The Las Vegas Raiders and the Arizona Cardinals are scheduled to play their starters when the two teams meet on Thursday. According to Yahoo Sports, kickoff is set for 8 p.m. ET, which corresponds to 5 p.m. Arizona time.
Starters Set to Take the Field in Preseason Matchup
For Arizona, head coach Mike LaFleur announced on Tuesday—the final day of training camp in Glendale, Arizona—that the team’s top players will see action on the road against the Las Vegas Raiders. This appearance marks the first taste of preseason action for the Cardinals’ starters, who sat out the Hall of Fame Game against the Carolina Panthers.
However, head coach Mike LaFleur noted that the main group will not see extensive playing time. It’s not going to be much,
LaFleur said, estimating that it could be one drive, max of two for those main guys.
That brief window will give fans a preliminary look at how the offense and defense might function in the regular season, especially against a Las Vegas squad noted as the worst team in the NFL last season.
Cardinals Roster Updates and Quarterback Plan
The decision to play starters means that starting quarterback Arizona Cardinals will get on the field. Following Brissett, veteran Gardner Minshew II is expected to come in for relief, though how long Minshew will play remains to be determined. The status of rookie quarterback Carson Beck also remains to be seen after he got his first preseason start in the previous game against Carolina.
Thursday’s game will also feature the NFL debut of top draft pick Jeremiyah Love. While Love and healthy players are set to feature, the Cardinals will be missing several personnel. James Conner has yet to participate in 11-on-11 work, three players remain on the PUP list, and running back Trey Benson is still not practicing due to injury.
Raiders Evaluate Roster Depth and Rookies
On the other sideline, the Raiders plan to play their starters in the Thursday preseason matchup. Head coach Klint Kubiak addressed the media on Tuesday, stating, We do have a plan for those guys and how many snaps or series we’d like to see them go. No need for everyone else to know it, but we’re going to have a lot of guys play in this game. We need to evaluate the whole roster.
The Raiders’ starting group in line to play includes running back cbssports.com, who is positioned for a high-volume role in the coming campaign. Once Jeanty and the other starters finish their reps, backups such as Mike Washington, Dylan Laube, Dare Ogunbowale, and Roman Hemby are expected to see plenty of action.
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