Oakland Raiders: Notes from the Week 3 loss to the Minnesota Vikings
By Sean Basile
Week 3 wasn’t too kind to the Oakland Raiders. They fell flat against a better team and now drop to 1-2. But what can we take away from this performance?
It was a rough Week 3 for the Oakland Raiders as they went down 34-14 to the Minnesota Vikings in a rather lopsided game. 21-0 was the score in the middle of the second quarter, and from there, it was just easy coasting for a run-heavy Vikings team.
Dalvin Cook had yet another big afternoon rushing for 110 yards on 16 attempts with a touchdown mixed in there.
Kirk Cousins actually set the tone early throwing a touchdown pass to Adam Thielen a few minutes into the game — something that hasn’t been done a lot so far with this Vikings offense.
The main takeaway from this game on the Raiders’ side is that they fell behind early and couldn’t claw their way back because of a Vikings team that’s built to play with the lead.
Hot. Oakland Raiders: Will Jon Gruden ever find a way to change?. light
Had Derek Carr led the offense down the field on the team’s first possession and put up a score, things might’ve turned out differently. Or at least the final result would’ve likely been closer than it turned out.
If we look at the overall numbers by Derek Carr and the offense, we see Carr went 27-for-34 in passing (79.4%) for 242 yards and two touchdowns.
We also see the total yardage battle wasn’t a complete blowout in the Vikings’ favor (385 yards to 302 yards). Darren Waller at the tight end position also had a big day going for 134 yards on 13 catches (14 targets).
More from Las Vegas Raiders News
- Raiders: Rookie stock report following Week 3 performance
- Raiders: Bryan Edwards out, Henry Ruggs doubtful for Sunday
- Raiders: Damon Arnette re-injures thumb, could be headed to IR
- Raiders fall short in letdown Week 3 loss to the New England Patriots
- Raiders: Game breakdown and prediction for Week 3 at New England Patriots
The downside to the offense was that, for one thing, the run game could not get going. Minnesota is pretty solid all-around on defense but the way to attack them (if you’re hoping to have any success) is through running the ball. Josh Jacobs only rushed for 44 yards on 10 carries in that regard.
Another downside to the offense was the discrepancy in the pass rushes. Minnesota sacked Carr four times while the Raiders sacked Captain Kirk zero times.
Trent Brown was banged up and the duo of Everson Griffen and Danielle Hunter went to work on the Raiders’ offensive line as they each recorded a sack.
More from Golden Gate Sports
- Raiders: Rookie stock report following Week 3 performance
- 49ers sign new long snapper amidst a flurry of roster moves
- Oakland Athletics win Game 2 of Wild Card round with late-inning drama
- 49ers: George Kittle and Deebo Samuel cleared to return to practice
- 49ers expected to place DE Dee Ford on injured reserve
This was a much different story from what we saw on opening night when they shut down Bradley Chubb and Von Miller. The offensive line was not very good in this game and was a big reason Carr couldn’t find his footing in the passing game.
It’s evident that this Raiders team is just simply outmanned when it comes to facing the better teams in the league. Minnesota put it on them this week. They played better against Kansas City last week, but ultimately to no avail.
Looking forward, they get the Colts this Sunday in Indianapolis — a game that they’ll probably lose, but I’m not quite ready to make a decision on yet.
Then they go to London to see Khalil Mack in a revenge game against the Chicago Bears. Then after a bye, they go to Lambeau Field to take on the Green Bay Packers and NRG Stadiums to square off with the Houston Texans in consecutive weeks before finally returning home in Week 9.
Next. Oakland Raiders: Top 4 takeaways from Week 3 loss to the Minnesota Vikings. dark
It’s going to be a rough go for them coming up.