THE STORY: DENVER -- Jonathan Gannon got his last chance to see the back half of his roster Sunday, with time short of what the Cardinals will look like for its initial 53-man roster.
The outcome of Sunday's game at Empower Field at Mile High did not matter -- the Cardinals fell to 0-3 in preseason with a 38-12 loss to the Broncos -- as much as how they got there. Gannon wanted more, certainly, but the hope is that he saw enough from the individuals he was targeting with his analysis.
"I appreciate the effort," Gannon said. "Back to Arizona tonight. Time's ticking."
The Cardinals have to be down to 53 players by Tuesday. Gannon said the conversations would take place as soon as the Cardinals were on the plane to fly home from Colorado.
The hints of what is to come were there during the game: for example, rookie tight end Tip Reiman and rookie outside linebacker Xavier Thomas each did not play, a signal they had wrapped up their spots (although two guys for whom Tuesday should not have been a worry at this point.)
Undrafted rookie wide receiver Xavier Weaver, who has impressed in camp, did it again on Sunday with a couple of catches, including a 43-yard reception. Weaver's spot got more likely after Friday's announcement of the Zay Jones suspension, but playing well could only help.
"It was cool," said Weaver, who played at the University of Colorado last year. "I am blessed to be here in this moment.
"No feelings (about Tuesday). I'm new to this so I'm just staying prepared and got my phone on standby."
The Cardinals did deal with more injuries than any other preseason game. Quarterback Desmond Ridder is in concussion protocol after a hit late in the fourth quarter, and five other players -- tackle Christian Jones (leg), cornerback Elijah Jones (ankle), safety Darren Hall (hip), running back Tony Jones Jr. (shoulder) and tight end Sage Surratt (ankle) all left the game for good with issues.
It is with that backdrop that the Cardinals assemble their final roster this week -- any waiver claims would go through on Wednesday and would require extra moves -- and get ready for the regular season.
Buffalo in Week 1 awaits.
THE BATTLE FOR QB2: Clayton Tune started and played the first half. But he ended up having to come back in in the second half after Ridder took a big hit and was sent to the locker room. Tune's first play he threw a 94-yard pick-6, the first turnover of the preseason for either QB. Tune finished 12-of-18 for 119 yards and the interception, while RIdder was 10-of-16 for 111 yards.
"I thought some good and some bad for both guys," Gannon said. "You've got to protect the football. ... I like how we ended the second quarter with Clayton, and I thought Desmond did some good things."
THE HIGHLIGHTS: There were not a ton. Tune scrambled right to avoid a blitz off the edge and found rookie Xavier Weaver on the move for a 43-yard gain in the first half, although the drive ended without a score when running back Tony Jones Jr. fumbled the ball away inside the Denver 10. Newcomer OLB Chris Garrett had a nice tackle-for-loss as he tries to find a way to stick around past Tuesday. OLB Jesse Luketa had a key sack on third down after the Broncos had breached the Cards' 10-yard line, forcing a field goal. Rookie wideout Tejhaun Palmer made an excellent grab on the sideline to gain 21 yards on a Ridder pass.
SITTING OUT: Not only did the starters sit but there were a significant number of backups who also were held out, including defensive linemen Dante Stills and L.J. Collier, and running backs Trey Benson, Emari Demercado and Michael Carter. (Demercado was used as a kickoff return man once, and it was a touchback). The last group was dicey, since Jones was knocked out of the game with a shoulder injury in the first half and the Cards were down to Hassan Hall as their one option.
