The NFL preseason games are underway, meaning that coaches are in the latter stages of roster evaluation. With three games set for each team, players will get the chance to prove themselves worthy of their respective teams' 53-man lineups. The amount of roster hopefuls giving their all surely does make for tightly-contested games, such as the Arizona Cardinals-New Orleans Saints clash this past Saturday.
The Cardinals fall in their preseason opener
The Cardinals lost to their foes, 16-14, in an outing that came down to the final minute. Led by Saints rookie Spencer Rattler, New Orleans pulled off a game-winning drive that culminated in a 37-yard field goal. This definitely broke the hearts of State Farm Stadium spectators, but nevertheless, the hometown team showed promise. Arizona fought 'til the end, scoring two touchdowns and exchanging leads with the Saints four times in the second half.
In relation to the topic earlier, Cardinals head coach Jonathan Gannon probably has an idea of who might deserve a spot in the 53-man roster by now. Of course, he still has two more games of evaluation before submitting the final lineup. Still, several hopefuls certainly improved their stock on Saturday. Without further ado, here were the Cardinals' notable performers.
Clayton Tune, QB
Arizona opted to go with Desmond Ridder to start the game, but things didn't pan out as planned. Ridder completed just four passes for 43 yards while carrying the ball five times for an additional 39 yards. While one could point out that offensive line struggles contributed to his quiet outing, the Cardinals started to find their groove when Clayton Tune was inserted for the second half.
Tune immediately made an impact to start the third quarter, pushing the ball downfield to the Saints' 11-yard line. This drive resulted in the Cardinals' first touchdown, courtesy of running back Michael Carter. Throughout the final 30 minutes, Tune would continue delivering quality throws, including a 27-yard yard completion to Dan Chisena with three minutes remaining in the fourth. All in all, Tune connected on 15 passes for 163 yards and one touchdown — a 10-yard completion to wideout Tony Jones Jr.
With how things turned out on Saturday, Tune undoubtedly leads over Ridder in the race for the QB2 spot.
Dan Chisena, WR
Dan Chisena was the team's top receiver against the Saints, catching five passes for 63 yards. Staying aggressive throughout the game, Chisena was most effective when running routes through the middle — an area that Tune likes to target.
Many roster depth charts place Chisena as a third or fourth-stringer, so it's difficult to predict if he'll make the final cut. Nevertheless, his performance on Saturday indicates that he can deliver when given the chance.
Michael Carter, RB
Another player who showed out was Michael Carter. As mentioned earlier, Carter scored one of the team's touchdowns on Saturday — an 11-yard rush that gave the Cardinals momentum to start the third quarter (clip via the Cardinals' official X account). He also finished the game with seven carries for 41 yards.
One could argue that Carter is playing with a chip on his shoulder. Ahead of their clash with the Saints, the Cardinals released a depth chart…and Michael Carter was RB5. He certainly didn't look like a fifth stringer on Saturday, as his 41-yard tally was the most among all the running backs.
DeeJay Dallas and Trey Benson — two RBs who are ahead of Carter on the chart — saw action on Saturday as well, tallying 21 yards each. Both also delivered when assigned carries, so Carter has more work to do in the Cardinals' next two games to climb the ranks.
Xavier Thomas, LB
A fifth-round pick out of Clemson this year, Xavier Thomas played his first NFL preseason game on Saturday. He finished with three combined tackles (two solo) while tallying the team's only sack of the night. It occurred during the opening minutes of the fourth. Lining up on the edge, Thomas faked a run right then changed direction to the left, catching the tackle unawares and sprinting through the gap. Once inside the pocket, he got a hold of Spencer Rattler, who fell down in an attempt to avoid the linebacker.
Thomas has the potential to grow and contribute significantly to the Cardinals' pass rush this season. It's something that the team needs, considering how they had the third-lowest amount of sacks (33) among all NFL squads last season.
Dadrion Taylor-Demerson, S
Dadrion Taylor-Demerson's nose for ball carriers was visible throughout the game — the safety finished with four tackles, three of which were unassisted. Perhaps his most noticeable hit of the night was on Saints tight end Dallin Holker, who was completely outmuscled on the tackle. This was one of the defensive plays that forced New Orleans to settle for a field goal before halftime.
At the moment, Taylor-Demerson is projected as a second-stringer, playing behind Jalen Thompson and Budda Baker. With what he showed on Saturday, he'll possibly keep that spot and get good rotational minutes from Jonathan Gannon once the regular season ensues.
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