Arizona Cardinals: Looking ahead to Week 2 (Battle for the Desert)

The Arizona Cardinals will travel to the adjacent Mojave Desert to face the Las Vegas Raiders in a battle featuring two 0-1 teams. 

If Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray had one thing in common with Raiders quarterback Derek Carr last week, it’s that neither of them looked brilliant. They put up a total of 40 points for their respective offenses, with 22 of those points coming in the fourth quarter.

In Week 2, however, the Cardinals will come into this matchup with far more questions than the Raiders, who at least held the red-hot Los Angeles Chargers offense in check for most of yesterday’s game. The Cardinals, on the other hand, allowed 37 points in the game’s first three quarters and looked like a scout team.

After the Arizona Cardinals let the Chiefs dismantle them, they must make a statement.

Unfortunately for the Cardinals, things won’t get any easier facing Derek Carr and the Raiders. Carr, one of the game’s most underrated quarterbacks, threw for over 4,000 yards in each of the last four seasons. While he is no Patrick Mahomes, Carr still has several high-profile pieces in his repertoire, including former college teammate Davante Adams and tight end Darren Waller.

The Raiders also have running running back Josh Jacobs, who averaged 5.7 yards per carry against the Chargers. While the Raiders looked rusty in their season opener, they are by no means an easier opponent than Kansas City on paper with so much offense playing at home against a team that allowed 37 points in three quarters.

As in Week 1, expect a banged-up Cardinals team to take the field in Week 2. If there is one bright spot, however, it’s that the Cardinals were road warriors last season, winning all but one road game. Maybe that trend will continue in 2022, but as it stands, the Cardinals look like the far weaker team in this upcoming matchup.

(Statistics provided by Pro-Football-Reference and ESPN.com)