New Arizona Cardinals coach Steve Wilks is going to find out just how difficult the NFL really is. Wilks and his team have made it look easy so for, winning both exhibition games, but he heads into the preseason Week 3 dress rehearsal with two gimpy quarterbacks. The rookie coach sounded like he’s been at it for decades earlier this week when he wouldn’t reveal any information on who would start and how long they would play against the Dallas Cowboys. Maybe he doesn’t know.
This duel in Week 3 of the preseason takes place on Sunday, August 26, 2018, at 8 p.m. ET from ATT Stadium. Watch the game live on NBC.
NFL Odds at BookMaker.eu
Arizona Cardinals PK
Dallas Cowboys PK
Over/Under 40.5
Odds Analysis
It’s been a good start for the Cards under their new coach winning and covering in their first two outings. Not so much for the Cowboys, who fell to 0-2 SU and 1-1 ATS by losing outright at home last week. The game opened as a pick em with a total of 40.5.
Quarterback Rotation
Wilks would rather not play Mike Glennon, but it could be unavoidable given the issues with his QBs. Sam Bradford has been eased into the rotation after his knees gave out last year, but he’s been money when on the field. Bradford and rookie Josh Rosen combined to beat the Saints last week with Bradford completing all six of his passes for 61 yards before handing off to Rosen.
The 10th overall pick in the draft had a much better outing against the Saints than his debut. Rosen was 10 of 16 for 107 yards, including a 13-yard touchdown to fellow draftee Christian Kirk. Rosen completed just 6 of 13 for 41 yards in the opener. Now his status for the dress rehearsal is in doubt after sustaining a thumb injury in practice, but Wilks was optimistic, saying “our intention is for him to play.”
We will see more of Dak Prescott on Sunday after he played three series against the Bengals last week. But his time on the field was productive. A week after throwing a touchdown pass on his only drive against the Niners, Prescott led a pair of scoring drives, finishing off the final one with a scoring pass to Terrance Williams. Prescott was 10 of 15 for 86 yards. Concerns over the passing game that emerged early in training camp have faded.
There are concerns over the backup job, which currently belongs to Cooper Rush. Rush was 6 of 9 for 37 yards against the Bengals, but he failed to produce points and was sacked twice. Mike White finished the game going 8 of 16 for 76 yards and was also sacked twice. He did lead a fourth quarter field goal drive that pulled the Boys within a point. Rush will likely finish Sunday’s game with White the projected Week 4 starter.
Injury Report
Touted as the best offensive line in the NFL, the Cowboys group has taken a hit recently. Guard Zach Martin, a four-time Pro Bowl selection, left last week’s game with a knee injury and didn’t return. The good news is that the injury isn’t serious and Martin could be ready for the regular season opener.
There is more concern for Pro Bowl center Travis Fredrick, who felt weakness in his extremities during camp and was diagnosed this week with an autoimmune disorder that put him on the shelf for the immediate future. The Cowboys had to alter their line last year when tackle Tyron Smith missed time with injuries. Smith is back but the group will be minus two key pieces that helped Ezekiel Elliott set a team rookie rushing record two seasons ago.
Free ATS Pick
There are more pressing concerns for Jason Garrett and that’s the health of his players. The line will look different heading into the season, but this is the time to make the adjustments and figure out who will fill in. We’ll probably see different rotations up front which could impact assignments, but it won’t affect Dak, who has been sharp this preseason. We could see a basic approach to the game meaning points will be hard to come by.
Defensively the Cowboys are solid and the first group will hound Bradford, Rosen, Glennon or whoever is quarterbacking the Cards. Arizona benefitted from sloppy play by its opponent in the first two games and I doubt the Cowboys are going to turn the ball over four times. Hold onto the rock and the Boys come away with a win that stays below the total.
NFL Odds: Cowboys 20, Cardinals 13
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