Oakland Raiders Minnesota Vikings
The Oakland Raiders and Minnesota Vikings are both looking to avoid their first preseason loss of 2015. Getty

The Oakland Raiders are set to visit the Minnesota Vikings on Saturday night in Week 2 of the 2015 NFL preseason. Oakland won their first exhibition game last week, but Minnesota has already played two games this year, going 2-0.

Oakland nearly shut out their opponent in Week 1 of the preseason, beating the St. Louis Rams, 18-3. Minnesota has beaten both the Pittsburgh Steelers and Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Injury News

Oakland has high hopes for third-round pick Clive Walford, but a hamstring injury has kept the tight end off the field for most of training camp. Wide receiver Andre Holmes has a broken hand, and it could force him to miss Week 1 of the regular season. Tight end Lee Smith and wide receiver Rod Streater missed the preseason opener, but both returned to practice this week.

While the Raiders have been relatively healthy in training camp, the same can’t be said for the Vikings. Right tackle Phil Loadholt is done for the season, having suffered a torn Achilles tendon. Also banged up on the offensive line is center John Sullivan, who missed practice with spasms. Tight end MyCole Pruitt and safety Antone Exum sat out Wednesday’s practice with injuries. Cornerback Josh Robinson is on the PUP list with a partially torn pectoral muscle.

Players to Watch

Amari Cooper wasted no time making an impact in his NFL debut, and he has a chance to put up even bigger numbers on Saturday night. The wide receiver caught three passes for 22 yards on the Raiders' first drive of the season, leading to a field goal. The rookie could play into the second quarter against the Vikings, giving him more time to show why he might be the best player that was drafted this year.

Trae Waynes was taken No.11 overall by Minnesota in the 2015 draft, and he’s looked every bit like a rookie in two preseason games. The Vikings are hoping the cornerback has learned from some of the mistakes he’s made in his limited time on the field, racking up penalties and getting beaten on multiple pass plays.

Where to Watch

The contest is set to begin at 8 p.m. ET. Fans can watch the game locally on FOX 2 in Oakland and FOX 9 in Minnesota.

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