The first preseason game is an opportunity to make a great first impression.
Back in 1995, legendary Denver Broncos running back Terrell Davis made a great impression on the first kickoff of the first game. He leveled the return man and set the tone for his Hall of Fame career.
While the story of rookie fifth-round pick Ty Chandler has yet to be written, his NFL career certainly looks to be off to a great start after his performance in Sunday’s preseason opener against the Las Vegas Raiders.
On his first play, Chandler showed great patience and explosiveness on a simple zone run.
#Vikings rookie RB Ty Chandler picks up 14 yards on his first preseason carry pic.twitter.com/3LvvWfvi9O
— Will Ragatz (@WillRagatz) August 14, 2022
He had a couple more nice runs on that drive as well.
His most impressive play came on a kick return after the Raiders scored a touchdown to take a 16-6 lead.
Ty Chandler giving his offense a short field. 😤 @Channdler_35
📺: #MINvsLV on @NFLNetwork (check local listings)
📱: Stream on NFL+ https://t.co/sIL5rVJL5k pic.twitter.com/zD67bZtym9— NFL (@NFL) August 14, 2022
Chandler showed great contact balance at the beginning when he got blown up. He bounced the return to the right and took it 56 yards. That return led to a Kellen Mond touchdown pass to Albert Wilson.
