The Arizona Cardinals open their preseason at home on Thursday against the Los Angeles Chargers. Because this will be the first game ever in the NFL for Cardinals head coach Kliff Kingsbury and quarterback Kyler Murray, this game is intriguing.
However, the starters will play little and some won’t play at all. Kingsbury won’t likely show much more than very basic concepts offensively.
Knowing that, what are things we want to see in the game?
Just a taste of the Kliff Kingsbury offense
The Cardinals won’t show anything fancy, but it would be nice to get just a taste. How much will they line up with four receivers? How often is a tight end in the game? What do the basic run plays look like? What are the basic route concepts? We want to see how they line up at the line of scrimmage and see how the running game is built.
A healthy dose of the draft picks
Kyler Murray will probably get a series. Andy Isabella might not play and Byron Murphy had a foot injury earlier in the week. However, we want to see a lot of Zach Allen, Hakeem Butler, Lamont Gaillard, Deionte Thompson, Jalen Thompson, Caleb Wilson, KeeSean Johnson and Michael Dogbe. We want to see them get reps and make plays.
Consistent kicking game
The Cardinals have been very confident in kicker Zane Gonzalez. He has been very good with the exception of one practice last weekend when he missed three kicks over 40 yards. Seeing him kick with strength and accuracy in the game would go a long way to settling underlying concerns fans have for the position.
Players making plays
While watching the Cardinals win is fun, the real measure of the preseason is how individual players do, so we want to see individual players flash. Whether that is Hakeem Butler with a great catch or a defensive lineman getting consistent penetration, some playmaking is necessary.
No injuries
The one thing no one wants to see is an injury, especially to a player expected to be a contributor during the regular season. Health is the most important thing to have in the preseason.
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