NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Vikings linebacker Eric Kendricks looked pretty good Sunday for a guy who admitted being rusty.
Kendricks missed the entire preseason after suffering a hamstring injury early in training camp. He returned Sunday to bring back an interception 77 yards for a touchdown and have six tackles, including one for loss, in Minnesota’s 25-16 win over Tennessee in the opener at Nissan Stadium.
“I can’t say there wasn’t any rustiness, but I’m going to get back and correct my mistakes,’’ said the second-year man.
Kendricks’ interception return late in the third quarter gave the Vikings the lead for good at 12-10. It was his first touchdown since he returned an interception 37 yards in UCLA’s 2014 opener at Virginia.
“It was good to get back in the end zone,’’ he said.
BRIEFLY: Vikings safety Harrison Smith, from Knoxville, had eight tackles, including one for loss, in the first NFL game he has played in his home state. He also had an interception nullified by a penalty. “This is a good way to start (the season),’’ he said. … Cornerback Captain Munnerlyn’s brother, Timothy Moore, paroled last year after serving 19 years in prison for murder, saw him play in person for the first time. “He was so excited to be here,’’ Munnerlyn said.
