Dallas Cowboys vs. Arizona Cardinals live updates: Matt Prater wins it with late field goal

The Arizona Cardinals hosted the Dallas Cowboys in their first NFL preseason game of 2021 at State Farm Stadium on Friday night.

Look back at these live updates from the game in Glendale, Arizona.

The Cardinals won the game, 19-16, on a last-second field goal from Matt Prater.

More:Arizona Cardinals primed to end NFL playoff drought in 2021-22 season

Postgame thoughts

The Cardinals brought in Matt Prater to shore up their kicking game and it paid dividends in the first preseason game.

Prater went 4-for-4 on field goal attempts and hit his lone extra point attempt.

He hit field goals of 33, 28, 48 and 47 yards.

His 48-yarder tied the game with 1:55 remaining, 16-16.

His 47-yarder won it as time expired, 19-16. Yes, it's just the preseason, but the Cardinals have to feel good about their kicking situation.

The team probably feels good about its backup quarterback situation as well. Colt McCoy was efficient for Arizona (6-for-7, 69 yards) and showed he can run the offense in the event that he needs to step in for Kyler Murray.

That could also pay off this season. 

Other standouts for the Cardinals included RB Eno Benjamin (five carries, 50 yards, 84 yards on three kick returns) and WR Rondale Moore (two carries, 16 yards, three catches, 23 yards).

Third-string QB Chris Streveler was just 12-for-24 passing for 107 yards, but he led the Cardinals into field goal position when he had too.

He rushed for 55 yards on 10 carries.

Arizona next plays at the Kansas City Chiefs next Friday at 5 p.m. on ESPN.

More:Veteran kicker Prater, rookies make the plays in Cardinals' preseason win over Cowboys

More:Kyler Murray, Chandler Jones, DeAndre Hopkins and others sit out Cardinals' preseason game

Cardinals win with late field goal

The Cardinals' defense did its job, stopping the Cowboys and forcing them to punt with 1:02 remaining in the game.

After the punt, the Cardinals had the ball with 52 seconds remaining at their own 31 yard line.

Streveler ran for 13 yards. Then he threw a pass to JoJo Ward for five yards before then throwing an incompletion.

The Cardinals got a first down on a Streveler pitch to Tavien Feaster before hitting JoJo Ward for eight yards to put the team into field goal range.

On second and three, Streveler threw the ball away. The Cowboys then jumped offside to give Arizona a first down at the 31 yards line with 21 seconds left.

Feaster ran for one yard and the Cardinals called a timeout with two seconds left.

Prater hit a 47-yard field goal to win the game as time expired for Arizona, 19-16.

Cardinals tie game with field goal

The Cardinals elected to go for it on 4th down and 12 from the Dallas 25 with 1:55 left and QB Chris Streveler was sacked, but a Cardinals penalty prior to the snap allowed them to bring out Matt Prater for a 48-yard attempt to tie the game at 16-16.

There is no overtime in NFL preseason games.

The Cowboys will get the ball with 1:51 remaining in the game with a chance to win the game with a field goal.

Prater is 3-for-3 on his field goals in the game, a big positive for Arizona after the kicking unit struggles with Zane Gonzalez last season. Prater also hit his lone extra point attempt.

Cardinals have shot to come back

The Cardinals will get the ball with 4:34 remaining in the game with the opportunity to try to tie or win the game.

Chris Streveler is just 7-for-15 passing for 60 yards, but is always threat to do something with his legs.

The Cardinals' third-string QB hsa 49 rushing yards on eight carries.

Can he get something going with the Cardinals late?

Ben DiNucci leads Cowboys to lead

Ben DiNucci was the third quarterback to play for the Cowboys, but he was the only one to lead the team on a touchdown drive.

DiNucci hit Brandon Smith on a 1-yard pass with 9:36 left in the game to give Dallas a 16-13 lead.

The drive took 14 plays and went for 80 yards. It lasted 6:32 seconds.

