Any win feels good, but for the Arizona Cardinals, their exhibition victory over the Las Vegas Raiders came at a brutal cost: rookie offensive guard Chase Bisontis is heading for surgery next week. This is a gut punch for the Red Sea faithful, especially after seeing so much promise. You just hate to see a young player go down like that.
The Rookie Downfall: What We Learned About Preseason Risk
Fans might be yelling that head coach Mike LaFleur should just sideline all the starters in these preseason games to avoid injuries. But here’s the kicker: Bisontis wasn’t even with the starting unit, he was playing with the second string. It just goes to show, these games are a minefield. The coaching staff has to figure out who’s going to make the final cut, and these exhibition matchups often tell that whole story. Sometimes a player balls out and becomes a preseason darling, only to get released or not start when Week 1 rolls around. This Bisontis injury just cranks up the pressure on everyone, and for him, it’s a truly terrible break.
A Trio of QBs That Actually Showed Up
Despite the Bisontis news, the Cardinals’ quarterback play was surprisingly strong across the board, which is a huge relief. Jacoby Brissett, who was probably the biggest question mark coming into this one, looked completely established. He marched the team right down the field, made all the right throws when they absolutely needed them, and leaned into the running game with both Jeremiyah Love and Tyler Allgeier. That third-and-11 toss to Michael Wilson was pure class, keeping the drive alive, and the touchdown throw to Marv Harrison in the back corner of the end zone was highlight-reel stuff, no doubt.
After Brissett, Gardner Minshew grabbed the reins and just ran with it. The dude looked like a Week 1 starter already. His first two possessions were both touchdown drives, an 11-play, 78-yard beauty, and then a 10-play, 75-yard masterclass. He used Love as both a runner and a short-gain receiver, and it worked like a charm. Minshew’s 9-yard toss to Jalen Brooks was money, and that touchdown to Simi Fehoko was perfect. He kept hitting Brooks in the second drive for 14 and 10 yards, they looked like college teammates out there. Even after halftime, Minshew guided the team to another 10-play drive that ended in three points. His final line: three drives, 17 points, pure efficiency. Kedon Slovis came in late and finished the game against some second- and third-stringers, but he was dead on with his passes. Yeah, you can say it was against backups, but throwing into a tight window is still throwing into a tight window, and Slovis delivered. His first drive also ended in three points.
It’s clear the Cardinals have some tough calls coming with their roster. With Bisontis sidelined, every snap from here on out for the guys trying to make the team just got a whole lot more meaningful.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Revenge of the Birds.
Leave a Reply