GLENDALE, Ariz. -- The talk all week during Arizona Cardinals training camp has been how these are the dog days of camp and how everyone wanted to go home. They played like it on Saturday night against the Chicago Bears in a 24-23 loss at University of Phoenix Stadium.
The starters came out slow on offense and defense in the first quarter, leading to coach Bruce Arians leaving them in until the second quarter, when both units finally found a rhythm. The offense scored a touchdown on fourth down, and the defense showed glimpses of the talent it has, including when Tyrann Mathieu returned an interception for 52 yards.
QB depth chart: Third-string quarterback Blaine Gabbert was given the third and fourth quarters to get more comfortable in the Cardinals' offense, and he took his opportunity and, well, ran with it, scoring on a 4-yard scramble in the third. He also threw for 174 yards, completing 14 of 25 passes while leading the Cardinals to the brink of victory with a touchdown drive in the final seconds. He capped the 35-yard drive with a 3-yard pass to Jeremy Ross, but the two-point conversion failed. Starter Carson Palmer struggled to get going in the first quarter but rebounded in the second quarter to throw a 1-yard touchdown on fourth down to Jermaine Gresham. Drew Stanton played just two drives in the final 3:36 of the second quarter. For now, at least, the Cardinals' quarterback depth chart will remain the same.
When it was starters vs. starters, the Cardinals looked ... sluggish, on both sides of the ball. Offensively, the Cardinals couldn't convert two third downs in the first quarter, both of which led to punts. Palmer finally found a rhythm in the second quarter, which was longer than Arians had said he planned to play the starters. Palmer completed 6 of 8 passes on his only drive of the second quarter, capping it with a fourth-down scoring pass. The Cardinals' defense played below its capabilities and expectations in almost two quarters of action.
One reason to be concerned: Arizona's first-team defense gave up 75 rushing yards in the first quarter, including 72 to running back Tarik Cohen, who had runs of 25, 16 and 16 yards against the Cardinals' starters. The first-team defense found its way in the second quarter, allowing just 1 total rushing yard. But with as stout and deep of a defensive line as the Cardinals have, giving up that many rushing yards overall can be worrisome.
That guy could start: Outside linebacker Kareem Martin continued his tear through training camp and the preseason with a tackle for loss on a botched snap to Bears quarterback Mark Sanchez. Martin also brought pressure in the first half on a delayed blitz, showing off his versatility and quickness for his size, at 6-foot-6 and 272 pounds. Martin finally has grown into his role as an outside linebacker after switching from defensive tackle two years ago. Although he has Markus Golden and Chandler Jones ahead of him on the depth chart, Martin could fill in for them seamlessly if ever needed.
Rookie watch: Two Cardinals receivers showed their consistency on Saturday night. Krishawn Hogan caught two of four targets for 32 yards, and Chad Williams caught one of his two targets for 15 yards.
The Honey Badger is back: Tyrann Mathieu knew what route was coming. He knew what the receiver would do. Then he jumped it and intercepted Chicago quarterback Mike Glennon for a 52-yard return. Mathieu would've likely returned it for a touchdown had another blocker been in the vicinity, but he was sprinting down the field ahead of everyone except Tyvon Branch.
Haason Reddick sits: Arizona's first-round pick spent part of the first quarter on the sideline with his helmet and gloves off while the first-team defense was on the field. Cardinals trainer Tom Reed and a team doctor were evaluating Reddick at one point, but no official announcement of Reddick's issue was made.