Considering the Arizona Cardinals put up 30 points on the Dallas Cowboys and rolled up almost 300 yards of total offense, it seems odd to talk about a bad performance, but that's exactly what the offense had yesterday. The offense, previously ranked 5th in the league, were held exactly 100 yards less than their previous average and were responsible for just 17 points. The offense was ultimately a tale of two halves considering that they had twice as many offensive penalties (4) as first downs (2) in the first two quarters and they committed two turnovers. The second half was a completely different unit though as they scored on each of their first three possessions and their fourth and final possession was more about running time off the clock. They were also much more successful on third down conversions in the second half (5 of 7) after being utterly inept (0 for 5) in the first half. The offense can't be prolific each and every week though and they picked the right week to struggle. The defense and special teams picked up the the slack and the offense did just enough to ensure a win.

Quarterback: Kurt Warner wasn't spectacular on Sunday but when the Cardinals needed him to take over the game, he did just that. During the first half, he completed just seven passes on eleven attempts for 59 yards and he added two turnovers. His fumble was an awkward play in which the shotgun snap was to his left but he knocked it down and actually gained control of the ball. While he was being tackled though, he tried to hand the ball to Edge and they both lost the ball. His pick was a deep ball into double coverage that Breaston couldn't bring down. Warner returned in the second half though and completed 15 of 19 passes for 177 yards, no turnover and two touchdowns. During one stretch that lasted most of the third and fourth quarter he completed 14 of 15 passes with his only incompletion coming on Fitz's touchdown catch that was overturned. Just for the record, this was Warner's third game of the season with a QB rating over 100 and fifth consecutive game with multiple touchdowns. It's also worth mentioning that Warner did all of this despite pretty tremendous pressure by the Cowboys. They ended the game with just one sack but Warner was knocked down on over half of his pass attempts. Grade: B+

I'm not sure where to squeeze this in, so I'll break out the shoe-horn and put it in here. I felt like the Cowboys' game plan to blitz up the middle was pretty flawed. I understand and partly agree with the 'blitz Warner and he'll turn the ball over,' mantra, but I think it's more complicated than that. It seems to me that Warner (and this offensive line for that matter) is susceptible to blitzes from the edges, but if Warner can see a blitz coming he's very capable of unloading the ball before he gets sacked. It's the edge rushers who swipe at the ball and cause fumbles that plague Warner. Agree or I have I just had too much Kool-Aid in the past 24 hours? 

Running Backs: Another week has gone by and another sub-par rushing performance from everyone. The running game totaled just 50 yards on 19 carries (2.6 avg), didn't have a rush over 9 yards and had two plays for negative yards (not counting Warner's kneel at the end of the 1st half). Edge finished with just 29 yards on nine carries (3.2 avg) and Tim Hightower wasn't much better on the ground (7 for 20 - 2.9 avg). It was somewhat interesting that Hightower got the majority of carries in the second half (7 vs. 3) but his yardage was limited considering that two of his carries came on 3rd-and-1 situations and another two carries came on the final drive when the Cowboys were loading the box. The running backs biggest contribution against the Cowboys came in the passing game though as they combined for six receptions for 53 yards. Tim Hightower's 17 yard reception on 3rd-and-17 was quite possibly the play that swung momentum in the Cardinals favor. He took a short pass (that was tipped at the line) and raced down the sidelines, evading a couple of tacklers and diving for the first down. JJ Arrington also took a short dump off pass and juked Zach Thomas en route to a 10 yard pass and a first down. Grade: B-

Wide Recievers: It's almost unbelievable to think that just a couple of months ago we had no idea who or what we had behind the dynamic duo of Larry Fitzgerald and Anquan Boldin. Breaston has made a name for himself in the past three weeks totaling 301 yards on 24 receptions and leading the team (or tying for the team lead) in yards each week. He had another great week (8 for 102 and a TD) and he is impressive every time he gets the ball in his hands as he fights for every single yard. Larry Fitzgerald also had a great game considering all of the attention that the Cowboys were giving him. He made a spectacular catch on a 39 yard bomb when he went up and over Anthony Henry to snag the ball and he showed why Warner has such faith in him when he made another good leaping grab over Pacman Jones for a touchdown. Since the Cardinals didn't air out the passing game as much as they had in previous weeks, Early Doucet (1 for 3 yds) and Jerheme Urban (1 for 1 yd) didn't have big roles this week. The tight ends were again a non-factor as Leonard Pope caught two balls for 12 yards. Grade: A+

Offensive Line: I went back and forth several times on how I thought the offensive line played. On one hand, the Cowboys didn't register a sack until the Cardinals last offensive play but they also didn't muster anything worthwhile in the running game and Warner was knocked down almost 20 times. The more I think about it, I think the offensive line was the reason the offense struggled and that Kurt Warner had a good game in spite of them. One of the offensive line's biggest problems were penalties as they combined for five penalties ranging from holding, false start (twice), illegal procedure and ineligble downfield. I'm not sure what, if anything, can be done to improve the play along the offensive line but the fate of this offense as a whole could rest at the feet of these front five guys. Grade: C

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I may be getting on the offensive line too hard but it maddening to see the running game continue be virtually non-existant. As for the rest of the offense, it's promising to see the development of young guys like Tim Hightower and Steve Breaston, especially considering their contributions in such a big game. Thoughts? Agree/Disagree with grades?

