"Training camp football is hard on the eyes. The best entertainment often comes in the form of a garbage can and a side wager.

Such was the case Wednesday morning, when Joey Porter took on Matt Leinart in a test of throwing accuracy from 20 yards away.

"I think that's the one drill that keeps fans into the practice," Leinart said.

After numerous misses, Porter put one in the bottom of the can. The crowd erupted. Leinart rallied to tie his teammate, pumping his fist in relief. Their competition ended in a draw, to be continued at a later date.

"One for 20 for a linebacker ain't bad," Porter said.

For a quarterback, well, that's a story for another day.

The addition of Porter, a headstrong and combustible linebacker, has meant many things to the Cardinals. He gives the team a legitimate alpha male, a front-line leader, a man who will inspire others to bleed on Sundays. He is a playmaker, not an excuse maker. He burns extremely hot, for better and worse.

"He's like a 24-hour energy source," teammate Larry Fitzgerald said. "Whenever you need to plug into somebody, Joey's there for you."

When the Cardinals take the field for Saturday's preseason opener against the Texans, the top story line is obvious. The game will mark the beginning of Leinart's second NFL career. If he doesn't seize this opportunity in the very near future, this could be his farewell season in Arizona.

Yet, it's also the return of a highly suspect defense that allowed 90 points in two playoff games (including 70 over a span of four quarters), a unit that normally talked a lot tougher than it played. When last seen, the Cardinals' defense took one look inside the Superdome, where the Saints' Reggie Bush sprinted onto the field wielding a black baseball bat, and promptly rolled over. They were easily spooked."