GLENDALE, Ariz (AP) — It was another short night for Geno Smith, Maxx Crosby and the Las Vegas Raiders starters.
That’s not a bad thing. Coach Pete Carroll said he’s seen all he needs heading into the Raiders’ regular-season opener on Sept. 7 against the New England Patriots.
“They’ve done everything we could have asked,” Carroll said. “Really thrilled about what we’ve seen.”
The Raiders (0-2-1) played several starters on their opening offensive and defensive drives, and each unit had success against the Cardinals’ backups in a 20-10 loss on Saturday night. The Las Vegas defense forced a punt without allowing a first down and then the offense went on a touchdown drive that took less than five minutes.
Smith capped the nine-play, 60-yard drive with a 17-yard touchdown pass to rookie Dont’e Thornton Jr., who fought off Denzel Burke at the front pylon to make the catch and give Las Vegas a 7-0 lead.
Smith completed 2 of 3 passes for 26 yards and the touchdown, backup Aidan O’Connell was 3 of 4 for 36 yards before leaving with a fractured right wrist and third-string rookie Cam Miller was 12 of 24 for 102 yards.
O’Connell is expected to miss six to eight weeks, putting a damper on an otherwise positive night.
“He fractured his wrist — he’s hurt — it’s going to be a while,” Carroll said. “That’s a big blow for us.”
Rookie running back Ashton Jeanty gained five yards on two carries. Zamir White ran for a team-high 42 yards on nine carries. The Raiders’ defense had five sacks.
Arizona’s Clayton Tune handled the entire game under center, and the third-string quarterback finished with 83 yards passing and a touchdown, along with 47 yards rushing. He connected with Simi Fehoko on a 10-yard touchdown late in the first quarter, tying the game at 7-all.
“Good win, I liked some things that we did out there today,” Cardinals coach Jonathan Gannon said. “Thought it was a much better performance. It was cool to see us learn from Week 2, make improvements, and do a little better.”
Cardinals (2-1) rookie Jordan Burch, a third-round pick out of Oregon, had a sack and forced a fumble. Xavier Thomas had two sacks. Most of Arizona’s starters — including quarterback Kyler Murray — haven’t played since the preseason opener against the Chiefs.
The 27-year-old Fehoko also caught a touchdown pass in last week’s game against the Broncos. Running back Michael Carter — who like Fehoko is fighting for a roster spot — had a 31-yard gain in the first half, turning what looked like a dead play into a long gain after bouncing off a pile of bodies at the line of scrimmage.
Zonovan Knight ran for a 67-yard touchdown late in the third quarter to give the Cardinals a 17-10 lead.
Las Vegas’ Daniel Carlson connected on a 52-yard field goal in the second quarter.
Injuries
O’Connell left the game in the second quarter and didn’t return. ... Cardinals cornerback Jaylon Jones was evaluated for a concussion.
Up next
The Cardinals travel to face New Orleans and the Raiders visit New England on Sunday, Sept. 7 in the regular season’s opening week.
AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/NFL
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