The Arizona Cardinals reminded the NFL world and fans alike that the gap between really good and bad is significant. So much so, that when all was said and done in Glendale, the 38-10 final against the Kansas City Chiefs was a secondary concern. Both sides of the ball had issues and are not going away anytime soon. Meanwhile, Cardinals quarterback Clayton Tune got another long look in Arizona.
Arizona Cardinals Give Clayton Tune a Long Look
Make no mistake about it, the Cardinals want Houston Rookie Clayton Tune under center against the Washington Commanders. In two preseason games, Tune has seen the overwhelming bulk of game time. Against the Chiefs, he was 12 of 24 for 133 yards and a passer rating of 66.8.
Both Colt McCoy and David Blough saw only limited action. McCoy was five for eight for 25 yards. Blough finished three of four, for 31 yards. None of the three quarterbacks got the ball into the end zone.
Tune did another great job rushing the football with six carries for 35 yards. Another indication of how close his game is to Kyler Murray.
Big Dud Against the Chiefs
Safety Isaiah Simmons got a good dose of the Kansas City offense. Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes went to work quickly, hitting wide receiver Justin Watson in the end zone for a touchdown. Watson got a step on Simmons and Mahomes did what he does best. Simmons also was flagged for an unnecessary roughness penalty on WR Marquez Valdes-Scantling.
THIS JUST IN: a touchdown 🎯 @PatrickMahomes x @jwat05 pic.twitter.com/SxqcXMmflu
— Kansas City Chiefs (@Chiefs) August 20, 2023
Head coach Jonathan Gannon seemed unperturbed with the penalty, referring to it as a “bang-bang” play. Worth noting, the infraction occurred when Valdes-Scantling lit Simmons up on a 21-yard reception.
“I know he had the one penalty which was bang-bang, it was good physical play and a couple times in coverage he might have lost leverage, but we’ll go back to the tape and get him cleaned up,” Gannon said in his postgame presser.
Later in the game, Simmons offered up a gimme, as Rashee Rice got off for a 38-yard gain on an inside move. On the corner route, Simmons bit hard on the move and was unable to change direction. Add that sequence to backup quarterback Shane Buechele scoring on a 15-yard run, and Simmons’ night was a dud.
As confident as Gannon is that the defense will get it “cleaned up”, it will need to happen quickly. The defense may be the only calling card the Cardinals can drop in 2023. Simmons, who lobbied hard to make the move to safety will need to kick in and contribute.
Running Back Settled Science for Cardinals
After Cardinals running back Marlon Mack tore an Achilles, RB1 and RB2 looked to be settled in Arizona. Well, in the words of Lee Corso, “not so fast”. Enter second-year running back Keaontay Ingram.
absolutely not to be denied 😤@keaontay_ingram x #BirdGang pic.twitter.com/HGa40GO6wA
— Arizona Cardinals (@AZCardinals) August 20, 2023
The Texas Longhorns and USC Trojan player has a line for the backup job behind James Conner. Ingram, injured for much of camp, looked fresh and ready to step up in the 38-10 loss. The second-year player played all over the field, seeing seven carries, two catches, and a kick return. He would finish with 28 rushing yards and 20 yards receiving.
On a night when the Chiefs rolled in and rolled up the Cardinals, both Ingram and Tune offered some bright spots needed.
Main Photo: Rob Schumacher/The Republic-USA TODAY NETWORK