DiNucci, in his second season out of James Madison, is 5-for-8 in the game for 36 yards while also rushing for 10 yards on his only carry.

The Cardinals continue to struggle getting late-down stops. Dallas is 3-for-4 on fourth downs. They are 6-for-14 on third down.

Cardinals defense holds

The Cowboys have had four drives of 10 plays or more in the game against the Cardinals, but they have just nine points to show for it as Arizona's defense has been able to make plays when necessary to keep Dallas out of the end zone.

Hunter Niswander made a 36-yard field goal with 5:49 left in the third quarter to help the Cowboys pull within 13-9.

The series went 10 plays for 57 yards over 4:12.

Another field goal drive for the Cowboys was for 11 plays and 55 yards and the other was for 10 plays and 60 yards.

Dallas' other drive of at least 10 plays ended with the Cowboys turning the ball over on downs.

Michael Bidwill comments on NFL's 17th game

Early in the third quarter of the Cardinals vs. Cowboys game Friday night, Cardinals analyst Ron Wolfley asked Cardinals owner Michael Bidwill in an interview during the broadcast if he thought the NFL adding a 17th game to the regular season was a mistake.

Bidwill's reply?

"No," he said. "Fans want it. We want it. The players want it."

The Cardinals will play the Cleveland Browns in Week 6 of the season in the added game.

Some people have expressed concern about another NFL regular season game. The NFL went to three preseason games this season instead of four in an attempt to placate some of the concerns.

On the field, the Cardinals took a 13-6 lead on a 28-yard field goal by Matt Prater with 10:01 left in the first half.

Eno Benjamin had a 39-yard run on Arizona's scoring drive.

Cardinals take 10-6 lead into half

The Cowboys pulled within 10-6 on a 38-yard field goal by Hunter Niswander with 45 seconds remaining in the first half.

Both teams have some positives to take away from the first half, and some negatives.

Colt McCoy looked good for Arizona, going 6-for-7 for 69 yards during his time in the game, but the team struggled to protect him, allowing three sacks.

Rondale Moore stood out for Arizona with 3 catches for 23 yards and two carries for 16 yards.

Eno Benjamin got his first NFL touchdown.

NFL Network analyst Andrew Hawkins said he was impressed with Cardinals rookies Rondale Moore and Zaven Collins in the first half.

Dallas had eight different receivers catch a pass in the first half, led by Cedric Wilson's two receptions for 40 yards.

Both teams had one turnover in the half.

Eno Benjamin finds end zone

Eno Benjamin found the end zone for the Cardinals with a 6-yard run to give Arizona a 10-3 lead with 4:18 left in the first half.

The touchdown was set up by a 23 yard run by quarterback Chris Streveler. 

Prater kicked the extra point for the Cardinals and then kicked the ensuing kickoff through the end zone. He's expected to handle all place kicking duties this season.

Changes to personnel

The Cowboys put in Cooper Rush at quarterback with eight minutes left in the first half, while the Cardinals sent linebackers Zaven Collins and Isaiah Simmons to the bench at the same time.

Cardinals quarterback Colt McCoy has been sacked three times for 18 yards, and taken some big hits and it seemed to get rougher for him when Arizona took most of its starting offensive linemen out of the game.

Garrett Gilbert went 7-for-16 for 80 yards during his time in the game.

It appears that from here on out it will mainly be backups for both teams.

Chris Streveler replaced Colt McCoy at quarterback for Arizona on the Cardinals' next possession after Arizona forced a turnover on a fumble.

Eno Benjamin gets good return

Eno Benjamin took a Dallas kickoff 33 yards after a Dallas field goal to give the Cardinals good field position.

Benjamin has impressed in training camp as he looks to earn a roster spot with the Cardinals after being a seventh-round pick a year ago.

Cardinals coaches have said very positive things about Benjamin's development. Perhaps sticking out on special teams can help him earn a role with the team this season.

He's listed as the team's fourth running back behind Chase Edmonds, James Conner and Jonathan Ward.

