The Arizona Cardinals are now 2-5 after falling to the Denver Broncos 30-16 in Week 7, extending their active home losing streak to 10 games. Arizona has now dropped five of its last six games and is trending in the wrong direction heading into a Week 8 road matchup against the 3-4 Dallas Cowboys. It shouldn't come as a surprise that the Cardinals enter this contest as underdogs in a game that projects to be a shootout with two extremely flawed defenses.
Kickoff at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, is scheduled for 11 a.m. MST on Sunday, November 1. The game can be viewed on FOX. Streaming options include FOX One, NFL+, and NFL Sunday Ticket. Arizona Sports 98.7 FM also has it available via radio.
Injury news
Jeremiyah Love (ankle) returned to practice in a limited capacity on Wednesday, a positive sign that he's trending in the right direction to be available Sunday.
That would give the Cardinals a huge lift in the red zone, where they've especially struggled without Love the past two contests. If Love returns, it's reasonable to expect Bam Knight to have a diminished role, though head coach Mike LaFleur said he'd still be a factor.
Even if Love does return, he faces a challenge behind such an injured offensive line. Arizona is already without left tackle Paris Johnson Jr. (torn biceps) for the season. Meanwhile, right tackle Elijah Wilkinson (knee) and right guard Jon Gaines II (ankle) were among nine Cardinals players who didn't practice Wednesday.
Even the porous Cowboys defense should be able to get to Jacoby Brissett, who needs a better pocket presence to keep up with Dak Prescott and this Cowboys passing attack. One underrated pass-catching weapon Brissett will unfortunately no longer have at his disposal is Jalen Brooks, who suffered a season-ending wrist injury last week against the Broncos.
Dallas is coming off a short week after defeating the Eagles on Monday Night Football. They held a walkthrough Wednesday, but provided an estimate of an injury report. Wide receiver KaVontae Turpin (ribs) and linebacker Dee Winters (calf) were listed as DNP's. Meanwhile, George Pickens, Caleb Downs, Quinnen Williams, and Drew Shelton were limited.
Storylines
Can the Cardinals fix their red zone struggles to keep up in the shootout?
Kicker Chad Ryland is having a bounceback season in Arizona, even earning an NFC Player of the Week honor in the Week 6 upset over the Los Angeles Rams. But relying so heavily on Ryland when the Cardinals have struggled to defend has predictably been a losing formula. Jacoby Brissett and Arizona's offense will have to counter with touchdowns instead of settling for field goals.
Josh Sweat's Cowboys audition?
Josh Sweat remains a top trade candidate. According to ESPN's Jeremy Fowler, an NFL executive has even floated the Dallas Cowboys as a potential suitor. He'd fit well given how desperately they need their defense to catch up to their offense.
Sunday could serve as an audition of sorts. Should Arizona lose, it would also put them at 2-6 with a schedule that isn't getting any easier. They should have even more incentive to flip veterans like Sweat for future assets at that point.
Prediction
The Cardinals have already pulled off two surprising road upsets this season. There's at least a viable path to a third. Brissett should have a better game thanks to the porous Cowboys defense. Love's potential return could help turn those field goals into touchdowns, keeping up in this projected shootout as well.
But ultimately, too many defensive concerns make it hard to feel comfortable picking the Cardinals.
Arizona still has an injured offensive line, question marks at quarterback and receiver, and ongoing red zone struggles. Meanwhile, Dallas is coming off a 38-point performance in their win over the Eagles on MNF.
This Cowboys offense is among the best in the league when things click. Unfortunately, the Cardinals are the exact flawed defense, susceptible to big plays, that should be easy to score on for Dak and Co.
Cowboys 34, Cardinals 27
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