Sometimes things even turned out right when they looked to be going wrong. The Week 3 of the 2016 NFL Preseason is typically the contest in which the presumed starting players gets most of the snaps. The third preseason game is when the starters get the most playing time, and is considered the dress rehearsal for the regular season.
Advertisement
The touchdown put the Vikings up for good at 12-10. Stefon Diggs caught five passes for 71 yards, all in the first half. The best part of his day was at the end of the first half, when Teddy drove the team down the field and fired a bullet to Kyle Rudolph for a touchdown.
This should mean second-year cornerback Trae Waynes, the Vikings’ first-round pick in 2015, will get the start opposite veteran Terence Newman at the right corner spot.
The Minnesota Vikings will be playing in their new stadium, as the franchise moved into U.S. Bank Stadium for the 2016 National Football League regular season. Dalton found Giovani Bernard for a 19-yard score on a third-down play, and then Jeremy Hill capped a 9-minute drive with a 1-yard scramble to the pylon.
The Vikings have been able to win without their stars and at least have Bridgewater today against a suspect defense. Mackenzie Alexander and Jayron Kearse also had productive days, with each grabbing one of the Vikings’ three interceptions on the day (Harrison Smith had the other).
With Adrian Peterson resting on the sideline, Jerick McKinnon rushed eight times for 56 yards for the Vikings. The Jaguars have slid over Luke Joeckel, the second overall pick in the 2013 draft, to left guard in attempt to solidify an offensive line that allowed an NFL-high 122 sacks the last two years.
Teddy Bridgewater was sharp in his return from a sore shoulder, completing 12 of 16 passes for 161 yards and a touchdown in the first half for the Minnesota Vikings in a 23-10 exhibition victory Sunday over the San Diego Chargers in the official unveiling their new stadium. His blocking was poor, and he also had a fumble in the first half.
On the field, Zimmer lauded the play of Bridgewater, was pleased to see the Vikings run for 122 yards, and generally liked the play of the defense. Quarterback Philip Rivers did not play in the win over the Cardinals, and in a Week 1 loss to the Tennessee Titans, Rivers finished 2-for-3 passing for 64 yards, including a 44-yard touchdown to running back Melvin Gordon.
Advertisement
Minnesota Vikings running back C.J. Ham (30) carries the ball during the fourth quarter in a preseason game against the San Diego Chargers at U.S. Bank Stadium.
