After last week's frustrating loss in Green Bay it was good to be back at home. The Minnesota Vikings cruised past the Oakland Raiders yesterday by a score of 34-14. It wasn't that close.
Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins spent all week getting bashed. Despite tripping over his center's foot on the first play from scrimmage, he was steady against the Raiders. Perhaps he'll be allowed to breathe this week. As in Week 1 against the Atlanta Falcons, he didn't have to do much. He completed 15 of 21 passes for 174 yards and a touchdown. It was a nice game by Cousins. But the media and fans won't be happy with him until he puts the team on his back and passes the Vikings to a win. In today's NFL, a quarterback isn't a quarterback unless he's throwing for 400 yards and five touchdowns.
The Vikings did to the Raiders yesterday what the Packers did to them last week. They jumped out to a 21-0 lead. About the only thing that didn't go the Vikings way was Cousins tripping over his center's foot on play #1. From there, the game went something like this:
Vikings: 6 plays, 76 yards-touchdown
Raiders: 3 plays, 2 yards-punt
Vikings: 4 plays, 6 yards-punt
Raiders: 5 plays, 15 yards-punt
Vikings: 12 plays, 79 yards-touchdown
Raiders: 2 plays, 4 yards-interception
Vikings: 6 plays, 30 yards-touchdown
There was still about 41 minutes to play but it felt like the game was over. The Vikings had a 21-0 lead, Dalvin Cook was moving the chains, and the defense wasn't allowing the Raiders offense get in any sort of rhythm.
Proof of the one-sided nature of the game:
-the score
-Cook had his last carry with three minutes to play in the third quarter
-Cousins threw no passes in the fourth quarter
-backups populated the Vikings defense when the Raiders drove 75 yards for that final touchdown
It was a relief to finally see the Vikings tight ends involved in the offense. I was getting a little concerned with their absence through two weeks. Week 1 was such a one-sided game that I let it go a bit. Week 2 wasn't another story. Kyle Rudolph, rookie Irv Smith Jr., and Tyler Conklin had to get involved. Yesterday, Irv Smith Jr. arrived. On the first touchdown drive, Cousins hit him down the seam for 20 yards to the Raiders 35-yard line. Next play, a 35-yard touchdown toss to Adam Thielen. On the Vikings "game-clinching" touchdown drive to get the the third quarter rolling, Cousins hit Smith for a key 26-yard gain. A holding penalty shaved off some of the yards that he gained on his third reception. For the game, Smith had three catches for 60 yards. On those three catches he showed the speed and athletic ability that the Vikings hoped that they were getting when they selected him in the second round of the 2019 NFL Draft. Yesterday was his NFL arrival. Rudolph also made an impact. His catch and plodding run got the ball to the 2-yard line to set up a touchdown. On the third quarter touchdown drive, he drew an interference call that moved the ball 24 yards. It was great to see the tight ends make an impact. Hopefully, it's just the beginning.
Some of the best things from a very good team win:
1. Dalvin Cook. He had his third 100-yard game of the season. 16 carries for 110 yards, and a touchdown. The backup running backs took over for the final 18 minutes. Through three games, it looks like the only thing limiting Cook is the number of carries that he gets. If he got the ball enough in each game it looked like 200 yards would be his norm. I can't recall a single negative run. I'm not sure if he's even been stopped for no gain. Cook has been awesome to start the season.
2. All of the running backs.
Alexander Mattison: 12 carries, 58 yards, and a soaring leap from the four-yard line completed a 10-yard touchdown run.
Mike Boone: 3 carries, 28 yards
All three running backs had a run of at least 20 yards. The Vikings ran for 211 yards. The running game has been terrific.
3. The tight ends
4. The defense. The Raiders offense never looked comfortable. Derek Carr was sacked four times. He was close to being sacked a few more times. Harrison Smith picked off one of his passes. The Raiders gained 302 yards. About a third of those yards were gained against the backups that closed out the game in true preseason fashion.
5. The kicking game. The Vikings released then rookie kicker Daniel Carlson after he missed three field goals against the Packers last season. So, it's ironic that Carlson is now kicking for the Raiders. He watched Dan Bailey, the kicker that replaced him last season, hit two field goals (one from 50 yards) and four extra points. Kicking has been such a problem for the Vikings for so long that it was beautiful to see all six kick attempts sail easily through the uprights. The fans in the stands seemed happy to watch Carlson doink a 51-yard field goal attempt off an upright.
6. 34-14
Thoughts on this game can't end without mentioning Raiders tight end Darren Waller. He was the Raiders offense. 13 catches for 134 yards. He accounted for 55% of the Raiders passing offense and 44% of the total offense. If a Raider player, other than Waller, gained yardage it seemed like it was because of the attention the Vikings defense paid to Waller. Too fast, too big, Darren Waller looks like a star.
Through 90 minutes of 2019 football the Vikings have had 16 minutes of disappointing play. If not for those first 16 minutes against the Packers they'd be 3-0. In reality, the Vikings are 2-1. A big trip to Chicago is next.
nice
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