The Arizona Cardinals take on the Minnesota Vikings in their third preseason game this morning. While the final result will not matter ultimately, how individual players perform will.
The starters will play longer so fans hopefully get a taste of what the season might look like.
But who are the players to watch in particular?
QB Kyler Murray
Murrays the player mostly everyone will watch. He was promising in the preseason opener and struggled last week against the Oakland Raiders. How will he look in a full half of action?
WR Andy Isabella
Isabella got his first preseason action last week and had a touchdown in his only catch. With the signing of Michael Crabtree, Isabella now appears to be near the back of the depth chart. Can he make an impact in the second half of the game? Something else to watch is whether or not he handles return duties. A way to get him involved this season might be to have him return punts.
Joshua Miles
Miles moved up the depth chart and earned praise from head coach Kliff Kingsbury. Can he follow that up with a second straight solid performance in the second half of the game against the Vikings?
CB Brandon Williams
Williams recently came back from a back injury. With Robert Alford’s injury, suddenly he is back in the mix for a roster spot. Now in his fourth season, he needs to show he can play cornerback.
LB Dennis Gardeck
Gardeck has not looked impressive while playing with the starters in place of the injured Haason Reddick. It will be interesting to see if he is still in the starting lineup on Saturday or whether someone else moves up the depth chart.
CB Tramaine Brock
Assuming Patrick Peterson will not play in this game, Brock becomes the No. 1 cornerback on the team. He will get the top assignments. He has played a lot of ball and is a capable player but if he can’t hold up, things could get really bad defensively for the first few weeks of the regular season.
DL Zach Allen
Allen will get extended work with the starters. He has been praised by his head coach and looks like he is ready to perform. See if he can make a couple of flashy plays while the starting defense is on the field.
LG Justin Pugh
Pugh finally will get some preseason action. He was out with a shoulder injury. The line needs him healthy and playing at a consistent level. It is worth watching how much he plays and how good he looks while he is out there.
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