GLENDALE — After more than two weeks of training camp, the Arizona Cardinals get to hit another team when they take on the Dallas Cowboys on Friday night.
Unlike seasons past, this year’s preseason slate is noticeably shorter, with only three games on the docket thanks to the added regular season game in 2021.
Head coach Kliff Kingsbury believes quarterback Kyler Murray and most of his starters will see playing time come Friday, it’s just a matter of how much.
“Really want to get some of the new pieces working with some of the veteran guys that have been in this offense,” Kingsbury said after training camp Monday. “Have a new center, have some new wideouts, have some new DBs, young linebackers, new D-linemen. Really to get those guys meshed and just get a feel for each other’s speed of the game and kinda go from there.”
It may not mean anything in the win-loss column, but the team’s first real dress rehearsal for the regular season will dictate just how much time the head coach gives his starters the rest of the preseason. It all comes down to the type of work Kingsbury sees from his players.
As for offensive lineman Justin Pugh, he feels less is more when it comes down to the preseason, using last year’s circumstance as proof.
“I think maybe one [game],” Pugh said. “You’re asking a salty offensive lineman veteran. We added a game onto the season — we proved last year that we necessarily didn’t need the preseason games to go out there and have a productive [season].
“Everyone thought it was gonna look like — they weren’t gonna be able to identify the game of football being played on the field. We went out there and still had a successful season. I’m all for taking miles off guys’ bodies, but that’s a 30, soon-to-be 31-year-old offensive lineman so maybe someone in there has a different opinion.”