The Arizona Cardinals came marching into New Orleans with much more to prove after a half-hearted performance against the Chargers the week prior. With a lot to prove and not much time to do so, the Cardinals answered a lot of questions versus the Saints on Friday night. Although, it wasn’t the beatdown that many would’ve liked to see – fans should remember that it’s only a preseason game where we only get a glimpse of what the regular season will look like for the Cardinals. However, offensively and defensively I like where the Cardinals are at.
Offense:
- From the first team offense to the second team offense the Cards seemed to be clicking on most – if not all – cylinders. Even though there were plenty of things to be excited about after Fridays win, I believe that this teams success begins and ends with the play of their offensive line. I’ll be the first one to admit I was wrong with my prediction of how I thought the Cardinals offensive line would look thus far. The Cardinals line play has developed in to something to be excited about, and that has opened up spots for other players to shine. When the Cardinals offensive line plays this well it allows All-Pro Running Back David Johnson to get into a rhythm that can electrify the entire team, and this allows starting Quarterback Sam Bradford to feel more comfortable in the pocket, as well as open up the play-action game plan of the Cardinal offense. If the Cardinal Offensive Line can stand strong all season long, the Cardinals are a playoff team, but if this is just a mirage of good play, then the Cardinals are in for a long injury riddled season.
Defense:
- It’s hard to assess the Cardinals defensive effort versus the Saints as New Orleans was wheeling out a first string offense minus hall of famer Drew Brees. Although, the Cardinals forced two turnovers in the first quarter versus the Saints first string, it’s tough to see what they would’ve done had Brees been able to play in the game. However, it was nice to see the Cardinals getting consistent pressure in the backfield as well as staying disciplined and not falling for the play-action fakes or screen patterns the Saints were throwing at them. All things considered it was an above average performance but let’s see how good they look this week as each NFL team plays there collective “dress rehearsal” this week in week 3 of preseason action.
The Cardinals will square off with “Americas Team” the Dallas Cowboys this Sunday on National TV, this will be a game where the starters will play a large portion of the game. We can properly assess where the Cardinals are as the Regular Season inches closer and closer.
