Saints vs. Cardinals: Full Arizona Game Preview

At last, it's here. The Arizona Cardinals kick off their 2015 season Sunday afternoon at home against the New Orleans Saints.

This can be an emotional time for football fans, so please take a moment to compose yourself and wipe those tears of joy from your eyes.

Ready? Good.

"Health" will be the key word for Arizona this year after injuries derailed a promising 2014 campaign. A 9-1 start quickly fell apart once Carson Palmer and Andre Ellington went down. By the time they limped into the playoffs, led by third-string quarterback Ryan Lindley, the Cardinals were a shell of the team that started the season with so much promise.

With both Palmer and Ellington looking lively in the preseason, there's plenty of room for optimism in the desert. The Cardinals will be tested right out of the gate by a Saints team that is looking to shake off last season's struggles.

New Orleans may not have exactly cleaned house following a 7-9 campaign in 2014, but it at least rebuilt the master bedroom and brought in some new appliances for the kitchen. The Saints traded Jimmy Graham and Kenny Stills and released linebackers Curtis Lofton and Junior Galette. On the plus side, they added Max Unger, Dannell Ellerbe, C.J. Spiller, Brandon Browner and Anthony Spencer. 

In the draft, Sean Payton focused primarily on upgrading at linebacker (Stephone Anthony) and along the offensive line (Andrus Peat), the result of which should be a Saints team less reliant on Drew Brees to win games.

Click ahead for the full preview. 

Location: University of Phoenix Stadium, Glendale, Arizona

Time: 1:00 p.m. MST

TV: Fox

News and Notes

Joe Mahoney/Associated Press

The offensive line is shuffled again

Head coach Bruce Arians announced two changes to the offensive line, according to the team's official website. Lyle Sendlein and Earl Watford have been named starters, which means the group will line up like this on Sunday:

• LT: Jared Veldheer
• LG: Ted Larsen
• C: Sendlein
• RG: Jonathan Cooper
• RT: Watford

Watford beat out Bradley Sowell for the spot vacated by Bobby Massie's suspension. Arians indicated the job was now Watford's to lose, even when Massie returns. 

It's hard to paint this as positive or negative, with none of the offensive line combinations looking particularly strong during the preseason. The hope is this group can hold the fort until Mike Iupati returns from injury in a few weeks. 

Chris Johnson named Andre Ellington's backup

The veteran is listed ahead of rookie David Johnson on the depth chart released by the team this week. Depth charts are largely ceremonial, so we won't know for sure how it all breaks down until the players hit the field.

The elder Johnson played well in the Cardinals final preseason game, rushing for 45 yards on 11 carries while also adding another 10 yards on one reception. He may not be the player he once was, but he's still solid in a rotation, averaging 4.3 yards per carry a year ago with the New York Jets.

The younger Johnson, meanwhile, showed flashes of immense talent in the preseason but still has work to do to impress the coaching staff. He has the time and plenty of ability to eventually challenge the injury-prone Ellington for the top spot on the depth chart.  

Latest Injury News

Marcio Jose Sanchez/Associated Press

Arizona released its official injury report Wednesday afternoon. 

WR Michael Floyd	Hand
TE Jermaine Gresham	Hamstring
TE Ifeanyi Momah	Knee
TE Troy Niklas	Hamstring
G Mike Iupati	Knee

Floyd, Gresham and Niklas were all limited participants in Wednesday's practice, while Iupati and Momah both sat out. Iupati will be out a few more weeks following knee surgery.

Momah is the surprise addition to the list, and NFL.com's Ian Rapoport reports he will be placed on injured reserve following surgery to repair a torn meniscus. The converted wide receiver looked like a potential breakout candidate in the preseason, serving as the Cardinals' primary pass-catching tight end. His loss deals another blow to Arizona's battered tight end corps. 

Floyd's participation in practice is a good sign ahead of Sunday's game. There's no word yet on whether his hand injury will limit him in any way, or if it has healed sufficiently. 

Key Matchup

Associated Press

Brandin Cooks vs. Arizona's secondary

By trading Jimmy Graham to Seattle, the Saints made Brandin Cooks the new focal point of their passing game. The second-year receiver responded well to the de facto promotion in the preseason, catching seven passes for 164 yards and two scores.

Because of Cooks' versatility and ability to play in space, it already behooved Sean Payton to get his explosive receiver the ball in a variety of ways. With Patrick Peterson locking down the left side of the field, Payton will have even more incentive to get creative with Cooks.

According to ESPN.com's Josh Weinfuss, Peterson says he's drawn the Cooks assignment, but it will take a team effort to stop the playmaker. Drew Brees is great at exploiting blown coverages, and Cooks only needs a second of daylight to take it to the house. 

Incidentally, the pick the Saints used to select Cooks was originally held by the Cardinals. Arizona wound up taking Deone Bucannon with the Saints' first-rounder and John Brown with the extra third-round pick it obtained by moving down.

It looks like that trade is working out well for both parties. 

Three Things to Watch

Rick Scuteri/Associated Press

Can Arizona's defensive line continue its strong play?

The defensive line was the most impressive position group in Arizona's preseason campaign, something that's carried over from last season. The starters in particular were disruptive against the run and the pass all preseason.

They'll be up against a Saints offensive line that struggled mightily last year and was retooled in the offseason. The addition of center Max Unger upgrades the talent level, but the group still needs time to jell.

The ability of Calais Campbell and Co. to collapse the pocket and make things claustrophobic for Drew Brees will go a long way toward determining the outcome of the game.

How will the old quarterbacks do? 

Speaking of Brees, both he and Carson Palmer will look to get off to a fast start after disappointing seasons in 2014. Time is, after all, running out for both quarterbacks. 

The 35-year-old Palmer will be making his regular-season return from a second serious knee injury. He was 6-0 a year ago before going down, and Arizona will be in great shape if he can return to that level of play.

The 36-year-old Brees, meanwhile, still put up huge numbers last year, but he and the rest of the offense did take a step back, contributing to the Saints' 7-9 record. 

It'll be interesting to see how much these two have left in the tank as they enter the twilight of their careers.

Has Chandler Catanzaro gotten past his rough preseason?

Catanzaro is coming off a preseason in which he missed three field goals and two extra points. Preseason may be a tuneup of sorts, but five missed kicks is cause for concern.

With the new extra-point rule placing more pressure on kickers, Arizona will need Catanzaro to return to the form that made him so successful as a rookie.

Prediction: Cardinals 27, Saints 17

Rick Scuteri/Associated Press

New Orleans is a solid football team led by a great quarterback and a great coach. It will provide a stern test for the Cardinals.

Arizona, however, is simply further along in the building process than the new-look Saints. 

The Cardinals looked like a contender last year before injuries stymied their progress. Fueled by a nasty defense and a big-play offense, Arizona has all the tools required of a playoff team.

So long as the offensive line—now and seemingly always the big question mark—can do a reasonable job, Arizona should have no trouble controlling the game against a Saints team that is still forging its identity.

Chalk this one up for the good guys and check back Friday night for a look at Arizona's game plan ahead of the Week 1 matchup.

Prediction: Cardinals 27, Saints 17