The Cardinals dropped their preseason opener to the New Orleans Saints 16-14 on a last-second field goal. As typical for a preseason game, there were some good moments and bad as players try to compete for spots on the roster. Most of the starters did not play in this game, as the Cardinals went with mostly evaluating their roster depth.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!Here are seven winners and two losers from the preseason opener.
Loser: QB Desmond Ridder
Ridder got on the field first for the Cardinals under center and for much of the first half, it stalled. The Cardinals only gained 27 yards on their first three drives, resulting in punts. He finished the game 4-for-9 passing with 43 yards.
On the final drive of the first half, Ridder was able to use his legs to gain additional yards to put the Cardinals in scoring position. However, on a key 4th and 2 in the red zone, he badly misfired on a pass to a wide-open Andre Baccellia. Had he hit the pass, it would have been a walk-in touchdown. Instead, it resulted in a turnover on downs and no points in a game they lost by two.
Winner: QB Clayton Tune
Playing in the second half, there was a much better rhythm to the offense with Clayton Tune under center. The ball was coming out quicker, the decisions with the ball were a lot smarter. That led to better down-and-distance situations for the Cardinals and more sustained drives.
Tune led touchdown drives on their opening series of the second half and final meaningful series in the fourth quarter. His ability to stay ahead of the chains allowed him to be an effective passer on third down. He finished the night completing 15 of 24 passes for 163 yards and a touchdown. His last meaningful pass was a 10-yard scoring pass to Tony Jones Jr. who caught the ball in the flat and caught the pylon mere milliseconds before his back hit out of bounds.
There was still some bad tape from his game, missed opportunities as he missed some throws and stared down a few receivers down the middle. However, compared to how Ridder performed in the first half it was a notable improvement. The first round of the backup quarterback battle clearly goes to Tune.
Winner: OLB Xavier Thomas
As the Cardinals try to figure out their edge rusher situation, Xavier Thomas showed some poise in his first NFL preseason game. Labeled as a fifth round steal by Arizona in the 2024 NFL Draft, he was able to generate pressure. He had a third down sack of Spencer Rattler, beating the left tackle with an inside move and getting to the Saints quarterback to force a punt.
Xavier Thomas is having a very nice first preseason game for the Cardinals. #BirdGang | #RatedRookie pic.twitter.com/i4hLD6LQQb
— The Draft Network (@TheDraftNetwork) August 11, 2024
Head coach Jonathan Gannon praised the rookie’s performance after the game, noting the high motor and effort.
Winner: RB Michael Carter II
Carter isn’t necessarily in the mix for a lot of playing time in the offense but made a case for him to stick as the No. 3 back behind James Conner and Trey Benson. While Conner and Benson are big hammers in the run game, Carter provides a change of pace as a smaller and shiftier back. Carter had seven carries for 41 yards, including an 11-yard scamper on the opening drive of the second half to put Arizona on the board.
Winner: DL Darius Robinson
Robinson didn’t get a lot of opportunities in this game but made an impact when he did. He was able to get pressure on what ultimately was a dump-off pass to the flat that resulted in a short gain, forcing Saints starting QB Derek Carr to have to pump fake and disrupting the timing of the play. He later made a nice open-field tackle on a third-down draw play by the Saints to force a punt. His high motor was on full display in this game.
Winner: WR Dan Chisena
Chisena ended up becoming Tune’s go-to target in the second half, catching five balls for 63 yards. Two of those catches came on third downs, extending drives for the Cardinals’ second half offense. Arizona’s receiver room is relatively set entering the season, but Chisena could earn a practice squad spot if he continues this play.
Winner: First Half Defense and Special Teams
While the Cardinals offense was struggling in the first half, the defense and special teams was not. The defense played with much more discipline and tackled better, helping them get off the field easier. Overall the unit allowed just two field goals, a positive sign even though they gave up a cheap three points at the end of the first half.
Loser: 2-Minute Defense
One area the Cardinals will have to improve is situational football late in the halves. In both the first and second half, there were mental errors that allowed the Saints to put up three easy points to end the half. The good news for Arizona is those are easily correctable errors as they get ready for their next game.
In the first half, it was a long completion after safety Dadrion Taylor-Demerson jumped a shorter route and didn’t maintain depth in a situation where a shorter completion wouldn’t have mattered. In the second half, it was presnap penalties on favorable down-and-distance situations for the defense that did them in. Arizona was whistled for two presnap penalties on the final series, something they’ll have to clean up.
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Michael McDermott covers the Arizona Diamondbacks, Arizona Cardinals, and more for Burn City Sports. You can follow him on X via @MichaelMcDMLB
