4 most disappointing Vikings in the Week 2 loss to the Cardinals

Dede Westbrook – PR

Dede Westbrook was a signing the Vikings made late, which got many fans excited. He was seen as a great option to be the third wide receiver, but he also would give the team a veteran punt returner with a proven track record. His addition to that unit was seen as a significant upgrade over what the Vikings put on the field last season.

Westbrook confirmed those thoughts with his performance as the punt returner in Week 1. He didn’t do anything spectacular but fielded the ball cleanly and busted off a solid return or two. His performance against the Cardinals was a little more baffling.

Westbrook opted to field a punt inside the ten and then zig-zagged backward about six times until he was just about in the endzone. He narrowly avoided a safety on the play, but it put the Vikings on the two-yard line to start a critical drive. Why he fielded that punt in the first place made no sense, let alone run all that way backward. Perhaps the dude was just trying to make a play, but he’s a veteran and should know better.

The crazy thing was later, he fielded another punt inside the 10, but this time called for a fair catch. Westbrook is definitely a more sure thing as the punt returner, but his decision-making in the game against the Cardinals was disappointing and dumbfounding.