Five keys to a Cardinals victory over Broncos

Week One of the regular season is coming quickly, but for the Cardinals, they have one more preseason game before they can really switch gears to the Seahawks, and that comes on Thursday night, as they’ll host the Denver Broncos.

What do the Cardinals have to do to get their second win of the preseason?

Like it’s been all preseason, and will continue to be during the regular season, the quarterbacks will have to perform and perform well against what the Broncos throw at them defensively.

Ryan Lindley will start and Richard Bartel will back him. Kevin Kolb and John Skelton are out, barring any injuries.

1. For Lindley, he needs to continue to play at the level he’s already been playing at during the preseason.

The Cardinals have had trouble getting their offense going in the first quarter, being outscored 36-10 in the four games. If Lindley can move the offense early and get points on the board, then that should set the tone for the rest of the game.

2. The offensive line needs to keep the wall strong around Lindley, Bartel and the running backs.

D’Anthony Batiste and Bobby Massie came in against the Titans last week and solidified things, after a rough front line start. They’ll get the start at the left and right tackle positions, and will have to continue their trend of solid play.

3. The running game has been very, very solid during these four games, racking up almost 130 yards per game over the last three…that needs to continue in this game.

William Powell has been a man on a mission, as he leads the league in rushing. He’s averaging seven yards a pop and is fighting hard for a roster spot. Will he get 29 carries like he did last preseason against Denver? We’ll see.

Beanie Wells and Ryan Williams are sure to get a fair share of reps as well.

4. The defense was pretty solid against Tennessee, giving them just eight first downs and 217 yards of offense. They need to duplicate, if not better those numbers against Caleb Hanie, former Sun Devil Brock Osweiler and crew.

5. Five turnovers WILL NOT win you the game!

Ball control, proper ball handling and correct decisions are what the Cardinals need against the Broncos.

5a. This is the last chance for those on the bubble to show the coaches what they’re made of before the final cut down to 53 on Friday.

Those 22 guys need to play within themselves, play smart and believe in themselves and what they can bring to this organization, and let the chips fall where they may.