OAKLAND, CALIF. Vikings' turnovers leave Raiders lusting

Tyrone Wheatley pounded Minnesota as Oakland snapped a five-game losing streak.
By TOM WILLIAMS
VINDICATOR SPORTS STAFF
OAKLAND, Calif. -- The Minnesota Vikings' inability to hang on to the ball and play adequate run defense sent the NFC North Division leaders to their fourth consecutive loss.
The Oakland Raiders (3-7), the defending AFC champions, snapped a five-game losing streak by converting two first-half turnovers into touchdowns then pounding the Vikings with tailback Tyrone Wheatley for a 28-18 victory Sunday at Network Associates Coliseum.
"When you turn the ball over six times in this league, you don't win," Vikings (6-4) coach Mike Tice said. "Our guys played hard to the end, but ..."
Mirer gets job done
Rick Mirer, the Raiders' third-string quarterback who was elevated to starter after injuries to Rich Gannon and Marques Tuiasosopo, completed 9-of-13 passes for 195 yards.
"He managed the game well," Raiders coach Bill Callahan said. "He kept us in manageable down and distances."
The Vikings were in trouble immediately. On the game's second offensive play, Raiders cornerback Phillip Buchanon intercepted quarterback Daunte Culpepper's first pass and returned it 62 yards for Oakland's 7-0 lead.
After Minnesota's Aaron Elling kicked a 35-yard field goal, Raiders linebacker Napoleon Harris slammed Culpepper, forcing a fumble recovered by defensive tackle Rod Coleman at the Minnesota 1. Running back Zack Crockett scored on the next play for a 14-3 lead.
The Raiders opened the second half by exploiting the Vikings' vulnerable run defense, marching 74 yards on seven plays. Crockett's 44-yard pickup set up Wheatley's 2-yard touchdown to give Oakland a 21-3 lead.
Wheatley rushed 32 times for 109 yards.
"It comes together with your boys up front," said Wheatley after the Raiders' first 100-yard rushing game of the season.
QB troubles
Culpepper completed 27-of-49 passes for 396 yards, but was intercepted three times and fumbled twice.
Raiders cornerback Charles Woodson credited the defensive line for "a good job of pressuring Culpepper by not letting him sit back in the pocket."
Late in the third quarter, Culpepper brought the Vikings back into the game by engineering a four-play, 70-yard drive capped by an 11-yard touchdown run.
Midway through the fourth quarter, the Vikings cut the Raiders' lead to 21-18 after Culpepper made two long completions to wide receiver Kelly Campbell.
The first one covered 46 yards as Campbell went to his knees to haul in the underthrown pass.
On the next play, Campbell split the Raiders' secondary and pulled in Culpepper's 28-yard pass into the end zone. Under fire, Culpepper scrambled before hitting Hunter Goodwin with a two-point conversion pass with 8:32 to play.
The Vikings defense collapsed, allowing the Raiders to march to the 3. Culpepper threw two incomplete passes from the end zone, then was picked off by safety Rod Woodson.
Bottom line
"We made the plays we had to down the stretch," Woodson said. "This is the best game we've played."
Crockett's second touchdown on a 2-yard run sealed the Raiders' win.
The Raiders limited Vikings wide receiver Randy Moss to four catches for 24 yards, all in the first half.
"We really need to go back to the drawing board," said Moss after their lead over Green Bay (5-5) was reduced to one game. "We have the guys to do it. We need to see if we can get on some kind of winning streak."
williams@vindy.com