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| ARI at CIN | CAR at GB | CHI at SEA | CLE at BAL | KC at IND | MIA at PHI | NE at BUF | NO at HOU |
| NYG at DET | OAK at MIN | PIT at NYJ | SD at JAX | STL at SF | TB at ATL | TEN at DEN | WAS at DAL |
Week 11 Game Recap: Oakland Raiders 22, Minnesota Vikings 29
What you need to know
| Oakland Raiders |
Playing for the first time against the team that drafted him, QB Daunte Culpepper had 23 completions for an impressive 344 yards. Despite the big numbers through the air though, the Raiders signal caller was only able to lead the offense to one touchdown. In the game, Culpepper was sacked four times and turned the ball over on a fumble and an interception. He was also called for an intentional grounding penalty while in his own end zone that gave the Vikings' defense a safety. The Raiders' lone touchdown came on a ten yards pass from Culpepper to TE John Madsen.
Despite going against a stout Vikings' run defense that came into the game allowing just under 76 yards per contest, the Raiders made an effort to establish a ground game. RB Justin Fargas got the ball on 22 rushing plays, but he was only able to average an anemic 2.7 yards per attempt. Oakland as a team would finish the game with only 61 yards running the football.
The primary beneficiaries of Culpepper's passing attempts were wide receivers Jerry Porter and Ronald Curry. Targeted a total of 17 times during the game, the Raiders wide outs combined to catch nine passes for 208 yards. It seemed to be a tale of two halves for Oakland's top two pass catchers as Curry made all four of his receptions in the first half, while Porter grabbed four of his five receptions in the second half.
| Minnesota Vikings |
Tarvaris Jackson led an offensive attack that picked up 25 first downs and accumulated 478 yards of total offense. Jackson completed over 73 percent of his 22 passes for 171 yards and added another 19 yards on the ground. He did throw an interception while operating from Oakland's three yard line, and he turned the ball over on a fumble late in the second quarter that led to a Raiders' field goal.
Chester Taylor took advantage of going up against one of the league's worst run defenses by racking up 164 yards and three touchdowns on the ground. Receiving the lion's share of the carries for the first time this season, he averaged a gaudy 7.45 yards per carry on 22 attempts and hauled in three passes for an additional 38 yards. Taylor's three touchdowns came on runs of ten, 38 and six yards. This was Taylor's first game of the year with over 100 yards rushing.
Sidney Rice tied with Bobby Wade as the Vikings' most targeted wide receiver, but his most significant contribution on offense would not be his catches, but instead would be his throws. On the Vikings' first drive, the Minnesota wide receiver took a pitch from running back Chester Taylor and proceeded to hit TE Visanthe Shiancoe for a 79 yard completion that led to the Vikings' first touchdown of the game. Rice was called on to throw another pass in the third quarter and this time connected with WR Troy Williamson for 15 yards. In addition to his numbers throwing the ball, he would finish the game with 18 yards on two receptions.
What you ought to know
| QB Daunte Culpepper, Pass: 23 - 39 - 344 - 1 TD / 1 INT, Rush: 3 - 0 - 0 |
Culpepper had big yardage numbers through the air, but it was his inability to lead the offense to more touchdowns that kept Oakland from winning this game. Three times, the Vikings offense had to settle for field goals after moving within the Minnesota 30 yard line, and it was a third quarter Culpepper fumble that was recovered at the Vikings' 26 that kept the Raiders from adding more points. On Oakland's lone touchdown of the game he did a good job of stepping up to avoid the rush, which allowed him time to find the wide open John Madsen. His only interception came in the fourth quarter when a pass to Justin Fargas deflected off the running back and was intercepted by LB Chad Greenway.
| RB Justin Fargas, Rush: 22 - 60 - 0, Rec: 3 - 29 - 0 (7 targets) |
Fargas had a tough time picking up yards against a swarming Minnesota rush defense, as thirteen of his 22 rushes went for two yards or less. Despite his poor rushing numbers, he ran hard in this game and did have longer runs of 12 and 13 yards that came in the third quarter. In addition to his rushing duties, Fargas was also targeted seven times in the passing game and was able to average just under ten yards on his three catches. Daunte Culpepper's only interception of the game came on a pass to Fargas that deflected off the running back's body into the arms of LB Chad Greenway.
