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EAGAN http://www.indianapoliscoltsteamonline.com/bobby-okereke-jersey , Minn. (AP) — The Minnesota Vikings sputtered into the second quarter of their season after a concerning and humbling performance by their well-decorated defense in Los Angeles, raising questions about whether this team was still among the NFL’s elite and in contention for the Super Bowl.Sure, that game came against the thriving Rams, the league’s only unbeaten team behind an offense that has been borderline-unstoppable.This is the kind of challenge that coach Mike Zimmer’s group has so risen to, though, so the total of 556 yards posted by the Rams in that 38-31 victory was a jarring sight nonetheless. Zimmer went so far afterward as to bluntly declare he’d never overseen pass defense that poor in his entire career.Three games later, well, order has been restored.The Vikings defense has forced eight turnovers and allowed just five touchdowns while limiting opponents to only four conversions on 32 third-down plays. Not coincidentally, the Vikings won all three games. That included the 37-17 decision on the road against the New York Jets on Sunday.“It’s definitely a mindset,” defensive tackle Sheldon Richardson said. “Definitely got back to it. We’re just trying to compile wins any way possible.”The turnaround has come just in time, too, because the Vikings (4-2-1) host Drew Brees and the New Orleans Saints (5-1) this weekend. His will be a far more daunting presence than the past two games against still-developing rookies Sam Darnold of the Jets and Josh Rosen of the Arizona Cardinals.“This guy’s amazing,” Zimmer said, “When you talk about Hall of Fame quarterbacks http://www.jacksonvillejaguarsteamonline.com/jawaan-taylor-jersey , obviously he’s going to be one, but he’s very cerebral, accurate. He’s moving well in the pocket. I was watching tape today on him like, ‘How old is this guy?'”Brees, for the record, will turn 40 in less than three months. The Vikings could be trying to defend against his aerial attack with a 21-year-old, Holton Hill.With fellow rookie Mike Hughes out for the season with a knee injury , Hill was summoned to play on the outside at right cornerback after Xavier Rhodes sprained his ankle in the fourth quarter against the Jets. On the next play, Hill intercepted Darnold’s pass to set up a touchdown drive.“All the guys were saying, ‘All right, Hollywood, now it’s your time. Don’t let us down. Do you what you do. It’s just like practice,'” Hill said. “They gave us the defensive call, and the next thing I know http://www.jacksonvillejaguarsteamonline.com/gardner-minshew-ii-jersey , the ball is coming into my hands. Man, it was a blessing.”With Terence Newman done playing and part of the coaching staff, the Vikings can be grateful they were able to acquire Hill after aggressively pursuing him after the draft.The product of Texas was not picked after a positive drug test at the NFL scouting combine, according to an NFL Network report.Rhodes was not seriously injured, Zimmer said, but there’s no position where depth is more valuable than cornerback, particularly when Brees and the Saints are coming to town. Zimmer credited Rhodes, Trae Waynes and Marcus Sherels for their work with Hill and the other young players at the position.“I wouldn’t say Holton has everything down pat, but you know he’s got a lot of physical attributes that can translate into being a good corner, and now we’re working on continuing to get better with technique, getting better with fundamentals, getting better with the knowledge of the game,” Zimmer said. ALAMEDA, Calif. (AP) — Derek Carr missed Jalen Richard on a third-down pass in the second quarter and immediately heard all about it from coach Jon Gruden as he walked to the Oakland Raiders sideline.Carr was caught on television yelling right back at his coach in an exchange that repeated itself again in the fourth quarter and prompted many outsiders to point to it as a symbol of how bad things have gotten in this lost season for the Raiders.To Carr and Gruden http://www.losangelesramsteamonline.com/darrell-henderson-jersey , it’s just a regular occurrence between two passionate people that just happened to be caught on camera during a 23-21 win for Oakland (2-8) over Arizona on Sunday.“I don’t have a ‘no yelling’ sign on the sideline,” Gruden said Monday. “Things happen. We get excited down there. I get excited when we get a first down. Get excited when you work on something all week and it doesn’t work out. I get excited when he makes big plays, too. That’s just part of football. I think cameras can catch things sometimes that maybe make things look a little bit peculiar, but that happens.”The first run-in between Carr and Gruden happened late in the second quarter when the Raiders went three-and-out after the missed throw down the sideline to Richard. Tight end Lee Smith ended up trying to play peacemaker, grabbing Gruden at one point in what he later acknowledged was a mistake.Carr was surprised the whole situation became such a big deal.“It’s not the first time him and I have been that way. We’re both very fiery,” Carr said Sunday. “A lot of people don’t see that in me, right? All the time. We’re both very fiery, we’re both very competitive. Minor disagreement on something and the beautiful thing is that when we do that, it’s never like a demeaning thing, or pointing a finger. It’s just, we’re both yelling the same kind of thing almost. It’s us both saying let’s fix it kind of deal. Again, it’s not the first time, I doubt it’ll be the last time, but everything’s good http://www.minnesotavikingsteamonline.com/irv-smith-jr.-jersey , I promise.”There was only more frustration later in the quarter when Carr called back-to-back timeouts, leading to a delay of game penalty that helped thwart a drive.The bickering continued in the fourth quarter after a third-down pass to Seth Roberts came a yard short of a first down, leading to another punt.Gruden said he can be outwardly supportive or critical depending on the situation.“I’m a big cheerleader sometimes,” he said. “I’m very positive a lot of the time. Every once in a while, I think you have to make your points in some different ways. Sometimes raising your voice. I look ridiculous to some people, but I want urgency. I want to have some urgency to get things right. It doesn’t mean I’m always right, either. Derek pointed that out to me yesterday. So be it.”The Cardinals then took the lead on the ensuing drive and the Raiders failed to generate a first down on two straight possessions, leading to rare punts in the final four minutes by a trailing team.But thanks to some poor penalties by Arizona and botched clock management, the Raiders got one last chance and made it pay off by driving 63 yards in the final 1:53 thanks to a 32-yard pass to rookie Marcell Ateman and a 20-yarder to Roberts that set up Daniel Carlson’s game-winning 35-yard kick.NOTES: The Raiders placed WR Brandon LaFell (Achilles) on IR and signed WR Keon Hatcher off Green Bay’s practice squad. Hatcher had three TD catches for Oakland in the preseason finale. … WR Saeed Blacknall was released Monday. … WR Jordy Nelson could return to practice this week after missing a game with a knee injury. … RB Doug Martin should be OK this week after missing the second half with an ankle injury.