Cardinals vs. Cowboys: Score and Twitter Reaction from 2014 Regular Season

After a 6-1 start to the season, the Dallas Cowboys looked like one of the best teams in the NFL. But with Tony Romo out of action after suffering two fractures in his back during last week's game against Washington, the Cowboys have now suffered two straight losses, this time falling to the red-hot Arizona Cardinals, 28-17.     

The Cardinals stifled backup Brandon Weeden all game long while Carson Palmer played excellent on the other side of the ball, throwing for 249 yards, three touchdowns and an interception. Andre Ellington also had a huge game for Arizona, rushing 21 times for 95 yards and adding four receptions for 39 yards and a score.

The Cowboys simply couldn't muster any offense. Weeden certainly looked like a backup, finishing 18-of-33 with a touchdown and two interceptions.

Meanwhile, DeMarco Murray (19 carries for 79 yards) and Dez Bryant (two catches for 15 yards and a touchdown) never got on track.

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As Sam Farmer of the Los Angeles Times noted, Murray's historic season hit a speed bump Sunday:

The first quarter was all about the Cowboys, however. And really, it was all about Tyler Patmon, as four minutes into the game he intercepted Carson Palmer and took the pick to the house, giving Dallas an early 7-0 lead.

If you haven't heard of Patmon, don't feel bad. As the NFL on Twitter noted, Patmon went undrafted but is certainly making a name for himself now:

And that pick was just what the doctor ordered for a Dallas team missing an ailing Tony Romo, as Trey Wingo of ESPN tweeted:

Dan Bailey added a 52-yard field goal later in the quarter, and the Cowboys were looking good after 15 minutes, taking a 10-0 lead into the second quarter. 

But Palmer would make amends for his early gaffe, throwing touchdown passes to John Carlson and Jaron Brown to give the Cardinals a 14-10 lead. The two scoring throws put him in pretty good company, per ESPN Stats & Info:

And as Mike Garafolo of Fox Sports noted, Palmer can still sling it:

Patrick Peterson nearly gave the Cards a 21-10 lead as the half expired. The Cowboys lined up for a 35-yard field goal with just three seconds remaining on the clock but had it blocked, and the one player on the field Dallas likely wouldn't want to see scoop up the ball ended up with it.

The Pro Bowl corner seemed destined to reach the end zone, but a player in Dallas renowned for his effort and determination made a touchdown-saving play, per Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports:

Who else, right? Witten has made a career out of effort plays like that.

Still, Peterson had a heck of a half. As Ed Werder of ESPN noted, he was a huge reason why Dez Bryant was nowhere to be found in the first 30 minutes:

The third quarter wouldn't get much better for Bryant, or either offense for that matter, as the teams traded punts with the exception of a Tyrann Mathieu interception. As the NFL on ESPN tweeted, the Honey Badger practically called his shot earlier in the week:

With the Cowboys unable to muster any sort of offense, the Cardinals took what appeared to be an insurmountable lead with six minutes remaining in the fourth quarter, as Palmer found Ellington for a one-yard touchdown throw. 

Steve Wyche of the NFL Network not only loved the call, but he also loves this Cardinals team:

And as Louis Riddick of ESPN notes, the traditional criticism of Ellington has been rendered incorrect this season:

The Cowboys weren't about to muster a comeback with Weeden under center. Two plays after the Ellington score, Weeden threw another interception, this time to Antonio Cromartie. As Chris B. Brown of Grantland highlighted, despite Weeden's decent showing against Washington last week, perhaps we should have all seen this coming:

Five plays later, a one-yard Marion Grice touchdown plunge wrapped things up. Weeden would throw a late touchdown pass to Bryant, but it was too little, too late.

The Cardinals (7-1) now head into a clash with the St. Louis Rams before a tough slate of games to follow, as they'll face the Detroit Lions and Seattle Seahawks. Still, if the Cardinals can go into those games at 8-1, they'll feel pretty good about where they stand no matter how those contests play out.

Ronald Martinez/Getty Images

The Cowboys aren't feeling quite so comfortable. Now 6-3, they've moved a half game behind the 6-2 Philadelphia Eagles in the NFC East. With the Jacksonville Jaguars on deck followed by their bye, however, the Cowboys should head into divisional contests against the New York Giants and Eagles in late November in a better place and hopefully with Romo back in the starting lineup. 

Because as they showed on Sunday, the Cowboys are going nowhere fast without their starting quarterback.

Hit me up on Twitter—I'll answer your fantasy questions and make some corny jokes, too. It's more fun than Patrick Peterson nearly taking a missed field goal to the house.