Not a lot was expected out of the Arizona Cardinals this past season. First-year head coach Jonathan Gannon presided over a squad that was rebuilding, and did not have the talent it would take to prevail on most Sundays. The Cards also lost several key members of the roster, and starting quarterback Kyler Murray didn't make his 2023 debut until Week 10.
Nevertheless, Gannon and his assistants did the best with what they had. When the smoke cleared, the undermanned Redbirds had exceeded expectations in a variety of ways. Actually, it was quite impressive to see a first-year coaching staff get the most out of a mostly unheralded group of Cardinals.
Despite the positivity, Gannon is well aware that a 4-13 record isn't anything close to good enough. However, there were times during the campaign when Arizona looked like a team on the rise. Straight ahead is a look at each of the club's four victories, quality wins that showed the fans how successful the Cards could be going forward.
Week 3 - Arizona Cardinals 28, Dallas Cowboys 16
Not many observers gave the Cards a chance to win when they hosted the Dallas Cowboys back in Week 3. "Big Red" was fresh off of a pair of disappointing defeats, one of which was a gut-wrenching 31-28 loss to the New York Giants just seven days before. Dallas, on the other hand, had gotten off to a 2-0 start after blowing out both the Giants and the New York Jets during the previous two weeks.
On this day, however, it was the Cardinals who resembled a squad that was destined to make the postseason. Led by fill-in signal-caller Josh Dobbs, Arizona emerged victorious by a score of 28-16 over the Cowboys. It was a special moment for the 28-year old-Dobbs, who ended up walking away with the first victory of his seven-year NFL career.
Cards running back James Conner also contributed to the win, amassing 116 yards from scrimmage and a touchdown. The club's secondary was also a factor, holding star wide receiver CeeDee Lamb to a modest 53 yards receiving. Unfortunately, it would be a full seven weeks until Arizona could record another triumph.