Category: Cardinals vs. Broncos

Cardinals’ defensive and ST snaps counts, observations in preseason finale

Check out how the Cardinals split up their 64 defensive snaps on Sunday against the Broncos.

In the Arizona Cardinals’ 38-12 preseason loss to the Denver Broncos Sunday, there were 26 players that participated in at least one of the 64 defensive snaps and 45 that played at least one of the 27 special-teams snaps.

The first number after each name is snaps and the second is the percentage. Players in bold were starters.

Defensive linemen

Ben Stille 37/58, T.J. Carter 37/58, Myles Murphy 31/48, Naquan Jones 30/47, Phil Hoskins 29/45

Did not play: L.J. Collier, Justin Jones, Roy Lopez, Bilal Nichols, Darius Robinson, Dante Stills, Khyiris Tonga

The injury to Robinson could open a roster spot for Tonga, who is a space-eater like Lopez on the line. Hoskins had a sack for 10 yards along with one quarterback hit and tackle for loss. Carter was signed earlier in the week and tied for the most snaps on the line. He had two solo tackles. Naquan Jones tied for second on the team with six tackles (five solo). Murphy had two passes defensed.

Linebackers

ILB Markus Bailey 42/66, OLB Jesse Luketa 41/64, ILB Tyreek Maddox-Williams 39/61, OLB Cam Thomas 37/58, OLB Tyreke Smith 24/38, ILB Trevor Nowaske 24/38, OLB Chris Garrett 15/23, OLB Victor Dimukeje 12/19, ILB Owen Pappoe 10/16

Did not play: ILB Krys Barnes, OLB Zaven Collins, OLB Dennis Gardeck, OLB Xavier Thomas, ILB Kyzir White, ILB Mack Wilson Sr.

Thomas has played well in the preseason, but the question will be if he is on the roster whether can have the same production playing against an opponent’s first unit. Like Carter on the defensive line, Garrett signed earlier in the week and had a tackle for loss. Maddox-Williams had a half sack and one quarterback hit to go with six tackles (four solo). Nowaske had five tackles (three solo) and one for loss.

Defensive backs

S Andre Chachere 48/75, S Darren Hall 35/55, CB Jaden Davis 31/48, S Verone McKinley III 30/47, CB Divaad Wilson 28/44, CB Michael Ojemudia 27/42, CB Bobby Price 21/33, CB Elijah Jones 20/31, CB Delonte Hood 17/27, CB Max Melton 15/23, S Dadrion (Rabbit) Taylor-Demerson 15/23, CB Kei’Trel Clark 9/14

Did not play: S Budda Baker, S Joey Blount, CB Sean Murphy-Bunting, CB Starling Thomas V, S Jalen Thompson, CB Garrett Williams

Price had a half sack and quarterback hit. Wilson had four tackles (three solo). He suffered a wrist injury, but returned to the game.

Special teams

LB Tyreek Maddox-Williams 19/70, LB Trevor Nowaske 19/70, CB Bobby Price 17/63, LB Jesse Luketa 16/59, TE Blake Whiteheart 14/52, S Verone McKinley III 14/52, WR Andre Baccellia 12/44, LB Cameron Thomas 12/44, CB Jaden Davis 11/41, LB Markus Bailey 10/37, CB Michael Ojemudia 9/33, CB Divaad Wilson 9/33, RB Emari Demercado 8/30, TE Bernhard Seikovits 8/30, P Blake Gillikin 7/26, LS Aaron Brewer 7/26, LB Tyreke Smith 7/26, S Andre Chachere 7/26, K Matt Prater 6/22, DL Ben Stille 6/22, S Darren Hall 6/22, CB Delonte Hood 6/22, WR/KR Xavier Weaver 5/19, LB Victor Dimukeje 5/19, DL Myles Murphy 4/15, CB Elijah Jones 4/15, T Christian Jones 3/11, G Isaiah Adams 3/11, T Jackson Barton 3/11, T Austen Pleasants 3/11, G Marquis Hayes Jr. 3/11, C/G Keith Ismael 3/11, RB Hassan Hall 3/11, WR Daylen Baldwin 3/11, DL Phil Hoskins 3/11, DL Naquan Jones 3/11, LB Chris Garrett 3/11, S Dadrion (Rabbit) Taylor Demerson 3/11, CB Max Melton 3/11, KR DeeJay Dallas 2/7, RB Tony Jones Jr. 2/7, WR Tejhaun Palmer 2/7, DL T.J. Carter 2/7, WR Chris Moore 1/4, LB Owen Pappoe 1/4

There were three players with one tackle on special-teams coverage: Luketa, Taylor-Demerson and Whiteheart.

