3 winners and 3 losers from the Cardinals 2021 preseason
By Sion Fawkes
Arizona’s starting offensive line
We shouldn’t panic too much because the Cardinals starting offensive line played three bad series against the Chiefs in Week 2 of the preseason. However, Arizona’s line struggled in 2020 with penalties and at best, they were inconsistent. With Rodney Hudson and Brian Winters coming to town, we thought the offensive line would at least perform better.
So far, that hasn’t been the case. The jury remains out on Josh Jones, a third-round pick who played little in 2020. And we also cannot be sold on journeyman Justin Murray, who would project as a backup on most NFL rosters.
The offensive line shouldn’t be a major concern. But we all thought this unit, at least on paper, would perform better than it did in 2020. So far, the returns have not been pretty after they allowed two sacks in nine snaps against Kansas City while Cardinals running backs Chase Edmonds and James Conner did little running behind them.
The Titans had one of the worst defenses statistically in the NFL in 2020. If Arizona’s offensive line struggles in Week 1 against Tennessee like they did against the Chiefs, it could be a harbinger for the remainder of the regular season.