• Cardinals Raiders preseason postgame

    Cardinals Raiders preseason postgame

  • Cardinals vs. Raiders pregame

    Cardinals vs. Raiders pregame

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    Bruce Arians, Tyrann Mathieu on Arians’ nicknames

  • Shot Clock: Cardinals protecting QB Palmer?

    Shot Clock: Cardinals protecting QB Palmer?

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    Kent Somers and Bob McManaman on Cardinals final practice before Raiders game

  • Somers, McManaman recap Wednesday's Cardinals practice

    Somers, McManaman recap Wednesday’s Cardinals practice

  • Somers, McManaman on punting after Tuesday Cardinals practice

    Somers, McManaman on punting after Tuesday Cardinals practice

  • Shot Clock: Good, bad of Cardinals' 1st game

    Shot Clock: Good, bad of Cardinals’ 1st game

  • Greg Moore speaks with Cards head coach Bruce Arians

    Greg Moore speaks with Cards head coach Bruce Arians

  • Greg Moore and Bruce Arians talk charities

    Greg Moore and Bruce Arians talk charities

  • Bordow, McManaman recap Sunday Cardinals practice, good injury news

    Bordow, McManaman recap Sunday Cardinals practice, good injury news

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    Bordow, McManaman break down the Cardinals’ first preseason game, injuries

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    Gabbert’s big chance, special team auditions

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    Cardinals QB Gabbert looks forward to starting Hall of Fame Game

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    Cardinals report: Crisper practice Tuesday

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    Shot Clock: Arians changes tone with Cardinals

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    Breaking down an intense Cards practice

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    Cornerback drama continues for Cardinals

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    Greg Moore and Bob McManaman break down the Red-White practice

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    Cardinals Red-White practice preview

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    Somers, McManaman on Gruden possibility, CB battle

  • Kent Somers and Bob McManaman break down Cardinals practice

    Kent Somers and Bob McManaman break down Cardinals practice

  • Wrapping up the day at Cardinals Camp- July 27 edition

    Wrapping up the day at Cardinals Camp- July 27 edition

  • Shot Clock: Early hiccups for Cardinals

    Shot Clock: Early hiccups for Cardinals

  • Take away from Cardinals Camp July 24

    Take away from Cardinals Camp July 24

  • azcentral sports' Bob McManaman wraps up the action at Cards camp

    azcentral sports’ Bob McManaman wraps up the action at Cards camp

  • azcentral sports Scott Bordow and Bob McManaman wrap-up Day 2 at Arizona Cardinals training cam

    azcentral sports Scott Bordow and Bob McManaman wrap-up Day 2 at Arizona Cardinals training cam

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    Moore, McManaman wrap up opening day at Cardinals training camp

  • azcentral sports' Kent Somers and Bob McManaman reporting day at Arizona Cardinals training camp

    azcentral sports’ Kent Somers and Bob McManaman reporting day at Arizona Cardinals training camp

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    David Johnson’s work load; D-Backs’ head games

  • Shot Clock: Cards kick off fan-friendly camp

    Shot Clock: Cards kick off fan-friendly camp

  • Somers sits down with Cardinals rookie Budda Baker

    Somers sits down with Cardinals rookie Budda Baker

  • Kent Somers: Impressions from Cardinals minicamp

    Kent Somers: Impressions from Cardinals minicamp

  • Kent Somers recaps Cardinals minicamp Wednesday

    Kent Somers recaps Cardinals minicamp Wednesday

  • Kent Somers recaps Cardinals practice

    Kent Somers recaps Cardinals practice

  • Shot Clock: Blaine Gabbert a keeper for Cardinals?

    Shot Clock: Blaine Gabbert a keeper for Cardinals?

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    Kent Somers, Bob McManaman talk another week of Arizona Cardinals OTAs

  • Bob McManaman after Cardinals practice Tuesday, May 30

    Bob McManaman after Cardinals practice Tuesday, May 30

  • Kent and Bob talk new NFL rules and wide out depth

    Kent and Bob talk new NFL rules and wide out depth

  • Arians Family Foundation Fundraiser at Top Golf

    Arians Family Foundation Fundraiser at Top Golf

  • Report card on Cardinals QB Blaine Gabbert

    Report card on Cardinals QB Blaine Gabbert

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    Watch out for Dodgers; Cards CBs apply for job

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    What Deone Bucannon’s injury means for Cardinals

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    David Johnson No. 1 on NFL Players Association list

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    No throws for Cards QB, cheap shot in NBA?

  • Kaepernick blackballed? Greinke now trade bait?

    Kaepernick blackballed? Greinke now trade bait?

  • Kent Somers talks Cardinals rookies

    Kent Somers talks Cardinals rookies

  • Kent Somers talks Daryl Washington departure

    Kent Somers talks Daryl Washington departure

  • Cardinals release linebacker Daryl Washington: Somers and Bickley discuss

    Cardinals release linebacker Daryl Washington: Somers and Bickley discuss

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    Shot Clock: Gabbert a terrible fit for Cards

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    Somers sits down with Arians on Cardinals’ offseason

  • Bruce Arians talks about his annual fundraisers

    Bruce Arians talks about his annual fundraisers

  • Jim Hart to be inducted into Cardinals Ring of Honor

    Jim Hart to be inducted into Cardinals Ring of Honor

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    Shot Clock: Cards picks make instant impact?

