Cardinals vs. Broncos: Postgame Grades and Notes for Arizona

The Arizona Cardinals wrapped up their preseason with a 22-20 win over the Broncos in Denver on Thursday night. Denver kicker Brandon McManus missed a 51-yard field goal with less than a minute to play, sealing the victory for Arizona. 

The Cardinals finish their preseason slate with a mostly harmless 2-2 record.

With the majority of Arizona's starters sitting this one out, the Cardinals' second- and third-stringers gave the kind of spirited performance one would expect with roster spots on the line. After falling behind early 13-0, Phillip Sims got the Cardinals on the board in the second quarter with a 15-play, 80-yard touchdown drive.

The two teams traded touchdowns in the third quarter, but Logan Thomas put the Cardinals ahead for good in the fourth quarter with a 59-yard strike to J.J. Nelson. 

Head coach Bruce Arians and general manager Steve Keim have until Saturday to cut the roster down to 53 players, with up to eight jobs up for grabs heading into Thursday's contest. 

Click ahead for the full recap.

Position Grades for Arizona

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QB	B
RB	B+
WR	C
TE	INC
OL	B
DL	B
LB	A-
DB	C+
Special Teams	D
Coaching	B+

Arizona's front seven once again bared its teeth, but this time around, it was the linebackers stealing the spotlight. Markus Golden, Kareem Martin and Gabe Martin all registered sacks, while Alani Fua and Shaq Riddick made plays in the backfield. That's a promising sign for defensive coordinator James Bettcher, whose defense is crying out for playmakers.

The secondary got off to an awful start, conceding a 78-yard touchdown pass on Denver's first play from scrimmage. It settled down after that, playing better than not. 

Both Logan Thomas and Phillip Sims looked good at quarterback, with Thomas likely winning the third QB job. They combined to complete 23 of 32 passes for two touchdowns.

The most surprising performance came from the offensive line. It opened holes in the running game, and while five sacks are a lot to give up, some of those were due to the quarterbacks holding on to the ball too long. 

Gerald Christian Injury Adds to Tight End Woes

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The most unsettling moment of the game came when rookie tight end Gerald Christian went down with a left knee injury. He had to be carted off the field.

An injury to Mr. Irrelevant in Week 4 of the preseason game isn't the kind of thing that should cripple any part of a team's game plan, but the loss of Christian leaves a massive hole in the Cardinals offense.

With Troy Niklas and Jermaine Gresham also out injured, Arizona is now left without a healthy in-line tight end at the end of its preseason schedule. While there is hope Gresham will be ready to suit up, he hasn't seen a snap in a Cardinals jersey. 

Barring unexpected good news on Christian's injury, general manager Steve Keim will have to keep a close eye on Saturday's cut lists for a new tight end. Tackle Cameron Bradfield lined up at tight end following Christian's injury.

Ifeanyi Momah remains part of the puzzle, but he lacks the blocking ability Arians prefers from his tight ends.

Chris Johnson and Sean Weatherspoon Debut

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Two veterans made their Cardinals debuts Thursday night, and both impressed. 

Chris Johnson got the start at running back and looked better than anyone could've expected. He had 11 carries for 45 yards while also picking up 10 yards on one reception.

CJ2K is gone, but Johnson showed more than enough quickness through the hole to be a quality NFL running back. Andre Ellington will have every opportunity to be the lead dog early in the season, but Johnson's going to have a role on this team, too, and he'll offer much more than Stepfan Taylor did last season. 

On the other side of the ball, Sean Weatherspoon returned to NFL action for the first time since rupturing his Achilles last June with Atlanta. To everyone's surprise, Weatherspoon played well into the third quarter at inside linebacker.

Weatherspoon didn't have a transformative impact on the defense, but he looked solid, particularly for someone coming off of such a long layoff. He can still play. Inside linebacker has been a worry spot for the Cardinals this summer, but Weatherspoon's return should alleviate a lot of those concerns.

Chandler Catanzaro Struggling

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The NFL moved the extra point back to the 25-yard line in an effort to make the play more exciting. Chandler Catanzaro might not be sending any presents to the competition committee any time soon.

Catanzaro missed two of his three extra-point attempts against Denver, turning his preseason campaign from "meh" to "worrying." In addition to the missed extra points, the second-year kicker has only converted five of his eight field-goal attempts.

It's too soon to sound the alarm, but Catanzaro's performance is something to keep an eye on early in the season. He was stellar as a rookie last season, so the hope is that he picks up his performance when the games start to count. 

The Defense Makes Its Presence Felt

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This was a preseason Week 4 game featuring backups, but the point remains that Arizona turned up the intensity on defense. 

The Cardinals notched three sacks, nine tackles for loss, five QB hits and forced two turnovers. That's a strong night, regardless of who is playing.

With Todd Bowles now in New York, the pressure was on new defensive coordinator James Bettcher to find ways to get to the quarterback. He proved up to the task Thursday night.

The pieces might not be a perfect fit, but the talent exists on the roster to make plays. Markus Golden and Kareem Martin both look like capable pass-rushers. 

Now, can Arizona carry this performance over to the regular season? The New Orleans Saints await on September 13.