GLENDALE, Ariz.– We won't forget the national anthem and pre-game festivities anytime soon Of course, we wont forget Dak's flip to the end zone or Dez Bryant dragging three guys for another score. Or what about both of Brice Butler's amazing catches that turned the game around.
No one will forget those plays, but they'll probably overlook these five that also played a big part in the Cowboys' 28-17 win Monday night.
Holding Leads to FG Miss – The Cardinals were completely dominating the early part of the game and appeared headed for a 14-0 lead before a crucial holding penalty on Jared Veldheer wiped out what would've been a second TD pass by Carson Palmer. The Cards were pushed back to third-and-15 from the 20 and only picked up two yards on a quarterback scramble. However, the drive became empty for the Cards, who saw Phil Dawson push a field goal attempt to the right, keeping the score 7-0.
Rookie Stops Big Play – Midway through the third quarter, the Cardinals had a chance for a big gain down the left sideline on a third-and-long. As he did often, Carson Palmer went deep to Jaron Brown, who appeared to have a catch in his hands before rookie cornerback Jourdan Lewis caught up to slap the ball away at the last second. The Cardinals were looking at another first down around the Cowboys' 30 but had to punt the ball away instead. Lewis was picked on a few times but seemed to win most of the time.
Williams Provides Field-Position Flip – While the Cowboys were looking to gain some momentum in the third quarter, they only got one first down, but it was a big one. A 22-yard catch by Terrance Williams got the Cowboys out of a hole and pushed the ball to midfield. While the drive stalled, it allowed the Cowboys to pin the Cards back to the 7. From there, the defense forced a punt and the Cowboys were able to play downhill on the next series and grab a 14-7 lead. It all started with a clutch diving grab by Williams.
Palmer's 3 Straight Misfires – The Cardinals were on the move to try and tie the score at 21. Palmer had just connected with Larry Fitzgerald on an amazing third-and-18 conversion that showed why the Cards receiver is a surefire Hall-of-Famer. But with a first down at the Cowboys' 19 with 6:59 to play, the drive suddenly fizzled, thanks to a stingy Cowboys defense. It was nothing flashy, but Palmer threw three straight incomplete passes, and the Cards had to settle for a field goal, keeping the Cowboys in front.
Negated TD Adds Time– As dramatic as it would've been for Brice Butler to have two touchdown catches in the fourth quarter, it worked out better for the Cowboys that the officials reversed his second score, calling him down by contact at the 22-yard line. The 75-yard score to give the Cowboys a 21-14 lead was ruled a 53-yard catch with 6:20 to play. While the Cowboys still had to earn it, the offense scored in three plays to take the lead anyway. Once Arizona got it back, there was only 4:57 to remaining. That extra time would've certainly helped the Cardinals late in the game when they were driving and trailing by two scores.
Bonus Play– Let's go ahead and add a sixth play just because it could've easily been forgotten, but didn't really have an impact on the outcome. But don't forget DeMarcus Lawrence actually had another sack wiped out because of a holding penalty in coverage. Lawrence finished the game with three sacks, and could've even picked up another half-sack and also had what could've been a fourth one negated by penalty. A three-sack game by D-Law was nearly a 4.5 sack game as well.
