Monday. When they look back on this night, Jason Garrett will point to the team's toughness. He can also point to the three sacks by DeMarcus Lawrence. He leads the NFL with 6.5 sacks in the first three weeks.
DeMarcus Lawrence has three sacks of Carson Palmer and 6.5 on the season. Just a reminder that he had one sack a year ago and his career high is eight. It is the most sacks in the first three games of a season in Cowboys history.
Zone scheme on the Ezekiel Elliott TD run. Slight hesitation and then speed through the hole to find the end zone. Elliott now has 83 yards rushing on 19 carries and a score.
Terrific blocks by Zack Martin, La'el Collins and Jason Witten for that touchdown run by Ezekiel Elliott. Cowboys up 28-17 with 4:57 to play.
Dak Prescott with a 75-yard touchdown pass to Brice Butler. Or not,
The Cowboys will carry a 21-17 lead into the final 6:35 of the game. This should be the time for Ezekiel Elliott to carry the load. He has 17 carries for 68 yards. The runs have been dirty for most of the night. They will be even dirtier now.
After that incredible catch by Larry Fitzgerald, he's now caught all 11 targets thrown to him.
Jason Garrett will lose this challenge. Larry Fitzgerald with a tremendous catch. And the Cowboys will lose a timeout and be down to one for the rest of the game.
It's a great effort by J.J. Nelson but he did not hold on to the ball throughout the process of the catch. Arizona will lose a timeout on this challenge.
Dak Prescott with his third touchdown of the evening - two passing, one rushing. Flushed to his right, he found Brice Butler on a broken play for a 39-yarder. It's not been pretty but it has the Cowboys in the lead early in the final quarter.
That's a really good example of Dak Prescott making a play on the TD pass to Brice Butler. The Cowboys QB extended the pocket (allowing Butler to convert his route down the field) and delivered a great ball for the score.
Cardinals WR Larry Fitzgerald's TD moved him into 8th place on the NFL's all-time receiving yardage list. He passed Marvin Harrison.
Do you think the Cardinals miss David Johnson? Third and 1 and they throw it with Carson Palmer pressured by DeMarcus Lawrence. Once again it came on the three-down linemen package.
