Oakland Raiders at Arizona Cardinals: Game preview and prediction

GLENDALE, ARIZONA - NOVEMBER 18: Head coach Jon Gruden of the Oakland Raiders looks on prior to the NFL game against the Arizona Cardinals at State Farm Stadium on November 18, 2018 in Glendale, Arizona. (Photo by Jennifer Stewart/Getty Images)
GLENDALE, ARIZONA - NOVEMBER 18: Head coach Jon Gruden of the Oakland Raiders looks on prior to the NFL game against the Arizona Cardinals at State Farm Stadium on November 18, 2018 in Glendale, Arizona. (Photo by Jennifer Stewart/Getty Images) /
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LOS ANGELES, CA – JANUARY 01: Wide receiver J.J. Nelson #14 of the Arizona Cardinals carries the ball against the Los Angeles Rams in the second quarter at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on January 1, 2017 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Stephen Dunn/Getty Images)
LOS ANGELES, CA – JANUARY 01: Wide receiver J.J. Nelson #14 of the Arizona Cardinals carries the ball against the Los Angeles Rams in the second quarter at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on January 1, 2017 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Stephen Dunn/Getty Images) /

Preview

As is the case with every preseason game, there is a lot to look forward to tonight when the Raiders take on the Cardinals. First of all, there is still a lot of question marks surrounding the offensive guard position, as both projected Week 1 starters, Richie Incognito, and Gabe Jackson will both miss at least the first two games of the season.

On the defensive side of the ball, the Raiders certainly played well against the Rams last weekend, holding them to three points, and it will be very important for them to continue to build on that success. Guys like Clelin Ferrell, Arden Key, and Maurice Hurst are going to be counted on to fix this revamped defensive line in 2019, and they all played very well in preseason game No. 1 on Saturday.

It only took one game for the Raiders to  make a move at punter, as Johnny Townsend was cut this week, and A.J. Cole was given the job. It will be interesting to see how he does now that he is not fighting for the job, but if he messes up this opportunity, you can expect Jon Gruden to bring in some guys to push him.