Calais Campbell, in the locker room after the win in Dallas, was talking about Walter Nolen's big debut when he made sure to bring up one other name: Josh Sweat.
"The best player in football today," Campbell said.
Sweat had eight pressures according to Next Gen Stats, and two sacks -- both of which crippled Cowboys' drives, including the first one that came on a fourth down when Dallas was just four yards short of the goalline. Hearing Campbell's words, not surprisingly, brought a smile to his face.
"It means a lot," Sweat said. "Even if he's being extra, still, I appreciate it. That's who he is off the camera too. That's how he encourages everyone. He's always like, 'Bro, you don't even know how good you are.'
"I did (have a good game). But it was the way he said it. I'm like, 'Damn, was it that good?' Me, I'm like, 'I could've done more.'"
It's hard to believe Sweat could have done any more. Now up to seven sacks this season, the Cardinals' prize free-agent signee also played the most snaps in a game since Week 1's win.
Sweat had said last week playing in Dallas -- which he had done often as a member of the Philadelphia Eagles -- was different, especially on Monday night. He was jacked up for the game, although he didn't know it would show itself so early, on the game's first drive (and after the Cowboys drove pretty easily into the red zone.)
"They were driving and if they keep that momentum, could've gone bad," Sweat said, grinning. "But we put the fire out early. Walt got the TFL, gave us a shot. '21' (Garrett Williams) broke up a pass, I just finished it off. When I tell you, from that point, I could not lose, I couldn't be stopped. When you know, you know."
His second sack came on second down in the third quarter and the Cowboys sitting at the Arizona 5, costing Dallas nine yards and an eventual field-goal attempt. (He also had a pressure on Dak Prescott that led to Denzel Burke's fourth-down pass breakup to start the fourth quarter, and hit Prescott's arm earlier in the game that should've led to a Mack Wilson Sr. interception -- but Wilson dropped it.)
The timing of his hits and sacks matter to Sweat. Mostly because they worked in a victory.
"Those big-time red zone sacks, it's a big deal," he said. "Against a top offense, the Dallas Cowboys, Monday night, it couldn't have gotten any better."
