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Cowboys fans split blame for Cardinals collapse, with most pointing at the offense
In an SB Nation poll, 58% of Cowboys fans blamed the offense for the 33-30 overtime loss to Arizona. Dallas is favored at Indianapolis on Sunday.
Cowboys fans have reached a verdict on the 33-30 overtime loss to the Arizona Cardinals, and it was close. In a reader poll from SB Nation, 58% put the defeat on the offense and 42% on the defense. The poll also turned up a deeper concern: only 8% of respondents think the team is heading in the right direction.
The case against each unit is easy to make. Dallas led by 14 points in the fourth quarter at home. As FOX 4 Dallas-Fort Worth reported, backup quarterback Gardner Minshew then threw three fourth-quarter touchdown passes and running back Tyler Allgeier finished with 147 rushing yards. ESPN's recap noted that Chad Ryland won it for Arizona with a 42-yard field goal in overtime. SB Nation's David Halprin said the defense played well until late in the third quarter and then fell apart. He also argued that the offense, as the more talented group, is expected to carry the team and failed to close the game when it had the chances.
The fans' lean toward blaming the offense fits that expectation. Dallas had scored 30 or more points in four of its eight games, and the loss dropped the team to 3-5. Three of those five losses came by eight points or fewer, and two of them, against Baltimore and Arizona, were decided by three.
What it means for Indianapolis
The Cowboys go to Indianapolis on Sunday (Fox) needing to stop a pattern. They have not won consecutive games all season. Each of their three wins, over Washington, at Houston and at Philadelphia, was followed by a loss. The 38-21 win in Philadelphia two weeks ago looked like a turning point until Arizona's comeback. Dallas is 2-2 on the road, with both wins coming in shootouts.
Despite the losing record, Dallas is favored. On this site's game board, which tracks 12 venues, Novig lists the Cowboys at -208 on the moneyline and the Colts at +203. The spread is spread out more. Novig has Dallas favored by 4.5 at -102 on both sides, theScore Bet offers the Cowboys at -4 (-110), and BetRivers has Indianapolis at +5 (-110). That is a full point between the low and high numbers. SB Nation's preview cited 5.5 earlier in the week, so the number has come down. Sportsbook hold on the spread ranges from 3.3% to 5.2%.
The total reflects the way Dallas games have gone. Novig sets it at 51.5, with the over at -108 and the under at +104, while Pinnacle has the under at 52 (-108). Five of the eight Dallas games this season have gone past 50 combined points, and the Arizona game finished at 63.
Dallas also has little time to recover after Sunday. San Francisco comes to Arlington the following week, and the early board has the 49ers favored, with Novig at -199 and the Cowboys at +174. If the Cowboys lose in Indianapolis, they would face that game at 3-6. For updated numbers and results, see the Cowboys team page.