Getty Oakland Raiders TE Darren Waller.
The Oakland Raiders are coming off a loss to the Kansas City Chiefs, but the season is far from over. The team is still at .500 and are about to start a brutal road trip. It starts with a trip to Minnesota to face off against the Vikings. Just like the Raiders, the Vikings are 1-1. Minnesota had a very impressive performance against the Atlanta Falcons in week 1 and completely shut down their loaded offense. They played a close game in week 2 against the Green Bay Packers but ended up losing by five points.
Based on the first two weeks of the season, it’s hard to tell who really has the edge in this game. The Vikings should have one of the best defenses in the NFL as long as they have Mike Zimmer as the coach. It remains to be seen how good the Raider offense is because they looked really good in week 1, but terrible in week 2. This game should give us a better idea of what to expect from Oakland going forward. If they’re going to pull off a win, there are a few things they need to do.
Unleash Darren Waller
And let’s not forget about this catch by Darren Waller. 👀 #DENvsOAK
Darren Waller has 133 yards on 13 catches through two games, so it’s not like the Raiders aren’t trying to get him the ball. However, based on how he’s been playing, they should be getting him the ball even more. He’s an absolute matchup nightmare for any team. Not only is he 6’6, but he’s also incredibly fast and can catch the ball really well. Right now, the team doesn’t have a great number two option at wide receiver, so Jon Gruden should be figuring out how to use Waller in more creative ways. He has all the tools to put up Travis Kecle type numbers and Oakland should be taking advantage of that. Xavier Rhodes is a two-time pro-bowler for the Vikings and he’ll probably be blanketing Tyrell Williams for the most part. This is the perfect time to devise a gameplan that centers around Waller in the passing game.
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Throw the Deep Ball
We’re not done talking about Darren Waller just yet. Tyrell Williams is 6’4 and runs a 4.42 40-yard dash. Waller is 6’6 and runs a 4.46 40-yard dash. Not only that, Pro Football Focus rates Derek Carr as one of the best deep-ball throwers in the NFL. Why the Raiders aren’t throwing the ball deep every other play defies logic. There’s no reason Waller should only be averaging 10.2 yards per catch. Yes, he’s a tight end, but he’s not a normal tight end. It’s hard to imagine a cornerback or linebacker can effectively cover him on a consistent basis.
The same could be said for Williams. Yes, Xavier Rhodes will be a challenge, but Williams is bound to win some of those battles. He only averaged 9.2 yards per reception against the Chiefs. He’s averaging 16.2 yards per reception for his career. Carr should be looking at him down the field more often.
Stop Dalvin Cook & Make Kirk Cousins Beat Them
Kirk Cousins hasn’t had a great start to the season. He’s only completing 52.4% of his passes and has thrown two touchdowns to two interceptions. On the other hand, running back Dalvin Cook leads the NFL with 265 rushing yards in the first two weeks. If the Raiders want to win, they need to shut Cook down and make Cousins win the game for the Vikings. Oakland currently holds the fifth-best run defense in the NFL as they’ve only allowed 63 yards a game on average.
Cook will easily be the best running back they’ve faced, so this will be a test to see if their run defense is actually as good as it has looked. The Raiders don’t have the best pass defense, but Cousins is no Patrick Mahomes. If they force the team to pass like they did with Joe Flacco and the Denver Broncos, this could be a very good week for the Raiders.
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