Cardinals seek improvement after season-opening win, but a 1-0 start is better than the alternative

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TEMPE, Ariz. (AP) — Kyler Murray was under the weather during Sunday's game and — at times — the offense also looked a little unwell.

The Arizona Cardinals' revamped defensive front produced just one sack and their special teams allowed a blocked field goal at a crucial moment in the fourth quarter at New Orleans.

Even so, the Cardinals are 1-0 for the first time since 2021 after a 20-13 win over the Saints. This isn't a franchise that's in position to complain about a road win to open the season.

It might not have been the dominant showing fans wanted, but it's a step in the right direction.

“The most important thing is a win, so I feel really good about that,” coach Jonathan Gannon said. “I told the team all three phases made plays to help us win the game. I am sure all three phases, for sure, wants plays back.”

Murray — who was added to the injury report on Sunday morning with an illness — had a solid outing, completing 21 of 29 passes for 163 yards and two touchdowns. Second-year receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. caught five passes for 71 yards and a touchdown.

The game highlighted how good — and how bad — the Cardinals' offense can be.

In the second quarter, the Cardinals looked like a juggernaut, scoring two touchdowns on two drives and gaining 124 total yards. But with a chance to put the game away in the fourth quarter, Arizona's offense managed just three plays and went backwards 9 yards.

That gave the Saints one more chance to pull off a comeback, but the Cardinals' defense turned back the threat.

“It’s never easy, never will be easy no matter who you’re playing,” Murray said. “I’m grateful to go out here on the road and get a win. Obviously offensively, yes, we want to do more. Do I want to do more? Of course. But week one, there are a lot of things that we can get better at.”

The Cardinals' secondary — particularly at cornerback — came into Week 1 as one of the team's biggest question marks.

The group left New Orleans looking like one of Arizona's unquestioned strengths.

The veteran safety duo of Budda Baker and Jalen Thompson was solid and the young cornerbacks — Garrett Williams, Max Melton and rookie Will Johnson — were outstanding.

Murray had a tough time staying upright against the Saints, taking five sacks.

Some of that is just the nature of the way Murray plays, scrambling around in the backfield to buy time and make big plays. But the pass protection still wasn't great, running lanes were sometimes hard to find and the group committed a handful of penalties.

“Offensively, we could be cleaner,” left tackle Paris Johnson Jr. said. “I was thinking as we walked back to the tunnel, I think today was good, today was cool. Good, but not great.”

Trey Benson. The second-string running back behind James Conner might be playing his way into a bigger role. He had 69 yards rushing on eight carries against the Saints, highlighted by a 52-yard gain. It's clear the coaching staff trusts Benson more than last year, when he was limited to 291 yards rushing as a rookie.

Josh Sweat. The edge rusher signed a $76.4 million, four-year deal during the offseason as the crown jewel of the Cardinals' rebuild on the defensive front, but he didn't make much of an impact. That was partly because Saints quarterback Spencer Rattler got rid of the ball so quickly, but the Cardinals are expecting more than one tackle per game from Sweat.

LB Cody Simon and S Joey Blount are in the concussion protocol.

9 — Harrison has nine TD catches through his first 18 games. That's been matched just twice in franchise history, by Larry Fitzgerald and Gern Nagler.

The Cardinals host Carolina on Sunday.

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