5 Biggest Storylines from Sunday's Preseason Opener

The 2012 NFL preseason is underway, as the New Orleans Saints downed the Arizona Cardinals 17-10 Sunday night in the annual Hall of Fame game in Canton, Ohio.

It's hard to read too much into the first preseason game of the year, especially given how little the starters played, but that doesn't mean there's nothing that could be gleaned from Sunday's action.

Here's what we learned.

The Saints Offense Was in Midseason Form

The New Orleans Saints' offense looked very much like the juggernaut it was a season ago, at least while the first team was in the game.

The Saints took the opening kickoff and proceeded to storm down the field on a 10-play, 77-yard drive punctuated by running back Mark Ingram's one-yard scoring plunge and quarterback Drew Brees going four of five for 41 yards.

The Arizona Cardinals Had Best Hope Their Defense Picks It Up

They say it takes two to tango, but you wouldn't have known it from Sunday's opening drive.

Saying that the Arizona Cardinals first-team defense offered very little resistance during the Saints' touchdown drive would imply that they actually offered any.

Arizona was gashed on the ground, shredded through the air, and all in all just looked awful.

Adding injury to insult, starting inside linebacker Paris Lenon was forced from the game with a sprained ankle, although The Arizona Republic reports the injury isn't believed to be serious.

That $63 Million Investment in Kevin Kolb Sure Is Paying off

Paris Lenon wasn't the only Arizona Cardinals starter to get injured Sunday night, although in the case of quarterback Kevin Kolb the rib injury he suffered after a hit by defensive tackle Sedrick Ellis may have been the highlight of his evening.

Kolb, who is battling John Skelton for the starting job under center this season, was absolutely horrendous, completing only one of four passes for four yards.

OK, that's not completely fair.

Actually, Kolb completed two of four passes if you count his first attempt of the game, which he threw right to New Orleans free safety Malcolm Jenkins.

Replacement Officials Are Going to Be Awesome

Even more important than the debut of the players on the field last night may have been the one by the officiating crew.

With the National Football League and the league's referees engaged in a labor dispute, Sunday night's game was the first opportunity for replacement officials from the college ranks to strut their stuff in the NFL.

If the game's start was any indication, those officials may want to go back to college.

Things didn't exactly begin as either the NFL or the officials had hoped.

As Marc Sessler of NFL.com reported, the teams gathered at midfield for the coin toss, which seemed to go just fine as the replacement crew announced that the Saints had won the toss and elected to defer.

They got it right until that last part. The Saints had elected to receive.

Easy mistake. Receive. Defer. Sounds almost the same, right?

Football Season Is Almost Here!

If there's one very important storyline that can be taken from Sunday's win by the Saints it's this.

The long, dark offseason is nearly over, and we've begun the trip down a preseason path that will culminate on September 5th when the defending Super Bowl champion New York Giants and the Dallas Cowboys do battle on opening night.

Are you ready for some football?