Oakland Raiders: Many Silver Linings In Loss To Arizona

The Oakland Raiders came up short against the Arizona Cardinals in their first preseason game of the 2017 campaign. But there were many bright spots the team can build on.

This offseason saw the Oakland Raiders, a team on the rise, suddenly become the media darlings of the NFL. Raider Nation waited eagerly to see if the hype translated to the field – preseason or not.

The storylines heading into this game were, as usual, about the team’s marquee players. How would Beast Mode look in a Raiders’ uniform? Would Derek Carr suit up? If he did, how would he fare in his first live game since his season-ending leg injury last season?

Talking about the faces of the franchise is a great way to spice up a game that is essentially meaningless. The point of preseason however is to evaluate those players next-in-line should the team’s stars go down.

These reservists did struggle to play cohesively, and to put up points on the board. Indeed, it is easy to come away from this 20-10 loss with pessimistic thoughts.

After such offseason fanfare, can you blame Raider Nation for feeling a bit let down on Saturday?

Beneath the veneer of mediocrity however, lie many reasons for Raiders fans to be optimistic. The team’s depth, especially on the defensive side of the ball, appears to be strong at this point. So let’s take a deeper look at why it is okay to smile after last Saturday’s performance.