The Minnesota Vikings defeated the Oakland Raiders yesterday. 30-14. I was there! With the somewhat surprising Green Bay Packers loss to the Detroit Lions the Vikings are on top of the NFC North at 7-2. As Vikings head coach Mike Zimmer mentioned after the game, the only standings that matter are those at the end of the season. So we are seven games away from the standings that matter. A lot can happen. Including two games against the Packers. The first of which is next week. I wish that I was going to be at that game.
I've only attended a handful of Minnesota Vikings games. All of them have been against either the San Francisco 49ers or Oakland Raiders. My attendance at games hasn't brought the Vikings much success. I've seen more losses than wins. It's a good thing that I'm not a superstitious sort. I was questioning superstitions after the 49ers disaster that I witnessed on that Monday night to open this season. That was an ugly game. Just brutal. But it really wasn't enough to keep me away from this game against the Raiders. Good thing. It was a grand time. The Vikings won.
The Vikings defense has been great all season. The offense has done just enough. That combination has produced a record of 7-2. The lack of offensive fireworks has also resulted in skepticism. With the media and with fans. Everyone tends to view the NFL through fantasy football goggles. If you aren't scoring in bunches you aren't playing well. Coming into this game the Raiders were the pick by most of those with a voice, They've been scoring. They've been explosive. The Raiders are a team on the rise. They are drafting well and putting a lot of talent in all of the right places. They are a team to watch. Now and moving forward. So are the Vikings. The Vikings just do things a little differently. Just enough offense and more than enough defense. And they are also collecting wins. It's up to five in a row.
Congratulations to Adrian Peterson on tying O.J. Simpson's NFL record for career 200-yard games. They each have six. Peterson had more rushing yards in the first half against the Raiders than he'd gained the two previous games with me in the stands. He had 203 yards against the Raiders. 80 of those yards came on his final carry. A long touchdown dash that sealed the win. Most of the Vikings offense through nine games has come on the legs of Peterson. He's been running like a back that's nowhere near the age of 30.
Vikings Players of the Game:
Adrian Peterson
Linval Joseph
Terrence Newman
Cordarrelle Patterson
Patterson's kick return touchdown took the steam out of the Raiders at the end of the second half. The Raiders had just scored a touchdown to take a 14-13 lead. They were feeling great and had grabbed the momentum. Patterson's return, huge return, flipped it all. The Raiders didn't score again.
Raiders Players of the Game:
Michael Crabtree
Mario Edwards Jr.
49ers fans must be wondering where Crabtree hid his heart when he was playing for their team. He looks more like that supremely talented receiver at Texas Tech than he ever has.
If the Raiders keep surrounding promising second-year quarterback Derek Carr with talent they'll have a really potent offense. Hell, they might already have the offensive playmakers that they need. Latavius Murray, Amari Cooper, Micheal Crabtree. Strengthen the line. Add some more talent to the defense. The Raiders are on the right track to being the dominant team of the AFC West in the very near future. Maybe the present. The Denver Broncos no longer look unbeatable.
The Oakland Raiders fans have long had a reputation of being a rambunctious, intimidating, even violent bunch. I'd sure like to do my part to end that. They are vocal, certainly passionate but they are nothing like this violent, dangerous mob that they are made out to be. I've never seen a hint of it at any of the Raiders games that I've attended over the past five decades. I've always felt welcome and comfortable at these games. As a neutral fan and especially as an opposing Vikings fan. I might even go so far as to say that Oakland Raiders fans are sweethearts. Yes, sweethearts.
Speaking of fans. As a fan of a faraway team I'm not often surrounded by fellow Vikings fans. I run into them all of the time but I'm never around them in numbers. They arrived in large numbers for this season's two Bay Area games. The dumpster fire against the 49ers and the win against the Raiders. It was great to see Vikings fan in large numbers in one place. In person. My people.
The Vikings win! A great day!
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