Emari Demercado had come on to the field in the second quarter for his first snap of the night when he got a dump pass over the middle and sprinted upfield.

He was in the end zone 43 yards later, a touchdown against the Chiefs. "I wasn't thinking," the third-year running back said. "I was just reacting.

"It was a big confidence booster for me."

We can talk about co-RB1s and what Trey Benson could be and the depth of the room, but it is Demercado that usually isn't spoken about. He gets it.

"I'm not that guy, 'I need more carries, I need more carries,'" Demercado said. "Honestly, I didn't think I'd be here."

Demercado admitted he had basically given up on football in college when he wasn't playing much, before his career turned around to the point the Cardinals grabbed him as an undrafted rookie when Jonathan Gannon arrived.

"He's a good football player and he wears a lot of hats," Gannon said. "He's quiet, but he competes every day, he goes about his job. He's a pro. He showed up tonight."

The running back room is good, with Benson and James Conner and special teamer DeeJay Dallas and the quickness of Michael Carter. Carter ended up as the odd man out last season. Demercado, meanwhile, just continues to show why he's a necessary cog.

Some thoughts and notes from the preseason opener:

-- The first time rookie cornerback Will Johnson was targeted he was flagged for pass interference in the end zone. But he got his run with the first team, and he'll only get better.

-- Conner just played a series and Benson picked up where he left off as a rookie, when he was rounding into solid form before his ankle injury. Benson only had 29 yards on 9 carries, but his work behind a struggling second-unit offensive line was part of that. Benson also had a 20-yard screen catch-and-run.

-- Jacoby Brissett, you are a great signing. Comes in, throws a couple of touchdown passes in the second quarter, and tangibly emphasizes how much of a benefit it will be to have a quality vet behind Kyler.

-- Defensive back Darren Hall was a surprise make to the 53-man roster last year. The potential secondary players are numerous again, yet it's Hall getting an interception and making a pass breakup and again showing why he needs to be considered.

-- In a defensive line room that has a ton of depth, Dante Stills can be overlooked. But he looked explosive Saturday, drawing a holding penalty from newly-paid guard Trey Smith and being a menace during his snaps.

"I told him on the sideline, when he got here as a pup, he'd have a good day then a bad day," Gannon said. "Riding a roller coaster. And he's been steady this camp. As steady as I've seen him. That's typically a good sign."

-- DC Nick Rallis was in midseason form, dropping defensive lineman L.J. Collier into coverage on one safety blitz.

-- Rookie outside linebacker Jordan Burch looked good in his first game, another under-the-radar guy at camp.

-- Backup C Jon Gaines II, who didn't play with a thumb injury, was out doing some pregame work and the whole hand cast he had been wearing was shrunk to just his thumb.

-- Rookie cornerback Denzel Burke got a lot of snaps in the game, and was in before and for longer than 2024 third-round pick Elijah Jones. Rookie safety Kitan Crawford, a special teams ace who may be battling Joey Blount for a roster spot, got a nice end zone interception on defense.

That's it for tonight.