GLENDALE – The Arizona Cardinals pass rush had its best game of the preseason, recording five sack against the Las Vegas Raiders in the finale. The prowess of 2025 third-round pick Jordan Burch and 2024 fifth-round pick Xavier Thomas were unstoppable in the trenches against the Raiders’ offensive line. The duo’s highlight play came midway through the first quarter, after Arizona fell behind 7-0, a Burch strip sack and a Thomas exclamation point brought the momentum on their team’s sideline.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!
Aug 23, 2025; Glendale, Arizona, USA; Arizona Cardinals linebacker Xavier Thomas (54) celebrates after sacking Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Cam Miller (5) during a preseason NFL game at State Farm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
Burch and Thomas record strip sack on way to Cardinals five sacks:
Burch has had a stellar preseason. With first-round pick Walter Nolen out with a calf injury and second-round pick Will Johnson having limited reps, Burch has easily been the best 2025 draft prospect of this year’s class. In the preseason opener against the Kansas City Chiefs, the 23-year-old had two sacks that were called back due to penalties against the secondary.
Jun 10, 2025; Tempe, AZ, USA; Arizona Cardinals linebacker Jordan Burch (52) during minicamp at the teams Arizona Cardinals Training Facility. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
He finally was able to record a sack into his stats, with the massive strip sack on Aiden O’Connell. The sack took O’Connell out of the game, which led way to Cam Miller coming in and being sacked four times by the Cardinals defense, including a 2nd-and-7 takedown by Weaver to force a third-and-long.
Weaver mentioned that he has felt the pressure to perform in camp, OTAs and in preseason because of the talent on the defensive side of the ball. Arizona has a completely different defense compared to last year, highlighted by a much improved pass rush.
Cardinals Bam Knight just became a Darkhorse to make 53-man roster
*Get the BEST Phoenix sports insider information, and exclusive content. SIGN UP HERE to unlock our premium content!*
Reporter Tanner Tortorella covers general assignment for Burn City Sports. You can follow him on his X account, @TannerTSports
