Oakland Raiders at Minnesota Vikings: 3 matchups to watch

Harrison Smith vs. Derek Carr

Last week, Derek Carr made a few bad throws in coverage which he shouldn’t have made, but he has been pretty consistent this season. The offensive line didn’t give Carr much time to make accurate throws but ultimately, it’s Carr’s job not to make risky throws.

Harrison Smith is an incredibly smart safety. He’s a four-time Pro Bowler, and has been an All-Pro. Harrison is a hard-hitting safety and has made the NFL’s top-100 players three times in his seven-year career. His play reminds me a lot of John Lynch.

He’s a brutal hitter, he’ll punish you for making bad throws by hitting the receiver hard, and he doesn’t take his eyes off the football. Another thing I saw was he’s very good at not being tricked by the play-action fakes the Raiders will try to run. He also has very good range and can run the length of the field very quickly and efficiently.

All three of these matchups will be crucial to a Raiders win in Minnesota in Week 3.