The Cowboys tied the game, 3-3, with a 36-yard field goal from Hunter Niswander with 11:48 left in the second quarter.

Rookie wide receiver impressing for Cardinals

The Cardinals did some impressive things on their first scoring drive of the preseason, but they had to settle for a 33-yard Matt Prater field goal with 37 seconds left in the first quarter after Colt McCoy was sacked on third down.

McCoy is 5-for-6 for the Cardinals for 62 yards and Arizona has utilized wide receiver Rondale Moore impressively early.

The rookie out of Purdue has 2 carries for 16 yards and 2 receptions for 14 yards.

It will be interesting to see how Arizona utilizes Moore this season on the inside with DeAndre Hopkins and A.J. Green on the outside.

The Cardinals lead the Cowboys after the first quarter, 3-0.

Arizona gained 85 years in the first quarter. Dallas gained 50.

McCoy finds Kirk for big gain

Colt McCoy found Christian Kirk for a 37-yard gain down the sideline nine minutes into the game, a very encouraging sign for Kirk and the Cardinals.

Arizona is hoping Kirk steps up this season after an up-and-down season a year ago. They need him to step up as the team's third receiver behind DeAndre Hopkins and A.J. Green.

McCoy has looked solid on his early throws, although the pass to Kirk is the only long one he has attempted. The veteran QB provides Arizona some insurance at the position should Kyler Murray ever end up missing some time.

Some good, bad early for Cardinals

The Cardinals' Zaven Collins tackled Cowboys RB Tony Pollard for a 2-year loss on the first play of his Cardinals career.

The team is counting on him to step up as a rookie this season and he did early, helping Arizona force Dallas to a 3-and-out to open the game.

Another Cardinals rookie, wide receiver Rondale Moore, caught a 7-yard pass on his first play with the team.

A veteran Cardinals player, tight end Maxx Williams, was stripped to give Dallas the ball later on Arizona's first possession.

The Cardinals gave up 12 yards on 4th and 10 on the ensuing drive for the Cowboys with Garrett Gilbert completing a pass to Michael Gallup.

On the 10th play of that drive, however, the Cardinals were able to stop the Cowboys on 4th and 3 to end Dallas' drive deep in Cardinals territory.

Kyler Murray out vs. Cowboys

Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray will not play against the Dallas Cowboys.

Cardinals coach Kliff Kingsbury had said Thursday that Murray would see limited action to open the game against Dallas, but it appears that he has changed his mind and will not play the quarterback.

Murray threw some passes before the game, but did not stretch with teammates and did not go through pregame warmups. The Cardinals will play Colt McCoy and Chris Streveler at quarterback.

The Cardinals appear to have opted to also not play OLB Chandler Jones and WR DeAndre Hopkins as well, and safety Budda Baker.

Cardinals vs. Cowboys, Part I of III?

Friday night's Cardinals and Cowboys NFL preseason game isn't the only time these teams are scheduled to play each other this season.

Arizona is scheduled to face Dallas in Austin, Texas in Week 17 of the NFL season on Jan. 2, 2022, the second to last week of the regular season.

The Cardinals are scheduled to face the Kansas City Chiefs and the New Orleans Saints in their other preseason games, but they won't face either of those teams in the regular season.

Not to get too ahead of ourselves, but that Week 17 game in Dallas could be very important for each team's playoff chances or seeding. There's always the chance that the teams meet again in the postseason, too.

The Cardinals beat the Cowboys in Dallas in Week 6 last season, 38-10.

Prescott gets in some throws

Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott got in some throws before the team's game against the Cardinals in Arizona on Friday night.

Prescott has been out with a right shoulder strain for Dallas, but the team still expects him to be ready for its season opener Sept. 9 at the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Prescott suffered a season-ending right ankle injury on Oct. 11 last season (Week 5) against the New York Giants.

Cardinals to watch vs. Cowboys

Cardinals fans are obviously going to be very interested to see how Kyler Murray and the starters do for Arizona in their limited time of action, but who are some other players that they should keep an eye on?

