Minnesota Vikings Place Matt Cassel On IR

The Minnesota Vikings depth chart took a hit this morning as the team placed quarterback Matt Cassel on the injured reserve – ending his season. Per Adam Schefter of ESPN, the decision was made this morning, just days after Cassel fractured his foot in the early part of their game against the New Orleans Saints.

In his limited time this season, Cassel was shaky at best. He got off to a hot start, leading the Vikings to a 34-6 opening day victory against the St. Louis Rams, throwing for two touchdowns on a 68% completion rate. Unfortunately, that was about the only good that we have seen from Cassel this season. He followed his week one performance with a dreadful game, where he threw four interceptions in a blowout loss to New England.

While you never want to see your leader go down, the Minnesota Vikings have full confidence in his replacement – Teddy Bridgewater. The team used their first round choice in this past draft on Bridgewater, making him the fourth quarterback selected in the first round in Minnesota history.

During Sunday’s game, Bridgewater filled in decently. He didn’t turn the ball over, which is always a good sign and he also was able to make a few plays using his legs. Things get a little more difficult this week, however. In his first career start Bridgewater will face an Atlanta Falcons team that is fresh off a 56-14 thrashing of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Good luck, Rook.