Winners, losers from Arizona Cardinals preseason loss to Denver Broncos

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DENVER — The Arizona Cardinals second preseason game got ugly fast and stayed that way throughout.
A week after an encouraging, mostly clean win over the Kansas City Chiefs, this was anything but. With both teams' starters sitting out, the Cardinals backups were outmatched and outclassed by the Denver Broncos in a 27-7 loss.
The most important part of the Cardinals trip to Denver came earlier in the week, in the joint practice between the teams. Unlike the game, that session provided crucial snaps for the Cardinals starters.
Still, the performance Saturday night was jarring. The Cardinals were outgained, 561 yards to 135. They gained 2.9 yards per play and allowed 7.8.
So, what matters and what doesn't from the Cardinals performance? Here are the winners and losers from an ugly night in Denver.
Winners
Chad Ryland
The Cardinals biggest winner emerged an hour before the game even kicked off.
Going through his typical pre-game warmups, kicker Chad Ryland hit a few standard field goals from 40 and 50 yards. Then, he decided to test his leg in the thin Denver air.
Ryland had the specialists unit back up past midfield to test an audacious 72-yard field goal. The result: perfection. Ryland split the uprights with a yard or two to spare.
Had it been in a regular season game, the kick would comfortably have been an NFL record. The current record belongs to Justin Tucker, who hit a 66-yarder in 2021. Earlier this month, Jacksonville Jaguars kicker Cam Little nailed a 70-yarder in a preseason game.
Of course, a kick in warmups does not equate to a kick during a game, with a kick blocking unit rushing toward the ball. Plus, Ryland's ball came in Denver's mile-high altitude, which can add roughly five yards to a kicker's distance.
But despite those qualifiers, it was an impressive strike, and one that could influence Jonathan Gannon's thinking if he needs Ryland to attempt from 60-plus in the regular season. His current career long is 58 yards.
The guys who didn't play
We knew the Cardinals starters were not set to play against the Broncos. We didn't know exactly what that would mean.
A handful of names ended up being surprise exclusions. That bodes well for those players, who have evidently impressed the coaching staff enough to not require further preseason reps.
Trey Benson, the Cardinals second-string running back, headlined that group — another sign that he could cut into James Conner's workload more than he did as a rookie.
Defensive end Darius Robinson and tight end Tip Reiman, two more 2024 draft picks, also sat out. They could be in line for more work this season.
Perhaps the most surprising player to not play was defensive tackle Dante Stills, who impressed in both the first preseason game and the joint practice. He seems to have locked up a spot as a crucial depth piece on the defensive line.
On the flip side, cornerback Will Johnson played eight snaps and safety Dadrion Taylor-Demerson played 13 — an indication that the coaching staff believes they have areas in which they need to improve before the opener. Linebacker Owen Pappoe, a training camp standout, didn't play until the second half, an ominous sign for his roster chances.
The decision to sign Jacoby Brissett
The moment Brissett signed his one-year contract with the Cardinals this offseason, he became entrenched as their second quarterback. Entering training camp, that much was never in doubt.
Throughout camp, though, Brissett has repeatedly shown the gap between him and third-stringer Clayton Tune.
In one quarter of action, Brissett commanded the offense with aplomb. He led one touchdown drive and may have led another, had he not been let down by his wide receivers. His best play might have been on one of those drops. Brissett stepped up in the pocket, manipulated the defense with his eyes and hit Xavier Weaver in stride, only to see Weaver drop the ball.
That play showed a level of composure that Tune has not displayed this summer. Brissett finished 6 of 8 for 57 yards and a touchdown, with the only two incompletions coming on drops. Tune finished 13 of 20 for just 56 yards.
A long-term injury to Kyler Murray would still upend the Cardinals' season, but with Brissett in the building, they can feel much more comfortable in their ability to weather a short-term injury to Murray.
Losers
Young wide receivers
With Marvin Harrison Jr., Michael Wilson, Greg Dortch and Zay Jones all sitting out, this was an opportunity for the Cardinals young receivers to show that they deserve a role in the offense. They did not take advantage of it.
The most jarring sequence came on the Cardinals first drive of the game. The snap after Weaver's drop, 2024 sixth-round pick Tejhaun Palmer dropped a third-down screen pass that hit him directly in the hands.
Both players have struggled to come down with contested catches in training camp — an area in which Gannon has called for them to improve.
After Palmer's drop, he was benched for most of the Cardinals next drive. Weaver bounced back better, picking up a 17-yard reception on a crossing route and beating a cornerback by a step on a go route (although Tune overthrew him). Still, he'll have to be more sure-handed to push for regular-season snaps.
Secondary depth
Against Broncos backup quarterbacks Jarrett Stidham and Sam Ehlinger, the Cardinals secondary allowed 402 yards and two touchdowns on 39 pass attempts. That is, suffice it to say, not ideal.
Some of that production came in the second half, against training camp defensive backs who will not be on the Week 1 roster. The bulk of it, though, came against players whom the Cardinals view as crucial backups.
There was no shortage of ugly moments. Cornerback Denzel Burke and safety Kitan Crawford seemingly had a miscommunication on a busted coverage touchdown. Burke was beaten deep in man coverage twice, once on a comeback route and once on a go route for a touchdown. Kei'Trel Clark committed a pass interference penalty. Jaylon Jones was beaten a few times.
Even Will Johnson, the second-round pick who has a firm grasp on a starting job, was beaten on a crossing route and committed a holding penalty. It's been a difficult week for Johnson, who also struggled in the joint practice. He was the only full-time starter who played Saturday.
That doesn't mean it was all bad for the secondary. Crawford, in particular, had some nice moments, as did Burke. Overall, though, the group's performance was concerning. It's hard to see who the Cardinals would rely on if any of their starting cornerbacks suffer an injury in the regular season.
Defensive line
The secondary wasn't helped by the performance of the defensive line. They did not notch a single sack and generated just seven pressures, per Pro Football Focus.
Jordan Burch, a standout last week, had one of those pressures on his nine pass rush snaps. The rest of the players in contention for a roster spot on a defensive front, though, did little. Their edge rushers also struggled to set the edge in the run game, allowing the Broncos to bounce a handful of explosive plays to the outside.
L.J. Collier and Xavier Thomas stood out as two players on the fringe of the roster who did not make much of an impression with their opportunities.
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Winners, losers in Cardinals' preseason loss to Broncos