Tim Hightower and J.J. Arrington each ran for 3rd quarter touchdowns, and the Arizona Cardinals shook off a sloppy first half in a 24-0 preseason win over the Oakland Raiders at McAfee Coliseum. The Cardinals led only 3-0 at halftime on a 24-yard field goal by Neil Rackers in the first quarter.

Hightower capped a 68 yard scoring drive with his 13 yard touchdown run on the Cardinals’ first possession of the second half. After the Cardinals’ defense forced Oakland into a 3 and out, J.J. Arrington, who has been mentioned as a player on the bubble, may have solidified his spot on the Cardinals’ roster. Arrington exploded on a 68-yard touchdown run to make it 17-0. Arizona capped the scoring in the fourth, when 3rd string QB Brian St. Pierre found tight end Leonard Pope on an 18-yard touchdown strike on the first play of the quarter. The Cardinals moved their record to 2-1 on the preseason, while the Raiders fell to 1-2.

What was good for the Cardinals…

The defense against the run. The Raiders had run wild in their first two preseason games, against San Francisco and Tennessee, topping the 200 yard mark in both games. Tonight, the Cardinals’ defense stiffened, allowing just 58 yards and 2.8 yards per carry.

J.J. Arrington. After uncorking a 78-yard kickoff return last week vs. Kansas City, Arrington provided the big play again. His 68-yard touchdown run reiterated the fact that he is a big play threat every time he touches the football. Arrington’s been a disappointment in his first three years in the league, but the last two weeks may have won him a roster spot for a fourth season in AZ.

The Cardinals’ running game. Arizona finished with 215 yards on the ground, and just wore down the Oakland defense in the second half.

The pass defense was pretty good too. The Cardinals ‘d’ came up with 4 sacks, and held JaMarcus Russell and Andrew Walter to under 50% completions on the night.

What was bad for the Cardinals…

Matt Leinart. After playing decently last week against KC, Leinart took 2 big steps backward tonight. He threw 3 first half interceptions, and finished the night just 4 for 12 for 24 yards, a pitiful 2 yards per attempt! Preseason or not, this was a pressure situation for Leinart, as fans and media alike were pointing to this game as a possible stepping stone to the starting job in ‘08 for the Cardinals. Leinart underthrew two balls that were picked, and his second interception was a poor throw and decision in trying to squeeze the ball into a well-covered Jerheme Urban on the sideline after he was flushed out of the pocket. This performance may have ensured that Leinart will be wearing a baseball cap and holding a clipboard on September 7th.

NFL.com : Gamecenter

Here’s what others are saying about the Cardinals’ shutout win in Oakland…

Leinart struggles in Cards’ win [AZCentral]

Cards overcome Leinart’s 3 picks to beat Raiders [East Valley Tribune/AP]

Cardinals 24, Raiders 0 [Oakland Tribune Blog]

The Cardinals wrap up their 2008 preseason on Friday night, when the Denver Broncos visit University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale. Kickoff is at 7:00 PM.

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