MINNEAPOLIS _ The Vikings lapped the Raiders at U.S. Bank Stadium on Sunday by adhering to a formula from which, in all likelihood, they'd prefer not to deviate.
They ran for 211 yards against a hapless Oakland defense, cruising to a three-touchdown lead for the second straight home game and again effectively relegating Kirk Cousins to a supporting role after his disastrous day at Lambeau Field in Week 2. But a Week 3 victory at home, 52 weeks after 2018's out-of-body experience against Buffalo, didn't need to come with many qualifiers.
In the Vikings' 34-14 win, Dalvin Cook became the first player in Vikings history to run for 100 yards in each of his first three games, dazzling with his nimble feet on a 16-carry, 110-yard day. Alexander Mattison feasted on a big hole in the Raiders' defense, cutting back to his left from the 10 and hurdling into the end zone from the 4-yard line for his first career TD.
Even third-stringer Mike Boone burst through for a 24-yard run in the fourth quarter, by a point in the game where Cook's job was to smile on the sidelines as the U.S. Bank Stadium video boards detailed his statistical accomplishments.
It allowed the Vikings (2-1) to follow much of the same formula against the Raiders as they used against the Falcons in Week 1. On Sunday, Cousins threw just 21 passes, completing 15 of them for 174 yards _ including a 35-yard score to Adam Thielen he let fly from a clean pocket. His first fourth-quarter pass at U.S. Bank Stadium won't come until at least Oct. 13; Cousins didn't throw one in the Falcons game, and he didn't throw one again on Sunday.
Thielen caught the touchdown pass and also ran for a score from the 1.
Derek Carr threw a 29-yard touchdown pass to Jordy Nelson for Oakland before halftime to cut the lead to 21-7, but Mattison scored before Dan Bailey added field goals of 50 and 24 yards for the Vikings. Carr and Tyrell Williams combined on an 11-yard score with 1:23 left.
A week after throwing a crucial interception in a 21-16 loss in Green Bay, Cousins was 15-for-21 for 174 yards.
Eric Wilson had two sacks for the Vikings and Harrison Smith intercepted Carr, who finished 27-for-34 for 242 yards. Darren Waller had 13 catches for the Raiders (1-2).
