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NFL Preseason Preview - Arizona (1-1) At Oakland (1-1)

Thursday, August 21, 2008

(Sports Network) - An important dress rehearsal for the regular season will be the feature attraction at McAfee Coliseum on Saturday night, when the Oakland Raiders host the Arizona Cardinals in the next-to-last preseason warm-up for each team.

Starters are expected to play up to three quarters on Saturday, in keeping with third-game-of-preseason tradition, and with most starters likely to see only limited time in the final tune-up, this week's tilt takes on greater significance.

The Raiders and their long-suffering fans would like to see a strong outing from quarterback and 2007 No. 1 Draft pick JaMarcus Russell, who has posted a decent preseason to date. Russell, who carries a 79.4 August passer rating into the Cardinals game, threw his first touchdown pass of the preseason in last week's 17-16 loss to the Titans. The LSU product, who was 10-of-17 for 75 yards in the defeat, hit tight end Zach Miller on a 10-yard play in the second quarter.

Oakland fans will also be eager to witness the exploits of running back Darren McFadden, who should see extended time versus Arizona. McFadden, the No. 4 selection in the April Draft, has 92 rushing yards on 18 carries (5.1 avg.) during the preseason thus far.

Kicker Sebastian Janikowski (hamstring), punter Shane Lechler (quadriceps), linebacker Grant Irons (back) and cornerback John Bowie (knee) are among the Raiders who won't be available on Saturday, while cornerback DeAngelo Hall (hand) and safety Hiram Eugene (hip) are regarded as questionable.

The Cardinals, meanwhile, will be looking for another strong effort out of quarterback Matt Leinart. Leinart, who missed the final 11 games of 2007 with a broken collarbone, has completed 14-of-19 passes (73.7 percent) for 153 yards and a touchdown without an interception in two warm-ups to date.

Leinart's strong play has come despite the absence of a catch for wide receiver Anquan Boldin, who is unhappy over his contract status and has played sparingly in the preseason. Boldin, who also battled a hamstring injury at the start of training camp, is expected to see significant action on Saturday.

Kurt Warner, who did not play in the Cardinals' preseason opener against New Orleans but started last week's 27-17 win over Kansas City, is expected to come off the bench in Oakland. Warner was 6-of-9 for 54 yards last week.

On the injury front for the Cardinals, safety Antrel Rolle (foot), and tight end Ben Patrick (ankle) are unlikely to be in uniform, while wideout Early Doucet (hamstring) and linebacker Monty Beisel (back) are considered questionable. Defensive tackle Darnell Dockett (pectoral), who missed last week's game, is slated to return.

Saturday will mark the 11th all-time preseason meeting between the Raiders and Cardinals, with Oakland entering the game holding a 7-3 edge. The two last met in the preseason prior to the 2007 season, when the Raiders were 27-23 home victors.

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