7 Cardinals Who Improved Their Stock vs Colts

The Cardinals lost a sloppy game, but saw some flashes from a variety of players.

Aug 17, 2024; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Indianapolis Colts quarterback Sam Ehlinger (4) is sacked by Arizona Cardinals linebacker Cameron Thomas (97) during the second quarter at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Marc Lebryk-USA TODAY Sports / Marc Lebryk-USA TODAY Sports

ARIZONA-- The Arizona Cardinals lost their second straight preseason game to the Indianapolis Colts by a score of 21-13. Penalties pervaded both sides of the ball for the Cardinals, and plenty of missed opportunities culminated in an extremely sloppy loss.

That said, there were still some bright spots on the field, as two units made up of a majority of backups fought to make their case for the roster.

Here are some Cardinals players who raised their stock in Week 2:

OLB Cameron Thomas

The third-year OLB had a stellar game, living in the Colts' backfield and putting their QBs through hell. Thomas picked up three solo tackles, including a tackle for loss and, most importantly, two sacks.

He was a disruptive presence all game, consistently winning reps and making it close to the QB, if not ultimately being able to bring him down more than twice.

With a pass rush that needs some of their maturing players to step up, Thomas' performance was certainly encouraging.

S Dadrion Taylor-Demerson

For the second straight week, rookie safety Dadrion Taylor-Demerson was a player to watch. He made three solo tackles, continuing to display his physicality and high motor, and made an excellent play to run down a throw from Colts QB Jason Bean, picking off a deep pass just inside the boundary to an initially-open receiver.

Dadrion Taylor-Demerson makes another excellent play, running down a deep throw to pick off Bean. pic.twitter.com/qrXki7PZHK

— Alex D’Agostino (@AlexDagAZ) August 18, 2024

RB Trey Benson

The Cardinals needed to see more out of Benson, and they got a bit of a better showing from him today. There were some missed opportunities with regard to open gaps, but the rookie out of Florida State looked more like the patient, high-acceleration back the Cardinals drafted.

He only rushed for 43 yards, but averaged a much better 4.8 yards per carry, and had a gain of 20+ (and potential ensuing touchdown) negated by one of the many offensive holding penalties on the night.

The box score doesn't show it, but Benson was able to run with momentum, push through tackles to get the extra yard and patiently find his lane at a better rate than the previous week.

CB Kei'Trel Clark

Clark didn't see the field a great deal, but made an impact in the short opportunity. Near the end of the first quarter, Colts QB Sam Ehlinger found WR Anthony Gould for a short gain. Clark charged in from the secondary and made a good clean hit, forcing the ball loose in Colts territory.

The Cardinals would go on to kick a field goal, and Clark finished his day with two solo tackles and the forced fumble.

LB Xavier Thomas

Thomas had another solid game, becoming a menacing force in the Colts' backfield. He was in the QB's face all game, had two official QB hits, a tackle for loss and a sack.

Late in the second quarter on first down, Thomas beat the left tackle badly off the snap, and viciously ran down Bean unaided for a loss of 12 and the sack.

Thomas is exactly the type of disruptor the Cardinals need, and delivered another strong performance. While there were times he--and the rest of the passrush--failed to wrap up the QB and finish the play, he forced plenty of improvisational throws and made himself known in the backfield.

QB Clayton Tune

For now, Tune is gaining an edge on the Cardinals' backup QB race. The second year arm worked an efficient 8-for-10, throwing for 79 yards and a 99.6 passer rating.

Although the O-line failed to do him any favors, and he was sacked three times, he also scampered in to the end zone untouched on a nicely improvised play - the Cardinals' only touchdown of the night.

He certainly made some mistakes, and seems to struggle with the pace of the game at times, but he delivered a solid performance, while Desmond Ridder looked less sharp.

CB Darren Hall

Another week, another strong showing by Hall. He flew all over the field once again, leading the Cardinals in tackles with five (four solo), and two PBUs.

The 24-year-old has begun to show serious potential with the Cardinals in limited preseason action. While it might be a stretch to imagine him starting, the physicality and speed is the exact type of player head coach Jonathan Gannon and defensive coordinator Nick Rallis want on their unit.