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We know how the starters for the Arizona Cardinals performed last night... poorly. Well, at least when it comes to the offense. The quarterbacks were subpar at best and the offensive line was a catastrophe. The defense looked good for the most part, but they had their few glitches as well.
Once the second and third units came in, that is when the team started to make a comeback and do some damage. Let's look at some of the non-starters that showed up to last night's game against the Titans.
Kevin Kolb:
Technically, he wasn't a starter last night, so he falls into this category. Other than his two very ugly interceptions, Kolb actually played pretty well. He went 17-22 for 156 yards and he had a nice touchdown drive that ended with a quick pass to Andre Roberts. As usual, the winner of the quarterback race still has yet to be determined.
Ryan Lindley:
After Kolb sat down, Lindley came in and brought the Cardinals back within striking distance. He made a couple of nice passes and overall, I thought he looked very composed out there for a rookie. His stat line shows that he was 13-24 with 112 yards in the air. I think he has already made the team over his main competitor, Richard Bartel, but time will tell.
William Powell:
Powell has been probably one of the biggest surprises so far this preseason. He leads the NFL in rushing yards and is averaging 7.1 yards per carry. As Darren Urban noted, it may be against second and third string defenses, but 7.1 is 7.1. He might have the lead over Alfonso Smith to make the roster, but I believe it is still a close race.
Steve Skelton:
Just because his older brother didn't look all that great last night, that doesn't mean the young Skelton wasn't going to show up. Steve caught six passes last night, many in traffic and on seem routes, and he put the Cardinals in a spot where they could have possibly won the game. He played well and after watching Jim Dray drop a couple of passes, you have to wonder if he might take his spot on the roster as well.
Jamell Fleming:
Whether it is breaking up passes from Jake Locker one week or slide tackling offensive linemen another, this rookie has shown up and people are noticing. Defensive Coordinator Ray Horton mentioned that Fleming might have been becoming lackadaisical, but it didn't appear that way last night. Fleming appears to be ready for a bigger role on this football team.
What do you think? Who were the non-starters that stuck out to you? Tell us in the comments section below.
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