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Brees, Leinart sharp as Saints down Cardinals

Aug 8, 2008 - 2:56 AM GLENDALE, Arizona (Ticker) -- If Thursday was any indication, Matt Leinart may be on his way to becoming the unquestioned leader of the Arizona Cardinals. Drew Brees is already there for the New Orleans Saints.

Brees threw for a touchdown in his first and only drive as the Saints defeated the Cardinals, 24-10, in a preseason game at University of Phoenix Stadium.

In his third season with New Orleans, Brees was nearly flawless, going 6-for-7 for 40 yards, capping off a 13-play, 80-yard drive with a seven-yard scoring pass to David Patten.

Leinart finished an efficient 7-of-8 for 91 yards and gained the early upper hand on veteran Kurt Warner in the race for the Cardinals' starting quarterback job.

After fracturing his collarbone in early October last season, Leinart yielded to Warner, who enjoyed his finest season in three years with Arizona. Cardinals coach Ken Whisenhunt declared in the offseason that Leinart and Warner would vie for the starting job in the preseason.

However, in this contest, after Leinart departed following rookie Tim Hightower's one-yard TD run early in the second, Whisenhunt turned to third-string Brian St. Pierre to finish out the game.

Hightower, a fifth-round pick from Richmond who has impressed early in camp, finished with five carries for 23 yards.

Robert Meachem, the Saints' 2007 first-round selection who missed all of last season with a knee injury, started in place of Marques Colston and fared well, catching four passes for 129 yards - including a 60-yard TD pass from Tyler Palko.