The Cardinals have their first win of the preseason and the first of the Mike LaFleur era, for that matter. Arizona bounced back from its loss in the Hall of Fame Game, cruising to a 27-14 victory over Fernando Mendoza and the Las Vegas Raiders on Thursday.
A brutal MCL injury to second-round rookie Chase Bisontis was the one major downside to what was an overall encouraging performance from LaFleur's Cardinals, particularly on the offensive end.
Winner: Mike LaFleur
This is now 57 points through two games for the Cardinals. The offense is clicking regardless of who's out there, and the one constant is LaFleur.
Though defenses aren't playing their entire hand in the preseason, Arizona should be encouraged that the offense is already seeing promising results since LaFleur's arrival. He's already looking like the creative coach required to get the most out of the Cardinals' offensive playmakers.
Winner: Jeremiyah Love
Jeremiyah Love sat out the Hall of Fame Game, making this his first Cardinals preseason debut. The coveted rookie made the most of his limited opportunity, taking 11 carries for 58 yards and looking like the same explosive, shifty, and three-down back at Notre Dame.
Unfortunately, Love will now miss the next week due to a sore ankle after the win over Vegas. That could be for the best though as the Cardinals have already seen enough out of their No. 3 overall investment. Time to get him healthy and rested for Week 1.
Winner: Jalen Brooks
I don't know exactly who the Cardinals will keep in their wide receiver room, as they eventually have to make cuts to finalize their 53-man roster. What I do know is Jalen Brooks is making it harder each day not to be included in that group.
He was the game's leading receiver, finishing with six receptions for 52 yards and a touchdown. This offseason has really shown how deep Arizona is at receiver well beyond Marvin Harrison Jr. and Michael Wilson, and Brooks has been a key part of that depth.
Loser: Chase Bisontis
The Cardinals' second-round pick unfortunately suffered a torn MCL against the Panthers. His entire 2026 season is now in jeopardy. While he was second on the depth chart behind right guard Isaiah Adams, it's still a brutal loss for the Cardinals' O-line. Bisontis was having a standout training camp and was a key part of why this draft class looked so promising early on for Arizona.
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