Winners, losers from Arizona Cardinals preseason loss to Denver Broncos

DENVER — The Arizona Cardinals’ second preseason game got ugly fast and stayed that way throughout.

A week after an encouraging, mostly clean win over the Kansas City Chiefs, this was anything but. With both teams’ starters sitting out, the Cardinals’ backups were outmatched and outclassed by the Denver Broncos in a 27-7 loss.

The most important part of the Cardinals’ trip to Denver came earlier in the week, in the joint practice between the teams. Unlike the game, that session provided crucial snaps for the Cardinals’ starters.

Still, the performance on Aug. 16 was jarring. The Cardinals were outgained, 561 yards to 135. They gained 2.9 yards per play and allowed 7.8.

So, what matters and what doesn’t from the Cardinals’ performance? Here are the winners and losers from an ugly night in Denver.

WINNERS Chad Ryland

The Cardinals’ biggest winner emerged an hour before the game even kicked off.

Going through his typical pre-game warmups, kicker Chad Ryland hit a few standard field goals from 40 and 50 yards. Then, he decided to test his leg in the thin Denver air.

Ryland had the specialists unit back up past midfield to test an audacious 72-yard field goal — the result: perfection. Ryland split the uprights with a yard or two to spare.

Had it been in a regular-season game, the kick would comfortably have been an NFL record. The current record holder is Justin Tucker, who kicked a 66-yard field goal in 2021. Earlier this month, Jacksonville Jaguars kicker Cam Little nailed a 70-yarder in a preseason game. Ryland’s career long is 58 yards.

Of course, a kick in warmups does not equate to one during a game, with a kick blocking unit rushing toward the ball. Plus, Ryland’s ball came in Denver’s mile-high altitude, which can add roughly five yards to a kicker’s distance.

But despite those qualifiers, it was an impressive strike, and one that could influence Jonathan Gannon’s thinking if he needs Ryland to attempt from 60-plus in the regular season. Ryland said afterward that he had previously hit from 80 yards in training. That kick came at a lower altitude in Tennessee.

“If I’m going out there, I have confidence I have the leg to get it that far,” Ryland said.

The guys who didn’t play

We knew the Cardinals’ starters were not set to play against the Broncos. We didn’t know exactly what that would mean.

A handful of names ended up being surprise exclusions. That bodes well for those who have evidently impressed the coaching staff enough not to require further preseason reps.

Trey Benson, the Cardinals’ second-string running back, headlined that group — another sign that he could cut into James Conner’s workload more than he did as a rookie.

Defensive end Darius Robinson and tight end Tip Reiman, two more 2024 draft picks, also sat out. Like Benson, they could be in line for more work this season.

Perhaps the most surprising player to not play was defensive tackle Dante Stills, who impressed in both the first preseason game and the joint practice. He seems to have locked up a spot as a crucial depth piece on the defensive line.

“What (Benson and Stills) have done so far in camp and where we are depth-wise — we want to evaluate some other guys,” Gannon said. “But feel real good about those two guys, where they’re at.”

On the flip side, cornerback Will Johnson played eight snaps and safety Dadrion Taylor-Demerson played 13 — an indication that the coaching staff believes they have areas in which they need to improve before the opener.

The decision to sign Jacoby Brissett

The moment Brissett signed his one-year contract with the Cardinals this offseason, he became entrenched as their second quarterback. Entering training camp, that much was never in doubt.

Throughout camp, though, Brissett has repeatedly demonstrated the gap between him and third-stringer Clayton Tune.

In one quarter of action, Brissett commanded the offense with aplomb. He led one touchdown drive and may have led another, had he not been let down by his wide receivers. His best play might have been on one of those drops. Brissett stepped up in the pocket, manipulated the defense with his eyes, and hit Xavier Weaver in stride, only to see Weaver drop the ball.

That play showed a level of composure that Tune has not displayed this summer. Brissett finished 6 of 8 for 57 yards and a touchdown, with the only two incompletions coming on drops. Tune finished 13 of 20 for just 56 yards.

