Arizona Cardinals @ Indianapolis Colts
Final Score: IND 21 – AZ 13
Writer: Cesar Escajeda (@cescajeda13 on Twitter)
A relatively entertaining game, there weren’t many minutes logged from the starters on either team, but the depth that was showcased here tonight is likely something many GMs across the league will take notice of when rounding out their rosters come cutdowns. Quite a few names stood out in this matchup after a week of joint practices, and the home team was able to stifle the visiting Cardinals to just three second-half points to hold on for the win.
Three Up
- Laquon Treadwell, WR (IND) – Unlived hype has been the name of Treadwell’s game since entering the league with Minnesota in 2016. The former first-round pick has been a journeyman, finally finding his way to Indy where he’s had an extremely strong preseason so far. Tonight he looked smooth and poised, racking up 7 catches on his 7 targets for 72 yards. He may be a long shot to make the roster, but definitely has shown enough to warrant a look across other needy WR rooms league-wide.
- Jason Bean, QB (IND) – In a room of five QBs, there are going to be a few odd men out on the final roster – but it does not look to be Bean. Playing for most of the game, Bean made gutsy throws and didn’t shy away from contact on his 1-yard TD run.
- Trey Benson, RB (AZ) – Much of the discussion in the offseason has become when, not if, Benson overtakes longtime star James Conner as the starter. Benson looked spry with solid vision as he picked up 43 yards on 9 carries. He still has a ways to go before he features out of the backfield in this offense, but looks to be the frontrunner for RB2 in Arizona.
Three Down
- Cardinals O-Line Penalties (Christian Jones, OT) – Penalties galore. Jones himself had a series that featured three straight holding penalties, one negating a long gain by Benson on the ground. Yikes.
- Desmond Ridder, QB (AZ) – The QB2 job is very much for grabs in Arizona, and Ridder simply did not do enough tonight with his opportunities. He started strong and fast after inheriting the lead in the second half but faded after his first possession and could not do much with his playing time.
- Matt Gay, K (IND) – His usual holder Rigoberto Sanchez missed the game for the birth of his child, so it likely threw Gay off of his rhythm – but 0/2 on field goals doesn’t inspire a ton of confidence.
Arizona Cardinals
Quarterback
Clayton Tune: 8/10, 79 yards, 0 TDs, 0 INTs, 99.6 Passer Rating / 2 carries, 15 yards, 1 rushing TD
Tune started the game for the Cardinals and played for the entirety of the first half, moving the chains and setting up Arizona for 13 points.
Notes
- Tune began fairly pedestrian, though I’d spread that blame around the entire Cardinals offense. It took three drives to get going, but once he and the offense did, he made great reads and spread the ball around, moving up and down the field on three separate scoring opportunities, finishing by punching in a 12-yard rushing TD right before the half.
Missed Opportunities
- It was hard to gauge exactly to what degree Tune missed certain opportunities given the overall struggles of the Cardinals’ offensive line. Three sacks, coupled with multiple holding penalties (including the aforementioned three-consecutive by Jones) killed promising drives and limited what Tune could do.
Desmond Ridder: 6/10, 71 yards, 0 TDs, 0 INTs, 81.7 Passer Rating
Ridder took over for the Cardinals in the second half and led the offense to 3 points overall, but left a lot to be desired on the table in the competition for QB2 behind Kyler Murray.
Notes
- Ridder spread the ball out to multiple receivers early and often but fizzled out as the half wore on, going three and out on his final three possessions to end the game.
Missed Opportunities
- The Cardinals had a chance to put the game within a point after a missed field goal by Gay in the 4th quarter, but Ridder could not connect on 3rd and 4 to keep the drive alive.
Running Back
Trey Benson: 9 carries, 43 yards, 0 TDs
Benson was efficient with his rushing opportunities, even if the box score didn’t exactly show it.
Notes
- Benson drew the start and played through most of the first half. He looked agile with excellent vision, busting through the Colts’ defense multiple times for double-digit gains. Benson hits the hole hard and showed his toughness in this one.
Missed Opportunities
- Benson had a run of 20 yards called back on an offensive hold, which would have been his longest on the night.
Emari Demercado: 10 carries, 24 yards (2.4 average) 0 TDs / 1 reception, 1 target, 9 yards (15.0 average)
Demercado received the most rushing opportunities throughout the game for Arizona but was mostly bottled up out of the backfield, gaining minimal yards.
Notes
- Demercado took handoffs from both Tune and Ridder but did not look particularly effective, averaging only 2.4 yards per carry.
Missed Opportunities
- Overall, Demercado’s play tonight as a whole feels like a missed opportunity, given he is likely fighting for the RB3 spot with Michael Carter and Tony Jones Jr. He simply didn’t stand out in this week’s game.
