Camp K report: ‘A lot of cleanup’ for Cardinals before hosting Raiders

GLENDALE, Ariz. — Kliff Kingsbury didn’t feel inclined to make any snap judgments immediately following the Arizona Cardinals’ preseason opener, a win over the Los Angeles Chargers.

The film review, however, confirmed that Arizona has “a lot of cleanup” to do with a nationally-televised game against the Oakland Raiders this coming Thursday.

“I think offensively, way too many penalties,” Kingsbury said.

“Defensively, run game, quarterback scrambles. We let a couple of those get out and we got to tighten those things up.”

Chargers backup quarterback Tyrod Taylor and backup running back Austin Ekeler found the seams too often. The Cardinals’ starting defensive unit allowed them to lead Los Angeles on an eight-play, 73-yard drive before Arizona linebacker Jordan Hicks forced a fumble near the goal line.

Nose tackle Corey Peters said the Cardinals spent their film sessions since gameday discussing run fits, a problem dating back to the first preseason game of 2018.

“Whenever a team runs the ball so well, especially in the beginning of the game when our starters are out there, it’s not a good look,” Peters said. “It’s something we’ve taken a good look at. It’s something that we have to get corrected.”

A lengthy list of injury updates

— Safety Josh Shaw, who had filled in for starter D.J. Swearinger while he was out with a soft tissue injury, is out “probably a couple of weeks” with a shoulder injury suffered in the Chargers game.

— Receiver Kevin White will not play in the Thursday game against Oakland as he continues to nurse a hamstring issue.

— Receiver Andy Isabella (knee) and defensive back Byron Murphy (soft tissue, foot) were on the field Saturday after missing the preseason opener. Murphy, however, did not go through team drills. Both rookies are expected to play against the Raiders.

— Kingsbury on linebacker Haason Reddick’s recovery from a meniscus procedure on his knee: “He’s doing better. I think he’s right on track for what we targeted, and that’s hopefully anywhere around that first game (of the regular season).”

— Tight end Charles Clay, from the sounds of it, will not be at risk of being cut after missing all of the training camp so far with a knee injury.

“I think you look at his body of work throughout his career and the way he’s been utilized, you know, it made a lot of sense,” Kingsbury said of the addition. “The different things he can do in our offense, we saw that this spring. He’s getting close and feels good so hopefully he’s back sooner than later.”

— Safety Budda Baker sat out the end of practice after an apparent injury. With he and Shaw sidelined, special teams ace Rudy Ford and rookie supplemental draft pick Jalen Thompson took more snaps.

Extra points

— Kingsbury said he does not watch Hard Knocks, the HBO documentary series that this year is following the Raiders. But the coach did offer up this nugget about what he does when not consumed by his job: “All I really watch is ‘The First 48’ and then I go to sleep.”

— Kingsbury expressed more optimism after watching the game tape of rookie quarterback Kyler Murray, who went 6-of-7 for 44 yards in his unofficial debut Thursday.

“He diagnoses defenses well, he’s cerebral,” the head coach said. “I thought his operation was really good. Had some checks that was exactly what we wanted to get into. For kind of a limited menu (of plays), I thought he executed at a high level.”

— Receivers Trent Sherfield and Damiere Byrd, who both started Thursday and played well, continued to impress with multiple tough catches throughout practice.

— Murray was picked off early in practice, once each by Baker and Patrick Peterson.

— Peterson is not expected to be a punt return man, but he did take punt returns on Saturday with a twist.

Patrick Peterson doing light punt return work pic.twitter.com/EVIS9kmVd3

— Kevin Zimmerman (@KZimmermanAZ) August 10, 2019

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