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“(Brissett) operated well,” Gannon said. “Got us in and out of some plays, made some throws.”

A long-term injury to Kyler Murray would still upend the Cardinals’ season, but with Brissett in the building, they can feel much more comfortable in their ability to weather a short-term injury to Murray.

That, Brissett said, is part of the value of preseason. These weeks give him an opportunity to prepare like he’s the starting quarterback so that he can be prepared for that role if it arises when the games count.

LOSERS</&h1>

Young wide receivers

With Marvin Harrison Jr., Michael Wilson, Greg Dortch and Zay Jones all sitting out, this was an opportunity for the Cardinals’ young receivers to show they deserve a role in the offense. They did not take advantage of it.

The most jarring sequence came on the Cardinals’ first drive of the game. The snap after Weaver’s drop, 2024 sixth-round pick Tejhaun Palmer dropped a third-down screen pass that hit him directly in the hands.

Both players have struggled to come down with contested catches in training camp — an area in which Gannon has called for them to improve.

“We’ve gotta do a better job catching the ball,” Gannon said. “That’s a fundamental.”

After Palmer’s drop, he was benched for most of the Cardinals’ next drive. Weaver bounced back better, picking up a 17-yard reception on a crossing route and beating a cornerback by a step on a go route (although Tune overthrew him). Still, he’ll have to be more sure-handed to push for regular-season snaps.

Secondary depth

Against Broncos backup quarterbacks Jarrett Stidham and Sam Ehlinger, the Cardinals’ secondary allowed 402 yards and two touchdowns on 39 pass attempts. That is, suffice it to say, not ideal — although it’s worth noting that defensive coordinator Nick Rallis spent the night in the booth and did not call the defense.

Some of the Broncos’ production came in the second half, against training camp defensive backs who will not be on the Week 1 roster. The bulk of it, though, was against players whom the Cardinals view as crucial backups.

There was no shortage of ugly moments. Cornerback Denzel Burke and safety Kitan Crawford allowed a wide-open touchdown in the first half when they misplayed a Cover-3 look. Burke was beaten deep in man coverage twice, once on a comeback route and once on a go route for a touchdown. Kei’Trel Clark committed a pass interference penalty. Jaylon Jones was beaten a few times.

“I felt like we weren’t all the time on the right people,” Gannon said. “The big thing with me that jumps out is we were fouling too much. That’s happening in practice and then what you do in practice is gonna show up in the game.”

Even Will Johnson, the second-round pick who has a firm grasp on a starting job, was beaten on a crossing route and committed a holding penalty. It’s been a difficult week for Johnson, who also struggled in the joint practice. He was the only full-time starter who played on Aug. 16.

“He’s gonna learn a lot,” Gannon said. “From the practice, I know he learned. And then he’ll learn from this game tape.”

That doesn’t mean it was all bad for the secondary. Crawford, in particular, had some nice moments. Burke also made some impressive plays early, highlighted by a pass breakup. Overall, though, the group’s performance was concerning. It’s hard to see who the Cardinals would rely on if any of their starting cornerbacks suffer an injury in the regular season.

Linebacker Owen Pappoe

Back in training camp, Pappoe was among the Cardinals’ defensive standouts. He drew praise from both the coaching staff and teammates, and seemed destined for a role in the Cardinals’ weak-side linebacker rotation next to Mack Wilson Sr.

Aug. 16, though, was not encouraging for Pappoe.

It’s not that he played poorly — he came up with a sack and was mostly solid in the middle of the defense. But more notable than his performance was that he didn’t appear until the second half. By that point, the defense was filled with third-stringers who are unlikely to make the roster.

The Cardinals’ linebackers in the first half were Akeem Davis-Gaither and fourth-round rookie Cody Simon, both of whom now appear more assured of roster spots than Pappoe.

Afterward, Gannon did not provide much insight into how he views Pappoe’s role.

“Just rotating all those guys,” Gannon said.

It’s a spot worth watching, given that the Cardinals have not yet landed on a second starting linebacker — and that Pappoe once seemed like a front-runner for that job.