The Arizona Cardinals didn't pick up a pretty win and they couldn't even finish off their opponent in regulation but it took just :55 seconds of overtime for the Cardinals to pull off a dramatic overtime victory over the Dallas Cowboys. The Cardinals jumped out to an early lead when JJ Arrington returned the opening kickoff for a touchdown but they'd find themselves down seven in the third quarter. After they rattled off 17 unanswered points, the game looked like it was completely over. The Cowboys wouldn't go quietly though as they'd add ten points in the final 1:17 to tie the game and send it into overtime. Dallas won the toss but after three unproductive plays they'd line up to punt and as they say, "the rest is history." Sean Morey raced in, practically untouched, and blocked the punt. Monty Beisel, aka 'Johnny on the spot' picked up the loose ball and tumbled into the end zone from just a couple yards out. All in all, it's awful hard to call this anything but a solid team win. Here's the guys that had great games (and I apologize to anyone that I leave out because there were quite a few):

Sean Morey and Monty Beisel: These guys only made one big huge colossal play, but I've got to list them first, in order to say that I was wrong about both of them. They combined for the play that won the game and I didn't want either of these guys on the roster at the end of camp. Who knows how the game would have played out if Dallas gets that punt off but Sean Morey made sure that we didn't have to find out. Belsel was there to scoop up the loose ball but he might have blocked it if Morey hadn't have gotten there first.

Defensive Pressure: Travis LaBoy, Darnell Dockett, Antonio Smith and Bertrand
Berry practically lived in the Cowboys backfield and they knocked down Tony Romo nearly 20 times. They were even better than the boxscore would indicate because they should have had at least one more sack (negated by tuck rule) and two more forced fumbles (one of which was recovered for a TD). Okeafor, Dockett and Berry recorded sacks and Okeafor and Berry's sacks led to Romo fumbles. If the Cowboys send three offensive linemen to the Pro Bowl, the Cardinals should send four defensive linemen.

Steve Breaston: If you haven't fallen in love with this kid during the past two games, what's wrong with you. Breaston finished with eight receptions for 102 yards and a touchdown and he's been the Cardinals leading receiver each of the past two games. With defenses focusing on Fitzgerald, Breaston has seized his opportunity and fights for every yard after the catch. He also had a pretty decent game returning punts with 45 yards on 5 returns (9.0 avg) with a long return of 15.

Run Defense: This should probably be the defense as a whole but the run defense was exceptional yesterday. The Cowboys were held to just 73 yards on 22 attempts (3.3 avg) and their long run was just 14  yards. The Dallas running game was ranked 7th in the league with just over 138 yards per game but they couldn't get anything going against the Cards. Karlos Dansby and Gerald Hayes both finished with six tackles and they were a big reason why Marion Barber and the running game could get going.

JJ Arrington: Why this guy was ever inactive, I'll never know. Arrington took the opening kickoff back 93 yards for a touchdown and got the game and the crowd jumpstarted. His ability to change a game every time he touches the ball is something that you just can't coach. He added a reception for 10 yards (in which he made a nifty move to evade Zach Thomas) and a two yard rush.

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Overall it feels like this win couldn't have come at a better time considering that we'll have two weeks to bask in it's glory. It's also a good time because I'm sure they're are more than a handful of guys who need a week off to rest up and get back to 100% health. It also feels like a win that many Cardinals teams of years past would have lost. After the Cowboys came back and forced overtime, many teams in that past would have simply rolled over and accepted defeat. This 2008 version of your Arizona Cardinals didn't accept anything though and instead they reloaded and did what they had to do to win. Only time will tell if this is just another game in a 16 game season or if it'll turn out to be a season defining win that leads to something special, but for now I'll just say that it feels amazing.

I can't put together coherent thoughts just yet but what a whirlwind of a game. The defense was awesome, the offense did just enough and the the special teams was the difference. I can't express how up and down I was throughout the entire three hours but in the end, we got the WIN we were looking for. GO CARDINALS!!!!

Feel free to discuss the game anything about today and we'll dive into the breakdown of the game in the A.M.

Time to get some Cowboys' perspective from Grizz at Blogging the Boys in the final preview before the Boys come to Arizona to take on our Arizona Cardinals. Be sure to check BTB for all Cowboys's updates prior to the game.

