The Arizona Cardinals rode strong performances out of their defense and special teams units to pick up a 12-7 win over the Dallas Cowboys at University of Phoenix Stadium on Saturday afternoon.
Cowboys vs. Cardinals final score: Jay Feely’s four field goals lead Arizona to 12-7 win
The Cowboys turned the ball over six times in what was one of the sloppier games of the preseason.
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The story of the game was turnovers. Dallas gave the ball away six times, while Arizona turned it over once. Despite having multiple opportunities to blow the game open early, the Cardinals were unable to finish off their drives once they got on the right side of the 50. Jay Feely’s four field goals of 25, 53, 40 and 22 yards would be all the offense the Cardinals would muster.
Carson Palmer started at quarterback for Arizona but did not impress, completing just 7-of-15 passes for 66 yards. He does appear to be developing a nice bond with Larry Fitzgerald, who caught three passes for 44 yards.
Rashard Mendenhall, who has been battling a couple of injuries in camp, carried the ball seven times for 32 yards. Rookie tailback Stepfan Taylor ran for 20 yards on six carries.
All eyes were on Tony Romo on Saturday afternoon. The veteran quarterback played well, throwing for 142 yards while leading the Cowboys on a couple of drives down the field. He did have an opportunity to hit Terrance Williams deep down the field in the first quarter for what would've likely been a touchdown, but he overthrew the rookie by about 10 yards.
DeMarco Murray had just five carries for 14 yards, though he appeared to be healthy and running without any limitations. Dez Bryant was the offensive MVP for Dallas, hauling in four passes for 74 yards despite being double-covered whenever he was on the field. Miles Austin caught two passes for 25 yards.
While backup quarterback Kyle Orton threw two interceptions, Alex Tanney went 14-for-19 in his pass attempts for 136 yards and a touchdown connection with tight end Gavin Escobar in the fourth quarter. A late interception from Tanney ended any chance Dallas had at putting together a last-minute drive to take the lead.
Fantasy studs and duds
Romo played throughout most of the first half and finished his day with 142 passing yards and no touchdowns or interceptions. The turnovers really prevented him from putting up bigger numbers. Dez Bryant, who some believe is in for a big 2013 season, led the way with four catches and 74 yards despite being matched up with Patrick Peterson. Bryant also fumbled.
Larry Fitzgerald connected with Carson Palmer a handful of times in the first half, hauling in three passes for 44 yards. Palmer’s poor showing should lead fantasy owners to take him as nothing more than a backup option for 2013.
Injury report
Neither team reported any kind of serious injuries to any key players.
Did they cover?
The Cardinals opened as one-point favorites, and most lines moved to 3 1/2 points by kickoff. They covered the spread narrowly.
What’s next?
Aug. 24, 8 p.m. - Dallas vs. Cincinnati
Aug. 24. 10 p.m. - Arizona vs. San Diego
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