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The Minnesota Vikings won their fourth straight game on Sunday, 21-18 over the St. Louis Rams in overtime, and they are tied for first place in the NFC North after the Green Bay Packers‘ loss to the Carolina Panthers. But the Vikings came out of the game with a notable loss, as quarterback Teddy Bridgewater suffered a concussion after a late hit early in the fourth quarter.
Rams’ defensive back Lamarcus Joyner is surely going to be fined for the hit that knocked Bridgewater out of Sunday’s game, and the second-year quarterback has to immediately be considered questionable for a Week 10 road trip to take on the Oakland Raiders. It’s obviously not ideal if Shaun Hill has to start games, but the Vikings’ formula for winning will not change if Bridgewater is out for one or multiple games.
Hill was just 2-for-6 for 15 yards after taking over for Bridgewater on Sunday, and the Vikings’ offense bogged down after he entered the game. But Minnesota’s core principles of a strong defense and a solid running game allow the quarterback to essentially be a game manager, and Hill can at least do that and hold up his end of the equation.
Bridgewater has had some good moments this season, but he has been mostly mediocre behind an offensive line that has struggled to protect him adequately. Hill doesn’t have Bridgewater’s mobility, which has helped the Vikings’ offense keep the chains moving at times, so that has to be a big concern if Hill has to start games going forward.
With a tough stretch of games coming, time will tell if the Vikings have staying power in the NFC playoff race. Being without Bridgewater at all will hurt Minnesota’s effort to earn a playoff spot, but it doesn’t have to be a death knell.
Brad Berreman is a Senior Writer at Rant Sports.com. Follow him on Twitter.
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