Vikings without Garrett Bradbury, Marcus Davenport against L.A. Chargers
Garrett Bradbury #56 of the Minnesota Vikings in action against the New York Giants during their game at MetLife Stadium on October 06, 2019 in East Rutherford, New Jersey. (Al Bello / Getty Images)
MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) - The Minnesota Vikings host the L.A. Chargers in a battle of 0-2 teams on Sunday at U.S. Bank Stadium, a game you can watch on FOX 9, and they’ll again be without Garrett Bradbury and Marcus Davenport.
Bradbury will miss his second straight game with a back injury, suffered during the second series of the season-opening loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Austin Schlottmann will get the start at center in his absence. Newest offensive lineman Dalton Risner is active, and there’s definitely a chance he’ll see the field against the Chargers.
Davenport, an edge rusher the Vikings signed in free agency, will miss his third straight game with an ankle injury. Also inactive Sunday is Cam Akers, who the Vikings traded for on Wednesday, but he hasn’t had enough time with the offense to be ready for Sunday’s game. Jaren Hall will serve as the emergency quarterback and not count against the active roster.
While it’s only Week 3, Sunday feels like a must-win game for the Vikings. Since 2007, 125 teams have started 0-2, and just 12 have made the playoffs. The Vikings have lost two games to start the season by a combined nine points, and are minus-6 in turnover margin with six lost fumbles and one interception.
A loss Sunday, and an 0-3 start becomes a tall mountain to climb to make the postseason.
The Vikings are also honoring former tight end Kyle Rudolph, who recently announced his retirement from the NFL after 12 seasons, his first 10 in Minnesota. He returned to the Twin Cities earlier this week to officially retire with the Vikings.