Mike LaFleur marveled at the TD pass from Jacoby Brissett, a pinpoint strike to Marvin Harrison Jr. off his backfoot from seven yards out in the back of the end zone.
"Save it for September, dude," LaFleur would tell his starting QB.
Feels like that can be said often through two preseason games. Brissett. Gardner Minshew II, Carson Beck. Even Kedon Slovis. It's only preseason, and early preseason at that. But the Cardinals quarterbacks have looked good. All of them.
So perhaps, at this early stage, the name being mentioned is Mike LaFleur.
Without gameplanning (and, to be fair, without defenses gameplanning), the Cardinals have looked really good on offense. Really good. Wide receivers running open. QBs hitting targets and making all the right decisions.
All that without All-Pro tight end Trey McBride, who has played one play.
LaFleur isn't going to say that, of course. He's a coach, and he is frustrated with false starts and little mistakes and was kicking himself for some playcalls. But that's what a coach does.
"I give the guys credit for executing after the ball is being snapped," LaFleur said. "Guys, it is the preseason. That being said, being where your feet are and handling your day, good little window. Stuff to clean up for sure."
The running game was good against the Raiders. Sure, Jeremiyah Love might've had a slow start, but Brissett in the passing game made up for it, and then Love caught fire the rest of the half.
Love clearly is going to be a star. But Michael Wilson continues to show he will, and that TD catch by Harrison was Pro Bowl-worthy.
In two games, the four QBs are 50-for-59 passing (84.7 percent) for 514 yards, 5 touchdowns and no interceptions. The run game averages 4.3 yards a carry, and that includes three kneeldowns.
The praise will be limited from LaFleur, however. At least until it counts.
"It's back to camp," LaFleur said. "We didn't break camp just because we left the Wigwam."
-- The Cardinals had avoided serious injuries to their top guys, but that may have changed. Second-round guard Chase Bisontis hurt his left knee in the third quarter, had to be helped off the field, and was eventually carted to the locker room.
LaFleur said the injury was "not good," and while he wasn't about to speculate further, it sounds doubtful good news is forthcoming.
If Bisontis ends up missing significant time, it would be the fourth straight year the Cardinals would lose an offensive line draft pick to a serious injury in the preseason: Jon Gaines, Christian Jones and Hayden Conner are the others.
Bisontis had been battling Isaiah Adams for the starting right guard role, and while Adams was ahead in the fight thus far, the competition might have to be suspended.
-- Don't look now, but wide receiver Simi Fehoko has touchdown catches in four straight preseason games. (Somehow I think Simi would appreciate this note.)
-- The Fehoko TD, a pass from Minshew, was the exact same route he scored his TD on in the Hall of Fame game on a Beck pass.
-- Beck, held out of the game with ribs discomfort, confirmed after the game it happened when he was sacked against the Panthers.
"It sucks," Beck said. "Just didn't want to get hit again and make it worse. Kind of lingered throughout the week."
-- On rookie Mike Washington's 53-yard run for the Raiders, he had too much room at the line of scrimmage and then defensive backs Denzel Burke and Kitan Crawford couldn't finish tackles. It was going to be a good gain, but it shouldn't have been 53.
-- Walter Nolen II with a sack. Blew up an early play too. Flashes continue.
-- It was veteran Jack Gibbens getting the start at inside linebacker next to Mack Wilson Sr. and not Cody Simon. That's a battle to watch. Simon had gotten the majority of the first-unit snaps in camp.
-- Trey McBride started but came out immediately. Budda Baker was held out entirely.
-- Hard choices coming at wide receiver, after more strong play from Jalen Brooks and rookie Reggie Virgil.
-- The Cardinals move camp back to Tempe, with morning practices beginning Saturday.












