Raiders’ dilemma: Valuable playing time vs. staying healthy

OAKLAND - Raiders coach Jack Del Rio has some mixed feelings approaching his team’s third preseason game Sunday against the Arizona Cardinals.

On one hand, he’d like to treat it like the dress rehearsal it typically is and see his starters play into the third quarter. On the other, a team that has gone through camp relatively healthy wants to be somewhat cautious in a meaningless game.

“There are certain things you kind of expect about what you’re going to do and try to do, but I think you do have to take pause and make sure you think about it,” Del Rio said. “We’ll do that. We’ll see what is appropriate.”

The spate of major injuries in preseason games around the NFL has gained attention, with high-profile players such as Green Bay’s Jordy Nelson and Pittsburgh’s Maurkice Pouncey likely to miss all or most of the season after being injured in games last week.

The Raiders have been fortunate. Andre Holmes’ fractured hand, from which he’s expected to return within the first couple weeks of the regular season, appears to be their worst injury, possibly rivaled by tight end Clive Walford’s hamstring that has kept him out most of camp.

But Del Rio also understands the value of getting his players necessary work, particularly in gaining a feel for the conditioning aspect of returning to the game after halftime.

“Ideally, you’d like to get the guys to feel coming back in the second half and starting the second half at least,” Del Rio said. “Because that’s what it ends up being that first week of playing with smaller rosters and getting the feel of what it’s like to take that number of snaps in a game. The conditioning aspect, not only physically but mentally, it’s important, but you have to weigh that against having your best people healthy and ready to go for the year.”

Many veterans and established starters have some level of disdain for preseason games.

Menelik Watson, a third-year player and the likely starter at right tackle, admitted he would be happy if the regular season were here already. But he also said he’s looking forward to having an extended run with the first-team offense.

“It will be good to get out there and play for three quarters,” Watson said. “Get that transition of coming out of halftime and stepping our game up. I think it will be fun. I think it will be a great test for us. Arizona’s a great defense.”

The Raiders treated this week like a regular game week, but still were light on actual game-planning.

“We’re showing the players what it would look like,” Del Rio said. “We’re not as concerned with scheming in the preseason as much as we are showing the players how we gather information, how we package it and how we put it together.”

Quarterback Derek Carr realizes things won’t be perfect, but is looking for progress.

“We’ve got to continue to show that in some way, some phase, some form of the game, we’re growing,” Carr said. “You don’t ever want to look stagnant or the same. Is that going to happen Sunday? Yeah, probably, maybe. We don’t plan on it. You want to make sure when you turn the film on, you say, ‘We did good in this area and we got better there.’ ”

Defensive coordinator Ken Norton Jr. was even more direct, saying he’s not concerned at all about what Arizona does.

“I’m worried about how we play,” Norton said. “I’m worried about how we practice. I’m worried about how we stop the run, how our pass rush is and our third-down percentage and catching the ball and getting the ball and turning it over.

“It’s not about what Arizona is doing. It’s about what the Oakland Raiders are doing.”

DOWLING WAIVED

The Raiders waived safety Jonathan Dowling, making the move a day before Sunday’s third preseason game.

The team announced the move Saturday on Twitter ahead of the home preseason game against the Arizona Cardinals.

A seventh-round draft pick out of Western Kentucky in 2014, Dowling played in seven games with no starts last season as a rookie. He made four tackles.

Dowling had his first career interception - in a preseason game - when he picked off a pass by Shaun Hill in a 20-12 loss at Minnesota last Saturday.

Oakland has depth at the safety spot with veteran backups like Brandian Ross and Larry Asante. The Raiders also signed free agent Taylor Mays on Wednesday.