Eden Prairie, MN (September 13, 2017) – Vikings QB Sam Bradford has been named NFC Offensive Player of the Week for his performance against New Orleans in the season opener. He went 27-of-32 passing for 346 yards with 3 TDs, 0 INTs and a 143.0 passer rating en route to a 29-19 win.
Bradford set his career-high with a 143.0 passer rating and set a Vikings record for highest completion percentage in a season opener at 84.4%, also raking as the 3rd-best completion mark in NFL history in a season opener. Bradford is only the 3rd Vikings QB to pass for 300+ yards in an opener. Playing behind an offensive line with 5 new starters and rookie starters at center and running back the Vikings amassed 470 yards of total offense and were 9-of-14 (64%) on 3rd-down conversions without a turnover. The Vikings produced a 100-yard rusher (Dalvin Cook, 127), a 100-yard receiving (Adam Thielen, 157) and a 300-yard passer for the 1st time in team history in an opener and for the 10th time overall in franchise history.
The NFC Player of the Week award is the first of Bradford’s career and he is the first Vikings QB to take the honor since Brett Favre in the 2009 regular season finale vs. NY Giants (1/3/10). Bradford is the 11th different Vikings player under Mike Zimmer to win an NFC Player of the Week award.
VIKINGS TO BE NAMED NFC PLAYER OF THE WEEK UNDER ZIMMER
Defensive
Anthony Barr, LB
2014, Week 8, at Tampa Bay
Special Teams
Adam Thielen, WR
2014, Week 13, vs. Carolina
Special Teams
Marcus Sherels, PR
2015, Week 8, at Chicago
Defensive
Linval Joseph, DT
2015, Week 9, vs. St. Louis
Defensive
Terence Newman, CB
2015, Week 10, at Oakland
Special Teams
Blair Walsh, K
2015, Week 16, vs. NY Giants
Defensive
Everson Griffen, DE
2015,Week 17, at Green Bay
Defensive
Eric Kendricks, LB
2016, Week 1, at Tennessee
Offensive
Stefon Diggs, WR
2016, Week 2, vs. Green Bay
Defensive
Everson Griffen, DE
2016, Week 3, at Carolina
Defense
Xavier Rhodes, CB
2016, Week 11, vs. Arizona
Offense
Sam Bradford, QB
2017, Week 1, vs. New Orleans