The Cardinals were back on the same field Saturday for practice, the first time since Thursday's ugly preseason game against the Raiders. So how, exactly, was rookie quarterback Kyler Murray bouncing back from that rough performance?
"He doesn't get fazed," coach Kliff Kingsbury said. "He knows where we are at as an offense and the things we have to clean up. We addressed those things. But as far as his mental makeup, not much bothers him. Except, I think, losing at (the video game) Fortnite. He doesn't take that very well."
That Kingsbury could inject a little humor into the situation was good (and no, I don't think it's an indictment of Murray as a player if he plays videogames/Fortnite. Which I didn't think about until I saw social media reaction to the quote.) The practice was a bit ragged at times Saturday, but there is a couple of extra days of work before playing again Saturday. Soon, there will be no practice reports, and the Cards will prepare the rest of the way behind the curtain.
"One game, one play, it doesn't define you," rookie wide receiver KeeSean Johnson said. "It's about learning. Preseason, that's what it's for."
-- Left tackle D.J. Humphries was given the day off of practice, meaning rookie Joshua Miles was working as first-team left tackle. Kingsbury said, Miles had "big improvement" in the second preseason game, after he surpassed Rees Odihambo on the depth chart. Mason Cole, who had been working as the first-team left guard with Justin Pugh sidelined, also did not practice Saturday. It's unknown if that is injury-related. Rookie Lamont Gaillard was inserted as first-team left guard.
-- Wide receiver Hakeem Butler was not practicing, nor were linebackers Tanner Vallejo and Cameron Malveaux, both of whom left the Raiders' game late with apparent injuries.
-- Wide receiver Kevin White, who missed the first two preseason games with a hamstring injury, returned to practice Saturday. Linebacker Joe Walker and guard Colby Gossett also returned to practice after lengthy absences from undisclosed injury issues.
-- Tight end Charles Clay got his first 11-on-11 work since he returned from the PUP list.
-- Peterson may have been resting, but he was celebrating with the defense, running over to congratulate interceptions of Murray by linebackers Jordan Hicks and Ezekiel Turner (although Turner never would've had his since linebacker Pete Robertson would've sacked Murray first). Rookie safety Jalen Thompson also got an interception of Brett Hundley.
-- Murray did toss a nice 60-yard-or-so TD bomb to Pharoh Cooper, beating Brandon Williams.
-- The practice wrapped with the offense needing to drive the length of the field for a touchdown-to-win-the-game scenario. The first team offense got in the end zone with a Murray toss to Andy Isabella. The session ended on the first play for the second unit, when rookie cornerback Nate Brooks picked off Hundley.
-- The Cardinals have one more training camp practice at State Farm Stadium Sunday -- it is closed to the public, so there won't be a lot of details -- before breaking camp and moving operations back to Tempe.