Raiders roughed up by Vikings 34-14.
Vikings race to 21-0 first-half lead, take advantage of turnovers and penalties
MINNEAPOLIS >> Uh oh. If you wanted to write a manual on how not to start an NFL road game, it would read like the Raiders’ woeful start Sunday against the Minnesota Vikings at U.S. Bank Stadium.
The start of the second half didn’t go much better in a 34-14 loss before a crowd of 66,738.
With a celebrated rookie class, some expensive free agents and Derek Carr with a full year in the Jon Gruden system, the Raiders thought they’d be better than this. Their fan base concurs.
Instead, the one-sided loss looked a little too much like what happened so often in a 4-12 season a year ago. And the most difficult road stretch in the history of the franchise has only just begun.
The Raiders were down 21-0 before they got on the scoreboard. They were sluggish,
penalty prone and had a bad turnover in an interception by Carr to Harrison Smith. It only occasionally got better afterward.
“They took the opening kickoff and went right down and scored,” Gruden said. “The crowd gets into the game, shortly afterward it’s 14-0 . . . if you fall behind against this team early, they have the closers to make it difficult on you.”
A look at studs and duds as the Raiders fell to 1-2 and Minnesota improved to 2-1:
Studs
DALVIN COOK >> Gained 110 yards on 16 carries and scored on a 2-yard run. Minnesota was more effective getting its bell cow off to a good start than the Raiders and Josh Jacobs. He also caught 33 yards worth of passes on four receptions.
“He’s fast, he physical, he makes people miss,” Raiders defensive end Josh Mauro said. “This is the first time he’s been healthy consistently so you can see what he’s able to do. He’s one of
the best backs in the league.”
Not only did Jacobs (10 carries, 44 yards) get outrushed by Cook, but Minnesota backup Alexander Mattison chipped in with 56 yards on 11 carries as Minnesota rushed for 211 yards.
“We fell behind,” Gruden said. “It was tough to get anybody in a rhythm running the ball.”
It didn’t help that linebackers Vontaze Burfict (elbow), Nicholas Morrow (calf) and Marquel Lee (ankle) all missed time because of injuries at various points.
KIRK COUSINS >> Threw a 35-yard touchdown pass to Adam Thielen to get the Vikings off to a quick start. Cooled some as the half went on. Cousins was 15 of 21 for 174 yards, a touchdown and no interceptions. The Vikings were in such cruise control Cousins threw his final pass of the day with 42 seconds left in the third quarter. He never put the ball in the air in the fourth quarter. ADAM THIELEN >> Started off the scoring on the 35-yard pass from Cousins, later on a 1-yard run off a jet sweep. Thielen caught three passes for 55 yards and the rushing touchdown was the first of his career.
DARREN WALLER >> With the Raiders trailing 21-0 and little going their way, Waller had consecutive receptions of 30 and 9 yards to get the offense going as the Raiders drove 75 yards for the score. Had four receptions for 54 yards in the half but couldn’t handle a high Carr throw inside of two minutes that forced a punt. Waller was pretty much all the Raiders had in the receiving game with 13 receptions for 135 yards.
“The looks they gave us, they didn’t give us anything new,” Waller said.
J.J. NELSON >> Getting his most extensive time after missing last week with an ankle injury, Nelson got loose on a 29-yard pass from Carr for a touchdown when the Raiders trailed 21-0. It came on a flea flicker, with Josh Jacobs pitching the ball back to Carr, who found Nelson down the left sideline.
“We worked on it this week in practice,” Nelson said. “Coach saw it on film, showed us, we knew it would be a go-to play in the end zone.”
Duds
DEREK CARR >> Had all of seven yards on his first three completions. Then overthrew Foster Moreau for a Smith gift interception to set up the Vikings at the Raiders’ 30-yard line. It took the Vikings six plays and 30 yards to score on a 1-yard run by Adam Thielen with 11:06 to go for the first half for a 21-0 lead.
Carr rebounded to direct a seven-play, 75-yard drive culminating in a 29-yard scoring pass to Nelson with 7:26 in the half. He was 11 of 15 for 119 yards, a touchdown and an interception.
By game’s end, Carr had completed 25 of 32 passes for 242 yards, two touchdowns and one interception. He took short gains with the Vikings dropping into a Cover 2 and creating pressure with four pass rushers.
“This is not the same feeling I’ve had in the past where it’s like, ‘It’s hard to get a yard right now,’” Carr said. “We feel very confident, but we didn’t finish our drives in this game.”
CURTIS RILEY >> The Raider safety was victimized on two plays when the Vikings drove 76 yards on six plays for a game-opening touchdown. On the first, rookie tight end Irv Smith Jr. got inside Riley in the seam for a 20-yard gain. Then on a reverse roll by Cousins, Theilen went across the field out of the slot and was wide open
for a 35-yard touchdown play. Riley also had a holding penalty for the Raiders’ second possession on a Jalen Richard punt return, with the drive opening at the 18. TYRELL WILLIAMS >> The Raiders No. 1 receiver was a non-factor, targeted only once for a 15-yard gain by the time the score was 31-7 early in the fourth quarter. Later, caught an 11-yard touchdown pass from Carr with 1:23 left and the game out of reach.
“We’ve got to get in a rhythm,” Williams said. “We’ve got a lot of rookies, new guys. It’s just getting that rhythm, and once we get in that rhythm we’re going to shock a lot of people.” SCREEN DEFENSE >> On the Vikings’ third possession, backed up with a third-and-18 on their own 13, Cousins threw a safe screen to Cook — who gained 18 yards for a first down (with an Arden Key roughing the passer penalty tacked on for good measure). Later in the same drive, Cousins found tight end Kyle Rudolph on a screen for 11 yards to the 2-yard line. Daryl Worley had the first chance at him, but missed. Cook eventually ran it in from the 1 to cap a 12-play, 79yard scoring drive.