Get more Cardinals and NFL coverage from Cards Wire’s Jess Root and others by listening to the latest on the Rise Up, See Red podcast. Subscribe on Spotify, YouTube or Apple podcasts.

 

Cardinals’ offensive snap counts, observations in preseason finale

See how the Cardinals divided up their 70 offensive snaps against the Broncos.

In the Arizona Cardinals 38-12 preseason loss to the Denver Broncos Sunday, there were 22 players that participated in at least one of the 70 offensive snaps.

The first number after each name is snaps and the second is the percentage. Players in bold were starters.

Quarterbacks

Clayton Tune 39/56, Desmond Ridder 31/44

Did not play: Kyler Murray

The competition between Tune and Ridder to be the backup to Murray is close, although it is believed Tune has the edge. He completed 11 of 17 passes for 119 yards in the first half, while Ridder was 10-for-16 for 111 yards in the second half until he left the game late in the fourth quarter and entered concussion protocol. Tune entered the game and had an interception on his first play that was returned 94 yards for a touchdown. On that play, his passer rating plummeted from 90.1 to 62.0.

Ridder’s rating was 83.1, and he had a 27-yard run. The question to be determined is whether the Cardinals will keep both on the roster or place one on waivers hoping to sign whoever it is to the practice squad.

Running backs

Hassan Hall 52/74, Tony Jones Jr. 18/26

Did not play: Trey Benson, Michael Carter, James Conner, DeeJay Dallas (played only on special teams), Emari Demercado (played only on special teams)

The plan surely was not to play Hall for that many snaps, but that happened because Jones suffered a shoulder injury after rushing for 29 yards on seven carries and added 14 yards on two receptions. Hall was signed 12 days before Sunday’s game. He scored the team’s only touchdown in the game and had 19 rushes for 59 yards (3.1 average) and had four receptions on four targets for 28 yards.

Wide receivers

Tejhaun Palmer 59/84, Daylen Baldwin 47/67, Andre Baccellia 39/56, Xavier Weaver 12/17, Chris Moore 11/16, Zach Pascal 10/14

Did not play: Dan Chisena, Greg Dortch, Marvin Harrison Jr., Zay Jones, Michael Wilson

Weaver continued to make plays with two receptions for 56 yards, including one for 43 yards. Palmer could be a candidate for the practice squad and caught two of six target for 23 yards with a 21-yard play. Baccellia (3-31) has been on and off the practice squad in previous seasons and that might be his fate again.

Tight ends

Blake Whiteheart 58/83, Bernhard Seikovits 40/57, Sage Surratt 4/6

Did not play: Elijah Higgins, Trey McBride, Tip Reiman, Travis Vokolek

Whiteheart was mostly on the practice squad as a rookie last season and tied for the team lead with four receptions (on six targets) for 35 yards. Seikovits is expected to be the 17th player on the practice squad as the team’s international player and had two receptions for 18 yards.

Offensive linemen

RT Christian Jones 63/90, LG Isaiah Adams 48/69, G Marquis Hayes Jr. 48/69, T Jackson Barton 45/64, C Keith Ismael 38/54, RG Jon Gaines II 32/46, T Austen Pleasants 32/46, C Trystan Colon 22/31, LG Elijah Wilkinson 22/31

Did not play: T Kelvin Beachum, G/C Evan Brown, C Hjalte Froholdt, G Will Hernandez, T Paris Johnson Jr., T Jonah Williams

Jones, who was penalty-free after being flagged for four holding penalties the week before, left the field in the fourth quarter on a cart on the same play in which Ridder suffered a concussion. He had an MRI Monday morning. Ridder was hit on the play and crashed into Jones. All the linemen that played are vying for roster spots behind the six that did not play.

Get more Cardinals and NFL coverage from Cards Wire’s Jess Root and others by listening to the latest on the Rise Up, See Red podcast. Subscribe on Spotify, YouTube or Apple podcasts.

 

4 defensive, special teams observations from Cardinals’ final preseason game

Some takeaways on defense and on special teams in the Cardinals’ 38-12 loss to the Bronco on Sunday.

