THE STORY: CANTON, Ohio -- Results are not what the Cardinals or Mike LaFleur sought from rookie quarterback Carson Beck Thursday night in the Hall of Fame game.
A clean operation. Correct decisions. That's all that was asked.
Beck did that. But in his first start -- preseason, of course, against the Carolina Panthers at Tom Benson Stadium -- he did much more.
That the Cardinals lost, 33-30, didn't matter as much as Beck. He executed two touchdown drives in his first half of work, completed 15 of 19 passes for 188 yards, threw two gorgeous bombs to wide receiver Jalen Brooks, tossed a nice end-zone fade for a touchdown to Simi Fehoko, and earned at least one week of part of the fan base insisting the Cardinals now have their QB of the future.
That's far from decided. In a game where none of the key players suited up for either team, Beck's performance was excellent but must be viewed within that prism.
"It's a broken record, but it's the same thing I keep seeing in practice," LaFleur said. "He doesn't make it too big. He just makes it about the play."
Beck said he wouldn't be nervous, and he wasn't. Barely able to sleep Wednesday night in anticipation, he emphasized again how it was the process -- not the results -- that made the night a success.
"That was fun, being able to play football again," Beck said.
Also fun was a LaFleur offense that provided all the explosives that the Cardinals had craved over the past few seasons.
Yet, despite the basic (and low) bar the Cardinals set for Beck ahead of time or all the caveats that came with the first game of the NFL season, the third-round pick couldn't have done any better. He played the first half and then LaFleur gave him the first series of the third quarter, just to have that experience.
Even Beck's last pass was pretty despite an incompletion, a fourth-and-5 pump-and-go that was in fellow rookie Reggie Virgil's hands until former Cardinal Isaiah Simmons dislodged it late. The play would've given Beck another 35 yards or so.
"From the time you cross the white lines, I was ready to roll," Beck said.
The play that stuck with Beck the most was his 49-yard strike to Brooks, a pump-and-go to take advantage of an earlier dagger route Brooks had executed in getting his body between the ball and the defender. Brooks caught it in stride, but more importantly held on after taking a hellacious hit at the end.
LaFleur's most memorable play ended up being another part of Beck's development, throwing the ball away as a blitzer came off the edge – something LaFleur had warned him about earlier. LaFleur said Beck was basically laughing as the play happened, because it had been discussed.
"I wasn't laughing because it was a crap call, but man, he saved us," LaFleur said. "That's the right play."
Beck's first TD drive, his second drive overall, started at his own 4. A penalty backed them up to the 2, and Beck simply told his teammates in the huddle, "I guess we just get to get more yards." Then he coolly led them down the field, leaving from there a memorable first impression.
"He's been in so many big moments," LaFleur said. "It was a cool environment, for hm it was just another game."
TURNING POINT: Panthers quarterback Haynes King ran in a touchdown from five yards out on the final play of the game to win the game, undercutting the Kedon Slovis-to-Bryson Green TD connection with 1:55 left.
STANDOUTS: Beck, obviously. Nose tackle Andrew Billings was dominant in his short starting stint. Jalen Brooks had three catches for 99 yards and continues to push for a roster spot.
INJURY UPDATES: Defensive lineman Zach Carter left the game with a knee injury that "doesn't look good." Tight end Kenny Yeboah left the game with a hamstring injury, and wide receiver Xavier Weaver suffered a concussion.
