The Dallas Cowboys are hosting the Arizona Cardinals in Week 9 on Monday Night Football. Both teams are badly in need of a win, as Dallas has lost two of its past three games, while Arizona has come out on the losing side of the equation in five straight games.
Although Arizona is coming off its bye, the Cardinals' decision at quarterback is confusing and looks like an attempt at gamesmanship. When speaking to the media on Saturday, Arizona head coach Jonathan Gannon said that Jacoby Brissett will be the starting QB on Monday night. He followed that up by suggesting Kyler Murray could "have a role" on gameday too, but it depends on how Saturday's practice shakes out.
Cardinals Set to Start Jacoby Brissett vs. Cowboys but Could Use Kyler Murray
As recently as Thursday, Gannon said that Murray was preparing to start. The Cowboys were prepping for that scenario as well, according to head coach Brian Schottenheimer. He added they'll be ready for Brissett as well, but it's clear that the Cardinals are bouncing from one QB to another.
While Arizona seems to have made its decision, it wants to keep the Cowboys' defense on its toes. With Murray missing the last two games for the Cardinals, in addition to having the bye week to rest, the assumption was that he would be ready to return to the field, but that's not the case.
With Brissett getting another start, Arizona's head coach suggesting Murray could be out there doesn't seem realistic. Why would the Cardinals throw Murray out there for certain snaps but not have him start? It seems that his foot isn't where it needs to be, so the odds that Arizona trots him out there are slim to none.
Dallas, regardless of who is back there, needs to play stout defense. Murray would have likely been a greater challenge for the Cowboys due to his ability to make plays off script, but Brissett is a veteran who has seen his fair share of action at the NFL level as a starter. They cannot take him lightly.
It isn't ideal that Schottenheimer said the Cowboys were preparing for Murray all week and now have to alter the game plan. The defense has struggled enough through eight weeks, ranking 31st in total defense (404.6) and scoring defense (31.3).
Over the last two games with Brissett at quarterback, the Cardinals averaged 365 total yards and 25 points per game. They're able to move the ball, and Dallas must be ready to roll. And based on Gannon's comments, they don't even know what they'll do at QB, so the Cowboys must be ready for whatever gets thrown their way on primetime.