Here's a few other players to watch against Dallas:

RB Eno Benjamin: The former ASU running back didn't see any action for the Cardinals in the regular season in his rookie year. His performance against the Cowboys could go a long way in changing that. Benjamin has reportedly impressed on the playing field and in study time this training camp, can he impress in a game?

OL Josh Jones: Many believed the Cardinals got a steal when they landed Jones in the third round of the draft a year ago. Now is his time to start proving it. The Cardinals can certainly use some depth on the offensive line and an improved Jones would go a long way in helping Arizona's chances.

QB Chris Streveler: Cardinals fans know what they will get from Kyler Murray and Colt McCoy has already proven himself as a capable backup quarterback. What do they have in Streveler? He struggled when called into action late last season. Will he take a step forward this season? He will have a great chance to tonight.

CB Tay Gowan: The Cardinals took Gowan with the 223rd pick of the NFL draft in 2021, a sixth-round selection. He opted out of the 2020 college football season, so he hasn't been in a game since 2019. He's currently listed fourth on the depth chart at one of the team's cornerback positions. Can he step up against the Cowboys?

Who's not playing in Cardinals vs. Cowboys NFL preseason game?

You never know who might suit up or might sit out an NFL preseason game.

Here's what we know heading into tonight's game between the Cardinals and Cowboys in Glendale:

Quarterback Dak Prescott is out for the Cowboys with a shoulder issue. His backups are Garrett Gilbert and Ben DiNucci and both could see substantial time in this one.

The Cardinals have said that Kyler Murray will play, but we just don't know how long. Backup Colt McCoy could see some time, and Chris Streveler could see the majority of snaps for Arizona.

The Cowboys will likely split the running back carries between Brenden Knox, Rico Dowdle and JaQuan Hardy with main backs Ezekiel Elliott and Tony Pollard sitting.

Chase Edmonds could see a few snaps with the first-team offense for Arizona, but James Conner is on the COVID-19/reserve list, so he will not play. Jonathan Ward and Eno Benjamin should have the chance to play a lot of snaps for the Cardinals.

Several other Cardinals have been ruled out: Wide receiver A.J. Green (minor-issue); Defensive end J.J. Watt, nose tackle Rashard Lawrence and defensive tackle Jordan Phillips (injuries); defensive end Zach Allen (undisclosed injury); nose tackle Corey Peters (just came back to team); DE Leki Fotu, WR Andy Isabella, TE Darrell Daniels, safety Charles Washington (reserve/COVID-19 list).

The Cardinals brought in four defensive linemen this week in Darius Kilgo, Jack Crawford, Margus Hunt and Josh Mauro. Some of those players, if not all, will see some action against Dallas. Backups Michael Dogbe, David Parry and Cam Murray could see some extensive time.

The majority of starters from both teams will probably see very limited action (or none at all) as coaches usually tend to play it safe in the preseason. This is Arizona's first of three preseason games and this is Dallas' second of four preseason games.

Some familiar faces gone for Cardinals

A couple of long time Cardinals are no longer on the Cardinals and that is going to make Friday night's game have a very different feel.

Cornerback Patrick Peterson, who had been with the Cardinals since the team drafted him in the first round in 2011, is now with the Minnesota Vikings (and he hasn't been shy in criticizing his former general manager).

Wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald, who the Cardinals drafted all the way back in 2004, is currently an NFL free agent. There has been speculation that Fitzgerald could return to the Cardinals this season, but it will still feel weird not seeing him suit up for the Cardinals in this game, even if it is just a preseason game.

Cardinals honor Pedro Gomez

ESPN reporter Pedro Gomez, who covered the Cardinals during his time at the network and during his time working for The Arizona Republic, died in February.

The Cardinals are honoring him at the game Friday night by reserving a spot in the press box for him.

Pregame reading

Reach Jeremy Cluff at jeremy.cluff@arizonarepublic.com. Follow him on Twitter @Jeremy_Cluff.

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