View from the end zone:
We’re back with our in-game blog/narrative/rantings/whatever-you-want-to-call-it. It’s Week 11, with the Oakland Raiders (5-4) invading Mall of America Field against the cellar-dwelling Minnesota Vikings (2-7).
Here, we’ll let you know what’s happening just as if you were sitting in Section 123, in the corner of the south end zone. Here’s the latest:
3:18: FINAL: RAIDERS 27, VIKINGS 21 — Minnesota falls to 2-8, Oakland improves to 6-4.
3:11: Vikes’ final drive stalls. Raiders take over on downs.
3:04: Raiders face at third and four with 3:20 left. Robison sacks Palmer to force punt. Vikings will get a chance to win the game.
2:56: RAIDERS 27, VIKINGS 21 — Minnesota makes it one-possession game with 5:08 left as Ponder hits Kyle Rudolph on 1-yard TD toss.It’s Rudolph’s first career TD recepion. Remaining crowd comes alive.
2:54: Robison recovers fumble. Vikings recover at Raider 38-yard-line.
2:50: With Vikings knocking on door at the Oakland 5-yard-line, Raiders intercept Ponder in end zone with 8:10 left. Purple fans stream towards the exits.
2:43: Stupid penalties by the Raiders now about as surprising as seeing an MPR bumper sticker on a Subaru.
2:42: Vikes go for it on fourth and two at midfield. Penalty Raiders. First down.
2:38: Raiders FG try blocked! Is this 1976?
2:37: Crowd, for some idiotic reason, thinks this is a good time to start the wave. Scarier.
2:36: Oakland WR Darius Heyward-Bey leaves on a backboard after getting the back of his head hit by E.J. Henderson’s knee. Scary.
2:23: 62,748 announced attendance (141st sellout at dome). Even after Percy’s TD, quietest 62,748 ever assembled.
2:22: RAIDERS 27, VIKINGS 14 — The Vikes strike back after Ponder hits Percy Harvin on a 26-yard touchdown pass.
2:15: RAIDERS 27, VIKINGS 7 — Janikowski hits another FG, a 26-yarder, to stretch Raider lead to 20 with :51 left in third quarter.
2:10: From Twitter-verse: “L.A. just called Zygi. They said ‘no thanks.'”
2:09: DT Tommy Kelly intercepts Ponder. Raiders take over on Vikings’ 24. Another short field for Oakland.
1:57: Biggest pop of the day (and best Minnesota highlight so far) comes when Sgt. Matt Helget surprises wife and kids on field after returning home from overseas deployment .
1:56: Scoreboard advises crowd to cheer loudly on third and short for the Raiders. Quieter than it’s been in dome … since … last year. Reminds us of a Twins, Gophers, Timberwolves game … from last year.
1:54: From KFAN/BMTN’s Tiny Joe Nelson: “Adrian does not have his helmet on sideline. Likely done for the day.” KFAN also reports the ankle is NOT broken — just bruised.
1:45: Just handed first half stats. Most telling number: Ponder leads all rushers with 84 yards.
1:40: Jim Souhan strikes Twitter with this one: “Small crowd, so quiet in here Ponder can hear Sid saying, Huh?”
1:38: Good news: Raiders haven’t scored during halftime. Bad news: They get the ball first to open second half.
1:27: Funny tweet from Pioneer Press’ Jeremy Fowler: “Well-deserved raining of boos on the Vikings, who will likely fumble or commit a penalty on the way to the locker room for halftime.”
1:26: RAIDERS 24, VIKINGS 7 — Carson Palmer runs it in from the 1-yard-line. Half ends. Boo’s aplenty from the Purple crowd.
1:22: Vikes’ Lorenzo Booker fumbles kickoff. Raiders recover on 16. Things are unraveling quickly.
1:20: RAIDERS 17, VIKINGS 7 — Michael Bush runs it in from the 2-yard-line to give Raiders 10-point lead.
1:18: The latest on Adrian Peterson, from AP.
1:16: Best tweet so far this afternoon, from WCCO’s Mark Rosen: “What a fundamental mess this Vikings team has become.”
1:12: Longwell can’t get kick off on 49-yard FG try after Kluwe can’t handle snap. Ouch.
1:09: Just handed first quarter stats. Best number: 3 personal fouls against Oakland for 42 yards.
1:04: Crowd gets extra morose when it realizes Vikings gave up TD toss to a guy named Chaz.
1:03: RAIDERS 10, VIKINGS 7 — Palmer hits Chaz Schilens for a 12-yard TD strike.
12:49: Ponder picked off by safety Matt Giordano at the 5-yard-line, intended for Percy Harvin — returned to the Oakland 47.
12:48:From KFAN/BMTN’s Tiny Joe Nelson: Peterson carted off field with sprained left ankle. Return? Questionable.
12:45: Christian Ponder scrambles for a big gain down the sideline to midfield as the quarter comes to an end.
12:44: Adrian Peterson hobbles off field. Season-ticket holders hope it’s nothing.
12:39: VIKINGS 7, RAIDERS 3 — Sebastian Janikowski boots a 29-yard FG to get the Raiders on the board with :57 left in the first quarter.
12:28: VIKINGS 7, RAIDERS 0 — Adrian Peterson runs one in from the 12-yard-line to give the Vikings a 7-zip lead with 5:17 to go in first quarter. AP sets Vikings record for most career games with a rushing TD (43).
12:14: IN CASE YOU WERE WONDERING: At the souvenir stand: Vikings’ Santa hat: $25. Vikings’ Heidi braids: $12. Two ideas, as Black Friday approaches.
12:09: Chad Greenway sacks Carson Palmer, stopping Raider drive. In Week 11, it’s his first sack.
12:06: Text from KFAN/BMTN’s Tiny Joe Nelson, in the booth with play-by-play man Paul Allen: “My left sock has a hole in it.” Insight from the booth. Can’t beat it.
12:05: Three-and-out to start the game. Crowd gets quieter.
12:01: Vikes get ball to start the game. Harvin gets it out to the 32.
11:53: Zeppelin intro. Music is loud, but crowd not into it. Noise is noticeably not ear-splitting. Must be that 2-7 record.
11:38: A fair amount of fans in the stands (5 percent?) are dressed in silver and black, the Raiders colors. By and large, they seem more sophisticated, polite, less-drunk and less foul-smelling than, say, your average … Packers fan? But it’s early.
11:36: We are reminded to hold the Vikings accountable for not bringing the girl in this video to tears … again. The clip was all over the Web last week, and for good reason…
