Sam Bradford, Vikings quarterback
When: When Teddy Bridgewater went down with a season-ending knee injury in late August, the Vikings became the latest NFL team to give up a haul for Sam Bradford. They were desperate for help and had little time to find it. But Bradford has quietly surprised, leading Minnesota to two victories and a 3-0 start to the season. Minnesota is now one of five undefeated teams entering Week 4 and will host the Giants on “Monday Night Football.”
What’s up: The Vikings have been one of the biggest surprises of the 2016 season, with a defense that ranks among the league’s best. The Vikings have recorded nine takeaways in the first three games and rank second in average yards allowed per game (265.3). They’ve beaten Aaron Rodgers and Cam Newton and will try to repeat the feat against Eli Manning on Monday.
Background: When the Vikings traded for Bradford in early September, the move was questioned in part because of the price Minnesota paid (a 2017 firstround pick and a 2018 conditional fourth-round pick), but also because of Bradford’s history. It was riddled with injuries and mediocre play. In a total of 21 regular-season games in St. Louis and then Philadelphia from 2013-15, Bradford had 33 touchdowns and 31 turnovers. In his two games with the Vikings, he hasn’t turned the ball over once.
Jhabvala’s take: It’s easy to look back at the September trade for Bradford and poke fun at the initial analysis. The move was surprising because it seemed the Vikings mortgaged their future to acquire a quarterback who simply hadn’t lived up to the price teams had been willing to pay for him. But Bradford was the No. 1 pick in 2010 for a reason. Actually, many reasons. Now he’s showing it, and doing so without Adrian Peterson and with a shaky offensive line.