Takeaways From Arizona Cardinals' Ugly Loss to Broncos

Last week, it was apparent that Arizona's depth was in a much better place than it was this time last season. On Saturday night, however, that depth was challenged.

Instead of the backups coming in to relieve the ones, the third-stringers came in to relieve the backups.

No team looks good with their third-stringers on the field necessarily, but Arizona's couldn't hold their own against the Broncos' third-stringers.

The floor of this team's talent level has absolutely been raised, but perhaps the evaluation of Arizona's available depth has been skewed by just how much the Cardinals have completely lacked it in recent years.

Arizona was unable to put together any sort of positive drive after Jacoby Brissett exited. Their defense was burnt all night, even when some of their expected contributors did play.

Clayton Tune's Time with Arizona Cardinals May Be Over

We all wanted it to work out. Unfortunately, for the third time in as many seasons, QB Clayton Tune has not been able to run even the most basic offense at a competent level.

There was never expectation that he would be any sort of plus starter, but Tune's lackluster 56 yards on 13-for-20 attempts looked even uglier than the box score tells.

Tune couldn't put the ball in the right spots and couldn't push the ball downfield. Yes, he was a fifth-round draft pick in a 2023 QB class that wasn't special to begin with, but he simply has not shown notable development in three years with the Cardinals.

Brissett is the definitive backup, and Tune may find himself on the practice squad, or even out of the organization by the time roster cuts begin to occur. Such is the brutality of football, but Tune hasn't taken advantage of his opportunities.

Arizona Cardinals Coaching Staff Looked Outmatched

This hasn't happened often since Jonathan Gannon took over as head coach, but the Cardinals were thoroughly out-schemed and out-coached by Sean Payton and the Broncos.

Payton is an excellent playcaller, no doubt, and Drew Petzing dialed up a nice couple of drives for Brissett and the first-team offense, but Payton clearly was able to pick apart Gannon's and Nick Rallis' defe nse at a level that went beyond just the talent on the field.

The defense was sloppy, committed penalties and looked low-energy. Again, that has not happened frequently under Gannon.

Being in that locker room with Arizona's head coach after that effort would not not an enviable position. That wasn't Gannon or his staff's best showing, and they likely know it.

That's what preseason is for, however. It seems likely Gannon and co. will let that continue next week.

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