Cardinals vs. Raiders: Previewing Arizona's Preseason Week 3 Matchup
The Arizona Cardinals' preseason will take on an air of extra gravitas and urgency as they head to Oakland to play the Raiders on Sunday night. Now is the time for the Cardinals to kick into gear as they set their sights on the regular season.
With both teams' starters expected to play the entire first half, Arizona head coach Bruce Arians will find out just how well his team has soaked up all the information he's dispensed during training camp. Despite an 0-2 preseason record, the Cardinals starters have looked good, outplaying and outscoring their Kansas City and San Diego counterparts.
Still, there is plenty of room for improvement.
Arizona's offensive line has been shaky, struggling to run the ball against Kansas City and failing to protect the quarterback against San Diego. Defensively, question marks surround the injury-riddled linebacking unit.
Oakland enters the third week of preseason with a 1-1 record, losing last week to Minnesota 20-12. Derek Carr and Amari Cooper have a budding connection, while head coach Jack Del Rio is looking to instill a more aggressive attitude in his defense.
Click ahead for a full preview.
Location: Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum, Oakland, Calif.
Time: 5 p.m. MST
TV: NBC (National)
News and Notes
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Jermaine Gresham may get some snaps
Cardinals' official website, Bruce Arians is hopeful tight end Jermaine Gresham will be able to play Sunday against the Raiders. The position has been a question mark since John Carlson retired in the offseason.
Presumed successor Troy Niklas can't stay healthy (more on that in the next slide), and camp standout Ifeanyi Momah is, after all, a converted wide receiver.
Gresham has compiled 280 catches in five seasons, all with Cincinnati, but there was some doubt as to whether he would play this season due to a back injury.
Deone Bucannon's position: on the field, somewhere
According to Fox Sports 910's Mike Jurecki, Bruce Arians said Bucannon will be playing "all the time" this season. The Cardinals move their safeties around a bunch, and Arians hinted that Bucannon will pop up all over the place on defense, presumably in the secondary and at linebacker.
Whether it was intentional when they drafted Bucannon in 2014 or not, his ability to play in the box has really helped salvage a shaky linebacker group. With a full season under his belt, look for Bucannon to be put in position to make more plays in 2015.
How many QBs will Arizona keep?
Per Jurecki, again, Arians said the Cardinals are contemplating keeping only two quarterbacks on the roster to start the season.
It won't be a major storyline for Sunday, but it's worth keeping in mind during the fourth quarter. We knew Logan Thomas and Phillip Sims were competing for the third quarterback job, we just didn't realize that losing that competition could mean a demotion to the practice squad.
That competition will be decided during the last preseason game.
Latest Injury News
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We have yet to see a full injury rundown, but Cardinals official website writer Darren Urban did provide us with a few key notes.
Chris Johnson, Sean Weatherspoon and Jerraud Powers may practice Friday
The big one here is getting Weatherspoon on the field. Arizona signed him in the offseason with the expectation he'd fill the hole created at inside linebacker by Daryl Washington's suspension. So far, the Cardinals have yet to see what their defense looks like with Weatherspoon in the middle.
Deone Bucannon and Kevin Minter have done reasonably well so far in the preseason, but Weatherspoon's presence would constitute an upgrade, as well as alleviate some significant depth issues.
As for Johnson and Powers, both of their roles are likely secure. Johnson, once healthy, will share time in the backfield with Andre Ellington and David Johnson. Not much separates the trio in terms of style, and while Ellington is secure as the starter heading into the season, a rotation is not impossible.
Powers, meanwhile, will start opposite Patrick Peterson at corner.
Expect all three to be game-time decisions for Sunday.
Troy Niklas out again with a hamstring injury
Niklas, a second-round pick out of Notre Dame in 2014, has had more injury setbacks than receptions in his young career. The Cardinals aren't sure how long this injury will sideline the tight end, but it's not good news for Niklas.
With Jermaine Gresham under contract and Ifeanyi Momah playing better than expected, Niklas' future in Arizona could be tenuous. He's in no immediate danger of getting cut, but the more reliable options are sure to be prioritized.
Key Matchup
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Arizona's starters vs. Oakland's starters
It's difficult being this obvious.
Look, we all know the third preseason game is the de facto "dress rehearsal" for the regular season, so let's not pretend any different. Starters for both teams will likely play the entire first half, and that's where the focus deserves to rest.
Arizona's starters have outscored their counterparts in both preseason games, and Arians will expect that streak to continue against Oakland. Anything less will be a disappointment.
While the Raiders have improved this offseason, they're still a young team trying to find their footing. If Arizona is going to be a playoff team this season, Oakland is the kind of team they'll need to handle.
Since that is a broad stroke, there are two individual matchups waiting for you on the next slide.
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Three Things to Watch
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Patrick Peterson vs. Amari Cooper
After struggling with diabetes last season, Peterson is looking to get back to his best in 2015. Cooper will be his first real test of the preseason, and both players will want to make a statement.
Cooper beat the Vikings deep for a 40-yard catch last week and snagged three balls in Oakland's preseason opener. This is going to be a fun matchup.
Khalil Mack vs. Cardinals tackles
Jack Del Rio and Ken Norton Jr. have lined Mack up all over the place this preseason in an effort to generate a pass rush. Jared Veldheer, Bradley Sowell and D.J. Humphries struggled against San Diego last week, and keeping Mack away from Carson Palmer will be a massive step in the right direction.
The Cardinals surrendered six sacks against the Chargers last week. It's a safe bet that number has come up a lot during meetings this week.
Larry Fitzgerald vs. Oakland's secondary/Father Time
Fitzgerald has one catch for five yards on one target thus far this preseason. That's not entirely unexpected, and for now we'll call that statistic less alarming than interesting. For now.
The interesting thing about that statistic is that Palmer has been looking at his other targets so far, namely John Brown, Andre Ellington and rookie J.J. Nelson. That could be a fluke, and it could be by design, a conscious effort to get the young guys more reps.
Still, Fitzgerald's turning 32 on Monday, and his numbers are in decline. He'll be a steady and productive performer for the Cardinals, but Sunday's game will be the first real chance to see how much juice he has for the upcoming season.
Prediction: Cardinals 27, Raiders 20
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Truth be told, Arizona's starters have looked almost ready for the regular season for two weeks now, and any kind of letdown would be a colossal disappointment. The Cardinals aren't perfect, but Arians only has to make a few tweaks.
The offensive line, as always, will be the big focal point, but if it can do a reasonable job, Arizona's offense should have no issues moving the football. Carson Palmer and Andre Ellington both look healthy, while rookies David Johnson and J.J. Nelson were dynamic against San Diego last week.
Oakland's offense is teeming with young talent, but they haven't yet gelled. The playmaking threat exists, but the consistency does not.
Arizona can take a comfortable lead into halftime, and hopefully the backups will do enough to earn jobs and a victory in the second half.
Final: Cardinals 27, Raiders 20
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