DALLAS COWBOYS (2-0) at ARIZONA CARDINALS (0-2)
Sunday, 4:25 p.m. EDT, Fox
BETTING LINE: Cowboys by 12 1/2, in line with FanDuel Sportsbook
AGAINST THE SPREAD: Dallas 2-0; Arizona 2-0.
SERIES RECORD: Dallas leads 56-34-1.
LAST MEETING: Cardinals beat Cowboys 25-22 on Jan. 2, 2022, in Arlington, Texas.
LAST WEEK: Cowboys beat Jets 30-10; Cardinals misplaced to Giants 31-28.
COWBOYS OFFENSE: OVERALL (18), RUSH (8), PASS (20), SCORING (1)
COWBOYS DEFENSE: OVERALL (1), RUSH (9), PASS (1), SCORING (1)
CARDINALS OFFENSE: OVERALL (24), RUSH (10), PASS (27), SCORING (19)
CARDINALS DEFENSE: OVERALL (19), RUSH (18), PASS (22), SCORING (19)
TURNOVER DIFFERENTIAL: Cowboys plus-7; Cardinals plus-2.
COWBOYS PLAYER TO WATCH: WR CeeDee Lamb tied a profession excessive with 11 catches and had 143 yards receiving towards the Jets. The fourth-year man didn’t rating however arrange two touchdowns and have become the primary Dallas receiver with 4 video games of at the least 10 catches in his first 4 seasons. The Cowboys discovered methods to get him open regardless of the absence of Brandin Cooks, the brand new sidekick who was out with a knee harm per week after his Dallas debut. Cooks would possibly return, which may loosen issues up extra for Lamb. Cooks would get extra appears as effectively, although.
CARDINALS PLAYER TO WATCH: LB Dennis Gardeck has been a pressure by two video games with eight tackles, three sacks, three tackles for loss, 4 quarterback hits and a compelled fumble. Gardeck has slowly grow to be an important piece for the Cardinals over the previous six years.
KEY MATCHUP: The Cowboys protection will get a juicy matchup towards Cardinals QB Joshua Dobbs, who misplaced two fumbles in Week 1 however performed higher towards the Giants final week. Dallas has compelled seven turnovers by two weeks, making life depressing for Giants QB Daniel Jones and Jets QB Zach Wilson.
KEY INJURIES: Cowboys CB Trevon Diggs torn the ACL in his left knee in observe Thursday. Diggs, who led the NFL with 11 interceptions in 2021, had considered one of three for Dallas towards the Jets. His 18 interceptions since coming into the NFL in 2020 are tied for the league lead. … LG Tyler Smith may make his season debut after lacking the primary two video games with a hamstring harm sustained in observe the week earlier than the opener. If that’s the case, Dallas could have intact for the primary time the offensive line it anticipated to open with final season. These 5 didn’t play collectively in any respect in 2022 due to accidents. Six-time All-Professional RG Zack Martin, who is anticipated to play regardless of injuring an ankle towards the Jets, is the anchor together with LT Tyron Smith. C Tyler Biadasz and RT Terence Steele are the opposite starters. … S Donovan Wilson is also awaiting his season debut after straining a calf early in coaching camp. … The Cardinals can be enjoying their third recreation of the season with out franchise QB Kyler Murray, who’s recovering from a knee harm suffered final season. He has to overlook at the least another recreation after Sunday to be eligible to return off the PUP listing. … DL Carlos Watkins (biceps) and LB Josh Woods (ankle) missed observe on Wednesday. … Two-time All-Professional S Budda Baker (hamstring) was placed on injured reserve earlier this week.
SERIES NOTES: Whereas the Cowboys lead the general sequence comfortably, Arizona has a 7-4 edge for the reason that former NFC East rivals went to separate divisions. The Cardinals have received six of the previous seven conferences, together with two in time beyond regulation.
STATS AND STUFF: The Cowboys have been turnover-free of their first two video games for the primary time within the 63-year historical past of the franchise. Their plus-7 turnover margin leads the NFL. … Dallas swept the New York groups by a mixed rating of 70-10 within the first two video games. The 60-point margin is the second largest in group historical past for the primary two video games, behind a 67-point differential in 1968. … If Dallas permits 16 or fewer factors, it can beat the 1974 “Doomsday” protection for the fewest factors allowed by three video games. The 1974 unit allowed 27. … QB Dak Prescott will begin his a centesimal regular-season recreation. He’s the one NFL quarterback with at the least 150 landing passes and 25 speeding TDs in his first 100 video games. … In his second recreation because the lead again with the offseason departure of two-time speeding champion Ezekiel Elliott in a cost-cutting transfer, RB Tony Pollard had profession highs in rushes (25) and catches (seven). His 48 touches are probably the most by two video games since Elliott had 53 in 2020. The Cowboys will hope for higher effectivity going ahead, although. Pollard averaged 3.4 yards per contact (32 touches, 109 scrimmage yards) towards the Jets. … DT Osa Odighizuwa has three sacks, already only one shy of his profession excessive. … Okay Brandon Aubrey, a 28-year-old rookie and former Main League Soccer participant, wants three discipline objectives to grow to be the fifth in NFL historical past with at the least 10 in his first three video games. Aubrey had 5 FGs towards the Jets, together with a 55-yarder. … Cardinals TE Zach Ertz has 77 catches for 735 yards and 5 touchdowns in 17 video games towards the Cowboys. … Arizona’s protection has 9 sacks by two video games. … The Cardinals offense line allowed no sacks final week. … Dobbs had a 99.9 passer score final week vs. the Giants, which was his highest in 4 profession begins. He accomplished 21 of 31 passes for 228 yards and a TD whereas working for 41 yards and a TD. … S Jalen Thompson has 5 interceptions over his previous 27 video games.
FANTASY TIP: Cardinals RB James Conner had a giant recreation towards the Giants, speeding for 106 yards and a landing. That’s most likely not an aberration. So long as Dobbs is the QB, the Cardinals will seemingly be a group that likes to maintain it on the bottom and Conner is — by far — the group’s No. 1 possibility.
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