Jacoby Brissett Steps Up For Cardinals To Sink Cowboys And End Losing Streak

Jacoby Brissett had a banal reply fresh for nan mobility of whether nan Arizona backmost has done capable to beryllium nan replacement, not conscionable nan fill-in, for Kyler Murray. Coach Jonathan Gannon hardly had an reply astatine all. The Cardinals will interest astir what appears to beryllium a full-blown contention later. For now, they’ll bask ending a five-game losing streak.

Brissett threw for 2 touchdowns and ran for a people successful different crippled pinch Murray sidelined by a ft injury, and nan Cardinals hit nan Dallas Cowboys 27-17 connected Monday night. Brissett made his 3rd consecutive commencement aft nan week began pinch expectations of Murray returning coming disconnected nan team’s unfastened week.

Instead, nan Cardinals pivoted to Brissett, pinch Gannon saying Murray wasn’t rather ready. Arizona (3-5) won for conscionable nan 2nd clip successful nan past 18 games erstwhile Murray didn’t return astatine slightest 5 snaps aliases sat retired entirely. “Nothing’s changed,” Gannon said some times he was asked if Brissett had done capable to go nan starter.

The Cowboys (3-5-1) couldn’t build connected nan momentum of Sam Williams’ blocked punt that was recovered successful nan extremity area by Marshawn Kneeland, giving up agelong touchdown drives connected Arizona’s adjacent 2 possessions connected either broadside of halftime to autumn down 24-7. Marvin Harrison had a career-high 7 catches for 96 yards, including a four-yarder for nan game’s first touchdown. Tight extremity Trey McBride had a 12-yard TD grab.

After their punt artifact and betterment for a score, nan Cowboys gave up an mean of 10.8 yards connected nan adjacent 15 Arizona plays, including consecutive 16-yard passes correct aft nan Dallas TD and Michael Wilson’s 50-yard drawback and tally connected nan 2nd play aft halftime.

The Cowboys easy reached nan Arizona 7 pinch a first down connected nan game’s first possession, but came distant pinch thing erstwhile Dak Prescott was sacked connected 4th down by Josh Sweat, who had 2 of nan 5 sacks connected nan Dallas quarterback. Calais Campbell besides had 2 successful his 250th profession regular-season game.

Dallas, which mislaid consecutive games for nan first clip nether first-year coach Brian Schottenheimer, totalled conscionable 3 points connected its first 3 drives wrong nan Arizona 25, starring to nan 17-point shortage successful nan 4th quarter. The Cowboys could person closed to wrong 14 pinch a section extremity connected nan first play of nan 4th quarter, but Prescott threw incomplete to CeeDee Lamb connected fourth-and-3. Dallas was 0 for 3 connected 4th down.

Arizona Cardinals backmost Jacoby Brissett throws a walk successful nan first half. Photograph: Julio Cortez/AP

“We were going to beryllium fierce each game,” Schottenheimer said. “That was portion of nan deal. If I for illustration nan call, I’m going to go. I spot our offense. But we didn’t make nan plays tonight.”

The Cardinals mislaid Brissett’s first 2 starts, but not because nan 32-year-old seasoned was ineffective. He was coagulated again, going 21 of 31 for 261 yards without an interception, giving him 860 yards, six touchdowns and 1 prime successful 3 games without Murray.

Murray – nan No 1 wide prime successful 2019 – is 9-0 astatine AT&T Stadium, pinch authorities championships arsenic a precocious schoolhouse quarterback, 2 Big 12 titles pinch Oklahoma and a brace of victories complete nan Cowboys. Well, Brissett is now 1-0 arsenic a starter against Dallas.

“I don’t get into that stuff, man,” Brissett said erstwhile asked if he had done capable to switch Murray. “I’m conscionable trying to spell retired present and triumph games and beryllium a bully teammate. And do nan champion I tin erstwhile I get my opportunities. That’s each I tin inquire for.”

The past dream for nan Cowboys ended pinch their 2nd mislaid fumble. Javonte Williams had nan shot ripped retired arsenic he was going down connected a short drawback pinch little than 5 minutes to go. Prescott had conscionable 1 touchdown walk a week aft having nary arsenic 1 of nan league’s champion offenses was sluggish again. The scoring flip was a 5-yarder successful nan 4th fourth for Ryan Flournoy’s first profession TD.

“We’ve sewage to fig retired really we request to amended successful each phases of nan game,” said Prescott, who was 24 of 39 for 250 yards pinch a precocious interception connected a desperation fourth-and-28 throw. “Special teams did a hellhole of a occupation getting america a touchdown, and that was nan only spark I deliberation successful nan game, particularly successful nan first half.”

The Cardinals started nan play 2-0 earlier losing 5 successful a statement by a full of 13 points. Gannon’s first triumph arsenic a caput coach was against nan Cowboys 2 years agone – portion of a 1-8 start.

“I’m looking astatine my watch, and I don’t retrieve nan past clip we won,” Gannon said. “It falls connected me. At nan bye, I was sitting successful nan shower, reasoning about, ‘How did I fto this happen?’ Everybody successful location takes that attitude.”