The Teddy Bridgewater Thread

[PurpleMustReign]

I think Cam is extremely overrated. He looks good because he can run the ball effectively. However, he doesnt impress me at all when it comes to throwing the ball

I would love it if Teddy had Cam's arm though.

[mansquatch]

Cam is a legitimate threat with his legs and he is starting to find a sweet spot in mixing in enough passing to keep defenses honest which lets him make the most of his athletic talents. He is never going to be a Peyton Manning though. Still, if their defense can play at a high level he can give them enough plays to win games. The question is if he can do that deep into the playoffs. The most important thing for Cam to do, IMO, is take care of the football and not compromise his defense.

TB had more inconsistency today. Mike Wallace delivered on several plays today and TB wasn't able to make the connection. That guy should have had a 100+ yd receiving day with at least 1 TD. Teddy missed him or passed into the dirt. This is the stuff Teddy needs to fix. If he starts making these plays we'll go from being a 10-6 team to 12-4 or 13-3 team.

[dead_poet]

One must also consider Cam's awful, awful receiving options. It's not a stretch that Cam would be having more success through the air if he had our receivers.

[J. Kapp 11]

One must also consider Cam's awful, awful receiving options. It's not a stretch that Cam would be having more success through the air if he had our receivers.

Cam HAS had more success through the air. Threw for 4,000+ yards as a rookie when he had Steve Smith on the roster.

The guy is a quarterback, not just a passer. He leads and wins, even if it isn't always pretty. Lotta respect for Cam.

I see leadership and winning qualities in Teddy, but he doesn't have Cam's physical gifts. He has limited arm strength, so he needs to make great decisions quickly and consistently in order to be successful. He doesn't always do that. But I'm not giving up on him ... yet.

[J. Kapp 11]

Here's a good article by Greg Cosell about Teddy's strengths and weaknesses. I think it does a great job of using film study to sum up what TB needs to do to succeed.

Read the article.

[Mothman]

Here's a good article by Greg Cosell about Teddy's strengths and weaknesses. I think it does a great job of using film study to sum up what TB needs to do to succeed.

Read the article.

Thanks for the link. I think Cosell is being generous in suggesting Bridgewater's only real weakness is his arm strength but he's right about the strengths. I'm inclined to say Bridgewater is a "low ceiling" NFL QB, not a "high-ceiling" player, but time will tell.

[fiestavike]

Thanks for the link. I think Cosell is being generous in suggesting Bridgewater's only real weakness is his arm strength but he's right about the strengths. I'm inclined to say Bridgewater is a "low ceiling" NFL QB, not a "high-ceiling" player, but time will tell.

Indeed it will. One thing I'll say is that there is no QB I would rather have as the Vikings QB than Teddy. Such a classy and quality guy. He's easy to pull for and that's not something to take for granted this day and age.

[mansquatch]

I really think we just need to watch the games play out. To me it is about how many plays Teddy makes or doesn't make and I do not think it is going to be this sudden shift, rather a more gradual progression. The result from this week was "more of the same".

The one thing we saw last year was that Teddy was able to adjust and change his game mid-season. He now needs to do the same thing and take another step. The real question I think we are all asking is if he can take that next step. Time will tell.

[losperros]

Thanks for the link. I think Cosell is being generous in suggesting Bridgewater's only real weakness is his arm strength but he's right about the strengths. I'm inclined to say Bridgewater is a "low ceiling" NFL QB, not a "high-ceiling" player, but time will tell.

I don't believe that lack of arm strength is a big deal for Bridgewater. I've seen him overthrow too many long passes to Wallace to fault that.

The long pass inconsistency has to do with Bridgewater's inaccuracy. Greg Cosell is right to point out Bridgewater lacking touch on the deep throws. Hopefully this is something that can still be corrected with time. The team needs some of the deep passes to connect. It would really be a big lift for the Vikings offense, which still must score more points.

[Mothman]

I don't believe that lack of arm strength is a big deal for Bridgewater. I've seen him overthrow too many long passes to Wallace to fault that.

I think it's an issue. As Cosell put it, Bridgewater "has limited arm strength for an NFL quarterback. To be effective, Bridgewater needs to be a consistently great decision maker, he needs to be precisely accurate, and he needs to be exceptionally bright and aware. And often, he is all of those things."

