The Oakland Raiders begin a six-week road trip Sunday when they visit the Minnesota Vikings in a duel of teams that won their opener and couldn’t duplicate the success last week.
The meeting will be the 14th since Oakland thumped the Vikings 32-14 in Super Bowl XI at the Rose Bowl, with the Raiders winning nine of those and the road team winning each of the last two meetings.
The Raiders (1-1) have never played at U.S. Bank Stadium, which is fitting for a team that’s embarking on a trip that is unprecedented in franchise history.
After opening with consecutive home games, the Raiders won’t see the Oakland field again until Nov. 3 (Week 9) against Detroit. In between, they will play at Minnesota (1-1) and Indianapolis, face Chicago in London, have a bye, then go back on the road for two more at Green Bay and Houston.
All told, they will have 49 days between home games, although they are the designated “home” team in the London contest.
Tied for second in the NFL in rushing (185.0 yards per game), the Vikings will face the league’s fifth-best defense at stopping the run (63.0). Vikings running back Dalvin Cook had more rushing yards last week at Green Bay (154) than the Raiders have allowed total in their games against Denver and Kansas City (126).
The last time the teams met, a 30-14 Vikings win at Oakland in 2015, Minnesota rode Adrian Peterson’s 203-yard rushing game to a win.
Teddy Bridgewater passed for just 140 yards that day in a matchup with Derek Carr, who was intercepted twice during a 302-yard performance.
Carr gets a rematch Sunday, but this time it will be against Kirk Cousins, who was intercepted twice and fumbled twice (losing one) last week in Minnesota’s 21-16 loss at Green Bay.
Cousins and Carr have gone head-to-head once before, with Cousins directing a 27-10 home win for the Washington Redskins in 2017 by throwing for 365 yards and three touchdowns. Carr went for just 118 yards with two interceptions that day.
“I’ve always liked Cousins,” Raiders coach Jon Gruden told reporters Wednesday. “Works hard at his game, man. He’s had a lot of production. He goes to Washington the same year they draft Robert Griffin; he beats out Griffin. He does great, he gets a heck of a contract here to go to Minnesota. Hopefully we can find a way to slow him down.”
Carr will be taking aim this time at a Vikings secondary that could be getting back a key performer. Cornerback Mike Hughes, a 2018 first-round pick, has returned to practice full-time this week after having undergone ACL surgery last October.
The game provides a homecoming of sorts for Raiders kicker Daniel Carlson, who was unceremoniously banished from Minnesota just two games into last season after having been the first kicker selected in the 2018 draft.
Carlson, who missed three of his four field-goal attempts for the Vikings, rebounded to hit 16 of 17 after joining the Raiders in Week 8 last season, and has started this year 2 of 2.
Vikings coach Mike Zimmer admitted to reporters on Wednesday that he’s noticed.
“I mean, do I have regrets? I like our kicker who we have now, but did I second-guess it? Sure,” Zimmer said. “He’s done great there, and I think he’s a very, very talented kid. I wish him well, just not this week.”
Current Minnesota kicker Dan Bailey is 1 of 2 on field-goal tries this year.
