GLENDALE — Arizona Cardinals quarterback Clayton Tune is the biggest star in Saturday’s 14-16 loss to the New Orleans Saints as he battles Desmond Ridder for the second quarterback spot. But the second-year pro was far from the only Cardinal being talked about after the game.
A look at some of the other standout players in the Cardinals’ season opener:
Michael Carter, RB
Carter’s 11-yard touchdown on Saturday night was Arizona’s first of the preseason.
The experienced running back also outperformed all other Cardinals runners with 41 yards and seven touchdowns.
“I wish we would have won, but it was a learning experience,” Carter said after the game. “Great moments to learn from, and personally I felt like I did pretty well. Obviously I had some help, but overall I think the most important thing was that I had fun today.”
It was a good performance for Carter, who entered the matchup as RB5 on Arizona’s depth chart.
“To be honest, I haven’t cared for a long time,” Carter said of his place in the rankings. “It’s a crowded room, but it was a crowded room in New York. All of my experiences have led to who I am now. The young person in me probably wouldn’t have known how to handle the situation.”
“But it’s a fun room. There’s literally no bad blood, no animosity. From top to bottom, everyone helps each other and I think that’s really special. It all starts with our position coach (Autry Denson).”
Xavier Thomas, OLB
The Cardinals need someone to take over the outside linebacker position after losing projected starter BJ Ojulari to a torn ACL.
Could Thomas be this guy?
Although it is only a warm-up game, the fifth-round rookie was able to impress several times with a sack and three tackles.
“I thought he played with a lot of drive and effort, which was really nice to see,” Gannon said of Thomas. “I saw a big edge up there and I thought he was charging pretty well. He was definitely back in the game. He caught my eye and I’ll learn a lot from him too. It was nice to see him out there, bright and playing.”
Dadrion “Rabbit” Taylor-Demerson, S
Similar to Thomas, Taylor-Demerson stood out on Saturday for his brutality and speed.
Taylor-Demerson was tied for the team leader with three tackles and was constantly on the hunt for a play.
“He’s one that’s kind of gone under the radar, like you said. He does a really good job and he plays on fourth down as well. I thought he was in the right spot most of the game. I saw him take some big hits. I thought he did a good job.”
Darius Robinson, DL
Robinson only played in two series – one more than fellow first-round pick Marvin Harrison Jr. – but he quickly found himself on the stat sheet with the first tackle of New Orleans’ opening drive.
“I thought he looked good. I’ll have to watch the video on that, but I saw him make a play there,” head coach Jonathan Gannon said after the game. “I saw him get pressured on a double and they didn’t move him. He looked good.”
Dan Chisena, WR
Chisena was Arizona’s best receiver on Saturday night, catching all five passes aimed at him for 63 yards.
His average was 12.6 yards per catch and his longest distance was 27 yards.
Chisena has his hands full this preseason as he has to sit in a very crowded wide receiver room.
Starling Thomas V, CB
After putting together a strong training camp, Thomas has a good chance of playing an important role – if not a regular position.
He continued his upward trend on Saturday with a pass defense and a strong defensive play on another incomplete pass.
Thomas – and Kei’Trel Clark – were the only cornerbacks on the roster who were in the starting lineup or at least in the conversation about getting playing time on Saturday.
Max Melton, Garrett Williams and Sean Murphy-Bunting, all of whom appear to be one step ahead of the competition, did not record a single snap against New Orleans.
Blake Gillikin, P
Gillikin was a busy man on Saturday night, averaging 44.2 yards per punt on five attempts.
He saw one land inside the 20-yard line.