The reality of the Arizona Cardinals 38-12 loss to the Denver Broncos in Sunday’s final preseason game is that many of the defensive players that logged a lot of snaps won’t be wearing the team’s uniform when the team returns to the practice field Wednesday at 11:05 am Arizona time.

Nineteen of the 45 rostered defensive players did not play, so there were numerous opportunities for the other 26 to make one more impression on the coaches.

Here are some that did.

Cam does it again

Edge rusher Cam Thomas had his third sack of the preseason on a third-and-2 play that was one of Denver’s two three-and-outs of the game. Thomas also had two quarterback hits to go with three tackles with his one solo being a tackle for loss.

One the sack, he beat Broncos third-team rookie tackle Frank Crum, who is an undrafted free agent from Wyoming. It’s doubtful he will have a uniform on Wednesday unless it’s on the practice squad.

Luketa also shines

In a battle for a roster spot, edge rusher Jesse Luketa made his case with a sack, two tackles with the one solo for loss, two quarterback hits, one forced fumble and a pass defensed.

The sack stopped the Broncos on third-and-goal from the 6-yard line and forced a field-goal attempt after the 6-yard loss. It also caused a fumble, but quarterback Zach Wilson was able to recover it.

Asked what he showcased in the preseason, Luketa said, “Consistency and the fact that I’ve been able to make positive strides in the right direction as far as being consistent with the run, just finishing my pass rush, and getting to the quarterback. Whatever this team needs, I’m willing to do (it).”

Get him a Hall pass

Versatile cornerback/safety Darren Hall has at least earned a spot on the practice squad after a solid offseason, although he left Sunday’s game with a hip injury.

Against the Broncos, he led the team with eight tackles, four of which were solo.

Head coach Jonathan Gannon said earlier in the week, “He plays like nickel safety for us. You see where he can cover people in the slot. Then when he’s in the core or even in space too, he can tackle backs, which is a good skillset to have. He’s doing a really good job.

“He’s a smart player. We asked him to learn a couple different spots. Fourth down as well. Handles it, flies around, plays with great energy.”

Booming Blake

Punter Blake Gillikin had another strong game, averaging 58.0 yards on four punts with a net of 49.3. He had punts of 71 and 60 yards with the longer one reaching the end zone, which negatively affected his net. The three other punts were returned a total of 15 yards and was helped by a holding penalty on Denver.

Kicker Matt Prater connected on field-goal attempts from 50 and 24 yards, while missing from 55. His three kickoffs all went into the end zone and were placed at the 30-yard line.

Wide receiver Issac Weaver had two kickoff returns for 32 and 23 yards and after that, the Saints landed their last three kickoffs into the end zone. Of the 10 kickoffs in the game, eight were touchbacks.

Weaver also had two punt returns for 16 yards and DeeJay Dallas one for five.

Get more Cardinals and NFL coverage from Cards Wire’s Jess Root and others by listening to the latest on the Rise Up, See Red podcast. Subscribe on Spotify, YouTube or Apple podcasts.

 

4 Cardinals injuries that could impact roster decisions

Roster decisions are coming soon and injuries could impact those decisions.

The Arizona Cardinals played their final preseason game on Sunday, losing 38-12 to the Denver Broncos. They have until Tuesday afternoon to cut the roster down to 53 players. Some players suffered some injuries on Sunday that will impact those roster decisions.

Why?

Players with injuries are protected. You can’t trade or cut an injured player, unless he is waived with an injury designation, which causes him to land on injured reserve if not claimed.

For a player who was going to get cut, it means continuing to get paid.

Some of the injuries could impact the 53-man roster.

QB Desmond Ridder (concussion)

This is the most impactful situation because he is in concussion protocol. Ridder might get cut but can’t be while in the protocol. Clayton Tune appears to have beat out Ridder for the backup QB job, but if Ridder has not cleared concussion protocol by Tuesday, he will have to remain on the roster or be placed on injured reserve.

OL Christian Jones (leg)

Jones got hurt on the same play when Ridder got hit. Jones had to be carted to the locker room. He wasn’t expected to make the roster, but had they preferred to have him on the practice squad, he needs to be healthy. He might land on injured reserve and miss the year.

CB Elijah Jones (ankle)

Jones seemed like a lock for the roster because he was a third-round pick. But if they keep him on the roster, they will need to keep six cornerbacks.

