First Half Dominance from Denver Leads to Week Two Preseason Win Over Arizona

After opening up the preseason with a win over the Kansas City Chiefs, the Arizona Cardinals headed to Denver for their lone road game of the preseason to take on the Broncos in the second week of the exhibition month. However, Arizona was unable to replicate its early success, as they went on to fall to Denver 27-7 on Saturday night. In the first half, the Broncos dominated the Cardinals, outscoring them 24-7, as Arizona could find no answers for the stronger Denver team. While the second half would be underwhelming, as a combined three points were scored, it was enough in the end to find the Cardinals on the losing side for the first time this preseason.

Jarrett Stidham, Broncos Offense Dices up Cardinals Defense

Heading into this matchup, it was announced that the majority of the starters on both teams would not play, giving way for the backups to prove once again that they belong on an NFL roster heading into the regular season. However, that would only be the case for one team, as Denver hit the ground running. After holding Arizona to only a five-play drive that resulted in a punt to open up the game, the Broncos' offense had a chance to jump out in front early. Needless to say, Denver did just that.

Led by backup quarterback Jarrett Stidham, the Broncos wasted no time and drove 97 yards down the field in four plays to score the first points of the game. Following an answer by the Cardinals' offense to even the game at seven apiece, Stidham would once again facilitate another Denver score, this time on an eight-play, 65-yard drive, to put the Broncos back on top 14-7. From there, Denver would never give up the lead again, as Stidham and the Broncos' offense went on to throttle the Arizona defense in the first half. In the game, Stidham completed 16 of his 23 passes for 240 yards and two touchdowns for a passer rating of 132.5.

While Stidham would lead the charge, the playmakers around him helped fuel the fire in Denver’s big home win. Rookie wide receiver Pat Bryant would finish the game as the leading receiver for the Broncos, as he caught four passes for 70 yards. Wide receiver Troy Franklin ended up on the receiving end of both of Stidham’s passing touchdowns, as he finished his day with four catches for 67 yards, along with the two scores. Rookie running back RJ Harvey scored the first touchdown of the game with an eight-yard rush for his first NFL touchdown, while kicker Wil Lutz converted on two field goals to wrap up the scoring and the win for Denver.

Arizona’s Offense Needs a “Tune” Up

With the Broncos coming out on fire, the Cardinals’ offense had to keep pace to stay competitive. However, there would only be one occurrence of Arizona answering following a Denver score, and that ended up coming in the third drive of the game. Cardinals backup quarterback Jacoby Brissett started the game for Arizona after his impressive performance in week one of the preseason, but struggled to start the game off on the right foot, as he was held to a punt on his first drive. Following the first score of the game, courtesy of the Broncos, Brissett and the Cardinals came back on the field looking to answer back quickly. While the speed wasn’t achieved, Brissett was still able to orchestrate an 11-play, 67-yard scoring drive that finished with a beautiful 16-yard throw over the middle to wide receiver Simi Fehoko to tie the game at seven apiece. This scoring drive would end Brissett’s day, as he finished the game completing six of his eight passes for 57 yards and a touchdown for a passer rating of 133.9.

From there, third-string quarterback Clayton Tune would be handed the reins for the remainder of the game, and needless to say, the team went on to struggle from there. Despite having three quarters and change to try and put points on the board, Tune and the Arizona offense were shut out and held under 100 yards total, resulting in the one-sided loss. While the Cardinals didn’t turn the ball over, they still struggled to find ways to get past a stout Denver defense, as Arizona punter Blake Gillikin had a busy day, kicking nine punts. On the day, the Cardinals finished with 135 total yards, compared to the Broncos' 562, despite Denver having 25 more plays than Arizona. As the Cardinals head back to the desert with one final preseason game remaining, they’ll look to tune things up with the regular season quickly approaching.