| RB Justin Griffith, Rec: 4 - 31 - 0 (5 targets) |
Griffith did not receive a carry in this game but was able to haul in four of the five passes that came his way. His first two catches didn't come until the Raiders' seventh drive, but the receptions went for a total of 18 yards and helped lead to a field goal. His final two catches wouldn't come until Oakland's final drive.
| RB Dominic Rhodes, Rush: 2 - 1 - 0 |
Rhodes only got two carries in this game, but did average 17.8 yards on six kick off returns.
| RB LaMont Jordan |
Jordan was not activated for this game.
| WR Jerry Porter, Rec: 5 - 88 - 0 (11 targets) |
Porter was targeted a team high 11 times in this game, and seven of those targets came in the second half when he was able to grab four passes for 67 yards. His longest grab of the game came in the third quarter and went for 38 yards. Porter also caught a fourth quarter pass that went for 28 yards.
| WR Ronald Curry, Rec: 4 - 120 - 0 (6 targets) |
Curry got off to a hot start in this game catching his first two targets for a total of 95 yards. His first grab went for 46 yards as he took the ball down to the Minnesota six yard line. Curry's next reception was a highlight reel grab that went for 49 yards. On the play, the Oakland wide out was tightly sandwiched between two Vikings defenders but was somehow able to leap up and bring down the ball despite getting his helmet ripped off. On his next target, Curry was unable to catch a Daunte Culpepper fastball down by the goal line that hit him in the hands. His next two catches went for eight and 17 yards respectively. As good as his first half was, Curry would get shutout in the second half. His only target over the last two quarters came on a Culpepper pass that ended the game.
| WR Tim Dwight, Rec: 3 - 33 - 0 (4 targets) |
Dwight's first catch of the game came in the third quarter and went for 19 yards. His final two receptions came in the fourth quarter and went for a total of 14 yards.
| TE Zach Miller, Rec: 3 - 33 - 0 (5 targets) |
Miller's first catch of the game came with just over four minutes left in the fourth quarter. He would go on to catch two more passes that totaled 25 yards.
| TE John Madsen, Rec: 1 - 10 - 1 (2 targets) |
Madsen's reception went for Oakland's only touchdown of the game. The score was his first of the year. Madsen dropped his only other target of the game later on in the second quarter.
| PK Sebastian Janikowski 5 - 5 FG, 1 - 1 XP, 16 points |
Janikowski was perfect on his five field goal attempts in this game, connecting on kicks from 42, 30, 42, 49, and 52 yards respectively. He also made the only extra point he attempted.
| OAK Rush Defense |
The Raiders' run defense was gashed in this game, surrendering 164 yards and three touchdowns to RB Chester Taylor. The Vikings averaged over seven yards per carry on 32 attempts. DT Warren Sapp was able to force a Chester Taylor fumble that was recovered by Oakland. The turnover set up a Raiders' field goal.
| OAK Pass Defense |
The Raiders only gave up 171 yards through the air and CB Nnamdi Asomugha did intercept a Tarvaris Jackson pass in the Oakland end zone. The Oakland pass rush also recorded three sacks; two by LB Chris Clemons and one by DE Derrick Burgess. Asomugha left this game in the third quarter after taking a Chester Taylor knee to the to the helmet.
| QB Tarvaris Jackson, Pass: 17 - 22 - 171 - 0 TD / 1 INT, Rush: 3 - 19 - 0 |
Jackson only had five incompletions in the game and looked good on a number of plays that found him firing completed passes to his wide receivers. Despite the high completion percentage, he finished the game with only 171 yards passing and he did turn the ball over twice in the game. The first was a first quarter interception that came with the Minnesota offense working form the Oakland three yard line. Jackson turned the ball over again in the second quarter after loosing the ball on a sack. In addition to using his arm, the Vikings' quarter back was also able to us his legs to help move the Minnesota offense. Jackson was able to pick up a first down on a quarterback draw that went for 12 yards on a third and ten play in the fourth quarter. He finished the day averaging just over six yards on three carries.
