MINNEAPOLIS -- The Minnesota Vikings have tried to stockpile speed in their wide receiver corps, and they showed how much of it they had in a few big plays on Saturday night in a 28-14 win over the Dallas Cowboys. Teddy Bridgewater's deep throw to Mike Wallace provided an element of the offense the Vikings have been developing in practices before the season, and Cordarrelle Patterson offered a powerful reminder of his big-play potential, if only as a return man right now.
QB depth chart: The Vikings took Bridgewater out of the game after little more than a quarter of work, and Bridgewater seemed like he didn't need much more. He hit all seven passes he attempted, and connected on a 39-yard pass to Wallace after changing the play at the line of scrimmage. Shaun Hill was 6-for-8, though he threw an interception on a deep ball for Stefon Diggs. The Vikings have said they plan to keep three quarterbacks -- though it's conceivable they'd put the third one on the practice squad -- and Taylor Heinicke again played before Mike Kafka. The undrafted free agent played behind spotty pass protection, but hit all 11 of his passes.
Maybe that dude could start: He doesn't appear to be in line to be a starting receiver, but in case anyone needed a reminder of what a dynamic return man Patterson is, he provided one on Saturday. He brought a kickoff out from six yards deep in the end zone, picked up a solid block from Matt Asiata and raced 107 yards to the end zone for his first return TD since his rookie season. It's the second-longest of Patterson's career, behind his 109-yarder against the Green Bay Packers, and it should serve as a reminder of what he can do with the ball in his hands. That hasn't been the issue for him as a receiver -- the Vikings need him to be more consistent as a route-runner -- but he remains an important part of the team because of how good he is as a return man.
Who got hurt? Punter Jeff Locke left with a right ankle injury after he was hit on a first-half punt, but returned to the game in the second half.
A surprise player who impressed: Running back Dominique Williams, who's stuck on the Vikings' depth chart at the position, did his best to show he should stick around. Williams banged into the end zone with a good second effort on a three-yard touchdown run. He carried six times for 25 yards, and caught another three passes for 30 yards.
Rookie watch: Linebacker Eric Kendricks played into the second half, as the Vikings tried to get the rookie some additional work. Kendricks' speed was on full display, as he hauled down Darren McFadden a yard short of a first down in the first half. Right tackle T.J. Clemmings held up well in pass protection again, and would seem to be in line to start at right tackle. Seventh-round pick Edmond Robinson was impressive in the second half, showing his speed and range at linebacker. And the Vikings kept first-round pick Trae Waynes in the game well into the second half; the cornerback got beat on a long throw to Terrance Williams, though the receiver couldn't come down with the ball in bounds. Waynes seemed to play well otherwise.
When it was starters vs. starters, the Vikings looked… : Impressive on offense, though Captain Munnerlyn's holding penalty extended the Cowboys' first drive on a third-and-13 and irked coach Mike Zimmer. Safeties Harrison Smith and Robert Blanton also took each other out of the play on Williams' 60-yard touchdown, and finished with 88 yards passing on eight attempts. But Bridgewater's performance, and the job the Vikings have done protecting him, has to have the team feeling good heading into the final week of the preseason.
One reason to freak out: Kicker Blair Walsh missed another field goal on Saturday night, pulling one wide left from 43 yards. Walsh hit his other two attempts on Saturday, but for the preseason, Walsh is now 4-for-9 on field goals. He'd also missed an extra point last week against Oakland. He's got one more preseason game to get out of his funk before missed kicks start meaning a lot more.
Extra work for nickel D: Zimmer said this week he didn't ascribe to the idea of the second-to-last preseason game being a "dress rehearsal," and the Vikings treated it differently than most teams do. They took their defensive starters out in the second quarter, but the Vikings apparently wanted to get some extra work for their nickel defense. They put their top nickel group in for a third down on the first series after removing their starters, and with the Vikings trying to get rookie linebacker Eric Kendricks acclimated to the nickel, the decision made sense.
Construction worker remembered: The Vikings played Saturday night with "JG" decals on the backs of their helmets, honoring Jeramie Gruber after the Berwald Roofing employee died from a fall he sustained while working on U.S. Bank Stadium on Wednesday. The Northfield, Minn., man was 35.