Carson Palmer threw one touchdown and ran for another in his 100th career start Sunday as the Oakland Raiders hung on for a 27-21 victory over the Minnesota Vikings, who lost Adrian Peterson with a left ankle injury.
Peterson was helped off the field early in the second quarter and was eventually transported to the locker room on a cart. Peterson, who did not return, had a 12-yard touchdown run in the first quarter. X-rays were negative.
Palmer finished 17 of 23 for 164 yards as the Raiders (6-4) maintained their one-game lead in the AFC West.
Rookie quarterback Christian Ponder was 19 of 33 for 211 yards with two touchdowns and three interceptions – two near the Oakland goal line – for the Vikings (2-8).
Ponder’s 1-yard touchdown pass to Kyle Rudolph with 5:08 left brought Minnesota to within 27-21 and came one play after a 37-yard completion to tight end Visanthe Shiancoe, which immediately followed a fumble by Oakland’s Michael Bush.
The Raiders scored two touchdowns in the final 1:23 of the first half, both off Vikings turnovers. Bush’s 2-yard run capped an eight-play, 57-yard drive after a bad hold foiled Minnesota’s 48-yard field goal attempt.
Palmer’s 1-yard touchdown run with 8 seconds left came four plays after Lorenzo Booker fumbled the ensuing kickoff and gave Oakland a 24-7 halftime lead. Bush finished with 109 yards rushing and has averaged 115.3 yards in four games since Darren McFadden went down with a foot injury.
Oakland wide receiver Darrius Heyward-Bey left the game in the fourth quarter after he was inadvertently kneed in the head by the Vikings’ E.J. Henderson.
Oakland | Minnesota | |
Michael Bush | Player | Christian Ponder |
30 | Attempts | 5 |
109 | Yards | 71 |
3.6 | Avg Yards | 14.2 |
1 | Touchdowns | 0 |
28 | Long | 28 |
Oakland | Minnesota | |
Darrius Heyward-Bey | Player | Percy Harvin |
4 | Receptions | 6 |
43 | Yards | 73 |
10.8 | Avg Yards | 12.2 |
0 | Touchdowns | 1 |
20 | Long | 26 |
Yards | Scoring | Defense | ||||||
Team | Tot | Rus | Pas | TD | FG | INT | Sck | FF |
Oakland | 301 | 162 | 139 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 5.0 | 1 |
Minnesota | 311 | 124 | 187 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 4.0 | 0 |