Arizona Cardinals 11, Oakland Raiders 31

Carson Palmer Cardinals 350x350   Preseason is, well, preseason. Or at least that what we tell ourselves when we lose. There are many things going on that are not necessarily benefiting the chances of a victory, it’s all more so to give the coaches a better view of how players perform in game-time situations.

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As far as the first units go, the potential starters played pretty well for Arizona. Carson Palmer wasn’t in very long, but used the short time he had to execute a nice drive. 3 for 5 in passing, 38 yards, and an eventual field goal. Running back David Johnson also looked good early on with 31 yards on just three carries.

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The Cardinal defense played nicely as well, early on that is. But once most of the starters had been removed, the game sort of became a pirate party, for a lack of better wordage.

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Arizona’s third string QB Matt Barkley had a rough go of it, completing 8 of 24, zero touchdowns & an interception. But most thoughts are that he will improve as the preseason goes, considering he made a few mistakes in commanding the offense, even before the plays began in some circumstances.

andrebet Elsewhere on offense, the running game looked good. Andre Ellington & Kerwynn Williams showed some serious flashes. Three different backs went for runs over 14 yards. These are good signs in my opinion, as the Cardinal’s offensive line has changed up quite a bit since last year.

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On defense, rookie cornerback Brandon Williams had a decent outing. The Arizona secondary in general looked good at times, other times not so much. The Cardinal pass rush was pretty much the same, there was pressure at points in the game, but nothing that resulted in a sack or interception. Brandon_Williams-Arizona_Cardinals

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But it’s too early to worry my red feathered friends. The biggest worry at this time of year is injuries, especially to the players that will see playing time once the 2016 season gets rolling. While a couple Cardinals did get dinged up in the match up, they came out of the loss semi-unscathed.

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Next game for Arizona will be this Friday (August 19) in San Diego vs the Chargers. I imagine most of the starters will see a tad more time, but it will mainly be about what lies deeper in the roster. The Cardinals have benefited greatly from having a deep roster in the past few years, & that’s what these games are all about.

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