Vikings Preseason Game #3

The Minnesota Vikings held on to defeat the Oakland Raiders last night, 20-12. It was the third preseason game for the Vikings and the second for the Raiders.

The Vikings are now 3-0 this preseason season. The Raiders are 1-1.

Vikings head coach Mike Zimmer remains undefeated in preseason games. He's now 7-0. That's a statistic that means about zero.

Stormy weather threatened the start of the game. It did more than threaten in the second quarter. The game was delayed for about an hour. The game was tied 6-6 at the time.

It was a sloppy game. Each team had two turnovers. The Vikings had a fumble and an interception that the Raiders converted into field goals. The Raiders had two interceptions. One led to the Vikings final touchdown. The other sealed the game.

Christian Ponder made his return to Minnesota as the Raiders backup quarterback. He was met with boos. The reception was probably expected but it really wasn't fair. It's not his fault that the Vikings drafted a backup quarterback in the first round. Besides, his play led to the Vikings selecting Bridgewater in the 2014 NFL draft. Everybody in Minnesota is happy about that.

As for his play last night, Ponder was 7/11 for 89 yards. He looks like a very good backup for Derek Carr. As for Carr, he threw a nice 40-yard back-shoulder fade to rookie Amari Cooper. That throw and catch set up the Raiders lone touchdown.

The Carr-Cooper connection should be fine one.

The Raiders are finally putting together a nice collection of young playmakers. Carr, Cooper and running back Latavius Murray on offense. Khalil Mack on defense.

It was strange to see a George Atkinson in a Raiders uniform again. This George Atkinson is the son of former Raiders headhunter George Atkinson. The younger Atkinson plays runningback. He ran well last night. I'd like to see him with a Raiders future. It just feels right.

Atkinson might be battling Trent Richardson for a running back spot on the roster. Richardson was the third pick in the 2012 NFL Draft. He's done just about nothing since a fairly promising rookie season. The Raiders are his third team. It's stunning now that he was selected so high then. It looks like he's running in mud. Just plodding. Going nowhere. What happened to Trent Richardson?

The Vikings good:
Teddy Bridgewater was solid again. His 10-yard touchdown pass to Charles Johnson was a beauty. Johnson made a nice catch to complete the connection. It was Bridgewater's first touchdown of the preseason. He was a bit off on a couple of throws. One missed connection was a throw that should have been caught by Mike Wallace. It would be nice to see these two get in sync before the season.

Shaun Hill had a slow start after replacing Bridgewater in the second quarter. He finished strong as he led a nice two-minute drive for a touchdown to close the first half.

The offensive line did a nice job of protecting the quarterbacks. At least the first couple of units did a nice job of protecting the quarterbacks. Taylor Heinicke was hassled in the second half.

It was great to see second-year linebacker Anthony Barr back on the field. He hasn't played in an NFL game since November. He's been battling knee issues. Barr is probably the most physically player on the defense.

The Vikings bad:
Blair Walsh had a rough game. Maybe it was the weather. Maybe it was the snap-hold-kick timing. Whatever it was has to be fixed in the next couple of weeks. He missed all three of his field goal attempts. From 35-, 38-, and 45-yards. He also missed an extra point. His sole highlight was probably the 42-yard extra point he had to kick after a penalty. This can not continue into the season. Walsh's freshly signed contract extension is paying as one of the best kickers in the game. He needs to play like it.

The Vikings couldn't get much going in the running game. Adrian Peterson didn't play. So there's that.

Linebacker Brian Peters intercepted a Matt McGloin pass at the end of the third quarter. He returned it about twenty yards to the Raiders 1-yard line. Carrying tacklers for the final five yards. It was a splash play by a player that's make a real push for a roster spot.

The Vikings travel to Dallas to beat the snot out of the Cowboys next week.