Arizona Cardinals
Dec 31, 2023; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Arizona Cardinals helmet on the bench during a game against the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports
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The Arizona Cardinals needed a spark on Sunday, and backup quarterback Gardner Minshew delivered one. However, that doesn’t mean he has earned the starting job just yet.
After Minshew came off the bench to lead the Cardinals to a 33-30 overtime win over the Dallas Cowboys, head coach Mike LaFleur praised the veteran quarterback, but he stopped short of naming a starter for next week’s game against the Seattle Seahawks.
Minshew’s Comeback
The Cardinals trailed the Cowboys 17-3 late in the third quarter when LaFleur pulled starter Jacoby Brissett in favor of Minshew. The move paid off almost immediately, with Arizona scoring touchdowns on Minshew’s first four possessions.
Minshew finished 17-of-23 for 188 yards and three touchdowns in his first action of the season. His 13-yard touchdown to Michael Wilson tied the game with 6 seconds left in regulation, though kicker Chad Ryland missed the go-ahead extra point.
Ryland made up for it in overtime, drilling a 42-yard game-winner. Running back Tyler Allgeier also played a huge role, racking up 191 scrimmage yards, almost all of them after halftime.
The win improved the Cardinals to 3-5 and extended their winning streak against the Cowboys to five games.
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‘Ready at All Times’
After the game, LaFleur explained that he made the switch because the team needed “a spark.” And he had plenty of praise for Minshew.
“He did a good job,” LaFleur said of Minshew, via Pro Football Talk. “Obviously extended a few plays, stuff like that, but I thought his timing was great. He’s had a lot of success in this league, guys. He’s about as resilient as they come, too. If you ask Gardner Minshew, he’s ready at all times. I thought the guys made some plays for him, and he was getting the ball out of his hands.”
However, LaFleur said that he hasn’t made any decisions about who will start against Seattle next week. He also made it clear that he didn’t view the benching as an indictment of Brissett alone.
“I know what the story is going to be, and so does [Brissett], but it was the collective,” LaFleur said.