GLENDALE, AZ — The Arizona Cardinals weren’t able to snag a preseason win over the New Orleans Saints in their opener, though the team was still able to draw plenty from their 16-14 loss on Saturday.

“I thought we battled. I told them I liked our effort, our enthusiasm. I thought violence, motor was pretty good. Hitting was on display. The most important thing for us right now is we got to learn. So obviously, we’re not enthused about a win, but we did some good things,” said head coach Jonathan Gannon following the loss.

“We got to clean up some execution. Play a little bit better in all three phases to win a game, but they’ll be ready to go next week.”

Arizona will watch the tape and get back to work next week ahead of their second matchup against the Indianapolis Colts – until then, here’s players who stood out in the Cardinals’ preseason opener:

QB Clayton Tune

Arizona’s offense looked night and day different when Tune went into action in the second half.

Following up a very mediocre Desmond Ridder performance, Tune slotted under center in the second half and delivered on numerous throws.

“Good. Good command. Played fast. I thought he made some throws in there too. Some guys stepped up, made some plays. I thought he was aware of what was going on out there, making correct decisions and made some plays,” said Gannon when asked about Tune.

Tune finished 15-24 for 163 yards and one touchdown with a clear lead in the Cardinals’ QB2 battle after one week of play.

If anybody boosted their stock at State Farm Stadium, it was Tune.

EDGE Xavier Thomas

When BJ Ojulari went down with a season-ending injury, the Cardinals saw a thin edge room grow even smaller.

Arizona needed somebody – practically anybody – to step up and bolster a pass rush that generated just 33 team sacks last season.

Perhaps Xavier Thomas could be of some assistance.

Not many rookies as explosive as Xavier Thomas. Twitched up edge threat that’ll be hard to keep off the field on passing downs. pic.twitter.com/YhjX9hfYEF

— Ryan Fowler (@_RyanFowler_) August 11, 2024

Thomas finished the night with three tackles, two quarterback hits, one tackle for loss and one sack against New Orleans.

“I thought he played high, high motor. High effort, which was really good to see. I saw a violent edge out there, and I think he rushed pretty good,” Gannon said on Thomas.

“He was definitely back around the mix. He caught my eye. He’ll have a lot to learn from too. It was good to see him out there lathered up and playing.”

Thomas was a bit of a sleeper contributor in the room, though Ojulari’s injury could potentially open more opportunities for the Clemson product.

So far, so good.

S Dadrion Taylor-Demerson

Dadrion Taylor-Demerson’s night wasn’t exactly clean, though the Cardinals’ rookie safety flashed a whole lot more good than bad in his first taste of NFL action.

Taylor-Demerson tied a team-high four tackles on the night and managed to impress his head coach with some physicality.

“He’s one that’s kind of been under the radar, like you said – he’s doing a really good job. He’s playing fourth down too. But I thought that he was in the right spot most of the game. I saw him have a couple violent hits. I thought he did a good job,” Gannon said of Taylor-Demerson.

Taylor-Demerson especially excelled in filling run lanes against New Orleans, on more than one occasion:

Rookie S Rabbit Taylor-Demerson can cover some ground in a short amount of time. #NOvsAZ

— Darren Urban (@Cardschatter) August 11, 2024

Taylor-Demerson won’t be taking over starting duties anytime soon, though the rookie can sure keep amplifying his status as a third rotational guy if he continues to play solid.

Other Notable Performances

CB Darren Hall – What a night for Hall, who had four tackles, one pass defensed with one fumble forced on defense. It felt like Hall was everywhere tonight for Arizona.

RB Michael Carter – It’s tough sledding in Arizona’s RB room at the moment, but Carter finished strong in 2023 and continued that momentum with a touchdown tonight with 5.9 yards per carry.

WR Dan Chisena – Look, realistically Chisena probably won’t make the roster – though the best thing you can do in preseason is put good tape on for all 32 teams across the league – and that’s what he did tonight with 63 yards on five receptions.

DL Darius Robinson – Robinson didn’t stuff the box score with just one tackle, though he found himself in the backfield plenty vs. New Orleans. The first-round pick flat-out looked good.