Minnesota Vikings at Oakland Raiders: Week 10 game review
By Adam Carlson
Nov 15, 2015; Oakland, CA, USA; Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Cordarrelle Patterson (84) returns a kickoff for a touchdown against the Oakland Raiders in the second quarter at O.co Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Cary Edmondson-USA TODAY Sports
The Good
- Offensive line making holes for Adrian Peterson. Oakland came into this game giving up the 8th fewest rushing yards per game, but the Minnesota Vikings found success running behind Mike Harris at right guard, who is having an amazing season so far. Adrian also broke O.J. Simpson‘s record for most 200 yard rushing games (6).
- They made the Raiders abandon the run. Derek Carr threw the football 43 times in the game. Meanwhile, Latavius Murray and Jamize Olawale combined to run only 17 times for 72 yards. After getting beat a couple of times with deep passes, the Vikings tightened up the pass defense and Oakland never really returned to the ground.
- Cordarrelle Patterson reminds us that he can be a dynamic playmaker. Just when you thought he was out…he pulls you back in. “Flash” had been struggling to make a real impact as a kick returner until he brought back one to the house in this contest. Not to mention that he added a run for 6 yards!
- Time has been good to cornerback Terence Newman. An amazing game from the 37-year-old defensive back really helped the Minnesota Vikings secure a win. 5 passes defended, 4 total tackles, 2 interceptions and 1 tackle for a loss should put him in contention for the NFC Defensive Player of the Week award.
- Standing alone at first place in the NFC North. I know the Vikings were in first place before, but that was only by the means of a tiebreaker. If the season were to end now, Minnesota would be the #2 seed in the NFC and get a first round bye. I know it’s only week 10, but it sure is fun to think about!
Next: The Bad