There isn't much we can take out of the first preseason game of the 2015 NFL season. Both Ben Roethlisberger and Adrian Peterson were sitting as the Pittsburgh Steelers took on the Minnesota Vikings Sunday night in Canton.
In what is the first of FIVE preseason games for both teams, the starters who did see the field didn't play too long. And once the second half started, training camp fodder took over in a game that will in no way resemble what these two teams look like when Week 1 comes calling in about a month.
This doesn't mean there's absolutely nothing to take away from the game.
Second-year Vikings quarterback Teddy Bridgewater started the game. He also played pretty darn well in limited snaps, which might be an indication that the young quarterback has indeed improved off what was a solid rookie campaign. Our own Luke Inman has been down at Vikings camp all summer, and his reports has told us a story of a young quarterback that looks to be more in control of the game than he was as a rookie.
That was on fully display in the two series that Bridgewater played Sunday night:
Outside of the impressive stats, Bridgewater showed plus-level pocket awareness in the face of a couple break downs from the offensive line. He understood where to step away from pressure in order to find a lane to throw through. In addition to this, the former Louisville standout did a tremendous job progressing through his reads in the limited action he saw. And outside of an inaccurate pass to Mike Wallace on an intermediate route, was perfect on the evening
This might be a small sample size, but it's definitely a good start for Teddy and company.