Arizona Cardinals at Oakland Raiders: 5 Takeaways

August 30, 2015; Oakland, CA, USA; Arizona Cardinals quarterback Carson Palmer (3) passes the football against Oakland Raiders outside linebacker Khalil Mack (52) during the first quarter in a preseason NFL football game at O.co Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports

It was a tale of two halves for the Arizona Cardinals and Oakland Raiders in their preseason dress rehearsal. Here are five takeaways from the action.

Cardinals offensive line will determine how far team goes

It was a problem last year and remains one this preseason. The offensive line of the Cardinals continues to cause headaches for head coach Bruce Arians but especially quarterback Carson Palmer. He was hounded constantly by the Raiders pass rush, which helps explain his 8-of-22 passing night and also the lack of help from the running game. Maybe the return of Mike Iupati is what they need, but it’s just further evidence that this team will only go as far as that front can take them.

Kareem Martin and Alex Okafor could be edge men Arizona needs

One of the bigger issues last season for the Arizona defense was an inability to put consistent pressure on the quarterback, particularly off the edge with their linebackers. That was a big reason why they often had to blitz a lot. However, one of the surprises of that year was Alex Okafor, who finished with eight sacks. Now as he prepares to continue maturing, it seems he might be joined by another emerging youngster in Kareem Martin who claimed a sack on the night.

If those two can cement their spots on the edges, then that Cardinals front could be awfully formidable moving forward.

Khalil Mack progressing right on schedule

Pretty much everybody felt that Khalil Mack was going to be a stud when he entered the NFL. It was just a matter of how long it would take. Common NFL trends say a massive jump should be expected in the second year. If so, then Mack is going along that arc perfectly. He dominated the entire time he was on the field against Arizona and seems comfortable in the scheme head coach Jack Del Rio wants to run for him. Barring any injury setbacks, he should be the first Raider to crack double digit sacks in a long time.

Derek Carr must learn to finish drives better

Preseason or not, finishing the first half with five field goals is unacceptable for starting offense. Yes it’s points, but to win games in the NFL a team can’t let opportunities to score touchdowns pass so willingly. Derek Carr is a young quarterback and still learning, but he needs to understand how important it is to finish drives because scoring chances often don’t come as frequently as the Raiders had in that half, especially with such great field position all night.

Nate Allen could be one of the steals of free agency

The Raiders have kept their focus on cultivating draft picks while trying to spend their money wisely in free agency without going crazy. It seems they may have found a big bargain for their secondary in Nate Allen. The 27-year old was coming off the best season of his career in Philadelphia with four interceptions, a sack and a forced fumble but still made it to free agency. His two interceptions of Carson Palmer show his ball hawk ability has wavered, giving this defense far more bite than a year ago.

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