Takeaways From Cardinals Preseason Finale vs Vikings

The Arizona Cardinals completed their preseason on Saturday with a close win over the Minnesota Vikings. Here are our takeaways.

The Arizona Cardinals finished their preseason with a 2-1 record after defeating the Minnesota Vikings in 18-17 fashion on Saturday. 

The Cardinals will return home and immediately begin prep to cut down their roster to 53 players, a decision that must be made by Tuesday. Arizona then will focus their efforts on the regular season opener, as the Washington Commanders await the red sea for Week 1. 

Here's our three takeaways one last time from preseason play:

1. Colt McCoy has the starting job

The Cardinals opted to rest their starters today after getting final evaluations during their week of joint practices with the Vikings, which included QB Colt McCoy. 

Players who did not suit up for the preseason finale according to Cardinals team reporter Darren Urban: Zach Pascal, Kyler Murray, Marquise Brown, Budda Baker, James Conner, Kyzir White, Colt McCoy, Kei'Trel Clark, Michael Wilson, Jeff Driskel, Marco Wilson, Zaven Collins, Antonio Hamilton, Jalen Thompson, Myjai Sanders, Dennis Gardeck, Victor Dimukeje, Elijah Wilkinson, Paris Johnson, Hjalte Froholdt, D.J. Humphries, Will Hernandez, Trey McBride, Zach Ertz, Jonathan Ledbeter, Leki Fotu, L.J. Collier, Rondale Moore 

There's been a lot of talk about who will be Arizona's starting quarterback in Week 1, and the addition of Josh Dobbs put that conversation deeper in intrigue. 

Even with a solid outing from Clayton Tune today, McCoy still obviously has first go at playing quarterback for the Cardinals in the regular season. He provides the most experience, has gotten starts in both preseason games he's played and has been preserved by the team through camp/preseason with off days and limited reps.

The Dobbs move showed Arizona was clearly not sold on the overall outlook of their QB depth. Pending McCoy's play, the Cardinals could have a different face in the lineup past Week 1.

Yet when only focusing on the next game, McCoy is their starter when they open the regular season. 

2. Isaiah Simmons trade needed to happen

With the Cardinals and Vikings sitting their starters, it's safe to say there wasn't a ton of action to brag about on the field. 

One of the more notable happenings during the game came on the broadcast side of things, where Cardinals GM Monti Ossenfort joined the booth and was asked about the Isaiah Simmons trade that took place earlier this week.

He deemed it a "fit" issue in Arizona's defense after bouncing around multiple positions and failing to play up to par. 

#AZCardinals GM Monti Ossenfort cited "fit" on the defense as a major reason for Isaiah Simmons being traded just now on the broadcast.

— Donnie Druin (@DonnieDruin) August 26, 2023

Head coach Jonathan Gannon was asked about the move earlier this week in practice.

"I don't think it was an issue of what Isaiah did, he did everything that we asked him to do," Gannon said via the team's official website.

"Moving forward we feel this is the best way we want to play football against other people. We're going to try and put the best guys out there that can function and do the best job."

Simmons wasn't a featured safety in the team's base 3-4 package with Budda Baker and Jalen Thompson occupying those traditional roles. 

It's clear Arizona didn't need much to see Simmons wasn't a fit for the present or future. 

3. Commitment to running the ball is refreshing

There's been so much talk surrounding the quarterback and who will start for Arizona this season until Kyler Murray returns, yet there's a fresh sense of hope in the overall play of the offense thanks to new offensive coordinator Drew Petzing. 

Today, the Cardinals kept two tight ends out often and ensured running the ball was always a threat. Corey Clement, Emari Demercado and Keaontay Ingram all averaged four yards or more per carry.

Running the ball has looked awfully different in the desert in recent memory under Kliff Kingsbury, thanks to his air-raid offense that featured mostly shotgun looks and ultimately became predictable if they weren't finding immediate success. 

Though it's only preseason, the Cardinals' intent and commitment to run the ball has been refreshing. The ability to control the clock, wear defenses out and remain two-dimensional is important despite the league's overall shift towards a pass-heavy attack. 

Petzing putting Murray - and whoever else will play at QB - under center and keep defenses honest will be crucial in keeping the opposition honest. 

So far, so good for Arizona and their hopes to establish a formidable rushing plan. 

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