The Arizona Cardinals left Las Vegas with a preseason win, and more importantly, with an offense that looked far more polished than it did a week earlier in the Hall of Fame Game.
Jacoby Brissett and Gardner Minshew combined to throw three touchdown passes in the first half, and Arizona rolled to a 27-14 road victory over the Raiders. Rookie running back Jeremiyah Love and a handful of receivers also made their mark in the Cardinals’ second preseason game.
Arizona started the night on defense after winning the coin toss and choosing to defer. That opening series didn’t go well. Kirk Cousins directed a 68-yard march in 10 plays over 5:16, completing 5 of 6 passes for 50 yards before finding tight end Michael Mayer for a 13-yard touchdown.
The Cardinals’ response came quickly, and it came with the starters on offense. Marvin Harrison Jr. drew a defensive pass interference penalty early in the drive, Jacoby Brissett hit all five of his passes, and the series ended with a seven-yard touchdown throw to Harrison. Kendrick Bourne also had a catch, and Love got involved as well, though he managed only five rushing yards on two carries on that possession.
Cousins’ night was done after that opening drive, and Fernando Mendoza stepped in as Las Vegas’ next quarterback. Arizona also started to trim its own first-unit defense, with linebackers Mack Wilson and Zaven Collins leaving the second defensive series, along with safety Andrew Wingard. On offense, the Cardinals were mostly into their second group when Gardner Minshew took over, with Love still on the field.
That’s when the Cardinals really started to separate.
Minshew went 5-for-5 on a drive that ended with Simi Fehoko’s touchdown catch, giving Fehoko scores in back-to-back preseason games. Jalen Brooks, who had already flashed the previous week, added three catches, and Love turned in the play of the drive with a sharp nine-yard run to help set up the 10-yard score.
By that point, Arizona’s quarterbacks had been perfect: 10 completions on 10 attempts for 81 yards and two touchdowns.
The Raiders answered when Mendoza threw his first touchdown pass, a six-yarder to Jack Bech, after Walter Nolen had sacked him on first-and-goal. That tied the game at 14-14 after a nine-play, 79-yard drive that lasted more than six minutes.
Arizona grabbed the lead back just before halftime. Minshew went 5-for-5 again, this time for 42 yards, and finished a 75-yard march with a six-yard touchdown pass to Jalen Brooks with 17 seconds left in the half. At the break, Cardinals quarterbacks were a spotless 15-for-15 for 123 yards and three touchdowns.
The second half brought a scare for Arizona when Chase Bisontis, the Cardinals’ second-round pick, went down with an apparent left knee injury on the opening drive after halftime. He needed help getting off the field and was ruled out for the rest of the game.
Chad Ryland followed that injury with a 56-yard field goal to stretch the lead to 24-14.
Later, Kedon Slovis guided an 11-play, 58-yard drive that ended with a 40-yard field goal to close out the scoring at 27-14. Rookie receiver Reggie Virgil also came through with a one-handed grab during that series.
In Other News...
Cardinals Rookie Guard Battle Takes A Painful Turn After Bisontis News
The Cardinals rookie guard competition took an uncomfortable turn in the preseason matchup against the Raiders, when Chase Bisontis went down with what has become a significant knee injury. The situation now shifts from a training camp battle for snaps to a more delicate question about how Arizona patches together the interior of its line while the rookie recovers.
NFL Networks Mike Garafolo reported the left MCL tear will require surgery, with no clarity yet on whether the setback will wipe out the season. In the meantime, the depth chart has already moved on, with Oli Udoh now listed behind Isaiah Adams at right guard, a small reminder that roster battles can change quickly once injuries start to pile up. [Read more 🡒]
Cardinals Rookie Chase Bisontis Suddenly Faces A Bigger Injury Concern
The Cardinals kept their roster moving at the teams training center in Tempe on Thursday, placing rookie guard Chase Bisontis, tight end Jameson Geers and linebacker Austin Keys on injured reserve. In response, Arizona added tight end Baylor Cupp, defensive lineman Keveionta Spears and running back Tre Stewart, a flurry of transactions that reshaped the back end of the roster while the team continues sorting through its depth.
Bisontis move is the one that carries the most attention, because the rookie was already dealing with a setback before landing on injured reserve. For a young lineman trying to get his footing early in his career, the concern now goes beyond a short-term absence and leaves Arizona with another interior piece to monitor as camp and the preseason keep moving. [Read more 🡒]