Kellen Mond throws 2 TDs, Vikings drop preseason opener to Raiders
After sitting out his rookie season, Kellen Mond made the most of his opportunity on Saturday afternoon, throwing a pair of touchdowns in the Minnesota Vikings' 26-20 loss to the Las Vegas Raiders.
Mond came into the game midway through the second quarter and looked shaky on his opening drive. After missing Bisi Johnson and Trishton Jackson for a pair of potential touchdowns, Mond appeared to get his legs underneath him after halftime, throwing a two-yard touchdown to Albert Wilson in the third quarter.
Mond's confidence grew in the fourth quarter as he went 5-for-5 for 71 yards before finding Wilson for his second touchdown of the day.
It was a solid afternoon overall for the second-year quarterback, who finished with 119 yards and two touchdowns through the air. While Mond had something to prove, it was Sean Mannion who drew the start, albeit without several familiar faces.
Kirk Cousins was ruled out after testing positive for COVID-19 on Friday afternoon, but several starters including Dalvin Cook, Justin Jefferson and Adam Thielen were on the sidelines for the preseason opener.
Mannion did have the benefit playing behind the Vikings' starting offensive line, but it didn't provide outstanding results. Mannion was sacked on the opening drive after Jesse Davis appeared to miss a block on Malcolm Koonce, but the veteran rebounded to lead Minnesota on a field goal drive on his second possession.
Mannion finished 8-for-12 for 66 yards, but didn't seem to move the offense as well as Mond did.
While the two quarterbacks made their bids to climb the depth chart, the Vikings' running backs also stood out. Kene Nwangwu and Ty Chandler showed their explosiveness, combining for 91 yards on 12 carries and establishing Minnesota's presence on the ground.
On the other side of the ball, defensive tackle Harrison Phillips recorded a sack on the opening drive and T.Y. McGill followed suit, picking up a pair of sacks in the second half.
Unfortunately, the Vikings' defense bent a little too much with Jarrett Stidham leading the Raiders to a pair of scores on their first two drives -- including a four-yard rushing touchdown in the first quarter.
Although the Vikings got more comfortable as the game went on, they also committed eight penalties for 71 yards leading them to their first loss of the preseason.
Minnesota will look to tighten things up when they host the San Francisco 49ers next Saturday.
