The Sports Xchange

GLENDALE, Ariz. — If there were any doubts about Carson Palmer as he returns from the second torn anterior cruciate ligament of his NFL career, he put them to rest Sunday.

The Arizona quarterback enjoyed a three-touchdown, 307-yard passing performance during the Cardinals’ 31-19 season-opening victory over the New Orleans Saints at University of Phoenix Stadium, picking right up where he left off.

After throwing touchdown passes of 10 and 17 yards to wide receiver John Brown and tight end Darren Fells, Palmer helped seal the win when rookie running back David Johnson took his screen pass and raced 55 yards for a touchdown with 1:33 remaining to pad the Cardinals’ lead.

“I hadn’t seen it (Johnson’s speed) since the (organized team activities),” Palmer said. “I was screaming at him not to go out of bounds. It looked like he was headed out of bounds, then he kind of just hit the rocket booster button and exploded down the sidelines. It’s good to see a young guy get in and make plays like that.”

In addition to Palmer helping lead an offense that totaled 427 yards, he was 19 of 32 without an interception, and he wasn’t sacked once. Palmer, 35, showed smooth agility when he left the pocket and even gained 14 yards on three carries.

Saints quarterback Drew Brees, meanwhile, was 30 of 48 for 355 yards with one touchdown and one interception. As good as he was, however, the 36-year-old couldn’t help New Orleans finish enough drives, as the Saints had to settle for four field goals from Zach Hocker.

“They do some unique things on defense,” Saints receiver Marques Colston said, “but we have to be able to get six on some of our drives. … You always look to convert touchdowns in the end zone, and it didn’t work in our favor today.”

The Cardinals lost starting running back Andre Ellington in the fourth quarter with what coach Bruce Arians thinks is a right posterior cruciate ligament injury.

What we learned about the Cardinals:

1. The Cardinals may be without starting running back Andre Ellington for a while. According to coach Bruce Arians, the team believes Ellington may have damaged the posterior cruciate ligament in his right knee. That could be a substantial injury given Ellington’s role in the offense. There is depth behind him, though, in Chris Johnson and rookie David Johnson. If Ellington is sidelined indefinitely, the team can sign Kerwynn Williams off of its practice squad.

2. Converted guard Earl Watford looks like he just might be the full-time answer as the Cardinals’ starting right tackle after all. He had never played tackle until Bruce Arians tried him there late in training camp, and before anyone knew it, he was elevated to starter’s status in place of the suspended Bobby Massie. The Cardinals didn’t allow a sack against the Saints, and Watford was often challenged Sunday with having to fend off Cameron Jordan. “I’ll have to look at the film and see, but I felt I did some good things and some bad things — mostly technical stuff I’ve got to keep working on,” Watford said. “I don’t think I did too bad. It went pretty much how I wanted it to.”

3. The Cardinals’ secondary is supposed to be one of the team’s strength, but it allowed Drew Brees to pass for 355 yards. Overall, however, Arizona’s defense stood firm in the red zone and forced New Orleans to settle for four field goals in addition to the one touchdown pass Brees threw to Brandon Coleman. “Anytime you hold them to three it’s going to make a difference in the game,” Arians said of his defense, now led by a new coordinator in James Bettcher. “We were able to score touchdowns and they had to kick a couple field goals and that’s usually the difference in the ball game.”

Etc.:

–Carson Palmer did not play like a quarterback returning from a torn ACL, and he actually looked agile during the times he had to move around or scramble out of the pocket. “I felt great,” he said. “We did such a great job up front.”

–WR Larry Fitzgerald finally seems to be embracing his forced move to slot receiver, something he resisted when Bruce Arians made the change two years ago. “My first eight, nine years, I was extensively outside the numbers,” Fitzgerald said, “so it’s a different world inside. The game is a lot faster. The guys are a lot bigger. When you’re getting tackled outside the numbers, it’s usually a guy you’re much bigger than. It’s taken me awhile to get used to it, but at this age, the way I’m playing now, I feel like I’m much more of a complete player. I can still go outside and win. I can go inside and win. I’m a much better blocker. What Coach has me doing has made my game more versatile.”

–WR Michael Floyd was only thrown to once on Sunday, but he made the catch for an 18-yard gain despite being listed as questionable with a left hand injury he suffered early in training camp. Floyd sustained three fractured and dislocated fingers and played with a protective brace on his hand. Coach Bruce Arians said Floyd was not on a pitch count in the game.