The Raiders got the first look they wanted from their new offense Thursday night. However, Arizona exposed plenty for Las Vegas to clean up after that encouraging start.
Kirk Cousins led a touchdown drive on the opening possession, while Fernando Mendoza threw his first Raiders touchdown pass. Still, the Cardinals controlled long stretches and beat Las Vegas 27-14 at Allegiant Stadium in the preseason opener.
Arizona finished with 368 yards and held the ball for 34:25. The Raiders also hurt themselves with eight penalties for 75 yards while falling to 0-1.
First drive finds rhythm
Las Vegas opened the preseason with a slow start. However, the first-team offense settled in quickly.
Cousins missed his first pass, then completed five straight. The Raiders marched 68 yards in 10 plays for the game’s opening touchdown.
Ashton Jeanty helped change the tempo with 16 yards on three carries. His 10-yard run on third-and-1 kept the drive moving.
Cousins also converted third down to Jack Bech. Then he found Michael Mayer for a 13-yard touchdown and a 7-0 lead with 9:44 left.
Cousins finished 5-of-6 for 50 yards and the touchdown. Las Vegas also converted all three third downs on the opening drive.
Arizona answered on its first possession. Taron Johnson’s 20-yard pass interference penalty extended the drive on third down.
Later, Jacoby Brissett converted third-and-11 with an 18-yard completion to Michael Wilson. Brissett then hit Marvin Harrison Jr. for a 7-yard touchdown with 3:47 remaining.
Mendoza entered for his first Raiders series to a loud ovation from the Allegiant Stadium crowd. He completed a 9-yard pass to Bech on third-and-8 before Las Vegas eventually punted.
The first quarter ended tied 7-7. Las Vegas gained 89 yards and converted 4-of-5 third downs.
Mendoza answers
Arizona kept moving against a reserve-heavy Raiders defense in the second quarter. Gardner Minshew II capped an 11-play, 78-yard drive with a 10-yard touchdown pass to Simi Fehoko.
Mendoza answered on his second series. He opened the drive with a 19-yard completion to Malik Benson before Mike Washington Jr. broke a 53-yard run.
Washington later converted fourth-and-1 near the goal line. However, Mendoza then took an 8-yard sack on first-and-goal.
The rookie recovered instead of letting the drive unravel. Mendoza completed a 6-yard pass to Washington, then found Bech for a 6-yard touchdown with 3:13 left.
Maxx Crosby was one of the first Raiders to greet Mendoza on the sideline after the score.
Arizona responded again before halftime. Minshew led a 75-yard drive and found Jalen Brooks for a 6-yard touchdown with 17 seconds remaining.
The Cardinals entered halftime ahead 21-14 after going 6-for-6 on third down. Their quarterbacks were also a combined 15-for-15 passing in the first half.
Las Vegas had seven penalties for 73 yards by halftime. That repeatedly made an already difficult defensive assignment even harder.
Arizona keeps control
The Raiders finally generated more pressure in the third quarter. Patrick Johnson forced Minshew into intentional grounding, then recorded a sack later in the series.
However, Arizona still came away with points. Chad Ryland made a 56-yard field goal to push the Cardinals ahead 24-14.
Mendoza went three-and-out on his first series after halftime. He responded on the next possession with another efficient stretch.
The Raiders moved 47 yards on eight plays before the third quarter ended. Mendoza completed passes to Dareke Young, Brandon Johnson, Dylan Laube and Deven Thompkins during the drive.
Las Vegas eventually came away empty after Kansei Matsuzawa missed the field goal.
Arizona added another field goal in the third and carried a 27-14 lead into the fourth. Mendoza finished 10-of-16 for 97 yards with one touchdown and no interceptions.
Washington led the Raiders on the ground with 63 yards on six carries. His 53-yard run remained Las Vegas’ biggest offensive play.
Defense tightens late
The Raiders defense finally began stacking stops in the fourth quarter. Las Vegas forced consecutive three-and-outs after struggling to end possessions earlier.
The reserve-heavy unit also kept Arizona off the scoreboard in the quarter. Ryland missed a 33-yard field goal after the Raiders held inside the red zone.
Johnson finished with five tackles, one sack, one tackle for loss and two quarterback hits. Greedy Vance led Las Vegas with 10 tackles, including eight solo stops.
Still, the Raiders offense could not take advantage of the improved defense.
Aidan O’Connell replaced Mendoza and finished 4-of-13 for 85 yards. His biggest completion went 41 yards to E.J. Williams Jr., but the drive later ended on downs.
Las Vegas finished 7-of-14 on third down and 1-of-3 on fourth down. Meanwhile, Arizona converted 8-of-15 third downs and gained 156 rushing yards.
The Cardinals finished with 23 first downs to the Raiders’ 16. Neither team committed a turnover.
Former Raiders linebacker Greg Biekert lit the Al Davis Memorial Torch before kickoff. The pregame ceremony added another Raiders tradition to the Raiders’ first preseason game at Allegiant Stadium.
The result mattered less than the evaluation in the first preseason game. Cousins looked sharp, Mendoza provided an encouraging first look and Washington delivered an explosive run.
However, the penalties and defensive problems gave Las Vegas plenty to address before the games begin to count.
Up next
Las Vegas continues the preseason Thursday, Aug. 20, against the Houston Texans at NRG Stadium. Kickoff is scheduled for 5 p.m. PT.
Related stories
Welcome to Dice City Sports — where we provide premium, exclusive, up-to-date news and analysis surrounding the Las Vegas sports scene. Follow along on social media, and check back for new articles daily!
Dice City Sports editor Mark Hebert covers the Las Vegas Aces, Vegas Golden Knights, Las Vegas Raiders, Athletics, and UNLV baseball and softball. He has 24 years of journalism experience, is also a senior reporter at Exhibit City News, and previously covered the Dallas Stars and Texas Rangers. Follow him on X or connect on LinkedIn.
