Raiders hold off late Vikings' rally to win 27-21 in Week 11 – NFL Recap
The Oakland Raiders held off a last quarter Minnesota Vikings rally to win a tense encounter 27-21 and remain top of the American Football Conference West division in game week 11 of the National Football League at the Mall of
America Field in Minnesota.
The Raiders led the Vikings 27-7 at the end of the third quarter and looked set for an easy win but a horrific neck injury to wide receiver Darrius Heyward-Bey as he collided with Vikings line backer E.J Henderson’s knee. The injury
seemed to have made the Raiders lose concentration on the game as they just held on to their lead with the Vikings scoring two touchdowns to end the game with a tense finish.
"We continue to battle and that's what I really love about my football team is they won't quit," Raiders Coach Hue Jackson said.
Raiders quarter back Carson Palmer ran 164 yards and completed 17 of 23 passes to help the Raiders start a two game winning run and send the Vikings to another demoralizing loss to languish bottom of the National Football Conference
North with a 2-8 record.
Christian Ponder had a poor night overall as he threw three interceptions and completed just 19 of 33 attempted passes but picked up his game late in the fourth quarter with two passing touchdowns.
"Bad decisions by me, and I take full responsibility for this loss," Ponder said. "The defense played unbelievably well and kept us in the game. We just kept making mistakes."
Vikings opened the scoring through running back Adrian Peterson five minutes into the first period with a 12 yard run. Raiders kicker Sebastian Janikowski made it 7-3 just before the end of the quarter with a 29 yard field goal.
Everything went the Raiders way during the second and third quarters. The Raiders took the lead for the first time at 9:10 of the second period with Carson Palmer sending an 11 yard pass to Chaz Schilens to make it 10-7. Eight
minutes later Michael Bush made it 17-7 with a two yard run and Carson Palmer capped a wonderful performance sneaking into the Vikings end-zone with just eight seconds left to give the Raiders a 24-7 half time lead.
The third quarter was a more equal affair yet the Vikings still did not manage to penetrate the Raiders dogged defence. Janikowski scored his second field goal of the night with 51 seconds left in the third period to give the Raiders
a 27-7 lead which seemed more than enough to send the Raiders to another win.
But the Vikings rallied in the fourth. As Darrius Heyward-Bey was taken off after the injury the Raiders seemed to be knocked out of their stride with Vikings quarter back finally getting some joy sending two passes for touchdowns.
Percy Harvin got the first as he did well to collect a scorching 26 yard pass from Ponder early in the fourth quarter and Kyle Rudolph scored the final touchdown of the game from a one yard pass by Ponder in the fifth minute but the Raiders held out the Vikings
storm to get the win.
"Like Coach Jackson said, we haven't played a complete football game yet," Carson Palmer said. "And it's scary to think, when we do, what it's going to look like."
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