The third preseason game is often called a dress rehearsal for the regular season.
If that’s true of the Raiders-Cardinals game on Sunday night, Khalil Mack is going to steal the show in 2015. Mack was all but unblockable in the first half of the game, which ended with his second sack of Cardinals quarterback Carson Palmer. Mack also stripped the ball from running back David Johnson on a third down, which the Cardinals recovered for a loss before Chandler Catanzaro missed a 54-yard field goal.
Palmer was under pressure from Mack and other Raiders all night and the Cardinals will need better efforts up front from a line that’s in flux thanks to Bobby Massie’s suspension to start the season and Mike Iupati’s knee injury. Palmer was sacked three times and finished 8-of-22 for 103 yards and two interceptions.
While Mack is breaking out on the defensive side of the ball, the Raiders are hoping for the same from first-round pick Amari Cooper. Cooper had four catches for 62 yards and showed very well against Patrick Peterson, but neither he nor any of the other starters could get into the end zone. Derek Carr didn’t convert enough third downs while throwing often -- he was 18-of-34 for 213 yards overall -- but had the Raiders on a good drive to open the third quarter until he threw a pass that Cardinals cornerback Cariel Brooks picked off for an 81-yard touchdown.
His night ended there, but there was more to like than dislike for the Raiders starters on both sides of the ball Sunday night.