Vikings Roll With Taylor

I thought the Vikings-Raiders game on Sunday had the potential of being another "Leonard Pinth-Garnell Game," namely more "Bad Football, NFL Style." But it turned out to a pretty decent game.

With Adrian Peterson sitting on the sidelines, Chester Taylor took over and the Vikings came out swinging. The scored the first time they had the ball, courtesy of Taylor's ten-yard run. But the next time they had the ball, Tarvaris Jackson proved he's still pretty green as an NFL QB. He was intercepted in the end zone, and the Vikings couldn't put Oakland in a hole. Former Viking Daunte Culpepper was flagged for downing the ball while in the end zone to give the Vikings a safety and a 9-0 lead (pictured).

Oakland capitalized on numerous Viking mistakes. They turned three fumbles into field goals, and the game was tied 19-19 at the half. The Vikings won the game in the fourth quarter when Taylor scored his third TD on a six-yard run. The Vikings won, 29-22, as Taylor rushed for 164 yards, and had a total of 202 yards from scrimmage. Jackson went 17-for-22 and 171 yards. He wasn't bad and has showed some improvement. But they still need a quality veteran QB as a high priority.

The terrific game by Chester Taylor was no real surprise, as he was the Vikings' MVP last season, and is still a quality NFL back. The club should be in no rush to bring back Adrian Peterson, as they should let him heal completely before letting him return. Taylor is more than an adequate replacement for him.

Granted, the Oakland Raiders are pretty awful (they're now 2-8), but it was a win nonetheless for the Vikings, who are now 4-6 and face the Giants at the Meadowlands next Sunday.