ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. — Vikings cornerback Trae Waynes didn’t even last one defensive series in Thursday night’s preseason opener.

Waynes suffered an injured right shoulder on the second play, and was lost for the 17-10 win over Buffalo at New Era Field.

Waynes declined comment after the game. Vikings coach Mike Zimmer does not believe the injury is serious.

“Just a sore shoulder, I guess,” Zimmer said.

Waynes is seeking to become a starter in his third season after Newman primarily held the job the past two seasons. Newman, who turns 39 next month, has said he would have no problem stepping aside for Waynes.

The Vikings early in the third quarter lost running back Bishop Sankey for the game with a right knee injury. He was on the field for several minutes before being helped off, and Zimmer said he would have an MRI on Friday.

“I’m not sure,” Sankey, wearing a brace and on crutches after the game, said of the severity of his injury. “I just got to get it checked out. Just when I cut, I felt something.”

Seven Minnesota players did not dress for the game. They were defensive end Brian Robison, running back Latavius Murray, tackle Riley Reiff, wide receiver Laquon Treadwell, running back Jerick McKinnon, linebacker Kentrell Brothers and cornerback Jabari Price.

Robison missed practice Tuesday for undisclosed reasons. Murray is still recovering from ankle surgery. Murray, who grew up 150 miles east in Onondaga, N.Y., said Tuesday he would not make the trip after practicing just twice since being activated Monday off the physically unable to perform list and being limited to individual drills.

Reiff, replaced by Rashod Hill, suffered a back injury July 27 in the first full-squad workout of training camp and missed a week and a half. He returned to practice last Monday and Tuesday, but participated only in individual drills.

Treadwell, who has missed the past week of practice with a left thigh injury, and Brothers, who has missed two weeks with a hamstring injury, weren’t expected to play. McKinnon has missed some recent practice time with a right leg injury and Price has missed time with an undisclosed ailment.

SPECIAL TEAMS BATTLES

In the battle to be the Vikings’ punter, Taylor Symmank got off to a great start.

The rookie got the first punt Thursday, and boomed a 60-yard that wasn’t returned. He had five punts in the game for a 44.4 average.

Symmank’s competition, Ryan Quigley, averaged 38 yards on two punts.

The Vikings also have competition to be the kicker between Kai Forbath and rookie Marshall Koehn. The team tried one field goal, and Forbath made it from 36 yards out. Both kickers made their only extra-point attempt.

In the battle to be the kickoff returner, rookie Rodney Adams got all three attempts and averaged 21.7 yards. Also in the mix are rookie Stacy Coley and Marcus Sherels, who is entrenched as the punt returner.

“These games are a learning process, and this whole journey is a learning process,” said Adams, who also had two catches for 12 yards and two punt returns for 11 yards.

Overall, Zimmer said the special teams “played well.”

“We flipped the field position a few times, did a good job covering, did a good job with the kicks,” he said.

COLEY STEPS UP

Zimmer recently said that Adams and Coley have a leg up among the young receivers battling to make the team. Coley might have taken the lead Thursday over Adams.

Coley caught three passes for 67 yards. He had a 38-yard grab and a diving catch at the 2-yard line early in the third quarter that set up a touchdown run on the next play by C.J. Ham.

“Quarterback (Case Keenum) made a good play, I feel like I made a god play,” Coley said.

In the competition with Adams to be the kickoff returner, Coley expects he will get an opportunity to show what he can do in the next preseason game, Aug. 18 at Seattle.