Raiders could steal one from Vikings on the road

There are reasons to believe the Road Raiders’ first of five consecutive games played away from the Coliseum has a chance to end well.

Patrick Mahomes notwithstanding, the Raiders defense has shown signs of improvement, as has the offense led by Derek Carr. But those may not be the determining factors in whether they win or lose on Sunday.

It could come down to which Kirk Cousins is quarterbacking the Minnesota Vikings. Is it the guy who starred under the tutelage of then-offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan in Washington? Or the guy who came to Minnesota looking to deliver a title and has barely provided a winning record (9-8-1) with the Vikings?

Here’s a closer look at Oakland’s Week 3 game:

Game essentials: Raiders (1-1) at Minnesota (1-1), Sunday at 10 a.m. (PT) on FOX-TV. Odds: Vikings 7.5.

Three reasons for Raiders’ optimism

Captain Kirk’s troubles — Vikings fans have grown a bit restless with the man with the $84 million guaranteed contract after Cousins’ troubles this season. He completed just 14 of 32 passes for 230 yards, a touchdown, two interceptions and he fumbled twice in the loss to Green Bay. Cousins, who was erratic throughout the game, had a chance to win the game but was picked off in the end zone by former Bishop O’Dowd High star Kevin King. Coming off a disappointing season in which the Vikings were 19th in total offense, 21st in points in the red zone and 26th on third-down conversions, Cousins has been even more underwhelming at times.

A tight end reprieve? — One constant during the Raiders’ tough times the past few years has been their inability to cover opposing tight ends, even those whose name isn’t Travis Kelce. But if the Vikings’ first two games are any indication, Oakland may not need to worry a whole lot. After not catching a pass in the opener, Minnesota’s starting tight end Kyle Rudolph had three grabs for just nine yards against the Packers. In two career games against Oakland, Rudolph has four catches for 14 yards. Rookie tight end Irv Smith Jr., the former Alabama star, has just one catch for minus 1 yard through two games. This seems an appropriate spot for someone connected with the Raiders to ask for a knock on wood.

Carlson’s revenge — Hard as it may be to fathom for the Raiders and their fans, kicker Daniel Carlson wasn’t always perfect. The former Auburn kicker faced big expectations in Minnesota last year when the Vikings drafted him in the fifth round. He missed three field goals against the rival Packers and was released after just two games in Minnesota. He gets a chance to show the Vikings and their fans he’s no longer the kicker who couldn’t kick straight. Since joining the Raiders, Carlson hasn’t missed. In his last 11 games, including preseason, Carlson

has made 19 field goals without a miss and nailed all 21 of his extra points.