Vikings Edge Steelers in Hall of Fame Game

The first NFL game since Super Bowl XLIX took place on Sunday as the Minnesota Vikings and Pittsburgh Steelers faced off in the annual Hall of Fame Game. As expected, the contest was a far cry from the epic encounter we saw when the Patriots and Seahawks collided on the game’s grandest stage.

The Vikings emerged with a 14-3 victory in front of the pro-Steelers crowd, improving to 5-0 in preseason games under head coach Mike Zimmer.

“Wish I was 5-0 in the regular season,” Zimmer said afterwards.

The highlight of the game came early, as reigning Rookie of the Year Teddy Bridgewater was extremely impressive on the game’s opening drive. He completed 5-of-6 passes for 44 yards, his lone miss coming on third down and stalling an otherwise flawless possession.

The Vikings would get their points later, though, in the form of a touchdown pass from Mike Kafka to MyCole Pruitt and a 1-yard dive from Joe Banyard.

Banyard, Matt Asiata and DuJuan Harris split the carries for the Vikings as Adrian Peterson watched from the sidelines, as is the norm for him during preseason play.

The Vikings didn’t need many points to distance themselves from the Steelers, who sat QBs Ben Roethlisberger (rest) and Bruce Gradkowski (sore arm), leaving third stringer Landry Jones to go the distance. Jones completed just 50 percent of his passes and saw his team shut out in the second half.

“I just wanted to see a winning performance,” said Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin. “We come into these situations to win. August or no, that’s what we’re looking for — not only in [Jones] but all of us collectively. He’s got room for improvement. Obviously, some of the game-management things, delays of game, we can’t have.”

Eight Enshrined into Hall of Fame

The Vikings-Steelers game was the cap to an emotional weekend in Canton, Ohio. Eight legendary players were inducted into the Hall, including former Steelers great Jerome Bettis, Raiders legend Tim Brown and the late, great Junior Seau.

Seau’s children unveiled his bust and daughter Syndey conducted an on-stage interview afterwards, a compromise that was struck after Hall of Fame officials cited a policy for inducting players posthumously that prevented Sydney from formally introducing her father.

The compromise was well received, as Sydney’s words were as powerful as any spoken throughout the weekend.

“You gave us your time, your presence, your love, but most of all you gave us your heart,” Sydney said. “I know at times it seemed like everything you accomplished in life wasn’t enough, but today and every day since you held me in your arms for the first time, you were more than just enough, you were everything and I hope this induction can exemplify the fact that you are more than just Junior Seau, 55 and a buddy. You are a light and I want nothing more than to see you come on stage, give the speech you were meant to give, give me a hug and tell me you love me one last time, but that isn’t our reality.”

Other than Sydney, Brown’s speech may go down as the night’s most emotional. Brown, who had to wait six years to finally get elected, spoke for more than 30 minutes on a variety of topics, including praising the “power of positive people” in his life.

Brown’s patience has been tested throughout his career. He averaged less than 30 catches per season over his first five years in the league, but then ripped off nine consecutive 1,000-yard campaigns. The accomplishment is even more spectacular given the inglorious list of quarterbacks he was paired with — he rattled off all 20 of their names as a part of his speech.

Also inducted into the Hall of Fame were Chuck Haley, Mick Tingelhoff, Will Shields and executives Ron Wolf and Bill Polian.

Shields, who made 12 consecutive Pro Bowls during his dominant career with the Chiefs, offered an important message for today’s NFL players: “When the opportunity presents itself in your life, choose to be the difference-maker in this village.”

Gifford Dies at 84

Frank Gifford, known to modern fans more for his legendary broadcasting skills than his Hall of Fame career with the New York Giants, died suddenly of natural causes on Sunday.

“We rejoice in the extraordinary life he was privileged to live,” the Gifford family said in a statement, “and we feel grateful and blessed to have been loved by such an amazing human being.”

Gifford made the Pro Bowl eight times at three different positions: running back, receiver and defensive back. He was also well known for his ability to throw the ball as part of New York’s halfback option pass. He won the MVP award in 1956, leading the Giants to their fourth championship that year.

Gifford was blessed to work with one of the best coaching staffs of all time, one that featured Vince Lombardi and Tom Landry as offensive coordinator and defensive coordinator, respectively.

“Frank Gifford was the ultimate Giant,” Giants president John Mara said in a statement released by the team. “He was the face of our franchise for so many years. More importantly, he was a treasured member of our family. My father loved him like a son and was proud to act as his presenter for the Pro Football Hall of Fame, a favor Frank returned years later by presenting my father in Canton. For my siblings and me, Frank was like a revered older brother whom we looked up to and admired. We loved him and will miss him terribly.”

Gifford’s time with the Giants was superceded only by his time in the broadcast booth. He teamed with Howard Cosell and Don Meredith to form the greatest broadcasting trio in the history of Monday Night Football. His work on the microphone earned him an induction into the Sports Broadcasting Hall of Fame, proving his do-it-all skills extended well beyond the gridiron.

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