Sam Bradford opens U.S. Bank Stadium
Welcome to the 25 SKOL’s of Christmas!
Similar to Freeform’s 25 Days of Christmas, this holiday season we will be looking back at various moments in Vikings’ history.
It’s that simple. The holidays can be a trying time for some people and we want to put a smile on people’s faces by reminiscing about some truly joyous times in Vikings’ history.
The sixteenth SKOL Christmas gift from the Vikings was Sam Bradford, who opened up the U.S. Bank in an amazing fashion.
It felt like the 2016 season was destined to be something special. The Vikings had won NFC North in the previous year, and the team was already integrating with a rookie quarterback. Mike Zimmer’s team was falling into place.
Unfortunately, things didn’t play out perfectly. Two weeks before opening day, Teddy Bridgewater injured his knee in an accident. The Vikings were in serious trouble. Their backup plan was Shaun Hill and that’s not good enough for a team that was primed to make a Super Bowl run.
The Vikings traded a first-round and fourth round pick to the Philadelphia Eagles in exchange for Sam Bradford. The move was seen as a panic one at the time and, while it didn’t work on long-term for the Vikings, it did give us some incredible moments but none of them were better than his first start in a Vikings uniform.
The Vikings defeated the Tennssee Titans 25-16 in week one. In week two, they hosted the Green Bay Packers for their first regular season match at the new U.S. Bank Stadium.
After being acquired by the team just 17 days prior, Bradford didn’t just start the game, he looked like the future of the franchise. He ran the offense like he’d been there for years and not just for a few weeks. He was constantly slinging the ball around, including touchdowns to Stefon Diggers and Kyle Rudolph.
The Vikings went onto win 17-14 in Bradford’s first start but injuries derailed the team’s ultimate path to success. Despite his short time due to his own injuries, Bradford’s highlights will always be some of the best in Vikings’ history.
Previous SKOL’s of Christmas:
Drafting Randy Moss
Vikings 1997 Wild Card Comeback
Jarius Wright Walks Off the Jets
Jared Allen Traded to Vikings
Adrian Peterson Sets Rushing Record
Brett Favre Revenge Tour
Bud Grant Rocks a Polo in Freezing Temperatures
Adrian Peterson Stiff Arms Defender to Oblivion
Anthony Carter Dominates the 1987 Playoffs
Kirk Cousins’ First Major Comeback
Randy Moss Dominates Monday Night Football
Tuesday Night Joe Webb
Randy Moss Laterals to Moe Williams
Miracle At The Met
Cris Carter catches number 1,000
Resurgence of Randall Cunningham