RB Tony Jones Jr. (shoulder)

Jones probably wasn’t making the roster but did spend much of last season on the practice squad. If he isn’t cleared by Tuesday, he won’t be able to be on the practice squad.

Get more Cardinals and NFL coverage from Cards Wire’s Jess Root and others by listening to the latest on the Rise Up, See Red podcast. Subscribe on Spotify, YouTube or Apple podcasts.

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4 offensive takeaways in Cardinals’ 38-12 loss to the Broncos

What did we learn about the offense in the Cardinals’ loss to the Broncos on Sunday?

The Arizona Cardinals closed out the preseason losing to the Denver Broncos on the road 38-12. The offense gained 332 total yards on 66 plays. They had 23 first downs and went 5-for-12 on third down.

What did we learn on offense on Sunday?

Desmond Ridder was better

Ridder misfired on a couple of plays but overall threw the ball better. He ended the game in concussion protocol, so that status could impact the final roster. He was 10-for-16 passing for 111 yards and had a great throw to Tejhaun Palmer.

Red-zone turnovers cost them

Tony Jones Jr. fumbles the ball inside the five-yard line. Clayton Tune, coming in for an injured Ridder, threw a pick-six in the red zone.

The Cardinals can’t afford to do that in games that count, especially twice.

The run game was good and Hassan Hall was used a lot

The Cardinals finished with 122 rushing yards. Hassan Hall, signed a little more than a week ago, got the classic final preseason game treatment. He had 19 rushing attempts for 59 yards and a touchdown, and he caught four passes for 28 yards. By the end of the game, he was absolutely gassed.

Pass protection was a problem

Again, there were no starters playing, so it is tough to know how much of a concern this will be. But Tune and Ridder were sacked five times.

 

Broncos 38, Cardinals 12: Zach Wilson dominates as Cardinals finish winless preseason

Zach Wilson threw two touchdown passes and rushed for a third as the Cardinals went winless in the preseason.

The Arizona Cardinals were blown out in their preseason finale 38-12 by the Denver Broncos on the road. Broncos quarterback Zach Wilson, playing against the Cardinals’ back-of-the-roster players, passed for 251 yards and two scores, and he rushed for 22 yards and a third score.

The Cardinals managed only one touchdown and had a few injuries in the game that could impact how they fill their 53-man roster.

Running back Hassan Hall led the team with 59 rushing yards and scored the team’s only touchdown.

Read on for the recap.

Offensive starters

The Cardinals had Tun at quarterback, Tony Jones Jr. at running back, Zach Pascal, Chris Moore and Andre Baccellia at receiver, Blake Whiteheart at tight end and the offensive line was Jackson Barton, Elijah Wilkinson, Trystan Colon, Jon Gaines and Christian Jones.

Missed FG

Matt Prater missed a 55-yard field goal to end the Cardinals’ opening drive. Jones rushed for 21 yards on the drive and caught a pass as well. They picked up two first downs before kicking the field goal.

Starting defense

On defense, the Cardinals started with defensive linemen Ben Stille and Naquan Jones, outside linebackers Victor Dimukeje and Jesse Luketa, inside linebackers Owen Pappoe and Markus Bailey, cornerbacks Max Melton, Elijah Jones and Kei’Trel Clark and safeties Dadrion Taylor-Demerson and Andre Chachere.

Broncos 7, Cardinals 0

The Broncos took advantage of the short field and went 55 yards in 10 plays. Audric Estime had 31 yards 14 receiving yards and 17 on the ground on five carries on the drive, ending it with a three-yard touchdown. They went for it once on fourth down to extend the drive.

Broncos 14, Cardinals 0

Zach Wilson threw a one-yard touchdown pass to tight end Nate Atkins on fourth-and-goal. Wilson had a 21-yard scramble early in the drive. They went 77 yards on 11 plays.

Cardinals fumble inside 10

Tune had a 43-yard pass to Xavier Weaver and the offense got inside the 10. However, on third-down, Tony Jones Jr. fumble the ball after missing a catch and the Broncos recovered the ball and returned it to their own 12.

CBs questionable to return

Rookie cornerback Elijah Jones left the game with an ankle injury and Divaad Wilson left with a wrist injury. They were ruled questionable to return. Wilson returned later in the first half.

