Arizona Cardinals vs Dallas Cowboys 8/26/18 Odds, Preview and Prediction

The Arizona Cardinals aim to keep their spotless preseason record as they face an NFC foe in the Dallas Cowboys as Week 3 of the 2018 NFL preseason continues on Saturday, August 26, 2018 in Dallas.

Arizona and Dallas have been moving in opposite directions in this preseason. The Cardinals won their second consecutive preseason game last week after beating the New Orleans Saints 20-15 last Friday. Meanwhile, the Cowboys suffered their second straight loss at the hands of the Cincinnati Bengals 13-21, last Saturday.

Off To A Strong Start

The Arizona Cardinals have gotten off to a strong start in the preseason behind solid quarterback play. Rookie Josh Rosen has played and delivered quality minutes while trying to compete for the starting quarterback job with presumed starter Sam Bradford.

Bradford started last week’s contest and went a perfect 6 out of 6 for 61 yards before taking a seat on the bench. Rosen, who has looked very comfortable playing under center, then took over and completed 10 out of 16 passes for a total of 107 yards including one touchdown. There are reports that Rosen suffered a thumb injury during Monday’s practice and he may not see action in this contest.

David Johnson had six carries for 22 yards and one touchdown while Christian Kirk led all receivers with four receptions for 49 yards. On the other hand, Chad Williams contributed another three catches for a total of 44 yards.

Defensively, the Cardinals produced four sacks against the Saints. They also forced 5 quarterback hits which led to four turnovers by New Orleans and had a total of six tackles for loss which really put a lot of pressure on the Saints’ quarterbacks. New Orleans’ starter Drew Brees didn’t see action though. Still it was a good defensive effort on the part of Arizona.

For the Cowboys, Dak Prescott threw for 86 yards including one score on 10-15 passing but the Cowboys dropped their last contest to the Bengals. Mike White went 8-16 for 76 yards while Cooper Rush threw for 37 yards on six out of nine throws. Dallas led 10-0 at the half as their defense was able to hold Cincinnati scoreless but they scored only 3 points the rest of the way.

The Cowboys’ offensive line has suffered some damage lately, although nothing is major. All-Pro guard Zach Martin is still on the mend with a knee problem while Pro Bowler Travis Frederick is dealing with neck issues.

Likewise, the Cowboys are still trying to figure out their wide receiver position after the retirement of Jason Witten and the release of Dez Bryant. Dalton Schultz and Darius Jackson led the Cowboys with four receptions each last week while it was Terrance Williams who had the touchdown catch.

Anthony Brown led the Cowboys with four tackles against the Bengals while Taco Charlton came up with a sack. The Dallas defense also forced one interception courtesy of Chidobe Awuzie.

Who Wins?

Dallas is still dealing with injuries to a couple of key players of its offensive line. They also appear to be searching for the order in their wide receiver position. Also, Ezekiel Elliott could be rested to keep him 100% healthy for the regular season grind. All these issues could have significant impact in the result of this game.

The Cowboys are due for their first preseason win and Prescott looked good in their last outing. But the Cardinals have been one of the better teams so far in this preseason. The looming battle for the starting quarterback slot has brought out the best in their offense, or at least in their first two preseason games.