  • Shot Clock: Tap brakes on Haason Reddick pick?

    Shot Clock: Tap brakes on Haason Reddick pick?

  • Sights and sounds from Cardinals draft party

    Sights and sounds from Cardinals draft party

  • Kent Somers and Bob McManaman talk Cardinals draft of Haason Reddick

    Kent Somers and Bob McManaman talk Cardinals draft of Haason Reddick

  • Keim, Arians striking gold in draft's third round

    Keim, Arians striking gold in draft’s third round

  • Larry Fitzgerald, Chandler Jones talk about Celebrity Softball Game

    Larry Fitzgerald, Chandler Jones talk about Celebrity Softball Game

  • Kent Somers talks with Cardinals DT Frostee Rucker

    Kent Somers talks with Cardinals DT Frostee Rucker

  • Cardinals DT Frostee Rucker on expectations, adding Karlos Dansby

    Cardinals DT Frostee Rucker on expectations, adding Karlos Dansby

  • Top 3 games in Cardinals schedule

    Top 3 games in Cardinals schedule

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    Cards playing dangerous game with RB Johnson?

  • Larry Fitzgerald holding 7th annual charity softball tournament

    Larry Fitzgerald holding 7th annual charity softball tournament

  • Larry Fitzgerald 1-on-1 with Kent Somers

    Larry Fitzgerald 1-on-1 with Kent Somers

  • NFL meetings in Phoenix: On Bruce Arians, new rules, the draft

    NFL meetings in Phoenix: On Bruce Arians, new rules, the draft

  • NFC coaches take questions at NFL owners meeting

    NFC coaches take questions at NFL owners meeting

Cardinals backup quarterback Drew Stanton stopped far short of saying he needed a performance like the one he turned in Saturday night against the Raiders.

Stanton’s in his 10th NFL season. He’s 33. His coach, Bruce Arians, loves him. Those are a few of the reasons not to worry.

Yet, it’s always nice to play well, as Stanton did in the Cardinals’ 20-10 victory at University of Phoenix Stadium. He completed 11 of 15 passes for 112 yards, a touchdown and no interceptions.

That should quiet the voices wanting Blaine Gabbert to back up Carson Palmer.

Arians’ voice has never been among them.

“It’s what I see in practice every day,” Arians said. “He was dynamite in OTAs (organized team activities) and has been throughout the training camp.”

It’s a dramatic change from this time a year ago. Stanton completed only 11 passes in all of the 2016 preseason (39 percent completion rate) with two interceptions and no touchdowns.

The difference, Arians said, is that Stanton wasn’t healthy a year ago, although what was bothering him is unknown.

“I took this preparation real serious this offseason,” Stanton said after the game. “It’s a testament to this training staff and Buddy Morris (strength and conditioning coach). For somebody like that to put that much thought and effort into somebody like me, a backup, it speaks volumes about the type of guy he is.”

The plan Saturday night was for Palmer to start and participate in 15 plays or so, then Stanton would play the rest of the half and Gabbert most of the second half.

That’s almost exactly how it turned out. Palmer was in for the Cardinals’ 14-play touchdown drive to open the game. He completed 4 of 8 for 39 yards, including a 12-yard touchdown to receiver Brittan Golden.

Told he was coming out, Palmer lobbied to remain in the game.

“I thought I was going to get the first quarter,” Palmer said. “That’s what he (Arians) said last night in the team meeting.”

Palmer played reasonably well, even though he overthrew receiver Jaron Brown on a potential long scoring play.

Stanton entered and was sharp throughout most of the evening. He moved around the pocket well to extend plays and drives.

His touchdown pass came after he was flushed from the pocket. He floated to his right all the way to the sideline, before he found tight end Troy Niklas, who had moved from the back of the end zone to the front.

“Really, I was getting ready to throw the ball away, but Troy did a phenomenal job of coming back aggressively downhill towards the ball,” Stanton said, “and he beat everybody else towards the spot.”

Stanton wasn’t perfect. He overthrew receiver Chris Hubert, who was open in the end zone after a stutter-and-go move. He nearly had a pass intercepted in the end zone.

“You always need this kind of performance,” Stanton said. “It’s much better than not playing well. There’s stuff to go back and look at. Sometimes you get greedy, especially in this offense because those kinds of plays present themselves. You have to be smart about that and find the check down.”

After the game, Stanton seem surprised when he was approached by reporters. He joked that he figured they were there to talk to Palmer, who has the locker next to Stanton’s.

Stanton didn’t want to keep Palmer waiting because “he’s my ride home.”

Stanton has been Palmer’s backup since 2013, and is 6-3 as a starter for the Cardinals. Arians trusts Stanton implicitly, as does Palmer.

That, along with Stanton’s performance on Saturday, make it unlikely Gabbert replaces Stanton.

“I thought he (Stanton) was outstanding,” Arians said. “He was spot-on.”

RELATED: Top units impress in Cardinals’ preseason win over Raiders

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