THE STORY: DENVER – When the starters sit in a preseason game, it keeps them safe for the games that count, yes. Yet the bigger benefit is watching the rest of the roster get all the snaps, to see who might be ready to make a 53-man roster.
The Cardinals were about that analysis Saturday night at Empower Field at Mile High. The secondary, for instance, didn’t have Budda Baker, Jalen Thompson, Max Melton or Garrett Williams. It only had a handful of plays from Will Johnson.
So rookies Denzel Burke and Kitan Crawford got a lot of playing time, and soon, Kei’Trel Clark got his time too. And the spotlight was hot in the Cardinals’ 27-7 loss to the Broncos.
Burke, the fifth-round pick who has been getting time ahead of 2024 third-round pick Elijah Jones, among others, had moments. There were back-to-back plays when he broke up passes in the first quarter, playing both expertly.
But he also was victim of a 17-yard touchdown catch from Troy Franklin, and he and Crawford seemed to get coverage mixed up on an earlier 27-yard TD catch. These were the plays that must be sorted out by the coaches with one game left in the preseason.
“It was a lot of fun, getting my feet wet and play a full first half as an NFL player, it was pretty awesome,” Burke said. “It’s part of the game. There are things to clean up technique-wise. There was a lot of good, a lot of bad, but there was a moment of growth.”
It was a difficult night for the Cardinals everywhere, once backup QB Jacoby Brissett threw a 16-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Simi Fehoko to tie the game at 7. Third-string quarterback Clayton Tune struggled, in part because the Cards had trouble holding off the Broncos’ defensive line.
“Where I thought we had to do a lot better job is the fundamentals,” coach Jonathan Gannon said. “Lot to learn from.”
Defensively, the Broncos had 323 yards in the first half behind backup QB Jarrett Stidham, and outgained the Cardinals in the game, 562-135. With the defensive backs in particular, Gannon said they are committing too many fouls with their hands — in both practice and games.
Gannon wasn’t happy with the result, but this is what the game in Denver was about – seeing what the guys who are trying to find their way on to the team can do with that extra work, in the altitude.
Those are the things broken down by watching the individuals on video. What rookie Josh Fryar looked like at left tackle. How Jon Gaines II performed at right guard. If rookie inside linebacker Cody Simon showed some growth.
“The greatest form of learning is game reps,” Gannon said. “It’s one thing to be technically sound in practice, it’s another thing to be technically sound in games.”
The week was about more than the game, of course. The starters got their work on Thursday during the joint practice with the Broncos.
That’s why Saturday was about the rest of the roster. And what the front office and coaches will end up learning from it.
“It’s a day-by-day process for me,” Burke said. “I control what I can control.”
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