![Minnesota Vikings tight end Kyle Rudolph (82) picked up a first down as he was tackled by Oakland Raiders cornerback D.J. Hayden (25) at the Oakland Coliseum Sunday November 15, 2015 in Oakland, CA. ] The Minnesota Vikings beat at the Oakland Raiders 30-14 in the Coliseum. Jerry Holt/ Jerry.Holt@Startribune.com (Photo By Jerry Holt/Star Tribune via Getty Images)](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/shape/cover/sport/https-3A-2F-2Fthevikingage-com-2Fwp-content-2Fuploads-2Fgetty-images-2F2016-2F04-2F1156570111-850x560-b3a2042f36583031bb6416f4f050c4734962e7967a1f1591067231eba4a50c75.jpg "Minnesota Vikings tight end Kyle Rudolph (82) picked up a first down as he was tackled by Oakland Raiders cornerback D.J. Hayden (25) at the Oakland Coliseum Sunday November 15, 2015 in Oakland, CA. ] The Minnesota Vikings beat at the Oakland Raiders 30-14 in the Coliseum. Jerry Holt/ Jerry.Holt@Startribune.com (Photo By Jerry Holt/Star Tribune via Getty Images)")
4. What are the biggest changes from this Raiders team compared to the one from last season?
Overall team speed and age. Last year, the Raiders were not only one of the older teams in the NFL, but also one of the slower, and that hurt them against a lot of the explosive teams they played. When you look at the current 53-man roster, it is nearly completely different from 2018 in a good way.
After a four-win season last year, wholesale changes needed to be made, and Mike Mayock has done a tremendous job in his first season as general manager. The Raiders needed to get better on both sides of the line, and the addition of Trent Brown has been incredible, while the team will get Richie Incognito back in Week 3. First-round draft pick Clelin Ferrell has bolstered the defensive line, making the Raiders strong up front.
5. What are your predictions for this game, including a final score?
Unfortunately, the Raiders could struggle in this one, as they have to play at 10 am their time, and that is always tough. I expect the team to be able to get stops on defense, and do not think Kirk Cousins will be able to do half the damage Patrick Mahomes was able to in Week 2. The spread is a bit high in my opinion, and I think Oakland will keep it close, but eventually, the Vikings will pull away with a 24-20 victory in front of the home crowd.
Huge thanks go out to Brad Weiss of Just Blog Baby for taking the time to answer these questions for us about the upcoming Week 3 game between the Minnesota Vikings and Oakland Raiders.
And for some added fun, be sure to check out the five questions they asked us about the game!