5 things to watch for in Vikings vs Raiders preseason game

The Minnesota Vikings are scheduled to take on the Oakland Raiders during week 2 of the NFL’s preseason. This game will happen on August 22, 2015 and will feature two second year quarterbacks as the starters, Teddy Bridgewater and Derek Carr.

This game will be billed as a duel between those two passers, but we are not likely to see more than just a drive or two from each of these players. Instead, it should be looked at for what most preseason games are: glorified practices to find out which players will make your team and which ones won’t make the cut.

Here are the five things that I will be looking forward to seeing the most in the game between the Oakland Raiders and Minnesota Vikings:

The Derek Carr to Amari Cooper connection. I don’t think there was a more polished wide receiver in this rookie class than Amari Cooper. And personally, I believe that Carr is the future of the Raiders. These two guys could be the start of something good for the Raiders, as last week they connected on 3 passes for 22 yards in a short time on the field together.

Aug 9, 2015; Canton, OH, USA; Minnesota Vikings tight end MyCole Pruitt (83) celebrates with running back

Matt Asiata

(44) after scoring a touchdown during the second quarter against the Pittsburgh Steelers at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Andrew Weber-USA TODAY Sports

Improved play from Vikings backup RBs. Let’s be honest, the Vikings run game against the Buccaneers last week was horrendous. Low yards per carry and fumbles plagued guys like Joe Banyard, Dominique Williams, and DuJuan Harris. That group that will need to bounce back in order to be considered for a place on the team’s roster.

The Vikings starting right tackle position. Losing big Phil Loadholt is a blow to the Vikings. But from what we saw during last weeks game from rookie T.J. Clemmings, Vikings fans should be interested to see how he continues to do against starting caliber defenders.

Continued development from Vikings CB Trae Waynes. Waynes earned the grade of “C” from NFL.com’s Bucky Brooks for his game against Tampa Bay, where he looked much better than he did against the Pittsburgh Steelers. The penalties were down last week and he even broke up a couple passes. He should continue to improve week-to-week.

The return of Christian Ponder to Minnesota. It’s weird, but this is what a lot of Vikings fans will be tuned in for. They want to see Christian Ponder go against his former team and watch to see what happens. Will he tear apart the Vikings defense or will he fall flat on his face?

You can catch the Oakland Raiders taking on the Minnesota Vikings at 7:00 pm central time on Saturday, August 22, 2015. The game can be seen on KMSP FOX 9. Be sure to check your local listings for time and availability.

Next: Minnesota Vikings 2015 Game By Game Previews

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