3 favorable matchups for the Cardinals in Week 17 vs. Cowboys

Arizona’s pass defense vs. Dallas’ passing attack

The Cardinals’ passing defense holds a slightly more favorable matchup over their counterpart. And while Dak Prescott went out and lit up the Washington defense through the air last week, Washington also has one of the worst pass defenses in football, leading the league in passing touchdowns allowed, and they are also just one of four teams to allow over 4,000 passing yards.

And while the Cowboys have the league’s best cornerback in Trevon Diggs and have allowed just a 74.1 quarterback rating, the Cardinals’ passing defense could make life equally as, if not more difficult for Dak Prescott.

The Cardinals rank fifth in passing defense heading into the contest, having allowed just 3,160 passing yards in 2021. They also boast a higher sack percentage than the Cowboys by nearly an entire percentage point, and a half-yard less in yards per pass attempt. They also rank favorably in yards per catch and passing yards allowed per game.

The Cowboys rank more favorably in a few areas like touchdown percentage, interceptions, and pass deflections. However, they also rank 20th in the league in passing defense. Overall, the Cardinals’ passing defense holds the edge in a matchup featuring two talented football teams.