Raiders move to 2-0 with 26-20 win over Vikings
LAS VEGAS — Nick Mullens completed 7 of 9 passes for 94 yards and one touchdown, and the Las Vegas Raiders beat the Minnesota Vikings 26-20 on Sunday in a preseason game.
The Raiders moved to 2-0 after a 27-11 win over Jacksonville last week in the Hall of Fame Game.
Jarrett Stidham, who started at quarterback for Las Vegas, completed 10 of his 15 passes for 68 yards. He also ran for 16 yards on four carries, including a touchdown.
Chase Garbers was 2 for 3 through the air for 19 yards. Brittain Brown ran for 54 yards on 14 carries, including one touchdown.
Kellen Mond threw for 119 yards on nine completions, including two touchdowns, in the Vikings’ preseason opener. Sean Mannion finished 8 of 12 for 79 yards.
Veteran wideout Albert Wilson caught two passes for Minnesota, both for touchdowns.
The Raiders used 15 plays to go 67 yards on their opening drive and take a 3-0 lead on Daniel Carlson’s 23-yard field goal.
They made it 10-0 when Stidham scampered four yards for a touchdown on the first play of the second quarter. It was Stidham’s second rushing touchdown of the preseason.
The Vikings did a good job of controlling the line of scrimmage for much of the second quarter, moving the ball effectively while bullying Las Vegas’ defensive front on consecutive drives.
But drives of 75 and 79 yards stalled inside the red zone and the Vikings settled for field goals and cut Las Vegas’ lead to 10-6.
Las Vegas opened the second half under the direction of Mullens, who marched the Raiders 79 yards in 12 plays on their first series, culminating with a 34-yard catch-and-run touchdown by DJ Turner.
Minnesota answered quickly, though, as Mond hit Wilson for a 2-yard strike to get the Vikings within 16-13.
Another time-consuming drive ate nearly eight minutes of the fourth quarter, as the Raiders went 60 yards in 15 plays. Brown capped the drive with a two-yard plunge to push Las Vegas back in front by 10, at 23-13.
After the Raiders extended their lead to 13 with a 47-yard field goal by Carlson, the Vikings made it a one-possession game when Mond and Wilson hooked up for a second time with a 20-yard over-the-shoulder strike to the corner of the end zone.
Trainers Room
Vikings: QB Kirk Cousins tested positive for COVID-19 earlier in the week and did not travel with the team. The Vikings’ next practice is Tuesday, putting Cousins on track to return to the field then.
Raiders: DE Malcolm Koonce was shaken up during the first quarter, but later returned to play.