2019 Oakland Raiders Opponent Preview: Minnesota Vikings
In Week 3 of the 2019 NFL season, the Oakland Raiders will take on the Minnesota Vikings, and here is a preview of their team.
Waiting for the 2019 NFL regular season in July is like watching paint dry, and considering the offseason the Oakland Raiders had, all we want now is a real game. The excitement is just too much to just wait and have training camp hold us over.
Only the week one Monday Night Football match up against the Denver Broncos is satisfactory. However, after that game the Oakland Raiders will have an insanely demanding first quarter schedule.
There will be no time for the team to mesh and figure out the system considering the loaded teams they will be facing in that span. One of those teams is the Minnesota Vikings in Week 3. A game that will reveal to us how good the Raiders really are.
The 2018 Minnesota Vikings severely underachieved. If we thought the Raiders underachieving 2017 season was bad, then all we have to do is look at the Vikings last season to feel at ease. That is a team that has elite talent in almost every position group.
Every match up across the board will be difficult for the Oakland Raiders, especially on the offensive side. This is a road game after-all and the Vikings fans get rowdy in that dome. A silent cadence would be ideal as well as hurry up. Not just to keep the crowd out of it, but to catch the Vikings defense off guard.
Their defense is the team’s best side of the ball. From Stalwart cornerback Xavier Rhodes to rising star defensive end Danielle Hunter. Tiring these guys out via hurry up offense is one way to throw them off balance, but not exclusively.
That is where Jon Gruden and his offensive staff will have their hands full. Preparing for the Vikings defense is no walk in the park. The same can be said for the Vikings offense. Last season, their Achilles heel was the offensive line, but following the draft they have added pieces to help improve it. However, that yet remains to be seen so the Raiders pass rush will have a chance to feast and test the waters.
The real uphill battle will be for the Raiders secondary. The Minnesota Vikings have arguably the best wide receiver duo in football with Stefon Diggs and Adam Theilen. Even if Conley can slow one of them down, I doubt Trayvon Mullen or anyone else will excel much against either Diggs or Thielen.
Those are just two of their elite offensive players. Throw in Kyle Rudolph into the mix and Dalvin Cook who is dangerous coming out of the backfield and you have an offense that should make defenses sweat. It’ll be difficult for the Raiders or any team to underestimate the Vikings because they are that superb.
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Surely they’re going to be hungry from falling short in 2018 after all their expectations. Regardless, this is a match up that should draw excitement. I for one am looking forward to this fantastic battle that should be full of highlights. It’ll be a litmus test for this team that’ll tell us where they stack against the league, but also a must win game for any hope of playoffs.