The Arizona Cardinals picked up their first win of the 2012 preseason, defeating the Oakland Raiders, 31-27, Friday night. SB Nation Cardinals blog Revenge of the Birds has a detailed reaction to the game, highlighting players on both sides of the ball who contributed to the win.
The defense looked particularly good, as Revenge of the Birds explains:
It was an inspiring game for the Cardinals 1st team Defense, as they managed to limit Carson Palmer and the Raiders Offense to only 11 points in the 1st Half. S Kerry Rhodes had the only interception for the Cardinals, brining a pass by Palmer back 60 yards into the Cardinals endzone. The Cardinals were also successful on the fumble front, with LBers Stewart Bradley and Clark Haggans both recovering two each. All in all, compared to the last two outings, it was a much more productive day for the Cardinals defense.
Those previous two outings, of course, were the 17-10 loss to the New Orleans Saints in the Hall of Fame game and the 27-17 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 1 of the preseason. The defense gave up 375 total yards to the Saints and 356 to the Chiefs, compared to only 222 vs. the Raiders.
Head to Revenge of the Birds for more information on Friday's win as well as to provide your insight and opinions on the Cardinals.
Stick with SB Nation Arizona for more on the Cardinals, or check out Revenge of the Birds for complete coverage.