Cowboys Insider Ed Werder on Team's Loss to Cardinals and Trade Rumors

Cowboys' Struggles Against the Cardinals

• 📉 The Cowboys suffered an unexpected home loss to the Arizona Cardinals, a team with a losing record and coming off several consecutive defeats.
• 🎯 Quarterback Dak Prescott described the team's performance as being "kicked on both sides of the ball," highlighting significant pressure from the Cardinals' defense.
• ⚡ The Cardinals' defense recorded season highs in takeaways, pressures, and sacks against the Cowboys.

Offensive Inconsistencies

• 📊 After averaging 30 points per game and ranking as the second-best offense, the Cowboys' starting offense has averaged only 13.5 points in their last two games.
• 📈 Coach Brian Shottenheimer expressed concern over the offense's inconsistent performance, noting they were "taken out of their game."
• ⚠️ Play-calling and decision-making seemed to be an attempt to compensate for a defense that was not trusted, leading to aggressive fourth-down attempts instead of field goals.

Defensive Weaknesses Exposed

• 🚫 The Cowboys' defense struggled to get opposing teams off the field, particularly on third downs, where they have the worst conversion rate in the NFL.
• 🧩 Despite a season-high five sacks, the defense failed to create takeaways and struggled against a backup quarterback, Jacobe Brassette, who exploited secondary weaknesses.
• 🤕 The absence of three starting defensive backs further contributed to the team's defensive struggles.

Trade Deadline Speculation

• 🗣️ Owner Jerry Jones hinted at potential trades before the deadline, stating that one trade had been made and more could follow.
• 📰 Reports suggest the Cowboys traded for linebacker Logan Wilson from the Cincinnati Bengals, a team with a historically poor defense.
• ❓ The acquisition of Wilson is seen as a potential personnel upgrade but not comparable to a significant offensive acquisition like Amari Cooper in 2018.