Three takeaways from Raiders’ preseason-closing loss to Cards

GLENDALE—The next time the Las Vegas Raiders play a NFL game, it will count on the standings.

On Saturday night, the Raiders came up short in a 20-10 matchup against the Arizona Cardinals in their final preseason game of 2025 at State Farm Stadium.

The loss leads the Raiders to end the preseason with a 0-2-1 record, putting a damper on what was a three-game slate featuring a fair share of positives.

Here are three takeaways from the Raiders’ dress rehearsal against the Cardinals.

Running it down

Something that was clear about the Raiders’ offensive gameplan was how much it emphasized the run game.

Ashton Jeanty did not receive much playing time, so his backups were tasked with much of the heavy lifting. Zamir White and Raheem Mostert each got nine carries, recording 42 and 32 yards, respectively. White likely has the edge based on this performance, but it is fair to expect that both will receive a fair portion of touches behind Jeanty.

Quarterback woes

Outside of Geno Smith, neither Aidan O’Connell or Cam Miller were able to stand out against the Cardinals.

O’Connell’s night was marred by a strip sack that resulted in his fourth turnover of the preseason before a wrist injury took him out for the rest of the game. Miller got a chance with extended playing time but could not make the most of it with only 102 passing yards, with most of them coming in garbage time. He also took four sacks, indicating that he is not ready to get pushed into significant playing time.

The Raiders might be making the rounds on the quarterback trade market, especially if O’Connell’s injury causes him to miss time.

Slow second half

Despite a strong first half, the Raiders saw their team struggle to do anything of note in the final 30 minutes.

Outside of Miller’s troubles stalling the offense, the defense could not keep up what was a strong outing to that point. Notable chunk plays from the Cardinals included Bam Knight’s 67-yard touchdown run in the third quarter and quarterback Clayton Tune’s conversion of a third-and-22 with a 27-yard run. When the Raiders look back at the tape, the second half will be loaded with areas to clean up in preparation for the regular season.