Fortunately for the Cowboys, their offense came alive with the activation of their rushing attack and, now, it’s a matter of sticking to that formula so that Dak Prescott can more easily make teams pay with his fellow All-Pros, CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens.
And, for the defense, it’s about continuing to make strides, as they have the past several weeks in holding opponents to just under 23 points per game.
“I think it’s always the mindset: continue to improve,” Downs explained. “And that’s always what it’s gonna be, no matter what happens. So, whoever’s on the field just has to continue to up our level, play up to our standard, and that’s what we’re gonna do.”
This is a chance for rookies like Downs, Malachi Lawrence and Jaishawn Barham to start their NFL career with a win over the Cardinals, something not many in a Cowboys uniform can boast — Lamb pointing out recently that he’s never beaten them in his seven-year career.
To get the victory and break the ongoing curse that’s allowed Arizona to haunt Dallas for years, Downs and his defensive compatriots will have to focus on shutting down all-world tight end Trey McBride and rookie first-round pick Jeremiyah Love, the latter returning from injury to take on the Cowboys and, in the process, to put their run defense to the test.
“I think they do a good job with their motions. and they run the ball well.” said Downs. “They have a lot of different personnel groupings, like the Rams did a couple years ago. I think, all of that combined, they have a good offense, and we’re gonna have to do our jobs.”