Matt Prater hits from 50 yards: Broncos 14, Cardinals 3

The Cardinals executed a perfect two-minute drill and picked up three points as time expired with Prater making a 50-yard field goal. Tune completed four passes and added a scramble leading to the field goal.

RB Tony Jones Jr. out

Jones injured his shoulder on the play he fumbled the ball. He was ruled out at halftime.

Broncos 17, Cardinals 3

The Broncos added points on their first drive of the second half. Wilson was sacked and almost fumbled at the end, leading to the 30-yards field goal.

Broncos 17, Cardinals 6

Ridder completed three passes and the Cardinals answered with a field goal of their own.

Broncos 24, Cardinals 6

Wilson had 63 passing yards, including a 37-yard throw to Brandon Johnson. Wilson’s one-yard QB sneak gave the Broncos their third touchdown of the game.

Broncos 24, Cardinals 12

The Cardinals got their first touchdown of the game on a three-yard run from Hassan Hall. Ridder’s throw to Andre Baccellia for the two-point conversion was broken up. Ridder had a 21-yard pass to rookie Tejhaun Palmer on the drive. It was the first touchdown of the preseason Ridder led the team to score.

Broncos 31, Cardinals 12

Wilson threw a 46-yard bomb to Brandon Johnson for a touchdown, giving him three total touchdowns in the game with 6:22 left in the game.

Broncos 38, Cardinals 12

It was a crazy sequence. The Cardinals were in the red zone and had a first down, but Ridder had to come out of the game to be examined for a concussion when his helmet was knocked off and he was hit in the head on a roughing the passer penalty.

Tune replaced him and threw a pick-6. Levelle Bailey intercepted the pass and returned it 94 yards for the touchdown.

Get more Cardinals and NFL coverage from Cards Wire’s Jess Root and others by listening to the latest on the Rise Up, See Red podcast. Subscribe on Spotify, YouTube or Apple podcasts.

 

5 player connections between Cardinals, Broncos in preseason finale

The Cardinals have three former Broncos. The Broncos have a pair of former Cardinals.

The Arizona Cardinals and Denver Broncos play their preseason finale against one another in Denver on Sunday afternoon. Then final cuts will come.

But there are some familiar faces for each team. Three Cardinals players used to play for the Broncos and a pair of players on Denver’s roster used to play for Arizona.

Who are they?

Cardinals LS Aaron Brewer

Now in his ninth season as the Cardinals’ long snapper, he played 64 games for the Broncos from 2012-2015.

Cardinals CB Michael Ojemudia

Ojemudia is a little-known player on the roster for the Cardinals and likely will be among the cuts to get the roster to 53 players, but he was drafted in the third round in 2020 by the Broncos and played three seasons for them.

Cardinals OL Elijah Wilkinson

Wilkinson, in his second season with the Cardinals, played four seasons for Denver from 2017-2020 after signing there as an undrafted rookie.

Broncos DL Zach Allen

Allen was drafted by the Cardinals in the third round in 2019 and spent four seasons in Arizona. He is in his second season with the Broncos and is expected to have a big year.

Broncos DL Angelo Blackson

Blackson spent one season with the Cardinals, playing all 16 games in 2020 and was perhaps the team’s most reliable D-lineman.

Get more Cardinals and NFL coverage from Cards Wire’s Jess Root and others by listening to the latest on the Rise Up, See Red podcast. Subscribe on Spotify, YouTube or Apple podcasts.

 

4 players to watch for Cardinals in preseason finale vs. Broncos

While many players for the Cardinals will not play in the preseason finale, pay attention to these players against the Broncos.

The Arizona Cardinals have their final preseason game on Sunday afternoon on the road against the Denver Broncos. No starters are expected to play, just as has been the case throughout the preseason.

We probably can expect some rotational players not play either.

But there are some players to pay attention to as they are battling for jobs and roles on the roster.

Here are some players to watch in the game.

QB Desmond Ridder

Clayton Tune has been the better player in the preseason and appears to be ahead of Ridder for the backup QB job behind Kyler Murray. Ridder has been bad so far and the offense stagnant with him in the game.

Can he do enough to stick around or perhaps be traded?

RB Michael Carter

Carter has simply made plays whenever given opportunities. However, it appears he only makes the team if the Cardinals keep five running backs, which seems unlikely.

Will he continue to make plays? Can the Cardinals get something for him in a trade?

