While the Arizona Cardinals Second Team defense looked horrible, and that basically contributed to a 38-10 blowout loss to the Kansas City Chiefs, it doesn’t mean the entire team followed suit. In fact, there were five players who put on solid to outstanding performances, to the point they either solidified their spot on the 53-man roster, or they became favorites to land themselves on the practice squad.
A trio of the five players listed below will play a prominent role with the Redbirds in at least one or more phases of the game. Another one could find himself playing a role as a top backup and perhaps even a special teamer.
5 Arizona Cardinals whose epic performances skyrocketed their stocks
1 - Keaontay Ingram
One of my biggest winners from last night’s contest, Ingram’s hard running style and ability to pick up positive yardage on nearly every run should have solidified him as the RB2. Early in the contest, Ingram took a handoff from quarterback Colt McCoy, and initially looked as though he was stopped in the backfield.
But Ingram kept his legs moving, shook off the would-be tackler, and picked up between three and four yards. If he keeps up that kind of effort during the regular season, Ingram could very well garner RB1 consideration if James Conner starts to backslide because of age.
2 - Josh Woods
There were three impressive linebackers on the field last night, and Josh Woods may have been the best. He was making plays all over the defense, and he tracked down ball-carriers seven times, six of which went for solo tackles.
Overall, Woods has been a primary special teamer during the early stages of his career and it initially looked as though he could see his role increase for 2023. At this point, Woods could be the primary rotational piece for Krys Barnes and Kyzir White.