Report Card(inals): Preseason vs Saints

As expected for a young team under a second year head coach, the Arizona Cardinals had their fair share of ups and downs in a preseason loss to the New Orleans Saints.

Aug 10, 2024; Glendale, Arizona, USA; Arizona Cardinals quarterback Clayton Tune (15) throws a pass against the New Orleans Saints during the second half at State Farm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports / Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports

Well gang, it has been a long time but we are so back.

The game was clearly not perfect but there was a lot to like about what we saw from the Arizona Cardinals in their first preseason match of the season.

Second-year head coach Jonathan Gannon seems to have a much better handle on his team and a clear vision for player development and strategy than some of the previous regimes that Cardinals fans are familiar with.

It is important not to put too much stock into the preseason, but I will do my best to give some quick grades to the major position groups that include what they did well and where they need to improve.

Offense

Aug 10, 2024; Glendale, Arizona, USA; Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Dan Chisena (17) catches a pass against the New Orleans Saints during the second half at State Farm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports / Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports

Quarterback - C

There is no denying that offseason addition Desmond Ridder did not have a great night. Playing the full first half, he went 4/9 for 43 yards through the air and added another 39 on the ground. To his credit, he didn't turn over the ball and he played at least two drives against the Saints' first team defense.

On the other hand, second-year QB Clayton Tune looked better than we have probably ever seen him. His increase in comfortability, particularly in the pocket, was very noticeable and he finished the second half with 163 yards and a score.

Still, even though Tune seems improved there was nothing from either quarterback that should completely scare or comfort Cardinals fans.

Thankfully, there are two more preseason games to fully determine the outcome of this position battle.

Offensive Line - C

The offensive line did slowly improve throughout the night, but the beginning was pretty rough for the second teamers.

In particular, rookie Isaiah Adams who is competing for a starting role at left guard started the game with several noticeable mental errors. He has some leeway as a rookie making his first NFL start, but there wasn't much put on show that would make me comfortable with him in a starting role on the line.

On the bright side, fellow rookie Christian Jones had a sneaky good game and though Jonah Williams is slated to be the starting right tackle in 2024 I wouldn't be surprised if he breaks the starting lineup across from Paris Johnson, Jr. sooner rather than later.

Running Back - B+

With so many players competing in this crowded running back room, there really was not enough playing time to go around to give any one of them a dominant night but the running backs who did get on the field all looked good in their own ways.

We didn't see much of Trey Benson, but was on display showed his trademark speed and agility and it is not his fault that an impressive 20+ yard chunk run was called back for an offensive line penalty.

Many fans were shocked upon the release of the first depth chart to see Michael Carter as RB5 and he certainly did not play like that last night. Carter continues to show his penchant for hard running and great ball carrier vision. He hit a lane for an 11-yard score and finished as the team's leading rusher with 41 yards on 7 carries.

The coaching staff has some very, very tough decisions coming on who they can keep on the active roster.

Wide Receivers - B-

Dan Chisena was really the name of the night in the wide receiver room. He has spent time on four different NFL rosters but has never had a regular season offensive snap, but against the Saints he showcased some soft, sure hands and good route running.

Chisena finished as the team's leading receiver with a perfect five receptions on five targets for 63 yards. Andre Baccellia, who has stuck around the team for a few years now, added a couple of receptions of his own but it was really rookies Xavier Weaver and Tejhuan Palmer that turned heads.

Neither Weaver or Palmer will show up in the box score as anything special, but they showed some serious speed and promise. Palmer in particular should have come down with a massive reception from Tune in the second half but a no-call Saints defensive pass interference disrupted the play.

Would be remiss to not mention the Cardinals' slightly shady marketing practice of advertising that rookie Marvin Harrison, Jr. would play only to touch the field three times with no targets.

Tight End - C

There are two memorable moments from the tight end room.

The first was a bad drop from Blake Whiteheart to kill a drive. The other was watching rookie Tip Reiman manhandle former first round selection Chase Young.

The hope is that Reiman will provide a blocking bang to Trey McBride's receiving buck and last night provided some evidence that the hope is not unfounded. Other than that however, there was not much production to discuss from the tight end.

Defense

Saints runningback James Robinson (26) spins for extra yards against the Cardinals Darren Hall (30) and Starling Thomas V (24) during a game at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Ariz., on Saturday, Aug. 10, 2024. / Patrick Breen/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK

Defensive Line - B

First things first, Darius Robinson looks as good as advertised. The rookie defensive end looked powerful and moved Saints second-teamers seemingly at will. On the first play of the game he shed a block to make a tackle and a few plays later drew a double team that led to a holding call.

Although L.J. Collier is a former first round pick, the battle for the nose tackle spot with Roy Lopez might be closer than most expected. Both played well.

Dante Stills also showed that his first step continues to get better and hopes are high that he can develop into a real contributor, but the real standout was probably rookie Xavier Thomas.

Despite a rough go at Clemson at times, Thomas has a quickness off the edge that is extremely hard to defend and was seemingly always in the mix at the right time.

Linebackers - B

The standout here for me was Owen Pappoe. He is entering his second year with the Cardinals and saw the field some last season after the Kyzir White injury, but there were plenty of questions left about his true regular season viability.

Against the Saints, Pappoe was flying around the field. His trademark has always been his elite speed and he certainly displayed that, but more encouragingly he made a pair of open-field tackles that would make Budda Baker proud.

Secondary - B+

Of course, there were several mistakes from this young secondary but the B+ grade largely comes from my surprise at how much better they played than I expected.

Rookie Elijah Jones was on the bad side of some questionable officiating but showcased some elite verticality. Dadrion Taylor-Demerson had a missed assignment that resulted in a touchdown but redeemed himself by zipping around the field at insane speed and showing what has become a trademark of Cardinals safeties, a willingness to put your body on the line.

Starling Thomas V had a pair of really nice pass breakups including one against star Saints receiver Chris Olave. Fellow second-year corner Kei'Trel Clark struggled last season when thrown into a starting role but did not allow any catches last night and sniffed out a screen pass, blowing it up beautifully.