Access Vikings morning walkthrough: Bridgewater's lofty goal, Hodges to get a start in the middle and more

Every weekday, we walk you through what's going on with the Vikings.

WHAT YOU MIGHT HAVE MISSED

— Can Teddy Bridgewater do what only a few quarterbacks have done before? That would be completing 70 percent of his passes.

— Gerald Hodges will start at middle linebacker in the team's base defense Saturday, but rookie Eric Kendricks will still have a role in the nickel.

— Center John Sullivan has not practiced in a week, but coach Mike Zimmer said the Vikings are "just being cautious" with the leader of the line.

— Is tight end Chase Ford valuable enough to actually be trade bait?

— In this week's Access Vikings podcast, Michael Rand and I discussed Blair Walsh's struggles, the long snapper situation, the status of other position battles, which NFC North team has the best wideouts and more.

— Wide receiver Alshon Jeffery remains sidelined with a calf injury, but the Bears are only concerned with him being back for the regular season.

— The Packers have lost their top wideout, Jordy Nelson, to a torn ACL. Despite that, do they still have an abundance of talent at the position?

— Lions outside linebacker Kyle Van Noy is looking at another lost season.

TODAY'S VIKINGS SCHEDULE

You know the drill. Morning walkthrough. Podium. Practice at 12:50 p.m.