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.

AROUND THE NFC NORTH

— 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.

SOMETHING TO THINK ABOUT

Of all the NFL wide receivers who have been targeted at least nine times in the preseason, no one has been more efficient than Adam Thielen. According to Pro Football Focus, he has been targeted nine times, catching seven of them for 104 yards and a touchdown. Quarterbacks have a 151.9 passer rating when throwing his way, tops this preseason. Granted, Thielen is playing against second-stringers and it’s a small sample size. But it does suggest that maybe he can bring more to the Vikings than just special teams.