Trying to figure out who will be the backup quarterback behind Kyler Murray this season, the battle between Clayton Tune and Desmond Ridder will live on for another day as both struggled in the Arizona Cardinals’ 21-13 preseason loss to the Indianapolis Colts on Saturday.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!Off to a sluggish start as a group, the Cardinals had minus-eight yards in the first quarter offensively while the defense kept them in the game through its entirety. Multiple sacks and an interception by rookie Dadrion Taylor-Demerson saw Arizona stopping the Colts’ pressure, but had next to nothing to show for it when possession was flipped.
Cardinals rookie safety Dadrion Taylor-Demerson shows his impressive speed to pick off this pass. Cardinals second turnover. pic.twitter.com/mEYdYpPW9N
— Burn City Sports (@BurnCitySports) August 18, 2024
It wasn’t until the 10:18 mark of the second quarter when the Cardinals got on the board. After three straight plays in which Christian Jones received three offensive holding penalties, Matt Prater’s 40-yard field goal was good.
Down 7-3, the Cardinals needed to reward the defense for their hard work with something offensively and got it before halftime.
Scrambling out of the pocket, Tune found an open lane to the endzone on the right and rushed for a 12-yard touchdown, helping Arizona snatch the lead 10-7 with 16 seconds left in the second quarter. Playing the entire first half, Tune threw 79 yards from 8-of-10 passing and was sacked three times.
Clayton Tune caps off the first half with a scramble touchdown. Cardinals take a 10-7 lead. pic.twitter.com/PSBxVrzdiQ
— Burn City Sports (@BurnCitySports) August 18, 2024
To start the second half, Gannon did the opposite of what transpired last Saturday, calling Ridder to play the second half. Against the New Orleans Saints last week, Tune came off the bench, completed 15-of-24 passes for 163 yards and connected on a touchdown. Ridder’s debut as a Cardinal saw him throw 4-for-9 for 43 yards and rushed five times for 39 yards.
In Ridder’s second attempt at showing what he can do, his impact was non-existent. Despite a 15 yard pass to Michael Carter in the third quarter, Ridder was 3-for-7 with 39 yards passing before garbage time. Overall, he completed 6-for-10 passes for 71 yards.
Combined, Tune and Ridder threw for 132 yards against the Colts, bringing up a cause for concern as neither one has truly outplayed over the other heading into their final preseason game vs. the Denver Broncos on Aug. 25.
Cardinals coach Jonathan Gannon praises Colts quarterback ahead of preseason clash
*Get the BEST Phoenix sports insider information, and exclusive content. SIGN UP HEREÂ to unlock our premium content!*
Reporter Alec Cipollini covers ASU Athletics, the Phoenix Mercury and more for Burn City Sports. You can follow him on his X account, @AlecCipollini