I think that's a fair assessment. Bridgewater has the arm strength to overthrow Wallace on a deep route but as NFL arms go, his arm strength is just adequate and that shows up when makes throws without proper mechanics.

The long pass inconsistency has to do with Bridgewater's inaccuracy. Greg Cosell is right to point out Bridgewater lacking touch on the deep throws. Hopefully this is something that can still be corrected with time. The team needs some of the deep passes to connect. It would really be a big lift for the Vikings offense, which still must score more points.

Indeed. It's a lift they may need. Right now, this passing game is on par with those we saw during the first couple years of the Childress era. In other words, it's on pace to be one of the worst the Vikings have had since the 16 game schedule was implemented. I think winning has enabled them to avoid a lot of media attention on that fact.

I'm trying to be patient with Bridgewater but the more I watch him, the more I think about the situation, the more it concerns me. He's very much the player he was reported to be coming out of the draft: he's smart, poised and has good intangibles. The game's not too big for him and he's very competitive.

On the other hand, the qualities that caused some scouts to grade him as a second round pick and which caused concern at his pro day are also still evident: lack of touch on the deep ball, accuracy issues, doesn't drive the ball with velocity, footwork issues...

It turns out those weren't just due to an "off" pro day or not wearing gloves. They are all genuine issues with his game. Maybe they can be fixed but it appears very little progress has been made in fixing them and that really worries me.

[Lars]

Thanks for the link. I think Cosell is being generous in suggesting Bridgewater's only real weakness is his arm strength but he's right about the strengths. I'm inclined to say Bridgewater is a "low ceiling" NFL QB, not a "high-ceiling" player, but time will tell.

I've noted this before, but it seems it needs to be noted again... Bridgewater is a 2nd year 23 year old pro. He has avoided the sophomore slump so far this year (and lets hope that continues after the drilling he took from Joyner on Sunday). He is never going to be a Dan Marino, a John Elway, a Brett Favre or Peyton Manning... But he might become a very good QB due to his poise, composer, great mechanics, quick release, focus, ability to do small things many other QB's don't do well (four off-sides penalties on the Rams caused by his hard counts), and because he is creating a habit of winning. TB generally plays within himself and he's a gamer. He's won me over. I'm a fan. Now TB is no Tom Brady, but Brady had around an 86 passer rating the first three years of his career. We can all agree that Brady has good arm strength (though not as good as a rookie) -- but Brady can't sling it like Matthew Stafford, Tim Tebow, or Jay Cutter. Would you want any of those guys as your Viking QB? (I might take Drew Brees though -- and his arm strength has been criticized). Matt Hasselbeck has a bit of noodle arm, but he's a winner. Bridgewater has great control over the football and understands how to use the velocity he has the ability to create on the ball. And his touch is going to continue to improve as he gains experience and receives coaching. I predict -- if TB can stay healthy -- he is going to a winning QB for great Vikings teams into the foreseeable future and have a decent career. And even though he's a bit boring as QB's go, he's still fun to watch and I want to root for him. The kid has moxie -- something many pro QB's never have in their careers. Christian Ponder sure didn't have it.

This is an article about Bridgewater before he was drafted... I think we are seeing a lot of the good things about him that the article predicted -- and if he stays healthy -- will continue to improve upon. http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2026 ... b-prospect

[mansquatch]

I think the key statement there is "adequate for the NFL game." Teddy is not a guy right now who can sit on his back foot and wing it like a Jay Cutler or Aaron Rogers. He needs to work on mechanics and fundamentals where a guy like Luck probably doesn't have to.

He turns 23 tomorrow so he probably will add some muscle in the next few years as his body isn't fully developed.

I stand by my previous statement, we are in the waiting game, we'll know more by week 17. The light came on for him last year in the latter half. Hopefully it can again.

[Lars]

I think the key statement there is "adequate for the NFL game." Teddy is not a guy right now who can sit on his back foot and wing it like a Jay Cutler or Aaron Rogers. He needs to work on mechanics and fundamentals where a guy like Luck probably doesn't have to.

