Minnesota Vikings: Dark cloud hangs over preseason finale
By Dan Zinski
The Minnesota Vikings end their preseason slate on Thursday night, but the game seems extra-pointless after Teddy Bridgewater’s injury.
Preseason games never mean anything except to the handful of players battling for jobs. But Thursday night’s preseason game feels more meaningless than most.
Don’t feel bad if you want to skip tonight’s game altogether. Who’s in the mood for crummy preseason football so soon after Teddy Bridgewater’s horrific practice field injury?
The Vikings’ hopes for a Super Bowl run seemingly came to an end when Bridgewater’s ACL snapped, causing dislocation of his upper and lower leg-bones.
Not to mention the personal ramifications for Bridgewater, by all accounts a delightful human being.
I know what Mike Zimmer would say: “The players still have to go out there and do their jobs.”
That’s true, and the players no-doubt will do their jobs. But with heavy hearts and distracted minds.
More from Minnesota Vikings News
- Former Vikings first-round pick could reportedly return to NFC North
- Bears analyst has extremely embarrassing Kirk Cousins take
- 6 Vikings who (maybe) won’t make the 53-man roster in 2023
- Predicting what the Vikings will do in the 2023 NFL Draft based on 2022
- Vikings have reportedly begun extension talks with T.J. Hockenson
Many fans who watch, either on TV or inside U.S. Bank Stadium, will experience a similar hollowness.
It’s hard to get jacked up over the prospect of extended Joel Stave action in light of what has transpired.
The situations aren’t exactly alike of course, but the current mood can’t help but remind one of the pall that descended over the Vikings in the wake of Korey Stringer’s death.
Stringer’s tragic demise on the practice field seemed to knock all the starch out of the Vikings that year and they limped to a 5-11 season.
Bridgewater isn’t dead of course, and he’ll still be able to show up to games and root on his team, so in one way it’s not really right to compare the present circumstances those that ensued after Stringer passed.
Nevertheless, one can’t escape the feeling that right now football seems secondary.
Next: Michael Vick not the answer
It’s hard to get too stoked over watching third-stringers battle third-stringers knowing that Teddy Bridgewater is not coming back this year.
It’s always a little hard to find reasons to get excited about fourth preseason games, but this year it’s almost impossible.
Don’t blame your favorite Vikings fan if he/she decides to click off the set and turn in early. It’s understandable.