The Arizona Cardinals benched Jacoby Brissett in the third quarter Sunday against the Dallas Cowboys, and Gardner Minshew turned a 17-3 deficit into a 33-30 overtime win at AT&T Stadium.
Brissett was 10 of 23 for 119 yards with an interception when coach Mike LaFleur made the switch, according to Yahoo Sports’ Chris Cwik. LaFleur had resisted a quarterback change for weeks, Sports Illustrated’s Donnie Druin reported, and he kept his explanation short afterward: “I just thought we needed a spark.”
He got one. Tyler Allgeier broke a 63-yard touchdown run early in the comeback, and Minshew threw fourth-quarter touchdown passes to Allgeier and Trey McBride. Minshew finished 17 of 23 for 188 yards and three touchdowns.
The ending was messy. Down 30-24 with no timeouts left, Minshew drove Arizona down the field and found Michael Wilson for a 13-yard touchdown with 6 seconds to go. Chad Ryland then missed the go-ahead extra point wide left, his first miss after 58 straight makes, The Associated Press reported. Ryland got his redemption in overtime with a 42-yard field goal to win it.
Allgeier finished with 191 scrimmage yards, 147 of them on the ground, and Wilson caught eight passes for 111 yards. Arizona outgained Dallas 467-261. The Cardinals improved to 3-5, have now beaten the Cowboys five straight times and are 5-0 at AT&T Stadium, per the AP. Dallas, which led by two touchdowns early in the fourth quarter, also fell to 3-5.
So, who starts in Seattle?
LaFleur didn’t say. He declined to name a Week 9 starter after the game, and Minshew said he hadn’t been told whether the job is his, according to SI. LaFleur also made a point of not pinning the first half on Brissett alone, saying the offense’s struggles were a group problem. Arizona plays at Seattle next Sunday. Dallas heads to Indianapolis.
Why it matters
McGraw Media’s read: Minshew didn’t just change the scoreboard, he changed the conversation in Arizona, and it would be a surprise if he isn’t under center in Seattle. Still, LaFleur deserves credit for how he handled the messaging. He made the move, gave a one-line reason and refused to hang a bad half on one player, which is exactly how you keep a quarterback room from splitting after a day like this. At 3-5, the Cardinals aren’t out of anything yet. They just can’t afford many more first halves like this one.
Leave a Reply