For NFL fans, who have already endured 5 months without any game-time action, August can’t come soon enough. That’s because August 7 marks the beginning of the NFL preseason, where the entire team gets to see some live action after weeks of pummeling their teammates in OTAs and training camp. While smart NFL fans admit that preseason games are nowhere near as pretty to watch as regular season action, they can enjoy getting acquainted with new arrivals and players down on the depth chart who are looking to break out, both on their preferred team and on the visiting team
Arizona Cardinals fans will get their first chance to see the red and white uniforms in action on Friday, August 12, when they host the Oakland Raiders. In the first preseason week, the starters usually get two or three series, which means that players like Tyrann Mathieu and Patrick Peterson will get at least half of the first quarter. However, since the Cardinals offense consists of older players, guys like Carson Palmer and Larry Fitzgerald may play even more sparingly.
The second Cardinals preseason game will be a Thursday night visit to San Diego on August 18. The second preseason game is usually when rookies and second-teamers are asked to apply more complex schemes and plays taught in training camp. As a result, this is the game to watch if you’re interested in the future prospects of 1st-round defensive lineman Robert Nkemdiche and 5th-round safety Marquis Christian, who are currently on the second team behind Calais Campbell and D.J. Swearinger respectively.
The third week of the preseason is usually the game where the starters play the longest, usually the entire first quarter. For the Cardinals, that coincides with a nationally televised contest at the Houston Texans on Sunday, August 28. An interesting point will be seeing if offensive contributors such as Michael Floyd and John Brown show up when national focus is on them and when they’re away from the comforts of the home crowd. Also, this extended starting period provides sufficient time to evaluate new arrivals, especially guard Evan Mathis.
The final Cardinals preseason game will be a home game against the reigning Super Bowl champions, the Denver Broncos. However, the fourth game is usually the game where the players who are barely hanging onto the roster play, so don’t expect Evan Mathis to face his former teammates Von Miller or DeMarcus Ware this time. In this game, you’ll probably see lower-tier battles, such as the 3rd-string quarterback race between Jake Coker and Matt Barkley, come to a head. Other bubble players to watch might be Gerald Christian and Brittan Golden.
All over the country, NFL fans need their football on their TVs and need to hear Joe Buck and Al Michaels call plays, even if they’re talking about players we’ve barely heard of. For the Cardinals, fans hope that the preseason is just the beginning of a new effort towards reaching Super Bowl 51.
