Football fans tuning in on Thursday will get an early look at how both rosters shape up for the regular season. Arizona head coach Mike LaFleur confirmed on Tuesday, the final day of training camp in Glendale, Arizona, that his team’s starters are scheduled to take the field on the road against the Las Vegas Raiders for a brief window.
Mike LaFleur and the Cardinals Plan Short Work for Starters
The Cardinals are bringing back their main contributors and the other top roster players who did not work in the Hall of Fame game. Taking out James Conner (who has yet to participate in 11-on-11 work) and the three players on the PUP list, the Cardinals did not play 37 guys on the roster against the Panthers, according to the team’s roster report. The Cardinals have injured players aside from the PUP list too; for instance, running back Trey Benson still is not practicing.
LaFleur also told reporters that They're all going to play,
and We'll have our guys out there,
adding that (It) could be one drive (or a) max of two for those main guys, but yeah, they'll be playing and they know that.
That limited workload means starting quarterback Jacoby Brissett will handle the opening series before giving way. If everyone plays, that will mean Gardner Minshew II will come in for relief of Brissett, and how long a vet like Minshew plays is also TBD. The plan also clears the path for top draft pick Jeremiyah Love to make his NFL debut in the team’s second preseason game, allowing Arizona fans to get a first look at what the offense and defense might look like in the regular season. How much rookie QB Carson Beck will play remains to be seen.
Klint Kubiak Evaluates the Raiders Roster
On the opposing sideline, the Raiders intend to play their starters in Thursday’s preseason matchup against the Arizona Cardinals, matching their opponents by playing their own starting units against the Las Vegas Raiders, who were the worst team in the NFL last season. Head coach Klint Kubiak addressed reporters on Tuesday to outline the team’s evaluation strategy for the second preseason contest.
“We do have a plan for those guys and how many snaps or series we’d like to see them go,” Klint Kubiak said Tuesday. “No need for everyone else to know it, but we’re going to have a lot of guys play in this game. We need to evaluate the whole roster.”
As for rookie Fernando Mendoza, Kubiak expects him to get plenty of experience in the game
but again, did not divulge any further details. Look forward to seeing him out there with his teammates,
the head coach said, noting there are a Lot of guys that we need to evaluate but he'll get plenty of reps
as the coaching staff examines depth across the board.
Kickoff Details and What to Watch
Thursday’s matchup gives both coaching staffs a valuable laboratory. The offense played well in the Hall of Fame Game, while the defense did not, leaving analysts waiting to see if that will be different when the starters are out there against other NFL starters, albeit against the Las Vegas Raiders. The Cardinals and Raiders kick off at 8 p.m. ET (5 p.m. Arizona time) on Thursday, and fans can get more Cardinals and NFL coverage from Cards Wire’s Jess Root and others by listening to the latest on the Rise Up, See Red podcast by subscribing on Spotify, YouTube, or Apple Podcasts.
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