Arizona Cardinals vs. Dallas Cowboys: 5 Halftime Adjustments Cardinals Must Make

At 4-7, it's been a long, disappointing, injury-plagued season for the Arizona Cardinals who find themselves third in the dreadful NFC West.

Despite all that, the Cardinals have some momentum after a Week 12 win against the lowly St. Louis Rams, and they have to believe they have a shot to win this game after Dallas almost dropped one to one of the worst teams in the league last week in the Miami Dolphins.

The first half has been an ugly one for Arizona, but they are very much in this game as Dallas has struggled as well. Here are five adjustments Arizona must make in order to shock the Cowboys.

1. Kevin Kolb needs to wake up

Even when he's had time, Kolb has been awful throwing the ball. If he keeps this up, the Cardinals will make themselves one-dimensional and even easier to stop. 

2. Give Kevin Kolb more time

The Cowboys have gotten a good amount of pressure on Kolb in the first half, so the Cardinals need to do a better job protecting him. Kolb looks lost under pressure and is making bad throws. He's having enough trouble as it is in this game, so not giving Kolb more time will spell even more disaster and less offense.

3. Establish the run

Arizona is having a ton of trouble getting anything going through the air, so it seems the only way the Cards can move the ball will be on the ground. Doing so will not only get Arizona down the field, but might open up the passing game for a struggling Kolb.

4. Keep the pressure on Romo

Tony Romo is having a rough day as it is, but maybe Arizona can force him to make some major mistakes if they can continue to keep pressure on the Cowboys quarterback. With all the trouble they're having on offense, maybe Arizona's defense can score some points.

5. Don't help the Cowboys 

The Cowboys haven't exactly been themselves in the first half, making it important that the Cardinals don't allow anymore big returns like the one they allowed to Felix Jones—which gave Dallas their best field position of the game. They were lucky it didn't translate into points in that case, but don't expect that to always happen.