Jacoby Brissett starred in his third consecutive start amid the foot injury of Kyler Murray, as he led the Arizona Cardinals past the Dallas Cowboys, 27-17, at AT&T Stadium on Monday.
Coming off a bye week, the Cardinals snapped their five-game losing streak to improve to 3-5.
Brissett went 21-of-31 for 261 yards and two touchdowns. He also scored on a short rush in the second quarter to give them a double-digit lead at halftime.
Murray was rumored to return against the Cowboys, but the Cardinals chose to err on the side of caution.
After the game, coach Jonathan Gannon was asked if he would make big changes in their quarterback rotation following Brissett's laudable performance.
“Nothing’s changed on that,” said Gannon, as quoted by NFL Network's Mike Garafolo.
Gannon stressed that he has “nothing to add to that” when prodded about Brissett possibly getting more playing time.
Fans were calling for strategic changes during the Cardinals' losing skid, pointing out that the team has already reached its ceiling with Murray. In five games, the 28-year-old signal-caller has thrown 110-of-161 for 962 yards and six touchdowns. He has been sacked 16 times.
The 32-year-old Brissett, meanwhile, has gone 52-of-81 for 599 yards and four touchdowns in five appearances. He has been sacked eight times.
Brissett, who signed with Arizona in the offseason on a two-year deal worth $12.5 million, has passed for 860 yards, six touchdowns, and one interception in his three straight starts without Murray.
The win over the Cowboys should serve as a confidence-builder for Brissett and the rest of the Cardinals.
But it begs the question: Is Murray willing to accept a lesser role when he returns?
