Vikings notes: Greenway mourns loss of father but tries to play through

Miami – Vikings linebacker Chad Greenway played with a heavy heart on Sunday, two days after the death of his father. Alan Greenway, who lived in Mount Vernon, S.D., died Friday night after battling leukemia for more than two years. He was 56.

Chad Greenway, who leads the Vikings in tackles for the seventh consecutive season, had three more Sunday before leaving the game in the third quarter because of an injured knee.

"That's not what I had in mind flying to Miami and playing this football game," Greenway said. "It just makes matters worse."

Greenway bent his right leg backward and heard a pop in his knee that sidelined him for the rest of the game. He wore a brace around his right knee after the game.

Greenway was excused from Friday's practice to be with his father in South Dakota. After consulting with his family, Greenway said he made the difficult decision to travel with the team and play.

"Chad cares about the Minnesota Vikings an awful lot, and that's what he told me his father would want him to do was go play," Vikings coach Mike Zimmer said.

The game was a temporary distraction, but Greenway looked forward to returning home to be with his family. He was very appreciative of the Vikings organization for assisting him during a difficult week.

Funeral services for Alan Greenway will be Tuesday in Mount Vernon. He is survived by his wife of 38 years, Julie; three children, and six grandchildren.

Quarterback Teddy Bridgewater returned to the Sunshine State and was the brightest spot on the team in its loss on a punt blocked for a safety in the final minute.

The Miami native had his fourth consecutive game completing more than 70 percent of his passes. Bridgewater went 19-for-26 for 259 yards and two touchdowns. His only interception was on a pass that deflected off running back Matt Asiata's hands.

The rookie finished with a quarterback rating of 114.1, marking the third time in the past four games Bridgewater's had a rating more than 100.

"Four or five years ago, I was a senior at Miami Northwestern [High] watching Dolphins games and attending Dolphins games," Bridgewater said. "To be able to play against those guys today was a great feeling, being able to play against your hometown team. At the end of the day, we didn't do what we came down here to do so it won't be such a great feeling."

"Most of the time I thought [Bridgewater] did a good job scrambling out of the pocket," Zimmer said. "I thought he made some great throws. I thought he played with composure. I thought he continued to do all of those things."

The Vikings struggled to cover running backs and tight ends once Greenway left the game in the second half, so they turned to rookie Brandon Watts during the Dolphins' final drive. Four plays into the drive, Watts limped to the sideline because of a left hamstring injury.

Watts said he'll get an MRI on Monday, but he felt his hamstring pop when he chased running back Damien Williams in motion.

"It was unfortunate, but I've just got to keep pushing forward," Watts said. "I was happy to be able to go out there and play a little bit but just keep pushing forward, get healthy and look forward to next year."

Watts was active for the first time this season last week, but this was his first big opportunity to step in on defense with rookie linebacker Anthony Barr out for the season.

Safety Harrison Smith recorded his fifth interception this season, but he was more upset about the one he dropped. Dolphins quarterback Ryan Tannehill threw a ball right at Smith in the first quarter, but he bobbled the pass.

"I should have made two big plays," Smith said. "Maybe that would be changed the outcome."

Smith's interception came in the second quarter. He blitzed off the right edge, the same side as the Dolphins' screen play, and timed his jump to corral Tannehill's pass. Smith is the first Viking since 2005 to reach five interceptions in a season.