Arizona Cardinals open season with home win over New Orleans Saints

Arizona Cardinals wide receiver John Brown (12) signals first down against the New Orleans Saints in the 1st quarter of their NFL game Sunday, Sept. 13, 2015 in Glendale, Ariz.(Photo: David Kadlubowski/azcentral sports)

In beating the Saints31 19, the Cardinals provided both cynics and optimists enough evidence to make strong arguments about the team’s fortunes this season.

What’s inarguable is the Cardinals are 1 0.

“It’s always nice to get a victory and have a lot of things to work on,” coach Bruce Arians said.

BOX SCORE: Cardinals 31, Saints 19

Things such as not allowing opposing running backs to gain 148 yards receiving,wholesale jerseys or going scoreless in four possessions during the heart of the game.

But there were positive signs, too. Things such as yielding one touchdown to a team with an offense perennially among the league’s best, and scoring two touchdowns in the fourth quarter, one by a tight end in his second year and another by a running back in his first.

Cardinals vs. Saints rewind: What we learnedWhat we learned in Cardinals’ win vs. SaintsThe Cardinals opened the game as if they were going to do just that. They drove 80 and 88 yards for touchdowns in the first half and led14 3with 11 minutes remaining.

But the offense then stalled, and the Saints, behind quarterback Drew Brees, started moving. It seemed every time the Cardinals blitzed,http://www.vondutchwatches.com/nfl10291.php Brees made them pay by throwing a screen or swing pass to a running back in the spot vacated by the blitzer.

“One of the things we saw others have success with a year ago was misdirection,” said Saints coach Sean Payton. “It is a pressure defense, they do a good job of getting after the quarterback. We felt like we couldn’t sit back there and allow that pass rush to rush five. We needed something to counter.”Cardinals think Andre Ellington suffered PCL injury

Running backs Mark Ingram (8 receptions, 98 yards) and Khiry Robinson (5 receptions, 51 yards) were the counters. While they hurt the Cardinals with short receptions and long runs, the Saints reached the end zone just once.

“That’s the plan,” said Cardinalssafety Rashad Johnson, who intercepted a pass. “Last year, that’s what made us be an 11 win team. Teams go in the red zone and when they go there, we kept them out of the end zone. We thrive off that.”

Because they were scoring field goals instead of touchdowns, the Saints were never able to take the lead. They closed to within one point early in the fourth quarter, but the Cardinals responded with an 80 yard drive.

Quarterback Carson Palmer, who completed 19 of 32 passes for 307 yards, threw one of his three touchdowns passes, a 17 yarder, to tight end Darren Fells.

That gave the Cardinals an 8 point lead with 9:48 left.

PHOTOS: Cardinals defeat SaintsArizona Cardinals vs. New Orleans SaintsFells, in his second season, caught four passes for 82 yards and the touchdown. A 48 yard reception in the second quarter led to the Cardinals’ second touchdown.