Rookies Skelton, Washington Shine In Cardinals Victory

In what was, for most of the game, a boring preseason opener, the players vying for a spot of the Cardinals’ roster added a little excitement. John Skelton, whom the Cardinals drafted in the fifth round of the 2010 draft, connected with running back Jason Wright for a 15-yard touchdown pass with 1:53 left to give Arizona a 19-16 lead over the Houston Texans, and linebacker John Fletcher sacked John David Booty to end the game when the Texans were in field goal range. Houston got out to a 16-0, but only produced one touchdown in three first-half drives that made it to the red zone. The Arizona offense was stagnant in the first half, as pass protection issues led to two sacks of starting quarterback Matt Leinart. He ended up 6-7 for 49 yards. However, he did make good reads and accurate throws, except for one pass that led receiver Larry Fitzgerald into the safety. He left the game with a knee injury that did not appear to be serious and did not return. Free agent signee Derek Anderso...