Joe Milton continued to impress in his bid to become the Dallas Cowboys' backup quarterback, throwing two touchdown passes and rushing for another in a 34-13 victory against the Arizona Cardinals on Saturday night. Coach Brian Schottenheimer acknowledged Milton's strong performance but noted that the competition for the No. 2 quarterback position behind Dak Prescott is still ongoing.
Milton completed 9 of 13 passes for 176 yards, including a 53-yard touchdown to Jonathan Mingo and a 70-yard completion to Camden Brown, which set up his own 1-yard touchdown run. Schottenheimer praised Milton's ability to control the speed and touch of his throws, stating, "He's done that at a very high level."
The Cowboys took a commanding 24-6 lead by halftime, with Jaydon Blue contributing 75 rushing yards on 15 carries. Milton's performance comes as he competes with Sam Howell for the backup role; Howell completed 7 of 10 passes for 65 yards in the second half but threw an interception.
Arizona's Gardner Minshew played the first half and completed 19 of 23 passes for 177 yards. The Cardinals struggled with penalties, having two touchdowns nullified on one drive due to infractions against receiver Rivaldo Fairweather. Coach Mike LaFleur expressed disappointment in the team's practice leading up to the game, stating, "It wasn't good enough."
Defensively, the Cowboys showcased strong play early in the game, highlighted by cornerback Shavon Revel's interception of Minshew, which he returned 22 yards to set up an early touchdown. Revel, in his second season with the team, was drafted in 2025.
