Winners, Losers from Arizona Cardinals' Preseason Finale

Consistent with the first two games of the preseason, the Cardinals’ passing game didn’t hold its own, but against the Raiders, the running game certainly did.

Arizona rushed for a total of 210 yards on 28 carries, good for a 7.5-yard average per carry. This number is a bit inflated due to a 67-yard touchdown run from Bam Knight, but even on rushes that didn’t go the distance, the Cardinals’ average was still incredibly solid.

Going back to Knight’s house call, it was undoubtedly the best offensive play of the game for Arizona, as it gave it the lead after the score was deadlocked at 10 for almost the entirety of the third quarter. While Knight isn’t expected to make the 53-man roster, his highlight should give him a shot to play elsewhere in the league.

He finished the day with five carries for 83 yards and the touchdown, while Michael Carter totaled 47 yards on five carries as the second leading rusher for the night. Carter had an impressive 38-yard run that highlighted a drive that resulted in a game-tying field goal right before halftime.

In addition to Knight and Carter, Emari Demercado and De ejay Dallas also got carries, with the two running backs projected to make the active roster going for 22 and 11 yards, respectively.

Running backs totaled 163 yards, as Clayton Tune’s 47 yards rushing made up the difference to get Arizona to its total of 210 yards on the ground. While Tune struggled to throw the ball at times, he was impressive scrambling out of the pocket and was able to get yardage from broken plays to keep drives alive.

All in all, the impressive performance by the Arizona ground game fueled the Cardinals to the victory against Las Vegas, and was certainly a winner in itself on Saturday night.

RECAP: Cardinals Cap Preseason With Win vs Raiders

Loser: Quarterback protection

While the running backs were able to get clean rushing lanes throughout the game, Arizona’s quarterback protection wasn’t where it needed to be.

Tune may have been unimpressive through the air, but it’s hard to develop a rhythm when you’re being pressured on most plays. The Raiders finished with defensive totals of five sacks, nine tackles for loss and eight quarterback hits, all numbers the Cardinals don’t want to see.

Yes, it was backup offensive linemen playing against Las Vegas, and yes the Raiders starters including All-Pro Maxx Crosby were in there, but it’s something Arizona would surely like to improve.

There's no reason to panic or make too much of a concern, but in a game that was an improvement over a disastrous performance a week ago, the quarterback protection w as something that didn’t necessarily get better week to week.

With Arizona’s starting offensive line taking the field for the regular season, there should be no major issues from what is expected to be an impressive O-line, but as far as the preseason goes, the QB protection was a loser against Las Vegas.

Winner: Second half defense

A two-time winner from the preseason is the Cardinals’ second half defense, as shutting out the opponent in the final 30 minutes of play certainly deserves some recognition here.

In the six Raider drives after the half, the first four resulted in punts, the fifth was cut short on downs and the sixth ended when the clock hit triple zeroes to end the game. On the final drive, Las Vegas did a nice job of moving down the field, but it couldn’t find the end zone until it was too late, wrapping up a second-half shutout for Arizona.

Before the 11-play, 67-yard series at the end of the contest, Las Vegas only gained 62 total yards in the second half, really showing just how impressive the defense was throughout the third and fourth quarters.

With the Knight TD rush and a Ryland field goal to seal it, Arizona’s defense held tough and showed up after the half. The secondary in particular was very solid, which was a vast improvement over last week, while the pass rush registered three sacks in the second half.

Many of Arizona’s defenders who were out there to finish the game won’t be on the 53-man roster, but they impressed against the Raiders to close out the preseason, making them a big winner for the second time in the 2025 preseason.

Loser: Performance out of the gate

I might be getting a little nit-picky here, as the Cardinals did put on a solid performance against the Raiders, but the way Arizona began the game needs to be better.

It’s more concerning because it's become a pattern. Each of the Cardinals’ opponents have scored on their opening drives, while Arizona has failed to find points on any of its first series on offense.

Against the Chiefs, the Cardinals fumbled the opening kickoff, allowed Kansas City to score and then allowed an interception on their first offensive series. Versus the Broncos, Arizona punted to begin the game and allowed Denver to score a TD on the ensuing drive. Now against the Raiders, the Cardinals went three and out, allowed a touchdown, and then went three and out again.

A Jordan Burch strip-sack fumble completely turned the tide after this, giving Arizona the momentum it needed to tie things up against the Raiders, but d igging a hole to begin a game is never how you want to start.

Again, Las Vegas was playing its starters and Arizona was not, but the fact is if the Cardinals allow this to happen in the regular season, it simply won’t bode well.

In a game that resulted in an impressive victory, this may have been a stretch to call a loser, but the consistency makes it one in my opinion. There was certainly a lot of good to take away though, as Arizona ended the 2025 preseason on a high note with a 20-10 win at home.