If you watched the Dallas Cowboys fall behind early against the Arizona Cardinals, you may have been thinking that the team was repeating their same mistakes as in last week’s loss to Denver. For the first 20 minutes of the game, the offense sputtered. Dak Prescott and Co. could only muster a couple of 3-and-outs to begin the game. On defense, the team failed to get off the field on third down, leading to a pristine stat line by Carson Palmer in the first half. It seemed as if the Cowboys could fall to 1-2 in the standings.

However, momentum changed towards the end of the first half. The offense finally found the end zone thanks to a leaping Dak Prescott touchdown run. On defense, the team began getting to Carson Palmer in the pocket.

After heading to the locker room tied at 7, the Cowboys were in a precarious position. However, their defense rose to the occasion in the second half. After struggling to cover Arizona, the team played the majority of the second half with just three defensive linemen. This allowed the secondary to clog throwing lanes for Carson Palmer. Furthermore, the Cowboys generated a lot of pressure with just those three defensive linemen.

The talk of the Cowboys’ defensive performance was 4^th-year defensive end Demarcus Lawrence. Lawrence has simply been on a tear to begin the 2017 season, and he had his best performance of the season Monday night. Lawrence recorded three sacks in the contest, and nearly had an interception on a deflected pass. He also recorded another sack that was nullified by a penalty. Through three games, Lawrence leads the NFL in sacks with 6.5. Lawrence is making a strong case for his first Pro Bowl bid, and can be a game changer for the team going forward, as he was against the Cardinals.

Dallas Cowboys Summary:

While the offense was looked at as the strength of the team going into the season, the defense has made a name for itself early on this season. The team recorded six sacks against the Cardinals, and will look to continue their pass rushing barrage against the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday, who travel to Arlington for the week four match-up.

Jared Wingate

Staff writer covering the Dallas Cowboys | Broadcast journalism major who is crazy about sports. Dallas native who loves to talk sports and follow the action with fellow fans. Follow me on Twitter @wingate_jared