The Oakland Raiders and Arizona Cardinals open their 2011 preseason campaigns with a Thursday night contest at O.Co Coliseum in Oakland, California.
Cardinals vs. Raiders: Welcome To The Spotlight, Kevin Kolb
For Cardinals fans, it's all about Kevin Kolb tonight. Whether he takes one snap or plays the entire first half, fans will be watching his every move and scrutinizing every mistake. Cardinals blog Revenge of the Birds is urging caution tothose who want to jump to conclusions.
if by chance Kevin Kolb throws an interception or Patrick Peterson gets burnt on a fly route down the field, just remember that these games count for nothing. If the Cardinals don't win a single preseason game, it does not matter. The team will have gained chemistry and become more of a solid unit by the time it is all said and done.
Take a deep breath folks and I beg of you, save your inflammatory Kolb posts until after week one against the Carolina Panthers. After all, this is just the preseason.
Meanwhile, SB Nation Arizona has a couple of things Cardinals fans should be looking at besides Kolb, if you can believe it.
Offensive formations: I have speculated for a couple of weeks that the offensive looks will change with the tight end position now being a strength. How often will the offense come out in four-receiver sets? It was the most frequently used personnel package in 2010.
Over on the Raiders side of the ball, Oakland blog Silver And Black Pride has a list of things they'll be watching, including the play of center Stefen Wisniewski.
Stefen Wisniewski is likely to get a good long run at center tonight. I think we can expect him to play with the second unit, and then maybe even get some run at guard in the second half. While he is at center, it is going to be interesting to watch the QB/center exchange—especially in the shotgun formation. Wisniewski has been shaky with his shotgun snaps. Other than that, I want to see the push he gets in the run game, and the resistance he provides in the pass game. I am also anxious to see how he looks on the move. Is he going to be quick enough to block on the second level and effective when pulling?
For more on the Raiders head over to Silver and Black Pride. For more on the Cardinals, check out Revenge of the Birds. Follow the rest of preseason week one at SB Nation NFL.
See More:
