OAKLAND, Calif. – The mistake-prone Minnesota Vikings sure made it easy for the Oakland Raiders to forget all their off-field problems.

Phillip Buchanon scored on a 64-yard interception return 49 seconds into the game and third-string quarterback Rick Mirer calmly directed the Raiders to a 28-18 victory Sunday. Oakland ended a five-game losing streak and sent the Vikings to their fourth straight defeat.

Daunte Culpepper passed for 396 yards and a touchdown and ran for another score. But his mistakes far outweighed his contributions as Minnesota (6-4) lost for the second straight week in California to a team with a losing record.

With two fumbles and three interceptions, he had five of his team’s six turnovers after Minnesota came into the game with only nine giveaways all season.

Aaron Elling also missed two field goals.

Buchanon, who scored a touchdown for the second straight week, also had a drive-killing interception in the end zone in the third quarter.

Browns 44, Cardinals 6

CLEVELAND – A tumultuous week for the Cleveland Browns ended with another shocker: A blowout win.

The Arizona Cardinals can come back and visit any time.

Kelly Holcomb passed for 392 yards and three touchdowns and the Browns showed no signs of disarray, rolling to a 44-6 rout Sunday over the embarrassingly inept Cardinals.

James Jackson had two TD runs and Phil Dawson kicked three field goals for the Browns (4-6), who came into the game with three straight losses and seemingly in turmoil.

On Tuesday, coach Butch Davis released wide receiver Kevin Johnson – Cleveland’s leading receiver – and on Thursday the NFL suspended star running back William Green four games for violating the league’s substance abuse program.

But the Browns showed no after effects, and it certainly helped that they were facing the Cardinals (3-7).

Arizona didn’t cross midfield until late in the first half, were outgained 235-60 by halftime and finished with just 10 first downs.

Cleveland outgained Arizona 481-187 in total yards.

Holcomb finished 29-of-35, and his 392 yards were the fifth highest in team history.

The 44 points were the Browns’ most since returning to the league in 1999, and it was Cleveland’s most lopsided win since a 51-0 rout of Pittsburgh in the 1989 opener.

Arizona has lost 10 straight road games.

Holcomb spread the ball around to his talented trio of wideouts, hitting Andre’ Davis, Dennis Northcutt and Quincy Morgan with his scoring tosses.

Morgan’s 68-yard TD reception, in which he outran two Arizona defenders for the final 40 yards, put Cleveland ahead 34-6 in the third quarter.

Jackson’s 4-yard run on the second play of the fourth quarter made it 41-6, but Butch Davis didn’t back off and left his offensive starters in until the end.

Andre’ Davis, who had replaced Johnson in the starting lineup last week, had a career-high seven catches for 117 yards and one TD. Morgan finished with 116 yards, giving Cleveland two receivers with more than 100 yards in a game for the first time since 1983 (Ozzie Newsome, Ricky Feacher).

Arizona quarterback Jeff Blake went 9-of-21 for 121 yards before being lifted early in the fourth quarter for Josh McCown.

The Browns scored on their first four possessions, and if not for bogging down on two drives inside Arizona’s 20-yard line in the first half and settling for field goals, Cleveland would have led by more than 20-3 at halftime.

Holcomb, who went 16-of-20 for 176 yards in the first half, completed a 4-yard TD pass to Andre’ Davis late in the second quarter to make it 10-0.

The score was set up by Browns safety Earl Little, who intercepted a pass by Blake that went off the hands of wide receiver Bryant Johnson.

And after Arizona’s offense went three-and-out, Dawson capped an 11-play drive with a 24-yard kick that made it 13-0.

Again, the Cardinals failed to pick up a first down, and Holcomb’s 1-yard pitch to Northcutt gave Cleveland a 20-0 lead.

AP-ES-11-16-03 1617EST