Monday, August 07, 2017

Dallas upends Arizona 20-18 in Hall of Fame Game

Photo by Darla S Tamulitis, La Vita Loca Photography
Copyright 2017, All Rights Reserved
By Robert H Kelly
Copyright 2017 TexSport Publications

CANTON, TEXAS (August 3, 2017) The Cardinals scored 15 points in the first quarter, but it was not enough to stop the Cowboys in the second half as Dallas came from behind to down Arizona 20-18 in the Pro Football Hall of Fame Game at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium in Canton, Ohio on Thursday, August 3, 2017. 

The Cardinals struck first, taking the initial kickoff and moving the ball 75 yards to cap  he drive with  five-yard 
run by running back Kerwynn Williams. The four-year veteran from Utah State took the ball from quarterback Blaine Gabbert and swept around the left side for the score. The drive lasted 4:14 and took eight plays. They increased their lead to 15-0 six minutes later when running back Andre Ellington carried the ball the final three yards of a 64-yard drive for the second touchdown of the game. After two defensive penalties on Dallas, Gabbert kept the ball and rushed the final one-yard for the two points. He stated after the game “I felt like the offense did a good job coming back. … I thought we played better as it went on.”
Photo by Darla S Tamulitis, La Vita Loca Photography
Copyright 2017, All Rights Reserved

The Cowboys quickly came back on their next possession and drove 89 yards in 3:54 to get on the scoreboard. Quarterback Kellen Moore connected with tight end Rico Gathers on a 26-yard pass for the touchdown. Sam Irwin-Hill split the uprights for the conversion to cut the Cardinals' lead to eight. Dallas added three more points to their first half total when Irwin-Hill booted a 23-yard field goal to make the score 15-10 with 7:51 remaining in the second quarter. The drive covered 83 yards in 12 plays and lasted 5:36. After the Dallas kickoff, the Cardinals started their drive on their 40-yard line, after Irwin-Hill shanked the kickoff out of bounds. After three-and-out, the Cardinals punted with the Cowboys fair-catching the ball on their own 20-yard line. With both teams feeling each other out for the remainder of the first half, the score remained 15-10 at halftime.
Photo by Darla S Tamulitis, La Vita Loca Photography
Copyright 2017, All Rights Reserved

The Cowboys added a touchdown and two field goals in the second half to take their scoring to 20. The Cardinals booted a field goal in the second half to close out the scoring. Gabbert completed 11 passes on 14 attempts for 185 yards. Rookie Trevor Knight saw some action; went 5-of-14 for 68 yards while rushing for 12 yards. Cowboy starter Kellen Moore went 12-of-17 for 182 yards and one touchdown, while backup rookie Cooper Rush was 9-of-18 for 87 yards and one touchdown. T.J. Logan led all Cardinal rushers with four carries for 24 yards while Rod Smith tallied 64 yards in 18 carries for the Cowboys.

The Cowboys will next face the Los Angeles Rams on Saturday August 12 while the Cardinals play the Oakland Raiders on the same day.

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