Vikings Flashback: Minnesota rolls past Titans in 2016 opener
By Ali Siddiqui
In their last meeting with the Tennessee Titans, the Minnesota Vikings came away with a win.
On Sunday, the 0-2 Minnesota Vikings and 2-0 Tennessee Titans are set to face off inside U.S. Bank Stadium.
The Vikings have had a rough start to the year so far and they really need to win this week to give their season some hope. Starting the year with an 0-3 record would put Minnesota in an even bigger hole.
There is still plenty of time for the Vikings to turn things around. But another loss may very well all but end their hopes of doing that. Sunday’s game is an absolute must-win situation. Against the Titans, Minnesota has won the past two meetings and they lead the all-time series 9-4.
The Minnesota Vikings began 2016 with a win over the Tennessee Titans
The last time these two teams faced each other was in the 2016 season opener at Tennessee.
Shaun Hill started under center for the Vikings and he completed 18 of his 33 pass attempts for 236 yards. Minnesota running back Adrian Peterson rushed for just 31 yards on 19 carries, Stefon Diggs had seven receptions for 103 yards, and Kyle Rudolph finished with four catches for 65 yards.
Hill started for the Vikings in this matchup since Sam Bradford was acquired just two weeks earlier following the devastating knee injury to Teddy Bridgewater. Following the win over the Titans, Bradford went and started the remaining 15 games for Minnesota.
On defense, Vikings pass rusher Danielle Hunter recorded a sack and he also returned a fumble 24 yards for a touchdown. Minnesota linebacker Eric Kendricks also put points on the board when he returned an interception 77 yards for a touchdown.
For Tennessee, quarterback Marcus Mariota completed 25 of his 41 pass attempts for 271 yards, two touchdowns, and an interception. Titans running back Demarco Murray only had 42 yards on 13 carries and Tajae Sharpe ended his day with seven receptions for 76 yards.
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In 2016, the Vikings began the season 5-0 before finishing with an 8-8 record. Minnesota ended up missing the playoffs after going 11-5 the year before and winning the division.