Raiders-Cardinals Preview

Oakland Raiders coach Tom Cable hoped to avoid a controversy after replacing his quarterback in the middle of last week's game. He may have done so by declaring a new starter.
The visiting Raiders will turn to Bruce Gradkowski as they try to win two in a row for the first time in nearly two years Sunday against the Arizona Cardinals.
Oakland acquired Jason Campbell from Washington in the off-season and nfl jersey
he went 22 of 37 for 180 yards, a touchdown and an interception in a 38-13 season-opening loss at Tennessee.
In Week 2, Cable pulled Campbell at halftime as the Raiders trailed St. Louis 7-3 at home. Gradkowski came in and led the team to 13 second-half points as Oakland escaped with a 16-14 win.
"The reasons are pretty simple," Cable said. "First and foremost are the energy and the level of intensity that was brought into the huddle when he came into the game. The way the guys responded around him. And obviously scoring points. ... That's what we're about. If we can get this thing to where we can score 24 points a game, I think we'll be very tough to beat."
Cable said owner Al Davis was not involved in the decision.
"When we did it, obviously it was the right decision, it worked, and then as we talked about it here the last couple of days and came to a decision this morning," Cable said. "Again, we've made it and there are no issues or controversies or anything like that. The decision's been made."
Gradkowski was 11 of 22 and threw for 162 yards with a TD and an interception against the Rams. He went 2-2 as the starter for Oakland last season.
One of the biggest differences between the two quarterbacks is Campbell's inability to escape the sack. He went down six times in 52 pass attempts, while Gradkowski is able to move around in the pocket.
"He finds ways to make plays. He has guys in his face, getting hit, put on Saints jersey
his back but he's still getting the ball out," tight end Zach Miller said. "Even if he's just throwing it away, he's saving us sacks. He's really able to make plays under pressure and find a way to get first downs. It's a good quality in a quarterback."
The Raiders have established one of the NFL's most potent running attacks this year, which should take some of the pressure off Gradkowski.
Oakland is third in the league with 154.5 rushing yards per game, huge progress for a team that averaged 106.3 in 2009.
Darren McFadden has been the main reason for the improvement, rushing 48 times for 240 yards, and the second-highest total in the NFL. He ran for 145 yards on a career-high 30 carries against the Rams.
McFadden could be in for another big day, as Arizona is allowing the second-most rushing yards in the league with 153.0 per game. The Cardinals (1-1) surrendered 221 yards on the ground in a 41-7 loss at Atlanta last Sunday.
While Oakland has succeeded in handing the ball off, it has had trouble stopping the run, allowing 140.0 yards per game. It will now face Tim Hightower, who rushed for 115 yards and a touchdown against the Falcons and leads all running backs with an average of 7.0 yards per attempt.
He has been the focal point of the offense with quarterback Derek Anderson struggling with his accuracy. Anderson was 17 of 31 for 161 yards and two interceptions last Sunday as Arizona suffered its worst loss since falling 47-7 at New England on Dec. 21, 2008.
"The players are embarrassed and hurt and ready to get after Oakland and get that bad game out of our system," defensive coordinator Bill Davis said. "But we own it. It snuck up on us. It happened and now we have to respond to it."
Hightower has stepped in for the injured Beanie Wells, who hasn't played since suffering a bruised knee in the final preseason game. Wells went through much more of practice Thursday, increasing the probability that he will play Sunday.
"It was terrible (sitting out)," Wells told the Cardinals' official site. "I wanted to be out there with the guys. Seeing Tim last week (with 115 yards rushing) gave me extra motivation."
Oakland, which hasn't won two in a row since ending 2008 with a pair of San Diego Chargers jersey
victories, is 5-2 against the Cardinals. The Raiders won 22-9 on Oct. 22, 2006, in the previous meeting.