Dan Bailey Jersey , Jon Gruden evaluated players like he was still a coach, drawing particular attention as an analyst for ESPN for his one-on-one film breakdowns with quarterback prospects entering the draft.More Vikings coverageVikings’ Kearse faces gun, drunken driving charges after arrestVikings’ Kearse apologizes, returns to work after weekend arrestPhotos of the Week: 10/20/19 – 10/26/19Vikings surge into second half thanks to Cousins, CookVikings Snap Counts: Penalties spoil Mattison’s big dayKirk Cousins was one of those pupils. Though only a fourth-round pick by Washington in 2012, the eighth player selected at his position that spring, Cousins made a clear impression on Gruden with his attention to detail and ability to communicate. Gruden even remarked at the end of that episode that perhaps he’d get back in the game to coach him.Well, this week, Gruden and the Oakland Raiders have been scheming against Cousins, who will try to bounce back for the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday from one of the worst performances as a pro.“He works hard at football. He’s had a lot of production,” said Gruden, who took over as coach of the Raiders last season. “Hopefully we can find a way to slow him down and win a football game.”That’s what Green Bay did last weekend, when Cousins posted the second-worst completion percentage of his career and committed three turnovers in a 21-16 defeat. The comeback bid was waylaid by a first-and-goal interception in the end zone, an off-balance throw he said afterward he should’ve sent to the seats. Vikings coach Mike Zimmer expressed anew the team’s confidence in Cousins, who’s in the second season of a three-year, $84 million, fully guaranteed contract.“You’ve got to play well to earn peoples’ confidence, so if he’s saying that, it’s because he’s seen practice reps, he’s seen game reps, he’s seen what we’re capable of as an offense throwing the football,” Cousins said. “So you’ve got to go out and earn it. Believe me, I’m not going to be playing quarterback here if I go out and play the way I did this past Sunday for much longer. So I understand that, and I look forward to getting out there and playing at a much higher level.”Here are some other angles to follow on Sunday:ROAD TRIPPINGThe Raiders (1-1) have begun this week a whopping 48-day stretch without a game at the Oakland Coliseum. After visiting the Vikings, the Raiders will travel to Indianapolis, then London for a “home” game against Chicago. After their bye week, they go back on the road to play Green Bay and Houston. The Raiders won’t play in Oakland again until Nov. 3 against Detroit.“We’re still trying to understand how that happened, but we’re going to have to deal with it,” said Gruden, whose team went 1-7 on the road last year. “We’ve just got to showcase our mental toughness and deal with it. It’s uncommon
Brett Jones Jersey , maybe unprecedented, maybe unrealistic that this should ever happen in pro football. I’m not excited about it, but we’ll adapt and do it the best we can.”INCOGNITO RETURNSThe Raiders will get a boost on the offensive line this week when left guard Richie Incognito makes his debut for the team. The four-time Pro Bowl pick missed the first two games, while suspended for violating the NFL personal conduct policy. He’s eager as ever to see the field for the first time since a Jan. 7, 2018, playoff game with Buffalo. Incognito did not play at all last season.“All the negative stuff is behind me. Just eyes forward, staying positive,” he said. “Relishing the opportunity, enjoying every day in here because you don’t know how many more you’re going to have.”BURFICT, BEWAREAnother talented veteran with a troubled past who joined the Raiders this year, linebacker Vontaze Burfict, is well-known to Zimmer, who was the defensive coordinator for Cincinnati during his first three NFL seasons. Burfict has been repeatedly fined and suspended by the league throughout his career for late, violent hits.“He knows the defense as well as anybody, probably as well as I do. He’s very instinctive. He’s very athletic. He reads things extremely quick, and he’s a thumper,” Zimmer said. “We better make sure the officials know he has to play clean.”Gruden wasn’t having that.“Burfict’s played for us for two games. He hasn’t had any penalties. So I don’t know about all that,” Gruden said. “He’s had a bulls-eye on him in his career in Cincinnati, and I’m sure the referees are looking out for him. I don’t think the refs need any more help than they already have.”The Vikings, though, were prepared to keep their head on a swivel when catching a pass in traffic.“We’ve all lost our emotions at times, or what have you, so I think he’s learned from that stuff, and I think he’s been a pretty clean football player recently,” wide receiver Adam Thielen said.FAST START, SLOW FINISHThe Raiders have made a bad habit in one-plus season under Gruden of stalling by the offense after fast starts. They’re tied for fifth in the NFL with an average of 2.83 points per drive on their first possession since the start of 2018, but that production has dropped to barely half of that over the rest of the game, with an average of 1.46 points per drive following their opening possession. Last week against Kansas City, Oakland had 10 points after two drives but didn’t score the rest of the game.“We’ve always been able to start fast, which is good
