Cardinals-Cowboys rewind: Arizona snaps 3-game skid

The Arizona Cardinals (11-5) defeated the Dallas Cowboys, 25-22 on Sunday.

The Cardinals' eighth road victory this season snaps their three-game losing streak, and the Cowboys' four-game win streak.

The Cardinals are still in the hunt for the NFC West title with the Los Angeles Rams.

The Cowboys (11-5) now lose their chance to secure the No. 2 seed in the NFC playoffs.

Cowboys cut it close on late-game 3rd TD

Dak Prescott threw his third touchdown pass on second-and-goal from the 4 on the left side wide receiver Amari Cooper with 4:42 to go.

Then they scored a two-point conversion after Prescott rolled to the right to connect with Cedric Wilson.

The Cowboys are three-of-10 on two-point conversion attempts this season.

They now trail Arizona, 22-22, in what's becoming a nail-biter.

FG makes two-score lead for Cardinals

The Cardinals are now up 25-11 over the Cowboys from Matt Prater's fourth good field goal at 8:35 remaining in the game.

Prater is four-for-four following his 38-yard FG.

Cardinals recover Prescott's fumble

Cardinals inside linebacker Isaiah Simmons pulled off his team's biggest play of the game.

On second-and-11 from the Cowboys own 35 at 10:42 left to play, Simmons rushed up the middle, hammered his way past Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliot's block, and pressured Dallas quarterback Dak Prescott to make him run out of the pocket toward the left.

After Cardinals nose tackle Rashard Lawrence broke Prescott's stride up the middle, Simmons surged from behind and stripped the ball from Prescott. Cardinals outside linebacker Dennis Gardeck recovered the loose ball at the Cowboys 44.

That's the first turnover for either team this game.

Cowboys cut into Cardinals lead

Dak Prescott threw his second touchdown pass to wideout Cedric Wilson on third-and-goal at 13:49 in the fourth quarter.

The Cowboys attempted a two-point conversion before they were called for a pass formation penalty. They settled for an extra point to shave the Cardinals' lead to 22-14.

Cowboys offense struggling entering 4th quarter

The Cowboys don't look like the same team that put up 56 point in their rout of the Washington Football Team on Dec. 26.

Dallas is the NFL's top scoring offense with roughly 31 points per game entering Sunday, but is 2-for-8 on third down, have been held to just 26 rushing yards and 172 total offensive yards. The Cardinals have nearly twice as many in the latter category so far. Cowboys have committed eight penalties for 68 yards.

Plus, Cowboys quarterback isn't connected well with his receivers, going 15-of-29 for 150 yards and one touchdown.

They trail the Cardinals, 22-7, entering the final period. The Cowboys were favored to win this game by 4.5, according to Tipico.

Cardinals add to lead

Matt Prater has been on point Sunday.

He's 3-for-3 on his field goals, and kicked in his third for 26 yards at 4:01 left in the third quarter.

The Cardinals now lead the Cowboys, 22-7, and have finally found the momentum which has eluded Arizona for the past three weeks during losses to the Los Angeles Rams, lowly Detroit Lions, and Indianapolis Colts.

Cardinals' Wesley scored 2nd TD

Tweezy does it again.

Cardinals wide receiver Antoine Wesley, who's nicknamed "Tweezy" by his teammates, is showing out at his homecoming game against the Dallas Cowboys. He's scored both of Arizona's TDs.

The Texas native Wesley caught a 19-yard pass from Kyler Murray in the left corner of the end zone on third-and-6 at 9:39 mark in third quarter.

The Cardinals had two big plays in their fourth scoring drive. The first was Murray's 43-yard pass to wideout Christian Kirk from the shotgun on second-and-13 from their own 34. Wesley scored four plays later.

Arizona went for two-point conversion, which was no good. The Cardinals lead 19-7 and have scored on four of their first five possessions.

Prater's 2nd FG extends Cardinals' lead at halftime

Matt Prater successfully kicked in a 53-yard field goal to extend Arizona's lead over Dallas as time expired in the second quarter.

Prater is two-for-two on his FG attempts in the game.

Cardinals are up, 13-7, and the Cowboys trailed them the entire first half.

