The Arizona Cardinals will face the Tennessee Titans tomorrow at 5:00 PM Arizona time. Coming off a preseason win against the Oakland Raiders, there has to be some excitement for this upcoming match-up. The defense started off with some sparks that were seen from last season and an offense that seemed to immediately get better with Ryan Williams getting some snaps. As the Cardinals play in Tennessee for their 4th preseason game of 2012, here are some keys things to watch:
Offense
Will John Skelton secure the starting job at quarterback? Skelton will get his opportunity against the Titans to wrap up the starting job. He doesn’t even need to have an amazing game as he could likely win outright just by protecting the football and managing the game well. If he keeps his mistakes to a minimum and moves the chains, I find it hard to believe that Kolb can come back at this point and win the job. It will be difficult for the coaching staff to admit their potential mistake of trading/dealing for Kolb, but if it comes to that, then they must do so. If Skelton can get the Cardinals to the playoffs, I’m sure all will be forgiven.
How will Beanie Wells look in his first preseason game? It’s expected that Beanie will see the same snap count that Ryan Williams saw last week, so probably no more than 10-12 snaps. He will be aided by a knee brace but still look to see how effective he is carrying the ball. Some have noticed a limp while he walks but honestly, anytime you see Beanie at a game he walks with what seems like a limp.
Ryan Williams is sure to get more snaps this game as well so that will be equally interesting to watch.
Part of me is wondering if Williams Powell has or can do enough to steal a roster spot from Alfonso Smith. This game and the final game against the Broncos will give him his opportunity to do just that.
will Michael Floyd make a bigger impact? So far, the first round pick has been a little lackluster. Don’t get me wrong though as I think he will be a major contributor, if not this season, then he will be in the future. He has yet to make any ‘wow’ catches during a game but has stood out with blocking. Unfortunately, blocking can only get you so far. As of now, he has lost his spot on the depth chart to DeMarco Sampson who has had some good flashes during practice and games.
Defense
As a whole, I would like to see the Defense do well to contain Chris Johnson. Johnson has been looking very good in the games he’s played and I think he’ll present a good challenge for the Cardinals defense.
I am hoping there are some turnovers generated because the Cardinals need to show that they can win the turnover battle this season. Locker and Hasselback, by most accounts, have been struggling and for our defense to generate QB pressure and force turnovers would be a very good sign.
The starters will be playing even past the half so this will be a good game to watch and gauge where the team is.
It’s important to note that some key players will not be in the game, including Daryl Washington, and possibly O’Brien Schofield, Rashad Johnson, and Greg Toler.
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