3 Key Questions Cardinals Must Answer vs Broncos

Special teams. Special plays. Special players.

The Cardinals' preseason got off to a woeful start last weekend when Greg Dortch fumbled the opening kickoff. Things went from bad to worse when DeeJay Dallas coughed the ball up on the next kickoff return, though the Cardinals recovered.

Dallas went on to fumble a punt return (though he did recover it) - but for a very well-coached Jeff Rodgers unit that's typically near the top of the league, it was an eye-opening experience to see.

Will we see any changes made from last week? Will guys such as Dortch and Dallas rebound in that facet of the game?

Not many believe special teams is important - until it helps define a game, like it nearly did last weekend. Look for the Cardinals to rebound.

Who Will Step Up Within Interior OL?

Arizona's secondary offensive line had a rough initial outing with Jacoby Brissett in at quarterback against Kansas City, as the veteran passer was lit up multiple times before the punt team trotted out to the field.

The offense eventually settled in, though that drive did very little to ease any worries about Arizona's depth in the trenches - a talking point that is still notable until the recently re-signed Will Hernandez is healthy and able to go again.

Particularly, Hayden Conner, Jon Gaines and Royce Newman will have eyes on them tonight to see if they can take their game to the next level and ease some concerns.

Will ILB Battle Open Up?

The spot opposite of Mack Wilson is very up for grabs at inside linebacker, and the Cardinals deployed both Akeem Davis-Gaither and Owen Pappoe in the first half of their preseason opener - leaving rookie fourth-round pick Cody Simon to play second half snaps.

Many had hoped Simon would be a bigger threat to Davis-Gaither for the job, though the veteran free agent signing was listed as the starter alongside Wilson for a second straight week.

Will we see Simon get more opportunity tonight? Can Pappoe make a serious push for playing time? Is Davis-Gaither practically solidified as the second man in the middle?

Between allocated snaps and production within them - we're bound to see this battle solidify itself when the dust settles tonight.