New Arizona Cardinals head coach Mike LaFleur couldn't pull off the preseason win against big brother Matt and the Green Bay Packers. Arizona fell 42-38 in Green Bay, making it 1-3 on what was an extended preseason thanks to the Hall of Fame Game.
Process matters more than results in the preseason, and the rebuilding Cardinals have already established a strong offense under LaFleur. They'll look to carry that momentum into the regular season with a Week 1 season opener coming on the road against the Los Angeles Chargers on Sunday, September 13.
But first, Arizona will have to make the always difficult and brutal decisions of who to keep on this 53-man roster. Some players, like rookie Jayden Williams, continued to strengthen their case in Friday's loss.
Jayden Williams all but secures his spot on Cardinals' roster
Jayden Williams started at right tackle in this contest. Despite being a seventh-round selection, the Cardinals' rookie is already listed second on the depth chart at right tackle behind Elijah Wilkinson.
The depth chart placement and starting nod here should all but confirm his spot on this 53-man roster. The Cardinals are a winner in this case too, as it appears their draft afterthought is already emerging as a key contributor for this offense.
Gardner Minshew II looks like a top backup in limited action
Gardner Minshew II completed seven of nine attempts for 126 passing yards and a touchdown. He likely wouldn't have even started in this contest had it not been for the rib injury suffered by third-round rookie Carson Beck.
The veteran Minshew was replaced by Kedon Slovis after just two drives, but that short leash is a testament to how polished he already looked as this team's backup quarterback heading into September.
Darren Urban of AZCardinals.com calls Minshew the Cardinals' best backup quarterback in a while, noting his comfort in this offense throughout the preseason:
"Jacoby Brissett is your starter, and Beck would likely get the call to see what he has if it wasn't Brissett. But Minshew looks oh so comfortable in this offense. Best No. 2 QB the Cardinals have had in a while, IMO."
Minshew's preseason concludes with a total of 404 passing yards, 3 touchdowns and one interception. He's ready to back up Jacoby Brissett, and is even showing this preseason that there really isn't as big of a gap there as some may have thought.
Simi Fehoko continues to make his case in a crowded wide receiver room
Simi Fehoko is a preseason touchdown machine. As Urban points out, that's now seven total touchdowns in his last seven preseason games!
He led the Cardinals' pass catchers in this contest with five receptions for 94 receiving yards, including, of course, 2 touchdowns.
Fehoko has proven to be reliable throughout this preseason, particularly in the red zone with his 6-foot-4 frame. Was it enough to make Arizona's final 53-man roster?
That remains to be seen, as it's a crowded wide receiver room. To his credit, Fehoko has given the Cardinals' front office plenty to think about.
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