Impressive showing for Arizona Cardinals signal-callers
By Jim Koch
Sam Bradford and Josh Rosen let it be known that the Arizona Cardinals have passers who can do damage to the NFL’s defenses
There was something obvious that stood out during the Arizona Cardinals’ 20-15 preseason triumph over the New Orleans Saints this past Friday night. No, it wasn’t David Johnson, who appears ready to run rampant over opponents once again after missing most of last season. It wasn’t new coordinator Al Holcomb’s opportunistic defense either, although the unit did contribute some big plays to the victory.
Instead, it was the outstanding play of the Cardinals’ top-two quarterbacks that really piqued the interest of those who witnessed the contest. After a ho-hum three and out on the first series, and a second possession which led to nothing, starter Sam Bradford got the offensive party going. And did so in a very impressive way.
Four straight pass-completions put the Saints’ defenders back on their heels. Bradford utilized an array of Arizona pass-catchers, quickly moving the team into New Orleans territory. Chad Williams, Christian Kirk, Gabe Holmes and Greg Little all hauled in throws, before Johnson capped the scintillating drive with a powerful nine-yard touchdown run.
If Bradford wasn’t enough for fans to be optimistic about, there was also the club’s first-round draft pick helping to generate excitement. Josh Rosen showed off his tremendous arm strength and pinpoint accuracy on his own trek to the Saints’ end zone. The rookie led his teammates downfield with the coolness of a cucumber, ending the jaunt with a 13-yard scoring strike to Kirk.
The final numbers for the Cards’ signal-callers were a good indication of how well their evening went. Bradford threw for 61 yards, completing all six of his attempts. Rosen went 10 for 16, tallying 107 yards through the air and adding the touchdown toss.
Next. Arizona Cardinals show promise in 20-15 win. dark
Of course, anything done during exhibition matchups need to be taken with a grain of salt. However, what Bradford and Rosen did versus New Orleans deserves praise. And if this type of production out of “Big Red” carries over into the regular-season, the rest of the league’s defensive units could be in for quite a surprise in 2018.