ROTB - We all know that the Cowboys are as close to the NFL's version of a soap opera as a team can get and for whatever reason, Jerry seems to love the attention whether it be good or bad. All I keep hearing is that somethings 'not right' with TO, Romo isn't on top of his game, and why can't "Mr. Fix-it" fix the defense. Not to mention the pressure on the head coach of 'win a playoff game or your just keeping the seat warm for your OC.' Are there really problems brewing or is the just overblown coverage? Does TO's demeanor have you worried?

BTB - Yes, the Cowboys are a circus. Jerry Jones never shies away from attention but seems instead to court it. As a Cowboys fan, I've just gotten used to it. There have been some problems with the team over the past couple of weeks. Romo has been a little off in his accuracy and coordinator Jason Garrett called a poor game against the Redskins. Nothing going on with T.O. lately really bothers me, that appears to be way overblown by the media. The defense is suffering from failings in the secondary. But, and it's a big but, given all that the team is 4-1. How bad can we really be playing?

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The Arizona Cardinals face their biggest test to date this Sunday when the Dallas Cowboys come to town. The Cardinals have played lights-out at home so far but they'll have to bring their A-game if they want to send the Cowboys home with a loss. Given the Cowboys' injury issues in the secondary and the fact that there offense isn't clicking right now, the Cardinals have a chance to register a big win in front of a near-national audience and stake claim to their legitmacy as a contender. Here's what they have to do in order to come out with a WIN:

Shut Down the Cowboys Running Game: Dallas' running game is potent and they've got the duo at running back and the offensive line to dominate a game. If they get MBIII and Jones going early, their offense can do just about anything they please. If the Cardinals can shut down the running game early or jump out to an early lead, the Dallas offense will become one dimensional though. The Redskins frustated the Boys' running game early in their game, then dropped 17 points on them in the fourth quarter before giving Dallas their only loss on the year. The result was the Boys only ran the ball 11 times for 44 yards. Make no mistake about it, this offense can be frustrated if things don't go right for them early in a game.

Win the Battle of Feild Position: This incorporates several aspects of the game including the kicking game, ball control and defense. In the kicking game, they need to cover punts and kicks well. On kickoffs, Felix Jones is amazing (27.5 avg) and he's already took a kick back for a score and he's got two 40+ yard returns. On punt returns, Adam Jones hasn't put it together yet (4.7 avg) but I'm sure we can all remember him from his days in Tennessee. The Cardinals can't allow a big return and they can't give the Cowboys offense a short field because of a turnover. The Cowboys are too good to give them a short field or easy scores.

Keep Warner Upright: The Cowboys' defense is based on pressuring the quarterback, especially with DeMarcus Ware and Greg Ellis. The Cardinals success as a team greatly depends on Kurt Warners ability to get the ball to his playmakers. Obviously this will be a big key for each team. The Cardinals offensive line, most importantly Mike Gandy and Levi Brown, have to play a good game and the Cardinals might have to keep an extra back or tight end in the backfield to pick up any extra blitzers. If they can limit the Cowboys pressure or force Dallas to bring 6 or more rushers in order to get to Warner, the passing game should have a big game.

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Thoughts? Agree/Disagree? What other things must the Cardinals do beat the Cowboys?

The Cardinals injuries are piling up and I'm sure there are some guys who are looking forward to a weekend off to let all the bumps and bruises heal. It's obviously not good to see all three of your tight ends and both starting corners on the injury list. As for the tight ends, I would imagine that Patrick will have to practice tomorrow if he wants to play and it'll be interesting to see if they let Tuman play considering today and yesterday were his first two practices since training camp. Eric Green's injury is much less of a concern than Roderick Hood's right now. Hood's groin was reportably "very sore" earlier in the week and he's crucial to the success of the secondary. Bertrand Berry really wants to play in this game but he'll have to get medical clearance before he's allowed back. Torn groins don't normally heal in just two weeks but we'll find out soon enough. I haven't seen any definitive news on Boldin's status, but I'll update if I get some more news. 

From what I've heard, Roy Wiliams, Kyle Kosier and Terence Newman are officially out. The team is hopeful that Watkins can play because he didn't play last week and that forced Keith Davis, a good special teams player but poor safety, into the starting job. All the other guys on that list will play.

Update: Anquan Boldin has been ruled out and Ben Patrick is doubtful. Even one else is questionable but should play. For the Cowboys, Patrick Watkins has been ruled out which means that Keith Davis will be the starter. The Cardinals will test him deep.

The Arizona Cardinals has been one of the league's best units in 2008 and they're a big reason why this team is above .500 and aspiring for an NFC West crown. Overall the offense is ranked 5th in both yards per game (376.8) and points per game (29.4). The Cowboys defense was supposed to be dominant this year with them entering their second season under defensive-guru, Wade Phillips. A combination of injuries and ineffectiveness though has led to the defense being ranked just 14th in yards per game (305.2) and 16th in points per game (22.2).

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