WR Zach Pascal

It has felt like Pascal’s days with the Cardinals were numbered all offseason. The Cardinals signed Chris Moore and added three rookie receivers. But with Zay Jones getting suspended for five games, Pascal has a real shot at the roster. See what his role is in the game and how much he plays.

DL Khyiris Tonga

Six defensive linemen feel like a lock for the roster. Tonga would be the seventh. But with Darius Robinson either going to land on injured reserve to start the season or miss a game or two, Tonga has a shot to make the roster. Can he keep Ben Stille, Myles Murphy and Phil Hoskins behind him?

Get more Cardinals and NFL coverage from Cards Wire’s Jess Root and others by listening to the latest on the Rise Up, See Red podcast. Subscribe on Spotify, YouTube or Apple podcasts.

 

Cardinals at Broncos: Kickoff, TV, how to watch, listen, stream

The info you need to see, stream or listen to the Cardinals’ preseason finale on Sunday.

The Arizona Cardinals wrap up their preseason schedule on the road against the Denver Broncos. They have gone winless in the preseason thus far, losing to the New Orleans Saints 16-14 and then to the Indianapolis Colts 21-13.

The Broncos are 2-0 in the preseason.

Arizona’s starter will not play. Quarterback Clayton Tune will get the start and Desmond Ridder will also play.

The Broncos named rookie Bo Nix their starting quarterback, but he will not play. Backup Jarrett Stidham will start and play some, while former No. 2 overall time Zach Wilson will play the bulk of the snaps.

There are some things to pay attention to for the Cardinals in this final preseason game.

As they are on the road for this game, you surely will want to tune in.

Here is the info you will need to do that.

Cardinals at Broncos schedule, kickoff

  • What: Arizona Cardinals at Denver Broncos
  • Where: Empower Field at Mile High, Denver, CO
  • When: Sunday August 25, 4:30 p.m. ET (1:30 p.m. Arizona time)

How to watch Cardinals at Broncos on TV

The game is nationally televised on CBS. Andrew Catalon, Tiki Barber and Jason McCourty will call the game. A.J. Ross will report from the sideline.

Streaming options for Cardinals at Broncos

You can stream the game on Fubo TV (try for free).

How to listen to Cardinals at Broncos on the radio

The Cardinals’ home broadcast will be on Arizona Sports 98.7 FM. Their radio crew of Dave Pasch and Ron Wolfley will call the game, while Paul Calvisi will report from the sideline.

The Cardinals’ Spanish broadcast will be on FUEGO 106.7 FM with Luis Hernandez and Irving Villanueva calling the game.

The Broncos’ local radio broadcast will be on KOA in the Denver area (850 AM, 94.1 FM). Dave Logan and Rick Lewis call the game with Susie Wargin reporting from the sideline.

Listen to the latest from Cards Wire’s Jess Root on his podcast, Rise Up, See Re-16d. Subscribe on Spotify, YouTube or Apple podcasts.

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What to watch in Cardinals’ preseason finale vs. Broncos

Preseason games are hard to watch sometimes. These are some things to pay attention to on Sunday.

The Arizona Cardinals have one final preseason contest this weekend before having to make final cuts to get to 53 players on the active roster. They face the Denver Broncos Sunday afternoon on the road at 1:30 p.m. Arizona time.

The starters again won’t play. But there is plenty to watch for in the final game.

What is there to pay attention to?

The guys who don’t play

The team is relatively healthy. Rookie defensive lineman Darius Robinson has a calf injury but would not have played anyway.

So pay attention to the players who don’t play because it is a sign that they have already assured themselves of a spot on the roster. That will include starters and key rotational guys.

The QB battle

Clayton Tune and Desmond Ridder are battling for the backup job and for a spot on the roster. Tune has clearly been better in the preseason. Can Ridder rally? Or will Tune separate himself even more?

Which WRs stand out

There seems to be an extra spot in the wide receiver room available now that the league announced a five-game suspension for Zay Jones. Pay attention to the play of Zach Pascal, Chris Moore, Xavier Weaver and Tejhaun Palmer in particular.

Special teams play

For non-starters, special teams play is critical. Pay attention to who is making plays in coverage and more.

Get more Cardinals and NFL coverage from Cards Wire’s Jess Root and others by listening to the latest on the Rise Up, See Red podcast. Subscribe on Spotify, YouTube or Apple podcasts.