Wide Receiver/Tight End
Andre Baccellia: 2 receptions, 4 targets, 27 yards (13.5 average), 0 TDs
Played most of the game and did solid work stretching the field with his opportunities.
Notes
- Likely fighting for a final WR spot, Baccellia did well on his targets, bringing in a 17-yard pass down the sideline from Tune in the first half that helped set up his TD run.
Missed Opportunities
- Tune and Baccellia struggled to connect on multiple drives that stalled early in the game. Baccellia got to run with the starters though nothing exactly popped on screen in comparison to the wideouts ahead of him on the depth chart. Trey McBride, Marvin Harrison Jr., and Greg Dortch appear to be the clear 1-3 in the Cards passing attack.
Indianapolis Colts
Quarterback
Jason Bean: 7/9, 94 yards, 0 TDs, 1 INT, 70.6 Passer Rating / 4 carries, 14 yards, 1 Rushing TD
Bean handled most of the game for the Colts and showed toughness and good decision-making on his throws. His interception was one of the few bad marks on his night, but he bounced back with a physical TD run in the second half.
Notes
- Averaged 10.4 yards per pass attempt, and put some good zip on his throws to multiple receivers. Came into the game after Sam Ehlinger, but looked crisper and likely has locked in a roster spot, potentially backing up oft-injured starter Anthony Richardson and seasoned vet acquisition Joe Flacco.
Missed Opportunities
- Likely a result of familiarity given the Cardinals secondary has seen the Colts QBs all week, but Bean’s interception was a telegraphed pass to the defender that killed a struggling drive before the Cardinals’ 2nd quarter score.
Kedon Slovis: 8/11, 79 yards, 0 TDs, 1 INT, 92.6 Passer Rating
The most efficient Colts QB on the night, Slovis took over late in the game and led Indy on multiple double-digit play drives to effectively kill time and seal the win.
Notes
- Slovis made the most of his limited opportunities here, going 56 yards on 11 plays and 64 yards on 15 plays, chewing clock and tiring out the Cardinals reserves. Slovis was bailed out of a costly fumble by a Cardinals penalty but otherwise showed qualities that will likely make it hard on Shane Steichen come roster cutdowns.
Missed Opportunities
- Two great drives stalled out, leading to two field goal attempts, both resulting in zero points – the epitome of a missed opportunity.
Running Back
Tyler Goodson: 6 carries, 35 yards (5.8 average), 1 TD
Battling for a role behind star RB Jonathan Taylor, Goodson made excellent work of his time with the night’s starters, gaining 8 yards on his TD run and averaging 5.8 yards per carry overall.
Notes
- With Trey Sermon sidelined with a hamstring injury, Goodson and Evan Hull are battling to showcase their talents out of the backfield. It was Goodson in this one that seemingly showed out, beginning the scoring on the night for the Colts and willing the offense down the field. He seems to have an excellent shot at making the final roster.
Missed Opportunities
- There isn’t much to knock on Goodson’s performance tonight – he did good work with what he was given and helped Sam Ehlinger get the offense up and running early in the game.
Zavier Scott: 11 carries, 55 yards (5.0 average), 1 TD
Claiming the bulk of carries for the Colts, Scott was deliberate on his rushing, hammering in his 6-yard TD coming out of halftime to retake the lead.
Notes
- The second-year back made his presence known throughout the second half, dominating touches and gaining the most yards through the ground for Indy in the game. He looks to make roster cutdowns interesting as we enter the third Preseason week.
Missed Opportunities
- The only real missed opportunity I saw out of Scott on the night was a handful of carries where he was stuffed during the two possessions he played. Outside of that, his running was fun to watch.
Wide Receiver/Tight End
Laquon Treadwell: 7 receptions, 7 targets, 72 yards (10.3 average), 0 TDs
A dominant performance for the talented but historically disappointing wideout.
Notes
- Treadwell was everywhere for the Colts’ offense, catching ball after ball thrown his way and making a show of it as he helped will the Colts to a win. He caught a short pass from Slovis on the final drive that he turned into a 19-yard run, effectively kickstarting the Colts’ time-consuming final drive to ice the game. It’s the second straight standout showing for the former first-round pick out of Ole Miss, and the hype has certainly impressed the media in Indy.
Missed Opportunities
- There were hardly any missed opportunities for Treadwell in this game – my only thought is, “Where has this been?” The Colts WR room is crowded, and he would likely need to keep up the pace through next week into the preseason finale to even warrant consideration. That being said, the talent is there, and it certainly wouldn’t surprise me to see Treadwell excel somewhere in the NFL this season.