Minnesota Vikings (2-0) quarterback Teddy Bridgewater missed his team’s second preseason game of the year with a sore shoulder, but is expected back on Sunday against the San Diego Chargers (1-1) to properly break in his team’s new $1.1 billion venue. U.S. Bank Stadium, which could reach decibel levels damaging to people’s long-term hearing, is nonetheless sold out for the 2016 season.
Chargers vs. Vikings 2016 live stream: Time, TV schedule and how to watch online
The Vikings are set to play at U.S. Bank Stadium for the first time ever, and Teddy Bridgewater will play.
Bridgewater, who resumed practicing on Tuesday, completed 6 of 7 throws in his first game against the Cincinnati Bengals for 92 yards and a touchdown on a 49-yard play to receiver Charles Johnson.
Running back Jerick McKinnon is the player to watch for Minnesota. The third-year back out of Georgia Southern sits behind starter Adrian Peterson on the depth chart, but Peterson won’t play in preseason. McKinnon, who ran for a 1-yard touchdown last week, averaged 5.2 yards per attempt last season and scored a pair of touchdowns.
“The third year is a big year and I want to find a way to make plays for my teammates,” said McKinnon. “I’m not really overemphasizing anything, I’m just letting it loose and having fun with it and and whatever happens, happens.”
The Chargers won’t be seeing any of first-round pick Joey Bosa, who hasn’t signed a contract yet, in what could be the biggest NFL storyline this month. But one of Bolts From the Blue’s players to watch in Week 3 of preseason play is running back Melvin Gordon, the team’s first-round pick last year.
Despite a massively disappointing rookie season in which he didn’t score a single touchdown, Gordon has shown promise this preseason. In two games he’s rushed for 62 yards on seven carries, highlighted by a 44-yard touchdown in Week 1 against the Tennessee Titans.
The end of the quarterback depth chart is also up for grabs and competition will heat up, especially with the first round of cuts coming on Tuesday. Undrafted rookie Mike Bercovici, who started as the last man on the chart, completed 9 of his 13 throws last week for 108 yards, while Kellen Clemens has connected on 19 of 25 throws across the last two weeks for 230 yards. Zach Mettenberger, who was picked off on just eight throws in Week 1, didn’t take a snap last week.
With most starters likely to take their last snaps of the preseason this week, there’ll be plenty to see as U.S. Bank Stadium opens its doors for the first time ever, and the action will air nationally on Fox.
How to watch
Time: 1 p.m. ET
Location: U.S. Bank Stadium, Minneapolis
TV: Fox
Announcers: Kevin Burkhardt, John Lynch
Online: NFL Game Pass
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