Dallas Cowboys: Matchups to watch in Week Three against Arizona Cardinals

The Dallas Cowboys will face a tough test this week as they take on the Arizona Cardinals. Here are some key matchups to look out for.

After a tough Week Two, the Cowboys find themselves looking to bounce back against the Arizona Cardinals. In terms of matchups, this contest is more similar to what the Cowboys are used to.

The Broncos defense is definitely an anomaly in this league and proved it after stopping the Cowboys top-tier offense. This will be a big game for the Dallas defense as they head into Week Three with a banged up secondary. Here are some of the most important matchups to focus on in this contest.

Patrick Peterson VS Dez Bryant: This should be a top-tier showdown as the Cowboys best receiver, Dez Bryant will likely be shadowed by one of the best veteran cornerbacks in the league, Patrick Peterson.

Bryant has had some criticism from the fantasy football community for not showing higher levels of production. Bryant found the end zone against the best secondary in football which is no easy task and if he can channel a higher level of consistency into his game then he may be the best wide receiver in football.

Until then it seems as if Bryant will struggle sporadically depending on game flow and the plan in place. This is one of those matchups that somewhat makes you cringe and Cowboys quarterback, Dak Prescott should find better targets down the field.

If Peterson “wins” this battle it will be because the Cowboys knowingly did not force the ball to Dez in tight coverage. Passing the ball could be a moot point if the Cardinals struggle to contain the run.

Cowboys star, Ezekiel Elliott cannot be happy with the performance he put up against the Broncos and that should translate into some big stat totals for the former Buckeye. The Cowboys are a run first team in 2017 and that may mean a quieter game from Bryant than most of us expect.

Ezekiel Elliott VS Cardinals defense:

On paper, I do not see the Cardinals stopping Elliott like the Broncos did. The Cardinals defense lacks size, power, and potent pass rushers other than former New England Patriot, Chandler Jones. I would not be surprised if Elliott had over 100 yards in this contest as the Cowboys try to return to power run football.

Now the Cardinals run defense is not terrible but are they better than the New York Giants or the Broncos? Probably not, and Zeke could be just getting started as now he is more driven than ever to make an impact on the football field. I mean this is a team that went into overtime with the Indianapolis Colts without Andrew Luck.

The Cardinals also allowed Colts running back Frank Gore to get into the end zone and the Detroit Lions proved you can beat them through the air. The Cowboys should be able to pick apart the Cardinals with a balanced attack that should lead to some big runs and moments for Elliott.

Dak Prescott VS Cardinals Secondary: Dak Prescott had a tough time against the Broncos and even though one of those interceptions rests entirely on Dez Bryant, the Cowboys signal caller must be sharper than he was on the road in Denver.

Without an elite pass rusher breathing down Prescott’s neck he should have enough time to make the plays we are used to seeing him make. Chain moving dimes to starting slot receiver, Cole Beasley and the added ability to use his legs without getting mauled by a top-tier pass rush.

Dak should look to have his best game of the season so far, and in 2016 around this time, that is when things began to click for this offense. Dak cannot miss windows like he did against the Broncos but he will likely have more space and his receivers should get more separation against the Cardinals.

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Lions quarterback, Matt Stafford put up a ton of points against the Cardinals basically without a productive running attack. The mixture of Dak and Zeke should work wonders to put the Cardinals to bed and allow the Cowboys to scoop up another win. It would not be surprising to see Dak put up multiple touchdowns in this contest.

Cowboys defense VS Carson Palmer: Finally we get to Arizona Cardinals quarterback, Carson Palmer. So far this season he has a 2-4 touchdown to interception ratio and has not reached a QBR of 100 in two games.

To say Palmer has looked awful would be an understatement. This guy was being pressured and threw an interception against quite possibly the worst team (right now) in the NFL, the Indianapolis Colts.

The Cowboys defense despite their performance in Week Two is a lot better than they were in 2016 especially when it comes to pressuring opposing quarterbacks. The return of Damontre Moore as a situational pass rusher/run stopper will do wonders for this defensive line.

Moore is a disruptive player who tackles well and with a lot of power. Dallas also lost most of their starting cornerbacks against the Broncos, however, rookie Chidobe Awuzie and veteran Orlando Scandrick should be back in the lineup.

Next: Dallas Cowboys: Harsh reality is Dak Prescott must improve

The Cowboys clear defensive leader at this stage has to be Demarcus Lawrence who has been absolutely dominant in his first two games of the 2017 season. He has racked up two sacks in both games and should continue to be the Cowboys best pass rusher against the struggling Cardinals offensive line.

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