| RB Chester Taylor, Rush: 22 - 164 - 3, Rec: 3 - 38 - 0 (3 targets) |
Taylor got going quickly in this contest, as his first run of the game went for a ten yard score. His second touchdown came from 38 yards out. On the play Taylor took the handoff to the right and after getting through the hole, he cut back to his left and headed for the goal line. On his final score of the game, Taylor jumped from the Oakland six yard line into the mass of offensive and defensive lineman and then charged his way into the end zone while within the scrum. He did have a second quarter fumble that gave the Raiders the ball at the Vikings' fourteen yard line.
| RB Naufahu Tahi, Rush: 4 - 10 - 0 |
Tahi's first three rushes of the game came on consecutive plays in the first quarter. His only other rush of the game came in the fourth quarter.
| RB Mewelde Moore, Rush: 2 - 9 - 0 |
Moore's first rush of the game came on the Vikings' second drive and he took the ball down to the Oakland three yard line. He fumbled his only other carry, but fortunately for him it was recovered by TE Visanthe Shiancoe. Moore also averaged 2.5 yards on two punt returns.
| RB Tony Richardson, Rec: 2 - 19 - 0 (3 targets) |
Richardson hauled in two of his three targets for an average of 9.5 yards per reception.
| WR Bobby Wade, Rec: 5 - 45 - 0 (5 targets) |
On Wade's first catch of the game, he put the ball on the turf and the fumble was recovered by Oakland. He went on to catch the remainder of his four targets for a total of 41 yards.
| WR Troy Williamson, Rush: 1 - 26 - 0, Rec: 3 - 34 - 0 (3 targets) |
Williamson caught all three of the balls that were thrown his way and made a nice grab while going to the turf on Sidney Rice's second passing attempt of the game. He also averaged 21 yards on three kickoff returns.
| WR Sidney Rice, Pass: 2 - 2 - 94 - 0 TD / 0 INT, Rec: 2 - 18 - 0 (5 targets) |
Rice's initial contribution came on a play in which he was not the receiver of a pass. On the first offensive play of the game for the Vikings, Rice took a reverse pitch from RB Chester Taylor and hit TE Visanthe Shiancoe for a 79 catch and run. The coaching staff must have been impressed with his arm because they gave him another passing attempt in the third quarter that he was able to complete to WR Troy Williamson. Rice was the intended target in the end zone on Tarvaris Jackson's only interception.
| WR Robert Ferguson, Rec: 1 - 6 - 0 (2 targets) |
Ferguson's only catch of the game came in the second quarter.
| TE Visanthe Shiancoe, Rec: 2 - 94 - 0 (3 targets) |
Shiancoe's first grab of the game came on the Vikings' first play from scrimmage when he took a Sidney Rice pass down to the Oakland five yard line. On the play he was hit with a delay of game penalty for spiking the ball in the field of play. Later on in the first quarter he caught his only other pass from QB Tarvaris Jackson that went for 15 yards. Shiancoe also kept a Vikings' drive going when he hopped on a Mewelde Moore fumble at the Oakland 26 yard line.
| TE Jeff Dugan |
Dugan returned one kickoff for 18 yards.
| PK Ryan Longwell 2 - 2 FG, 3 - 3 XP, 9 points |
Longwell made good on his first field goal attempt from 30 yards out in the second quarter and then connected from 38 yards in the third quarter. He also made all three of his extra points attempts
| MIN Rush Defense |
The Vikings' rush defense lived up to its stingy reputation, allowing only 61 yards on 27 attempts for an average of 2.3 yards per rush.
| MIN Pass Defense |
The Minnesota pass defense gave up 344 yards and a touchdown to Oakland quarterback Daunte Culpepper. The pass rush was able to record a safety on Oakland's second drive of the game when Culpepper was flagged for intentional grounding while he attempted a pass from his own end zone. On the play, the Oakland quarterback was pressured by defensive ends Ray Edwards and Brian Robison. Robison, Edwards, LB E.J Henderson, and DE Erasmus James were all credited with sacks in this game.
