Desert Toppings

Since moving to Arizona in 1988, the Cardinals often have been predictable but not in a good way. This season is different. The 28-17 victory over the Cowboys at AT&T Stadium looked a lot like the six that came before it.

The offense went from explosive to stagnant and back again as if a toddler had discovered a light switch. The defense was consistently good, and when the Cardinals fell behind, the only people who panicked were their fans.

“We are a scrappy group,” said quarterback Carson Palmer, “all over the place, offense, defense and special teams. We have a great fight and mindset about us. Nothing is too big to overcome. I think we proved that today.”

At 7-1, the Cardinals have won four consecutive games, have the best record in the NFL and are 5-0 in the conference, which is important if tiebreakers become involved at playoff time.

“Honestly, right now, the confidence is through the roof,” said cornerback Patrick Peterson. “No matter who we step on the field with, or what the scenario is, we feel we are the best team on the football field. We spotted them 10 points. We didn’t blink.”

The Cowboys (6-3) were at a disadvantage playing without quarterback Tony Romo and two starting offensive linemen. The Cardinals have endured their share of injuries, so they shed no tears for the Cowboys.

To win, the Cowboys needed something special to happen, and it did when rookie cornerback Tyler Patmon returned an interception 58 yards for a touchdown in the first quarter. After a Dan Bailey field goal, the Cardinals found themselves behind, 10-0, at the end of the first quarter.

“I don’t think anybody felt like we couldn’t overcome this,” said Palmer.

That’s because the Cardinals have been doing it all season. They scored on two long drives in the second quarter to take a 14-10 lead, and it felt like another touchdown would put the game away.

It nearly came on the final play of the first half.

Justin Bethel flew in from the Cowboys’ left side to block a field-goal attempt. Peterson picked up the ball and looked as if he was going to return it 79 yards for a score. But he was caught by tight end Jason Witten at the 19, which Peterson’s teammates were all too happy to remind him of after the game.

For instance, Peterson’s good friend, Tyrann Mathieu, was asked if Mathieu would have scored had he not stumbled after an interception in the third quarter.

“Well, Witten caught Pat earlier so he probably would have caught me, too,” Mathieu said. “I think I’m faster than Patrick Peterson. I said that on camera.”

A few lockers away, Peterson smiled when asked about his teammates’ teasing.

“They are definitely giving me a ton of grief for getting caught by Jason Witten and the kicker,” Peterson said. “When you see it on film, I had some room, but I didn’t have room enough to make something happen. As soon as the ball was blocked, those guys (the Cowboys) took off running because they knew someone was going to get their hands on the ball and possibly score.”

Mathieu’s interception was just one of several plays the defense made in the third quarter to keep the Cowboys at bay.

The offense did little in the third quarter except get in its own way. Holding and chop-block penalties spoiled two possessions, and the Cardinals gained just 54 yards in the quarter.

“Penalties really kicked our ass on offense to start the second half,” coach Bruce Arians said. “We’d pop a 15-yard run, a 20-yard run but they kept coming back. But I liked the way our guys – it did not bother them. They hung in there.”

It helps when the other team is without its starting quarterback. With Romo missing the game because of a back injury, Brandon Weeden took all the snaps.

That’s about all he did with any success.

He completed 18 of 33 for 183 yards, but 80 of those came after the Cardinals led, 21-10, in the fourth quarter.

Peterson defended receiver Dez Bryant the entire game, and Bryant didn’t have a catch until the fourth quarter. Bryant caught a touchdown pass on Peterson with 1:08 left, but the game had been decided by then.

“It was great to see Patrick perform well,” Mathieu said. “He takes most of the criticism for our defense and our secondary.”

The Cardinals defense stuffed the Cowboys throughout. Running back DeMarco Murray, who set an NFL record by rushing for at least 100 yards in eight games to start the season, gained 79 on 19 carries.

The Cardinals intercepted two of Weeden’s passes in the second half and stuffed Murray on fourth down for no gain midway through the fourth quarter, when they were nursing a 7-point lead.

The 7-1 start is the Cardinals best since 1974. As has been their custom, too, Arians and a handful of veterans emphasized they have won nothing yet.

But like being alive, arriving at the season’s halfway point with a 7-1 record is better than the alternative.

“Having been 1-7 before, 7-1, it feels a lot better,” Arians said.