3 major disadvantages the Arizona Cardinals have heading into Week 3 vs. the Cowboys

3 - Inability to hold leads

Even if the Cardinals build a one or two-touchdown lead, we saw over the past two weeks that they squander them steadily. Great teams almost always find ways to overcome deficits, and the Cowboys happen to land in the ‘great team’ category for the time being. 

If the Cards find themselves up front, they must anticipate the Cowboys making necessary adjustments to curtail any potential lead. Last week, either the coaching staff didn’t make the right reactions to the New York Giants adjustments, or the players on both sides of the ball didn’t execute. 

Regardless of who is primarily at fault for last week’s meltdown, it should be something they spent all week addressing. However, until we see it occur on the field, this will remain a disadvantage against a team like Dallas.

Further, the Cowboys have been the exact opposite, not just snagging leads, but building on them enough to win by 20-plus points. You don’t win your first two games by at least three possessions any other way, and if Dallas builds an early lead, it’s too farfetched at the moment to project the Arizona Cardinals will adjust.

(Statistics and data provided by Pro-Football-Reference)