3 Storylines to Follow as Arizona Cardinals Enter Preseason Week 2

Week 2 of preseason action is here, and there’s a lot to focus on ahead of the Arizona Cardinals’ matchup with the Denver Broncos on Saturday night.

Week 1 saw a lot of good, bad and ugly in Arizona’s preseason contest against the Chiefs, creating several storylines to follow entering the second of three games before the regular season kicks off.

The starters won’t be playing this time around, but there’s still a lot to look forward to between the lines. With that, here are three storylines to follow throughout Arizona’s battle against the Broncos in Denver.

Can Clayton Tune bounce back after a rough outing

Aug 9, 2025; Glendale, Arizona, USA; Arizona Cardinals quarterback Clayton Tune (15) against the Kansas City Chiefs during a preseason NFL game at State Farm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

There were several positive takeaways from the Cardinals’ 20-17 win over the Chiefs last week, but Tune was one of the lowlights. The third-string QB played the entirety of the second half but threw for just 47 yards on 5-for-9 passing, including one interception.

Tune didn’t look great. In fact, it was rough to watch at times, but he has an opportunity to redeem himself against the Broncos. For a quarterback who hasn’t quite established his footing yet, a productive performance is as close to a must as can be.

If he plays poorly once again, it wouldn’t necessarily doom his chances of making the Cardinals’ 53-man roster, but another subpar game would continue Tune down the path toward being released.

There’s still hope for the young QB, though, as he has the tools to get it done, especially out of the pocket. But if he can’t pull it together against second- and third-teamers once again, it’ll be tough to justify his place on the active roster.

Tune should see at least two quarters of action and could even get snaps in the first half depending on how long Jacoby Brissett plays, giving him a perfect chance to prove the doubters wrong.

Tune has what it takes to impress, but it’s a matter of if he can show it on the field against Denver on Saturday night. With his status with Arizona possibly on the line, he’s a player you’ll want to keep your eyes on at Mile High Stadium.

Will the defense keep it up after an impressive performance against Kansas City?

The highlight of last week’s win was surely the Cardinals’ defensive unit, particularly those who played in the second half. Arizona held the Chiefs to just three points after the half, giving fans hope the defense’s depth could be elite.

The starters on defense weren’t bad by any means, but they also weren’t extraordinary like the second-half defense was at times. First-teamers won’t play this time around, giving the reserves a chance to back up what they showed against Kansas City.

Jammie Robinson picked up six tackles to lead the team, while Denzel Burke and Cody Simon also had impressive showings in their preseason debuts. Look for the latter two to continue playing well as rookies, which would cement their status as under-the-radar impact players.

L.J. Collier registered a sack in a game without many quarterback hits, but the Cardinals’ defensive line still played well, and it has an opportunity to repeat against the Broncos on Saturday.

After dominating the middle of the field with its linebackers, the Cardinals’ defense will likely face Jarrett Stidham and Sam Ehlinger in their preseason week two matchup. While neither has broken out as a star just yet, every game presents a new challenge. It’ll be key for Arizona’s defense to show up and show out once more after a strong performance in the preseason opener.

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Can the Cardinals clean up their mistakes and be flawless against Denver?

I’ve already mentioned two of the biggest takeaways from last week’s contest, but it would be a disservice if I didn’t make one of my storylines related to the critical errors seen at the start of Arizona’s matchup against Kansas City.

Greg Dortch fumbled after fielding the opening kickoff, leading to an easy and early score from the Chiefs, while DeeJay Dallas fumbled the next kickoff. The Cardinals recovered and evaded disaster.

Arizona evaded disaster on that play, but it eventually struck later in the drive when Kyler Murray threw a puzzling interception in the red zone. Murray won’t participate in the matchup with the Broncos, but his mistake, along with the two kickoff errors, cannot be repeated for the second week in a row.

The Cardinals have to clean things up, and their game in Denver presents itself as a chance to get back on track regarding silly mistakes. Errors like the ones seen against the Chiefs will lose you football games. Even though Arizona still won against KC, Jonathan Gannon is surely expecting a clean and crisp performance from his team in Denver.

Winning or losing in the preseason is not the object of playing these games. Getting better is what the Cardinals are looking for. Limiting errors can be seen as the easiest and simplest way to accomplish that goal, with everyone around the organization hoping for a crisper opening to preseason week two against the Broncos.