Culpepper's return to the Dome

Daunte Culpepper and his Oakland Raiders come to the Metrodome this weekend to face our Minnesota Vikings. This will be the second time Culpepper gets to face his former team since leaving them in 2006. Culpepper did not play against Minnesota last season with Miami due to injury, and Joey Harrington got the start. Harrington and the Dolphins defeated the Minnesota Vikings 24-20.

This season, upon the Raiders trip to the Metrodome, Daunte Culpepper will get the start and can face his former team for the first time. On the season Culpepper has started in four of Oakland's nine games, and has played in five of nine games. Daunte had completed 70 of 125 passes for 817 yards and has a pass completion ratio of 56%. In addition, Culpepper has thrown four touchdowns, four interceptions, and has been sacked 14 times for a passer rating of 73.3%. Culpepper has also ran in for three touchdowns and fumbled the ball seven times, losing it twice.

Daunte Culpepper's top receivers are Ronald Curry LaMont Jordan and Jerry Porter. Curry has played in all nine games this season and started eight. Curry has 34 receptions for 418 yards and three touchdowns. Jordan is a running back who has the second most receptions on the team and the third most receiving yards. Jordan has 24 receptions for 230 yards and no receiving touchdowns. Jordan's longest catch of the season is 27 yards. Then there is Jerry Porter. Porter has started in all nine games for the Raiders this season and has 21 receptions for 354 yards and four touchdowns. Oakland has a much better receiving corps than Minnesota, and with Daunte Culpepper behind the ball can give the lowly Vikings pass defense fits all day long.

Oakland's backfield has LaMont Jordan and Justin Fargas as the go-to-guys. Besides his receiving abilities, Jordan is the top rusher on the team. He has 129 carries, 521 yards and two touchdowns. Jordan averages 4.0 yards per carry and has yet to fumble the ball this season. Justin Fargas is by far the second best rusher on the team. Fargas has 104 carries and 518 yards and one touchdown. Fargas averages 5.0 yards per carry and has only fumbled once this season. In addition, Fargas has 15 receptions for 116 yards and no receiving touchdowns this season. The next closest rusher for the Raiders is Josh McCown with 19 receptions and 99 yards.

The Oakland Raiders have yet to face a team with the rush defense like the Vikings. Minnesota enters this game with the 3rd ranked rushing defense in the league. These Vikings have shut down running backs like LaDanian Thomlinson, Julius Jones, Marion Barber, Cedric Benson and more. This very stingy Vikings rush defense consists of veterans like Pat Williams, Kevin Williams, Chad Greenway, Ben Leber, Tank Williams, and Kenechi Udeze. This potent combination has only allowed 75.9 yards per game. Minnesota's pass defense is our weak point. The 32nd ranked defense has given up an average of 285.9 yards per game. They have eight interceptions all season, four touchdowns and 20 sacks. Eight of the 20 sacks came in week one versus Joey Harrington and his Atlanta Falcons. Minnesota's pass defense has only recorded 12 sacks is eight games.

In Facing this Viking defense, guys like Lamont Jordan and Justin Fargas will have their hands full when attempting to run the ball. The only team to successfully run against this Viking defense was last week in Green Bay. The Packers were the first team this season to have a single rusher run for 100+ yards and the second time that an entire backfield has rushed for 100+ yards. The Vikings pass defense is another story. With guys like Darren Sharper and Antoine Winfield as their secondary, this defense should not be ranked dead last. Minnesota's pass defense is full of talent and should be able to stop almost any team in the league. It is a mystery as to why these guys have a miserable time stopping the pass.

The key for the Raiders this week will be to keep passing the ball and look for their success. Oakland has not had much luck in that department this season, but against Minnesota's struggling secondary, Oakland could find good fortune in doing so. I do not see the Raiders being able to run well against the Vikings. The Raiders 26th ranked pass defense is not impressive at all, but may find more success there than in running. Oakland does have the number five ranked rushing offense in the league, but will have fits against the number three ranked run defense who only allows 75.9 yards per game. This is going to be a tough game for the Raiders. They only score an average of 17.6 points per game, they have the number 26th ranked offense in the league, the 30th ranked passing offense and the 5th ranked rushing offense in the NFL. Oakland's defense allows an average of 21.6 points per game, and they have the 17th ranked defense in the league. This will be a low scoring game and should be close to the very end.

The Viking fans at this game will get to see former quarterback Daunte Culpepper again and this time cheer against him. Culpepper is looking forward to seeing his old teammates, but will find out what it's like to be the opposing quarterback in a loud Metrodome. Afterall, Viking fans are the LOUDEST fans in the NFL.

SKOL VIKINGS!!!!