Ameer Abdullah Jersey , and hopefully we can do that again this week but then maintain it and then cut out the penalties,” quarterback Derek Carr said.RUNNING MENThe Vikings, with Dalvin Cook leading the NFL in rushing, aren’t the only team in this pass-favored league that’s content to keep the ball on the ground. Rookie Josh Jacobs, one of three first-round draft picks by the Raiders, has 184 rushing yards, fourth in the NFL.“He runs hard, for sure,” Vikings defensive end Everson Griffen said. “He has the quickness to get the ball outside and cut it outside quick. He’s a downhill runner, and he can make the big play.”OAKLAND (1-1) at MINNESOTA (1-1)Sunday, 1 p.m. EDT, FoxOPENING LINE — Vikings by 8RECORD VS. SPREAD — Oakland 1-1; Minnesota 1-1SERIES RECORD — Raiders lead 10-5LAST MEETING — Vikings beat Raiders 30-14, Nov. 15, 2015LAST WEEK —Raiders lost to Chiefs 28-10; Vikings lost to Packers 21-16AP PRO32 RANKING — Raiders No. 21, Vikings No. 9RAIDERS OFFENSE — OVERALL (22T), RUSH (12), PASS (22).RAIDERS DEFENSE — OVERALL (26), RUSH (5), PASS (32).VIKINGS OFFENSE — OVERALL (20), RUSH (2T), PASS (31).VIKINGS DEFENSE — OVERALL (15), RUSH (15), PASS (13).STREAKS, STATS AND NOTES — Raiders defensive coordinator Paul Guenther was linebackers coach in Cincinnati when Vikings head coach Mike Zimmer was defensive coordinator there. Guenther took over that role when Zimmer was hired by Vikings in 2014. … Raiders have begun stretch of no home games in 48-day span, due to game in London and bye week sandwiched between two straight road games on each end. … Raiders held Kansas City scoreless in three quarters last week but allowed 28 points in second. … Derek Carr broke Ken Stabler’s Raiders record for career passing yards last week. He has 19,196. … Carr has at least 30 attempts and less than 200 yards passing in 21 of 80 career starts. … Raiders allowed two TD drives of at least 90 yards in same game last week for third time in 20 years. … DE Benson Mayowa has 3½ sacks, most for Raiders player through two games since Anthony Smith had six in 1993. Mayowa needs one sack to top Maurice Hurst‘s team-leading four from last year. … Raiders allowed average of 1.4 yards per rush last week, fewest for team in nearly five years. … RB Josh Jacobs has 184 rushing yards, second most for Raiders rookie in first two weeks of season behind Darren McFadden (210 in 2008). … Vikings seeking franchise’s 500th victory, including playoffs. They are 499-427-11 in 59 seasons
Danielle Hunter Jersey , but no NFL titles. … Vikings RB Dalvin Cook, who leads NFL with 265 rushing yards, is one of five players with consecutive games of at least 110 rushing yards and one TD to start any season. The others, all in Pro Football Hall of Fame, are Jim Brown (six, 1958), O.J. Simpson (five, 1975), Emmitt Smith (four, 1995), and Curtis Martin (three, 2004). … Vikings QB Kirk Cousins coming off three-turnover game at Green Bay, with second-lowest completion percentage (43.8) of eight-year NFL career. … In only previous game vs. Raiders, Cousins had fourth-highest passer rating of career (150.7) in win with Washington on Sept. 24, 2017. He had 365 yards and three TDs in that game. … Vikings DE Danielle Hunter tied career high with nine tackles vs. Packers. In his past seven home games, Hunter has 8½ sacks. … Vikings FS Harrison Smith is only player in league with at least 15 tackles, one pass defensed, one forced fumble and one recovered fumble through two weeks. … Fantasy tip: Raiders kicker Daniel Carlson, let go after missing three of four field goals over two games with Vikings as rookie last year, has missed one field goal in 12 games with Raiders. He’s perfect so far this season. P.J. Williams was having a hard time keeping up with Minnesota’s dominant wide receiver duo, with frequent attacks by the Vikings on the third-year nickel cornerback for New Orleans during long touchdown drives each of their first two possessions.Williams and the Saints sure enjoyed their revenge.With assistance on a forced fumble that set up a touchdown late in the second quarter and an interception he returned for a score midway through the third quarter, Williams had quite the eventful night for the Saints in their 30-20 victory over the Vikings on Sunday .