The Las Vegas Raiders play host to the Minnesota Vikings in preseason NFL action from Allegiant Stadium. The Raiders were able to get some action under their belt last week, grabbing the win in the Hall of Fame game. For the Vikings, Sunday's game will mark their opener of the preseason and it'll be interesting to see how they get things going for 2022. These two last met in 2019, a 34-14 win for Minnesota, though Sunday's matchup should be quite a bit different, especially given the pre-season nature of this one.
Minnesota is coming off of a 2021 season that saw them finish with an 8-9 record but their sights are set on quite a bit more success in this one. The NFC North appears to be Green Bay's to lose still, though the Vikings have quite a bit of confidence that they can make a run at one of the coveted Wild Card spots. The Vikings were able to make some nice additions, though it remains to be seen how many of those will see the field on Sunday, Jordan Hicks figures to try to fill the void left by Anthony Barr, though the addition of former Packer Za'Darius Smith, has fans excited. The Vikings did go winless in the preseason last season and given their tendency to avoid playing starters, it could be a challenge for them, especially on the road in this one.
If the Vikings don't play their starters in this one, it isn't likely due to injuries, as they have had a healthy preseason journey this far. Irv Smith Jr . (thumb), Blake Proehl (knee), and Ryan Connelly (knee) all will definitely miss Sunday though as they get ready for week one. One other concern is Kirk Cousins (illness), who left practice during the week, though it was uncertain if he would get snaps if healthy.
Grinding it out at #VikingsCamp pic.twitter.com/WX0h0pPZvp
— Minnesota Vikings (@Vikings) August 11, 2022
Offensively, there figure to be quite a few absences in this one. As mentioned earlier, Cousins is battling illness anyway, while Kellen Mond and Sean Mannion figure to see most of the snaps on Sunday. Mond only threw three passes last season, though Mannion has six seasons of experience under his belt. Mond's elusiveness in the pocket could be a problem for the Raiders to slow down though, while Mannion is likely to sit in the pocket slightly more. Beyond that, Dalvin Cook and Justin Jefferson are expected to sit out as well, giving way to some athletic backups getting their chance.
Defensively, a new scheme means a few more starters could see time as they work themselves into familiarity. Depending on who the Raiders play on Sunday, it could be a struggle for this group, especially against an athletic receiving core. Minnesota had a group that ranked in the bottom third of the league across most defensive statistics and with Sunda y marking their first action of the 2022 season, they could struggle with some rust as they take on an Oakland team that has a game under their belts already.