Arizona will receive the ball to start the second half.

Cowboys score TD late in 2nd quarter

Dallas wideout Michael Gallup caught a 21-yard touchdown pass in the front left corner of the end zone on third-and-5 with 1:30 left to play in the first half. The ball was contested by Cardinals cornerback Kevin Peterson, who was elevated from the practice squad on New Years Day.

The extra point was good to shave Arizona's lead to 10-7.

Gallup injured his left knee on the play and won't return to the game.

The Cardinals committed three of their five penalties (20 of 35 total yards in penalities so far this game) during the Cowboys' TD-scoring drive.

Wild catch on fake punt sustains drive

Kliff Kingsbury loves being experimental.

The Cardinals head coach and play-caller dug into his bag of trick plays, and the result contends as their most odd and best executed this season.

It began with a punt formation on fourth-and-2 from their own 36 at 11:08. Instead of punter Andy Lee taking the snap, veteran safety Chris Banjo caught the ball, threw his first pass of the season and second of his career to running back Jonathan Ward in the middle for 23 yards.

Ward caught the ball at the Dallas 41 with the help of Cowboys cornerback Nashon Wright's helmet as both fell to the ground.

Wright was called for a pass interference penalty, which the Cardinals declined after the officials reviewed the play.

The Cardinals continued their drive for another 10 plays. Kyler Murray threw the game's first touchdown on a 1-yard pass toward the left to rookie wideout Antoine Wesley at 5:27 left in the first half.

That was Wesley's second career TD, and the Cardinals completed the game's longest drive for 15 plays and 91 yards.

The extra point was good. Cardinals lead Cowboys, 10-0.

Budda Baker gets 2nd sack this season

The Cowboys had their second three-and-out after Cardinals safety Budda Baker sacked Cowboys' Dak Prescott.

Baker got his second sack of the season on third-and-11 at 14:36 in the second quarter. His

The Cardinals sent four on the pass rush, and Baker came from the left edge to tackle Prescott for a loss of one.

Cardinals lead Cowboys to end 1st quarter

Arizona had the game's only scoring play in the opening period.

Dallas kicker Greg Zuerlein missed a 43-yard field goal on fourth-and-9, which was the Cowboys' sole scoring attempt thus far.

Cardinals score first on FG

The Cardinals' two penalties on their opening drive cost them a potential touchdown.

They had to settle for Matt Prater's 24-yard field goal to go up 3-0 over Dallas on fourth-and-goal.

The Cardinals had two chunk plays in their opening nine-play, 78-yard drive. That included running back Chase Edmonds' 14-yard run on first-and-10 that put them at their own 40, and Kyler Murray's 42-yard pass to wide receiver A.J. Green three plays later, which brought them to the Cowboys 3.

Then after the Cardinals got down to the 1 two plays thereafter, the false start on right guard Josh Jones for five yards lost and illegal shift in the red zone pushed them back to the Cowboys 6 before the FG.

The Cardinals have the NFL's most penalties within the past three weeks.

Cardinals, Cowboys inactives

The Cardinals are entering the game short-handed without their leader in rushing yards and touchdowns James Conner again.

He and rookie speedster in wideout Rondale Moore were listed among the inactive players. Both players were questionable for the second consecutive game as they have been dealing with ankle and heel injuries respectively.

The other Cardinals inactives include cornerback Marco Wilson, defensive lineman Zach Kerr and Jordan Phillips, and tight end Demetrius Harris.

Cowboys inactives are QB Will Grier, CBs Maurice Canady and Israel Mukuamu, guard Matt Farniok, and wide receiver Simi Fehoko.

Other Cardinals-Cowboys storylines

• Cardinals-Cowboys scouting report, prediction

• NFL Week 17 odds: Money lines, point spreads, over/unders

• Cardinals getting healthier, which will help at crunch time

• Arizona Cardinals need to get better or jobs are at risk

• Chase Edmonds: Cardinals need leaders to step up and take charge to end three-game slide

Have tips for us? Reach the reporter at dana.scott@azcentral.com or at 480-486-4721. Follow his Twitter @iam_DanaScott.

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This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Cardinals-Cowboys rewind: Arizona snaps 3-game skid