There will be frustration of missing tackles and poor plays from Saturday night, but there is a reason teams have 90 men on the roster now and when the games count there are 53 -- many of those guys who were playing and struggling won't be play this time next month. That's why you look at what the Cards did at the start, both with their offense and defense, and if you are Bruce Arians, you have to be generally pleased. That and there were no serious injuries, and in the end, that might be the most important thing to come out of any preseason game.

Before it gets too late, a few thoughts after the opener -- understanding there are still two week of training camp left. And three preseason games. We're still a long way from anything counting.

-- Carson Palmer was sharp, smart and altogether untouched. "I could've hitched three or four times on any of the passes we threw tonight," he said. "Very clean pocket." This gets repeated often yet can't be understated: If Palmer is healthy and performs like this, the Cards will be in good shape.

-- It didn't take long for Andre Ellington to show what he can do, even after the hamstring issues kept him out of practice. No, he shouldn't have been caught -- "I just need to get my cardio back up" -- but again, he'll be the main guy in the backfield because of what he showed.

-- Who will join him back there is still up in the air. Chris Johnson is coming in Sunday for his physical/tryout. Again, he'd have to be signed and he'd have to show well, but he could still be Ellington's mate back there. The run game still only produced 2.8 yards a carry Saturday.

-- The Chiefs went after Justin Bethel, starting for Jerraud Powers, on the very first play. Bethel was there to break it up. The Cards need Bethel to play well at cornerback. They are very thin there beyond Patrick Peterson and Powers. Jimmy Legree, the one who looked like he might have an inside track at a roster spot this summer, struggled.

-- In the first salvo of the punting battle, Dave Zastudil's night was four punts, 40.5 average, 35.3 net. I'd guess Drew Butler will punt next week against the Chargers.

-- I thought Logan Thomas looked better in the game than he has at practice. Which is a good thing.

-- The Chiefs' lineman turned the wrong way to let Rodney Gunter blow past him, but Gunter showed impressive quickness to blaze into the backfield for that safety. Gunter is going to be someone to watch.

-- That said, while I'd need to watch the replay of the game, there weren't any of the non-draftees that really stood out to me as guys that popped, other than maybe Jaxon Shipley on his returns and one catch -- and it's hard to see Shipley as anything more that a practice squad guy given who is in front of him.

-- The Cardinals are off until Monday, and like last Monday, do not have a morning walkthrough. The next time Arians will address the media is Monday afternoon. We'll see if the Cards have a new running back by then.