Steelers vs. Vikings: Takeaways from 2015 Pro Football Hall of Fame Game

Sunday's Hall of Fame Game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and Minnesota Vikings proved one thing for certain.

The 2015 NFL season is officially here.

Sure, Sunday's matchup was only the preseason opener, and meaningful games are still more than a month away. However, the game marked the first time since the Super Bowl that fans got a chance to watch players in pads going up against an opposing team.

Though much of the game may have been played by guys who won't survive final roster cuts, it was still football—which should make NFL fans extremely happy. In addition to providing some entertainment, the game also gave us an opportunity to gain a little insight into the two teams involved.

Let's take a look at some key observations from Sunday night's preseason opener, which resulted in a 14-3 Minnesota victory.

Teddy Bridgewater Appears in Midseason Form

Joe Robbins/Getty Images

Vikings quarterback Teddy Bridgewater was poised and accurate as a rookie in 2014, completing 64.4 percent of his passes in 2014, and he appears ready to pick up right where he left off.

On Minnesota's first offensive drive, Bridgewater led his unit all the way down to the Pittsburgh 10-yard line before the Vikings were stuffed on 4th-and-1. Had this been an actual game, Minnesota would have likely gone for the field-goal attempt.

Bridgewater showed plenty of veteran traits during the drive. He worked through his progressions well, moved around the pocket with ease and was accurate with the football. His only incompletion came on a low-ball throw Mike Wallace couldn't haul in.

Fans also got a look at Bridgewater's athleticism when he took off for a nice six-yard scramble. He finished the drive completing five of six passes for 44 yards. Four different receivers caught passes on the drive.

Ryan Shazier Is 100 Percent Healthy

Keith Srakocic/Associated Press

Steelers linebacker Ryan Shazier had a disappointing rookie season in 2014, primarily due to injuries. The former first-round pick suffered knee and ankle maladies last season and missed seven games in total. 

Though Shazier did show some flashes of potential, the injuries seemed to rob him of the quickness and playmaking ability that defined his Ohio State career.

If Sunday's action gave us any real indication, Shazier is healthy and as fast as ever. 

Shazier was flying all over the football field on Sunday, making plays against both the run and the pass. He finished the game with four tackles and nearly made an impressive diving interception in the middle of the second quarter. 

“I just want to do whatever I can to help the team become great,” Shazier said earlier this month, per Teresa Varley of Steelers.com. “I feel like I am going to have a great season."

As long as he can remain healthy, Shazier should definitely be in store for a better season than he had last year.

The Vikings Have Some Playmakers at Tight End

Andy King/Associated Press

The Vikings could end up with a dangerous set of tight ends in 2015.

On Sunday, fifth-year tight end Kyle Rudolph showed that he is ready to put his injury-plagued 2014 campaign behind him. He caught two passes for 22 yards on Minnesota's first offensive series and moved with quickness and fluidity.

The big surprise, however, was rookie tight end MyCole Pruitt. The Southern Illinois product showed his speed when he broke free for a 34-yard touchdown reception in the second quarter. According to Matt Vensel of the Star Tribune, Pruitt's quickness and receiving ability opened eyes back in minicamp.

Pruitt finished Sunday's game with four receptions for 51 yards and showed why his abilities are going to be a Vikings asset in the coming year. 

Dri Archer Can Be a Factor in 2015

Don Wright/Associated Press

Pittsburgh running back Dri Archer didn't see the field much as a rookie in 2014. In fact, he only touched the football 17 times on offense during the regular season.

However, the speedy Kent State product could see a much more significant role this season, if Sunday's game was any indication.

Archer carried the ball four times for 24 yards for an impressive six-yards-per-carry average. He also hauled in six passes for another 33 yards and returned a punt and kick during the game. His punt return went 34 yards.

“That was definitely big to be able to get a return out past the 30,” Archer said of the return, per Ed Bouchette of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. “It felt great.”

If the Steelers want to use Archer as a multidimensional threat, it appears that the second-year back has the tools to succeed. He might prove especially valuable while starting back Le'Veon Bell is serving his two-game suspension to start the season.

Trae Waynes Is a Work in Progress

Jim Mone/Associated Press

Minnesota rookie cornerback Trae Waynes showed off some of his trademark quickness and physicality on Sunday night, but he also made some typical rookie mistakes.

The 11th overall pick in this year's draft, Waynes is the type of press cornerback who should fit perfectly into Mike Zimmer's defense eventually. On Sunday, however, he was beaten often and was flagged twice—once for pass interference and once for defensive holding.

It appeared that Waynes was overly aggressive, which left him susceptible to double moves and led to the defensive penalties. This is a common problem for cornerbacks coming into the league, and one that Waynes can correct as he gains more professional playing experience.

