Sunday’s preseason game against the Houston Texans, a 34-24 loss, was the perfect opportunity for the Arizona Cardinals’ backup cornerbacks to do one of two things: Make a stake at the starting job or establish themselves as the backup. Patrick Peterson was out with an ankle injury. Tyrann Mathieu wasn't playing. It was ideal.
Well, Mike Jenkins, who coach Bruce Arians said was in the mix to win the starting right cornerback job, went down with a knee injury, which opened the door for Justin Bethel, the starter late last season who was seeing time in his first preseason game this year. But Bethel squandered an invaluable opportunity to show Arians he was worthy of the starting job. On two deep passes, Bethel didn’t get his head around in time, which is basic cornerback technique.
If Jenkins is out for a long period of time, the Cardinals will be short on depth at corner, keeping Arians and general manager Steve Keim on the edge of their seats throughout the season unless they find a veteran to compete at that spot.
QB depth chart: None of the Cardinals’ three quarterbacks looked impressive. Carson Palmer threw two more interceptions, including another one at point-blank range. He looked good at times, including on a 40-yard pass to tight end Darren Fells, but overall, Palmer wasn’t as sharp as he has been in the past.
Despite a slow start, backup Drew Stanton got into a rhythm and finished with 70 yards on 7-for-15 passing.
For the second straight game, third-string quarterback Matt Barkley looked impressive at times while still showing signs of inexperience. He had two touchdown passes that showcased his arm -- one on a 43-yard pass to Chris Hubert and another on a 5-yard pass to Jaxon Shipley in traffic.
Maybe that player could start: Tristan Okpalaugo showed Sunday that he has been transitioning to the NFL just fine. He had three tackles plus a hit on Texans quarterback Tom Savage that was fierce. With Arizona’s depth at pass-rusher, Okpalaugo may not be an every-down pass-rusher, but he could fit in the rotation on third down or as a sub for Chandler Jones or Markus Golden. With his performance Sunday, Okpalaugo showed he may be a safer roster choice than Shaq Riddick.
Who got hurt? According to reports, Peterson injured his ankle during pregame warmups and did not dress. Jenkins left the game in the first quarter with a right knee injury. He went down after defending a DeAndre Hopkins pass. It was a non-contact injury. Running back Stepfan Taylor hurt his knee in the third quarter and did not return.
A surprise player who impressed: Wide receiver Chris Hubert put his speed on display in the fourth quarter, blowing past a Houston defensive back for a 43-yard touchdown run. Hubert has had a solid camp, showing off his speed and receiving, and on Sunday, when it counted the most, he had three catches for 72 yards.
When it was starters vs. starters, the Cardinals looked … Hit or miss. Palmer threw two interceptions, one of which was at point-blank range for the second straight game, and did not look great. The offense, however, got into a rhythm after Palmer’s first pick, scoring on a drive that was kicked off with a 40-yard completion to Darren Fells. The defense looked as if it was getting into regular-season form aside from the cornerbacks. With Peterson out, Jenkins took his spot but got hurt, leading to Bethel getting reps with the first team. But he looked out of sync and didn’t turn his head twice on deep balls that were caught on him.
One reason to be concerned: It’d be easy to say the reason to be concerned is Palmer and the offense, but it’s still preseason. The bigger reason to be concerned is depth at cornerback. If Jenkins is out long term, the Cardinals may be left with a thin cupboard at corner behind Peterson and Brandon Williams. Bethel, who didn’t make up any ground on reclaiming the starting job from Williams on Sunday, looked as if he still needs time to get into football shape, both mentally and physically.