He turns 23 tomorrow so he probably will add some muscle in the next few years as his body isn't fully developed.

I stand by my previous statement, we are in the waiting game, we'll know more by week 17. The light came on for him last year in the latter half. Hopefully it can again.

I disagree about the mechanics. His mechanics are great. (See the article link I posted above). He just can't sling the ball like Brett Favre or a young Peyton Manning or Aaron Rogers. Few can.

Obviously time will tell... but given the schedule ahead, we shall see if he can step up in "big games".

[Mothman]

I've noted this before, but it seems it needs to be noted again... Bridgewater is a 2nd year 23 year old pro. He has avoided the sophomore slump so far this year (and lets hope that continues after the drilling he took from Joyner on Sunday). He is never going to be a Dan Marino, a John Elway, a Brett Favre or Peyton Manning... But he might become a very good QB due to his poise, composer, great mechanics, quick release, focus, ability to do small things many other QB's don't do well (four off-sides penalties on the Rams caused by his hard counts), and because he is creating a habit of winning. TB generally plays within himself and he's a gamer. He's won me over. I'm a fan. Now TB is no Tom Brady, but Brady had around an 86 passer rating the first three years of his career. We can all agree that Brady has good arm strength (though not as good as a rookie) -- but Brady can't sling it like Matthew Stafford, Tim Tebow, or Jay Cutter. Would you want any of those guys as your Viking QB? (I might take Drew Brees though -- and his arm strength has been criticized). Matt Hasselbeck has a bit of noodle arm, but he's a winner. Bridgewater has great control over the football and understands how to use the velocity he has the ability to create on the ball. And his touch is going to continue to improve as he gains experience and receives coaching. I predict -- if TB can stay healthy -- he is going to a winning QB for great Vikings teams into the foreseeable future and have a decent career. And even though he's a bit boring as QB's go, he's still fun to watch and I want to root for him. The kid has moxie -- something many pro QB's never have in their careers. Christian Ponder sure didn't have it.

On the contrary, that's one thing Ponder definitely had. He played hard, gave up his body to gain yardage and took a lot of punishment trying help the team win. His game definitely had issues but he had plenty of heart. Watch his effort against Redskins in 2013 and tell me again that he didn't have moxie.

Bridgewater has it too and you're right, he might become a good QB but that's hardly the only possibility and the others are increasingly worrisome, at least to me.

[J. Kapp 11]

I disagree about the mechanics. His mechanics are great. (See the article link I posted above). He just can't sling the ball like Brett Favre or a young Peyton Manning or Aaron Rogers. Few can.

Obviously time will tell... but given the schedule ahead, we shall see if he can step up in "big games".

Sorry, man, but the article is really poorly reported. Every example given highlights the things he does well ... short throws, pocket awareness, etc. Nobody is saying he can't do those things. But even those film highlights show his weaknesses. The very first example is a seriously underthrown downfield pass, made without setting his feet, to a wide-open receiver. Even the "quick release" examples are all throws that are barely past the line of scrimmage.

Where the article falls short is that it doesn't give film analysis of any of the traits that have been considered weaknesses for TB since before the draft. In fact, it doesn't mention those weaknesses at all. That's slanted reporting in the first degree. Truthful analysis would acknowledge the weaknesses many experts say he has, then show film to either dispute those weaknesses or prove that he can overcome them.

TB's mechanics are USUALLY sound, but they sometimes fall apart, especially on deep balls. His elbow drops, causing him to get underneath the ball and make it sail. He also sometimes fails to plant his feet, so he's not stepping into the throw. He's not alone in this habit. "Throwing off the back foot" is something that Stafford and Cutler do all the time -- they (supposedly) can get away with it because they have elite arm strength. Teddy can't get away with it, at least not on throws beyond 10 yards. That's why Greg Cosell's analysis is much better. He talks about both strengths and weaknesses, and even shows where Teddy CAN make plays on throws where he's historically been weak. That's honest reporting that actually paints TB in a better light.

Plenty of quarterbacks have overcome weaknesses, including an average NFL arm, to become winners. I believe Teddy can do it, too. He has great instincts, great intangibles, and an unquestioned work ethic. But if he doesn't acknowledge and work on his mechanical weaknesses, he'll fail.