Which Cardinals team will the Raiders face on Sunday?

The Raiders will see one of two versions of the Arizona Cardinals, their opponent Sunday in their home opener at Allegiant Stadium.

One is a team that, going back to last year, has lost six of its last seven games, including blowout losses to the Rams in the playoffs and the Chiefs in their season opener. In those losses, in particular, the Cardinals looked listless and fractured.

The other is a team tired of the recent losing, still smarting from the sharp words of its coach, Kliff Kingsbury, who publicly called out their urgency and preparation after last Sunday’s embarrassing 44-21 loss to the Chiefs.

As Kingsbury told the media after the loss to the Chiefs: “Intensity has to pick up across the board.” He reiterated that on Monday.

“Treat every rep like a game. … Each and every rep has to get better. You’ve got to play fast and get your work in during the week to expect to come out and play well on Sunday. I think collectively we know we’ve got to be better in that department. I expect it to be better this week.”

The second version of the Cardinals might just compartmentalize all that frustration and play against the Raiders with a sense of pride and urgency on its way to getting back on the right track.

Raiders quarterback Derek Carr is thinking less about the former and more about the latter. “They’re a really good football team,” Carr said.

Albeit a bit shorthanded, with star wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins still serving a suspension for violating the NFL’s performance-enhancing drug policy.

That leaves Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray to run an offense missing a key piece and still trying to implement newly acquired Marquise Brown into the attack.

Murray threw for just 193 yards in the loss to the Chiefs, and while the Cardinals ran for 103 yards, they did it with four players getting carries. Murray lead the way with just 29 yards and five runs.

Defensively, the Cardinals allowed Patrick Mahomes to do whatever he wanted while completing 30 of 39 passes for 360 yards and five touchdowns.

Carr is doing his best to see through all that.

“I never put too much into stats or into ultimately the score,” Carr said. “I want to see the ‘why’. I want to see the scheme. I want to see the blitzes, the coverages and the players.”

What he sees on film from the Cardinals is an attacking, aggressive defense that, when on top of its game, can create havoc.

“They caused a lot of turnovers last year stripping the ball on running backs and receivers,” Carr said. “They’re really good at that. They’re really good at creating negative plays.”

And while a banged up secondary looks susceptible, in Budda Baker and Isaiah Simmons the Cardinals have playmakers at safety and linebacker, respectfully.

“I mean, they’ve got guys everywhere. They’re fast. They can run. They physical,” Carr said. “And so, anytime they have those kinds of traits and they can create those kinds of problems, you better be on it when you play them.”

Contact Vincent Bonsignore at vbonsignore@reviewjournal.com. Follow @VinnyBonsignore on Twitter.