Arizona Cardinals: 3 major questions heading into Preseason Week 2

Preseason counts, regardless of what you may have been told. No, the final score and statistics mean nothing to the NFL record books, but player development and evaluation is what we are looking for, and as we saw, the Arizona Cardinals passed their first test. 

Not everything or everyone looked good last week, but it didn’t matter, as neither the team nor the coaching staff ever lost its composure. That alone was a step in the right direction, and it was a major question that needed to be answered immediately. 

Heading into Week 2, we have a few more question marks taking shape. And since this is the “dress rehearsal,” it’s the best time in preseason to seek answers to the following questions. 

Major questions for the Arizona Cardinals in Preseason Week 2

1 - Will the Cardinals defensive line enjoy a repeat performance?

No one surprised us more than the Arizona Cardinals defensive line, who made a living batting passes and even pressuring opposing quarterbacks. It was almost like the unit had a chip on their shoulders heading into the game, and that they wanted to prove they are far better than advertised. 

This week against the Kansas City Chiefs, they will likely get reps vs. Patrick Mahomes, who saw action yesterday vs. the New Orleans Saints. Therefore, look for Mahomes to get some playing time in Saturday’s outing against the Redbirds, and he will provide a major challenge not only for the defensive line, but for the entire defensive unit. 

2 - Will we see Marquise Brown, James Conner, and other stars play?

Marquise Brown and James Conner were a pair of quite a few notable Arizona Cardinals players that had the night off. We know Brown wants to get some in-game reps before the season, and if the team feels he’s ready to roll, you can expect to see him play. 

Conner has a lock on the RB1 job, but he too would benefit from getting reps in this new-look offense that will put more emphasis on the run. Overall, Week 2 is the “dress rehearsal” game in these three week preseasons, so if Brown, Conner, and the star players are going to see action, this is the ideal time.

3 - Can Clayton Tune build on his successful second half?

Clayton Tune’s play in Week 1 of the preseason was a Tale of Two Halves. In his first half of action, Tune looked pedestrian, but not terrible. He showed poise and he made the right decisions (most of the time), but he also had some accuracy issues. 

He remained calm throughout, despite the offensive line giving him little help at times. His cool demeanor paid off, and Tune looked good in the second half, with his night ending after a touchdown pass to Kaden Davis. 

So which version of Tune will we see in Week 2 of the preseason? Can he put together an entire outing of solid play, or will he look like the so-so player we saw in the game’s first half?