National Football League

Vikings QB Bridgewater hurts ankle in 1st start

Published Sep. 28, 2014 8:32 p.m. ET

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Teddy Bridgewater's first NFL start ended early.

The rookie passed for 317 yards and a key 2-point conversion before hurting his ankle in the fourth quarter of a 41-28 win over the Atlanta Falcons 41-28 on Sunday.

Bridgewater was 19 for 30 with no turnovers and ran five times for 27 yards and a score, but his last carry was costly. His left foot rolled underneath him as he was sandwiched by two tacklers at the 1-yard line. Matt Asiata powered his way in on the next play for a touchdown, and Bridgewater stayed in to zip a crisp pass to Rhett Ellison to push the lead to 35-28.

As Bridgewater was taken away on a cart for X-rays, Christian Ponder took over at quarterback. Bridgewater was back on the sideline before the end of the game, with Ponder the only healthy quarterback left on the active roster.

Bridgewater replaced Matt Cassel in last week's loss at New Orleans when the veteran broke his left foot.

The already banged-up Falcons offensive line was decimated by injuries in the game. The Falcons lost three starting linemen in the first three quarters, forcing them to play tight end Levin Toilolo at right tackle in the fourth.

Left guard Justin Blalock left the game in the second quarter with a back injury, right tackle Lamar Holmes went out with a right foot injury in the third quarter, and center Joe Hawley had to be taken off the field on a cart with a right leg injury at the end of the third.

The Falcons were already missing left tackle Sam Baker, who was lost for the year in the preseason to a right knee injury.

Another rookie quarterback, the Raiders' Derek Carr, injured his left ankle and knee in the third quarter of a 38-14 loss to the Miami Dolphins in London.

Carr was 16 for 25 for 146 yards with one touchdown and one interception. With backup Matt Schaub at home in Oakland, Matt McGloin replaced Carr.

Already short-handed at linebacker, the Raiders lost Kaluka Maiava early in the game.

San Francisco 49ers tight end Vernon Davis left a 26-21 win over the Philadelphia Eagles early in the third quarter with a back injury.

Davis made a 5-yard catch in the flat, and as he was being pulled down by one defender he was struck in the back by another and went down in pain. He got up holding his back, then went back down before he was helped to the locker room, clearly uncomfortable.

Davis had returned this week after sitting out last Sunday's loss at Arizona with a left ankle injury.

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AP NFL websites: http://www.pro32.ap.org and http://www.twitter.com/AP-NFL

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