“Part of being a cornerback in the NFL is to be able to bounce back,” Williams said, adding: “It was a little relief, definitely, after giving up a few plays.”The Saints (6-1) were tied for the second-fewest takeaways in the league entering this rematch of the divisional round playoff game last season that Stefon Diggs won for the Vikings with that stunning last-snap 61-yard catch and run for a touchdown. Though the action was packed with plenty of highlight-reel plays, this one lacked the down-the-stretch tension and that where-were-you moment that immediately went viral like the “Minneapolis Miracle.”“We felt as if we were in a shootout until the third quarter, and then you felt them break,” Saints defensive end Cameron Jordan said. “At some point, they didn’t want it anymore.”Adam Thielen was putting together yet another stellar performance for the Vikings (4-3-1)
Eric Kendricks Jersey , who were on the verge of extending a 13-10 lead when Thielen plunged forward for extra yardage after a short first-down catch. Williams and Alex Anzalone converged and pried the ball loose at the 14, and Marshon Lattimore scooped up the fumble to start a 54-yard return . Two plays later, the Saints were in the end zone to complete the sharp momentum shift.“You can’t make mistakes against a really good football team,” said Thielen, who had seven receptions for 103 yards and a touchdown.Diggs, who had his own standout game with 10 catches for 119 yards and a score, was largely responsible for the other crucial gaffe by the Vikings. Though the stat sheet will forever show that Cousins was picked off by Williams, Diggs stopped his drag route too soon while his under-pressure quarterback tried to dump the ball off to where he was counting on Diggs to be. Williams grabbed it instead and raced the other way for a 27-13 lead .“He just did what he was supposed to do, threw it to the spot,” Diggs said. “Miscommunication, and I take full responsibility.”Here are some other key developments from the game:STAYING STRONGThielen climbed over the neck of Williams for a tricky third-down catch on the first drive for the Vikings. Diggs beat him with a back-shoulder grab at the goal line and again four plays later on a toe-tap touchdown at the edge of the end zone on fourth down. On the next possession, Williams had a pass interference penalty that set up a short scoring run by Latavius Murray.The Saints, who were outgained 420-273 in total yardage, were able to keep their confidence and energy high despite the unfavorable start and stay undefeated in four road games this year.“We knew it was going to be a hard-fought game,” said quarterback Drew Brees, who had only 120 passing yards and threw his first interception after 231 attempts without one but went 18 for 23 to maintain his league-leading 77.4 completion percentage. “The difference was getting some of those turnovers.”GOING FOR ITDiggs and Thielen each scored their touchdowns on fourth-and-goal plays from the 1, but in between the fumble and the interception was another pivotal negative play for the Vikings. The fourth-and-1, empty-backfield pass by Cousins from their own 45 on the opening possession of the second half was incomplete when Lattimore knocked the ball out of Laquon Treadwell‘s hands. Vikings coach Mike Zimmer and offensive coordinator John DeFilippo decided earlier in the week they’d take an aggressive approach in those situations, with the indefatigable Brees and bold-and-unpredictable coach Sean Payton on the other side.“I love that they stuck to that plan,” Cousins said.THIELEN ITThielen tied Calvin Johnson’s NFL record of eight straight 100-yard receiving games, set in 2012 with Detroit. He also matched Patrick Jeffers with a fifth consecutive game with 100-plus yards and at least one touchdown, a mark set in 1999 for Carolina.“I think I’ve said this eight weeks in a row: 100 yards doesn’t mean anything unless you’re winning games,” Thielen said.DUAL THREATAlvin Kamara capped the opening touchdown drive by catching a forward flip from Brees on a jet sweep play with both backup quarterbacks, Teddy Bridgewater and Taysom Hill, lined up as wide receivers. Hill had taken a turn at quarterback earlier and threw a 44-yard pass to Michael Thomas.Kamara soared into the end zone for a rushing score after Lattimore’s return, aided by a 15-yard unsportsmanlike conduct penalty on Treadwell. Kamara, who had 20 touches on the team’s 53 offensive plays, has at least one rushing and one receiving touchdown in four different games. That’s the second-most in the first two seasons of a career during the Super Bowl era, behind Edgerrin James and his six such games for Indianapolis in 1999-2000.