National Football League

Raiders present proverbial trap game for Cardinals

Published Oct. 17, 2014 5:55 p.m. ET

foxsports

TEMPE, Ariz. -- There are two ways to look at the Oakland Raiders. They're 0-5, so they're due for a win. Or, they're 0-5 for a reason.

Cardinals coach Bruce Arians is choosing the former approach when assessing why the Raiders are winless.

"Talent's not the reason. I never really look at records, I just look at personnel, and this is a quality challenge for us," Arians said Friday before the Cards boarded a plane for Oakland. "They're playing with a lot of energy and spirit right now. They look like a renewed team. It will take everything we've got to win on the road."

The notion of a trap game is one that gets floated often by quality or even middling teams when they prepare to face one of the dregs of the NFL. In that light, Oakland might be more dangerous than most dregs since only one team has gone winless since the NFL went to a 16-game schedule in 1978.

Toss in Oakland's coaching change from Dennis Allen to Tony Sparano after an 0-4 start and you've got the added element of players fighting for jobs.

"I've definitely seen teams get overlooked in college and in the NFL," Arizona nose tackle Dan Williams said. "But I think it's a reflection of the attitude that your head coach carries. B.A. won't let anybody talk about a trap game in here. He doesn't believe in that. We come prepared every week."

Complacency might have been a luxury had the Cardinals been healthy heading into this game, but Arizona is missing four defensive starters (not counting linebacker Daryl Washington), which likely translates into greater focus, if not the same on-field ability.

Cardinals (4-1) at Raiders (0-5)

When: 1:25 p.m., Sunday
Where: O.co Coliseum, Oakland
TV: FOX (Dick Stockton, Brady Quinn, Kristina Pink)

2013 Offensive rankings: The Raiders are 31st overall at 295.2 yards per game (21st passing, 223.2 yards; 30th rushing, 85.6 yards, 31st scoring, 15.8 points). The Cardinals are 29th overall at 307.8 yards per game (22nd passing, 222.2 yards; 31st rushing, 72 yards, 19th scoring, 23.2 points).

2013 Defensive rankings: The Raiders are 21st overall at 376.8 yards per game (11th in passing, 227 yards; 31st rushing, 149.8 yards, 26th scoring, 26.8 points). The Cardinals are 25th overall at 384.8 yards per game (32nd passing, 309 yards; 3rd rushing, 75.8 yards, 10th scoring, 21.2 points).

WHAT'S AT STAKE?

The 2008 Detroit Lions are the only team to go 0-16 since the NFL went to a 16-game schedule in 1978. The Raiders are probably going to win a game at some point this season. The Cardinals have to make sure it doesn't happen this week. Arizona needs a cushion with so many tough games approaching and so many players missing from that once-vaunted defense.

OUTLOOK

The Raiders can bury a football, adopt new mantras or even sing Kumbaya. They're still a bad team with myriad issues on offense and defense. The Cardinals have been letter-perfect in taking care of games they were supposed to win in the Bruce Arians era. This will be no different.

PREDICTION

Cardinals 27, Raiders 17

ON FOX SPORTS ARIZONA

Season in Focus: 8:30 am Sunday

Cardinals Flight Plan: 9 am Sunday

There is also the special element that playing a game before Raider Nation brings. The fans are unique in the NFL with their disturbing costumes, making every Sunday feel like Halloween in Oakland.

"This is my first regular-season game up there, and they told me it's going to definitely be a different experience from anything I've seen," said Williams, who has played in Oakland during the preseason. "My dad was a big Raider fan growing up, so we always caught those game on TV. But it's definitely going to be different actually going to the Black Hole. I'm excited about it."

If nothing else, Raider Nation may help the Cardinals start focusing on the task at hand as their buses pull through the crowd on their way into the stadium. When asked if he was concerned that the buses might get egged, Arians paused.

"Hopefully we got windows on that son of a (expletive)," he said.

The Cardinals run game: Oakland is 31st in rushing defense in the NFL, allowing 149.8 yards per game. That was likely one of many points of emphasis for Oakland during its bye week, but the Cardinals have been looking for improved production from their run game, and they think it's close. This will be a good litmus test.

Red-zone offense: The Cardinals have scored touchdowns 33.3 percent of the time (5 of 15) they've been inside opponents' 20-yard line; the lowest percentage in the NFL. In the past four games, the TD rate is 25 percent. Badly timed penalties, a poor running game and the absence of QB Carson Palmer has impacted those numbers. It's time to clean that up.

Tyrann Mathieu's snaps: He logged a season-high 49 defensive snaps against Washington, while Tony Jefferson played just 11. Coach Bruce Arians says he considers both starters and their snap count will vary widely, based on game plans. He might be fibbing.

-- Raiders defensive end Antonio Smith played for the Cardinals from 2004-08.

-- Cardinals QB Carson Palmer (2011-12), left tackle Jared Veldheer (2010-13) and defensive end Tommy Kelly (2004-12) all played for the Raiders.

-- The Cardinals are 10-3 against teams outside the NFC West under Arians.

-- With a win over Washington, the Cardinals improved to 11-3 over their last 14 games dating back to the 2013 season. Only Philadelphia (12) has more wins over that span.

-- Arizona's defense registered four takeaways against the Redskins (3 INTs, fumble recovery) and is plus-8 in turnover margin this season, which ranks third in the NFL.

-- Arizona rookie kicker Chandler Catanzaro (50) and receiver John Brown (18) have combined for 68 points so far this season. Despite having played just five games, the Cardinals' 68 points scored by rookies ranks as the second-highest total in the NFL behind only Philadelphia (69).

For the Cardinals, DE Calais Campbell (knee) and TE Troy Niklas (ankle) are out. TE John Carlson (knee), LB Glenn Carson (ankle), DT Frostee Rucker (calf) and NT Alameda Ta'amu (illness) are questionable. RB Andre Ellington (foot), LB Alex Okafor (quad), QB Carson Palmer (shoulder), WR Michael Floyd (groin) and CB Patrick Peterson (ankle) and WR John Brown (hamstring) are probable.

For the Raiders, WR Vincent Brown (hamstring) ad CB Keith McGill (groin) are out. T/G Khalif Barnes (quad), DE Justin Tuck (knee), and FB Marcel Reece (quad) are questionable. LB Sio Moore (ankle), QB Derek Carr (ankle/knee), S Usama Young (foot) and DE Benson Mayowa (knee) are probable.