Are Sam Bradford, Stout Defense Enough to Propel Vikings to NFC North Title?

The Minnesota Vikings were always supposed to contend in 2016, but the 2015 NFC North champions were considered contenders heading into the year primarily because of young quarterback Teddy Bridgewater and superstar running back Adrian Peterson. 

Two weeks into the 2016 season, Bridgewater and Peterson are both injured. The former tore his ACL during a preseason practice and won’t play all year; the latter had just 50 rushing yards on 31 carries early this season before suffering a knee injury Sunday night against the Green Bay Packers. 

No. 1 overall pick-turned-journeyman Sam Bradford (25 total wins and zero playoff appearances six years into his career) is now the quarterback, and there are clear concerns about the running game regardless of how badly Peterson is hurt. The four-time first-team All-Pro is, after all, 31 years old. 

But the Vikings still lead the NFC North with a 2-0 record after Bradford completed all but nine of his 31 passes for 286 yards and two touchdowns in a turnover-free victory over the rival Packers Sunday night. 

Despite the fact Peterson and his backups, Matt Asiata and Jerick McKinnon, averaged just 1.85 yards per carry on 20 attempts, Bradford was able to consistently find blossoming second-year wide receiver Stefon Diggs downfield. He completed six passes of 15 yards or more against a defense that ranked sixth against the pass last season. 

Share Tweet

It was the type of performance that causes you to wonder if the Vikings—roundly mocked by fans and pundits for giving the Philadelphia Eagles a 2017 first-round pick and a premium pick in 2018 in exchange for a guy many saw as an injury-prone bust—actually saved their season by acquiring the oft-maligned signal-caller. 

Sure, it’s just one game. Bradford entered the 2016 season with a career passer rating of 81.0, which was lower than the 85.0 rating belonging to Bridgewater’s original replacement, Shaun Hill. He missed 31 games during his first five years with the St. Louis Rams, and he lasted just a single season with the …

continue reading in source www.bleacherreport.com