GLENDALE, Ariz— In the blink of an eye, the Arizona Cardinals were down 7-0. Cardinals kick returner Greg Dortch fumbled the opening kickoff. The Chiefs took over on the Cardinals’ 13-yard line. Three plays later, quarterback Patrick Mahomes connected with receiver Jason Brownlee on a back-shoulder throw for six. Head Coach Andy Reid saw enough. Mahomes’ night came to an end less than a minute into the preseason game.
Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray played the entire first quarter. In his first preseason contest since 2021, Murray completed 7 of 8 passes for 96 yards. His only incompletion was an interception.
Murray tried connecting with Marvin Harrison Jr. on a deep crossing route. However, safety Jaden Hicks peeled off his coverage assignment (Trey McBride) as soon as Murray released the ball. Hicks made a nice read and was able to intercept Murray’s underthrown pass.
“I didn’t get enough on it…I’m glad it happened,” Kyler Murray said. “I would hate for that to be New Orleans.”
Veteran quarterback Jacoby Brissett played well. He completed 5 of 8 passes for 80 yards and two touchdowns. Brisset connected with running back Emari Demercado on a screen pass for a 43-yard touchdown.
With only seconds remaining in the half, Brissett threw a strike to WR Xavier Weaver for his second passing touchdown of the game. Throughout training camp, Brissett and Weaver have been building chemistry. The two have been throwing routes together after each practice. Their hard work paid off tonight.
Cardinals Head Coach Jonathan Gannon was impressed by Weaver’s performance. “I thought he played well,” Gannon said. “He showed up today. I have a lot of confidence in him.”
In the fourth quarter, the Cardinals started utilizing Xavier Weaver as a punt returner. Unlike Greg Dortch and DeeJay Dallas, Weaver didn’t put the ball on the ground Saturday night. Xavier Weaver is fighting for a spot on the 53-man roster. His chances of making the team will increase significantly if he can provide value on special teams.
Two RB1s
Trey Benson picked up right where he left off as a rookie. The second-year running back rushed for 29 yards on nine carries and recorded one reception for 20 yards.
“I think this will be a big breakout year for Trey,” Murray said. “It’s just confidence and reps. Letting the game slow down for him and just continuing to play more football. The more football he is going to play, the better he is going to be.”
James Conner and Trey Benson aim to form one of the better rushing duos in the NFL this season.
Rookie Standouts
Jordan Burch showed glimpses of his potential against Kansas City. According to Pro Football Focus, Burch recorded two total pressures in 18 pass rush snaps. Burch had two half-sacks nullified by defensive penalties.
“I did see him win some rushes, which was good to see, and winning the right way too,” Gannon said. “I thought the defensive line, outside linebackers as a whole rushed well…Their quarterback seemed like he was under duress a little bit, so that was good.”
The 6-foot-6 pass rusher will look to add to an already talented defensive line room.
In the secondary, 7th round draft pick Kitan Craword showcased his 41.5″ vertical, intercepting Chiefs quarterback Bailey Zappe in the 3rd quarter. Crawford played 28 defensive snaps and finished with a 90.4 PFF coverage grade.
Kitan Crawford was an exceptional special teams player in college, accumulating over 1,000 snaps in that role. If he continues to contribute on defense, it will benefit the Arizona Cardinals.
–Follow Dan Loya on X (formerly Twitter) @DLoya_NFL
