Glendale, Arizona (Burn City Sports)
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!On Friday, August 11th, 2023, the Arizona Cardinals will host the Denver Broncos in their pre-season opener.
Teams don’t usually show much in the pre-season, but there are some things that Cardinals fans should look for in this game to see if Arizona is on a good track.
Defensive Outlook
Denver Broncos head coach, Sean Payton, announced that his starters will play in this game. It may only be for a series or two but how will the Cardinals look against Russell Wilson and company? How much of the defense has the new Cardinals defensive coordinator, Nick Rallis, implemented?
Last season JJ Watt had one-third of the team’s total sacks with 12.5. Watt is now retired. Can Arizona generate pressure without sending extra rushers.
Let’s see if the Cardinals start to answer some of these questions on Friday night.
Offensive Outlook
Last season, Cardinals quarterbacks were sacked 46 times, tied for sixth most in the NFL. Arizona drafted offensive tackle, Paris Johnson Jr. with the sixth overall pick to protect the quarterback. Cardinals’ fans should not look for Johnson to be dominate but confident. If he is holding his own in those limited snaps against Denver, it could be a great sign for the future.
Last season, DeAndre Hopkins played nine games for the Cardinals and was still their leading receiver with 717 yards receiving. Hopkins is now a Tennessee Titan. So, who will step up in the passing game for Arizona? Marquise Brown was the second leading receiver last season with 709 yards. How will Brown and Colt McCoy connect? How will the new offensive coordinator, Drew Petzing, get these receivers open?
So many questions and so little time to answer them.
