The Matchup

On Saturday night the Arizona Cardinals will play host to the Chicago Bears in their third preseason matchup. Here are a few things to monitor during the game.

Wide Receivers: Jaron Brown versus John Brown

It seems that the winds of change are upon the Cardinals’ wide receivers. It appears that John Brown has lost his role as the number 2 wide receiver. Bruce Arians has come out and said that Jaron Brown, not John Brown is the receiver slotted behind Larry Fitzgerald. Obviously very disappointing for John Brown who has been trying to come back from a quad strain. That being said, this is a great opportunity for Jaron Brown to make a larger impact on this team. He has been targeted deep on many occasions by Carson Palmer so far in the preseason, so expect Jaron Brown to maintain that role as the regular season begins. For John Brown though, if he can not get on the field the Cardinals may have to move on from him. The wide receivers have been a disappointment overall during training camp so whoever makes an impact will be the ones seeing playing time.

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Left Tackle D.J. Humphries

Humphries will make his debut for the Cardinals Saturday night. Making the switch to left tackle it is critical for him to succeed. Palmer faced pressure way to often a season ago. That was one of the biggest reasons why Palmer struggled last year. Too much pressure and the pocket seemed like it was always collapsing. Humphries struggled last year as well, but hopefully the switch will benefit all parties involved. Definitely a player to watch closely.

Linebacker Depth

Josh Bynes was all over the field last week. An undrafted linebacker from Auburn, he made an impact right away. He lead the team in tackles, sacks, and had a forced fumble last week. A brand new player on the Cardinals’ roster he definitely got the attention of the coaches with his physical play. Via Arizonacardinals.com Bruce Arians had this to say on the newly signed linebacker, “He’s been a great pick. I thought (General Manager) Steve (Keim) pulled one out of his hat. He can run. He’s smart. He can pick up the whole playbook in two or three days. I’ve been really impressed with him. Hopefully he can continue to improve.”

With the linebacker depth being a concern due to injury, there is a strong chance Bynes sticks to this roster. Unfortunately it has been reported that he will be missing this game with a hamstring injury. Because of this along with other injuries to guys like Karlos Dansby and Philip Wheeler the Cardinals just recently signed linebacker Ryan Langford in hopes of adding depth to that position. In a move that required the release of wide receiver Marquis Bundy, monitoring the linebackers is a must during the game. Pay close attention to the linebackers in coverage and when the Bears’ running backs make it to the second level. Due to all the injuries Haason Reddick should see a solid amount of playing time as well. This is great for fans because fans love to watch their team’s top picks.

The Secondary

The Cardinals should dominate the Bears’ wide receivers. Especially with Mike Glennon and Mitchell Trubisky at the helm. Anything short of dominance for the starters and the second team should be very worrisome for Cardinals’ fans. This is a game where poor defensive back play will look extremely bad.

– Andrew Erickson covers the Cardinals for cover32. Like and follow on Follow @AndrewErickson_ Follow @cover32_ARI