Oakland Raiders at Minnesota Vikings: Game preview and prediction
By Nick Ellis
Prediction
I have faith in the Raiders offense in this game, but I’m not sure if I believe in the play calling at this point. If the team comes out and runs the ball as much as they can, I believe they will have a chance to win.
The Raiders will score on the opening drive as always, but they need to keep their foot on the gas. The team needs to get on the same page on both sides of the ball, which was not the case last week.
The availability of Trent Brown will also be huge in this game, especially if the Vikings pass rush is on this game. The return of Incognito is a huge plus for this game, but if Brown is out, the chance for the Raiders to win goes down tremendously.
On the defensive side of the ball, the Raiders have to force Kirk Cousins to throw the ball, but it is hard to imagine this defense shutting down Dalvin Cook. This will be the first elite running back the Raiders have faced, so it will be interesting to watch.
The Raiders also need to get their pass rush going. The Vikings pass blocking is one of their only weaknesses on their team, and this will be a huge game for the Raiders to prove that they truly have fixed their pass rush problem.
The Raiders will start off early, but a big game by Dalvin Cook, followed by a solid pass rush against Derek Carr, will be too much for the Raiders to handle. If Josh Jacobs and Trent Brown are not healthy, they won’t stand much of a chance, but assuming they are both good to go, the game will be close.
The Raiders start off hot, but conservative play calling and defensive fatigue will be the downfall of the team, giving the Vikings the edge in this Week 3 match up.