All this means at this point is that Waynes is likely to enter the season behind veterans like Xavier Rhodes and Terence Newman on the depth chart. It's going to be fun to see what kind of progress he can make over the next month of the preseason and if he can make a leap up the depth chart.

Landry Jones Still Has Work to Do

Tom E. Puskar/Associated Press

The Steelers selected former Oklahoma quarterback Landry Jones in the fourth round of the 2013 draft, hoping he could be a long-term backup to Ben Roethlisberger. However, Jones has had difficulty doing that.

On Sunday, we got a look at why he remains No. 3 on the depth chart.

With Roethlisberger and backup Bruce Gradkowski watching from the sideline, Jones was allowed to play the entire game. He finished just 16-for-32 with 135 yards. 

Jones was inaccurate and inconsistent for much of the night. He also seemed to have some difficulty moving to avoid pressure in the pocket. To be fair, though, his night would have looked better had rookie tight end Jesse James not dropped an easy one-yard touchdown pass on 4th-and-goal in the second quarter.

ESPN's Jeremy Fowler wrote the following of Jones' night:

"

Jones had a meh night—not many glaring errors but nothing overly impressive as he completed 12 of his first 22 passes for 113 yards. He did nothing to change his No. 3 quarterback standing behind Ben Roethlsiberger and Bruce Gradkowski. The Steelers need to see more, though he was throwing to second- and third-stringers. 

"

Jones still has upside, to be sure, but he also has work to do before a guy like Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin is likely to trust him as Roethlisberger's understudy.

Jesse James Makes a Poor First Impression

Don Wright/Associated Press

Speaking of rookie tight end Jesse James, it's worth mentioning that his Steelers debut didn't go quite as well as he'd probably hoped.

The 6'7" and 254-pound tight end did haul in two passes for nine yards, but he also had a pair of critical drops that turned the tide of the game.

We already mentioned the first—a drop at the goal line that would have resulted in a Pittsburgh touchdown. The other drop went into Vikings linebacker Brian Peters' hands. Though the play was officially ruled a fumble and a recovery, it was the result of James not securing the football.

This should be a learning experience for James, who has the size and physical tools to work his way up the depth chart. The rookie is going to have to prove he can be a trustworthy target.

Stefon Diggs Is Living Up to the Hype

Dominic DiSaia/Associated Press

Rookie fifth-round pick Stefon Diggs has been generating quite a bit of noise with the Vikings this offseason.

According to Mike Wobschall of Vikings.com, the former Maryland receiver has been making plays in virtually every practice. Vikings wide receivers coach George Stewart recently called Diggs a "more athletic" version of one talented former Viking, per Ben Goessling of ESPN.com.

"He's very similar to Percy Harvin when Percy came out," Stewart said. "Same type of athlete but more athletic."

Well, Diggs certainly didn't disappoint in his NFL debut. Though he only hauled in two passes for 14 yards, Diggs showed off his athleticism during an explosive 62-yard punt return.

He burst through the punt coverage, effortlessly weaving between would-be tacklers during his return. He ended up maybe a foot away from the end zone by the time the play was over. The Vikings scored on the very next play.

If Diggs doesn't make his mark as a wide receiver in 2015, he will certainly have an opportunity to shine on special teams.

Minnesota Is Going to Have a Lot of Weapons on Offense

Tom E. Puskar/Associated Press

We already know that the Pittsburgh Steelers have one of the league's most potent offenses. Pro Football Focus rated the Steelers third overall offensively in 2014.

After watching the Vikings on Sunday, one gets the feeling that Minnesota could be joining Pittsburgh as one of the league's better offensive teams. At the very least, Bridgewater and Co. are going to have plenty of offensive playmakers.

Rookies such as Stefon Diggs and MyCole Pruitt stole much of the spotlight on Sunday, but veterans, including Jarius Wright and Jerick McKinnon, also made their mark. In total, 11 different Vikings caught passes in the 2015 Hall of Fame Game.

It is going to be exciting to see what this offense is capable of when Bridgewater and Adrian Peterson are finally on the field together.

Steelers Kicker Shaun Suisham Suffers Potentially Serious Injury

Keith Srakocic/Associated Press

One of the primary preseason goals of every NFL team is to make it through exhibition contests healthy. Unfortunately, the Steelers failed to do that on Sunday.

Veteran kicker Shaun Suisham left the game in the third quarter after injuring himself trying to make a special-teams tackle. According to ESPN's Jeremy Fowler, Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin called the injury "potentially significant" after the game.

This is not good news for the Steelers, who have relied on Suisham for the past five seasons. Suisham has appeared in every regular-season game since arriving in Pittsburgh.

If there is good news to be found in the situation it is that the Steelers will have four more preseasons games to audition kickers if Suisham is forced to miss an extended period of time.