Teddy Bridgewater's progression

[CampinWithaMissingPerson 2,025]

Thought this was a good read on the quiet progression of Bridgewater as the season has gone on. He's been the best of the rookie QB's overall IMO even if the competition obviously leaves a lot to be desired. He hasn't had a great rookie year by any means but his progress is encouranging for his long term future especially considering he had to go through losing his star RB, Patterson's regression, and his offensive line being anemic.

 

 

Rookie quarterback Teddy Bridgewater is the most important player on the Minnesota Vikings roster. How he progresses will determine the future path of the franchise more than the progress of any other young player’s. Promisingly for the Vikings, his development is right on track as he nears the close of his first season as the starter in purple and gold.

Context and an understanding of expectations are a must in any analysis of a rookie QB.

By naming Matt Cassel the starter back in August, the Vikings essentially put a redshirt on Bridgewater. As long as Cassel remained healthy and played well, the rookie would not see the field.

 

So when Cassel went down injured in Week 3, Bridgewater was rushed into duty before Minnesota had initially planned. The fear with releasing a young QB into the wild so soon is that he may struggle mightily, learn bad habits to compensate and ultimately have his development hindered by a poor first exposure to NFL defenses.

 

Minnesota may have actually lucked into something when Cassel went down. Though it’s true that Bridgewater was up-and-down early and was affected by a tricky offensive situation, he seems to have absorbed the early blows and rebounded as the team would have hoped.

Mike Zimmer certainly believes the sink-or-swim approach has benefited the young QB, per Master Tesfatsion of the Star Tribune:

 

https://twitter.com/MasterStrib/status/544599186323566593

 

 

Learning on the job is exactly what Bridgewater has done.

 

The growth in confidence he has shown since his embarrassing outings against the Detroit Lions and Buffalo Bills is remarkable. Rookie quarterbacks often have fragile mindsets and can lose confidence after disastrous performances, but Bridgewater responded in the best way possible.

 

How much has he actually learned, though? Well, his statistical totals from Weeks 9 to 15 are phenomenal for a rookie QB and stand miles above his totals from Week 1 to Week 8.

 

*Weeks 1 to 8 include 155 pass attempts. Weeks 9 to 15 include 196 pass attempts.

 

Adjusted net yards per attempt (ANY/A) is an inclusive quarterback stat because it accounts for efficiency in completing passes, yardage, touchdowns, interceptions, sacks and loss of yardage due to sacks. His jump of 1.43 yards per attempt is a simple, effective indicator of his improvement.

 

Completion percentage and passer rating have a close relationship, so the jump in both is not surprising. His efficiency in completing passes is not necessarily a product of shorter, simpler throws, though. Of his passing yards in Weeks 9 to 15, 48.3 percent have come through the air as opposed to after the catch, per Pro Football Focus premium (subscription required). In Weeks 1 to 8, the air percentage was a similar 47.4 percent.

 

Bridgewater’s first five games were riddled with interceptions and the inability to score touchdowns through the air. That tide has clearly shifted over his last six. Early struggles in throwing touchdowns and avoiding interceptions have mostly subsided.

 

Even the aspects of QB play in which Bridgewater thrived right away have been improved upon.

 

 

Growth under pressure may be more encouraging than anything else. Where he could have folded with the constant hassling and heavy hitting of opposing defensive lines, Bridgewater has instead begun to adapt. His increased spatial awareness, feel for the timing of plays and understanding of game situations has helped an offensive line that sorely needed it.

 

From Week 9 on, Bridgewater has the third-best accuracy percentage under pressure out of 34 qualifying quarterbacks, per Pro Football Focus premium. He clearly has a knack for operating in the tight confines of a pocket and has even grown in that regard.

 

Development has also occurred in a variety of play calls, but not necessarily because the Vikings are drilling down on one thing.

 

(continued in article)

 

can read the rest for more in depth looks here:

 

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2301187-teddy-bridgewater-vikings-right-on-track-with-developing-young-qb

[BwareDWare94 723]

Without Teddy Bridgewater, Minnesota doesn't find Charles Johnson. Without Teddy Bridgewater, Jarius Wright doesn't revitalize what was once a promising looking career that had fallen into obscurity. Without Teddy Bridgewater, this Minnesota Vikings team sucks, and they would suck with Matt Cassel.

 

Of all the players on their roster, who would have thought that fucking Blair Walsh would be the reason they aren't sitting at .500, right now? Fucking loser.

[OSUViking 505]

He missed a 50+ yard field goal, had one blocked, and missed a 60+ yard field goal. The first one is forgivable (mostly) but of course we expect him to make it because he's fucking Blair Walsh. Not really sure what a kicker can do if his line continuously lets the other team through to block kicks. What is that, the second or third kick we've had blocked this year? The 60+ yard one might not even be mentioned when analyzing Blair Walsh's game.

 

Blair Walsh cannot into loser.

[BwareDWare94 723]

Of course I don't blame him for the 60 yarder, but that 50 yarder was indoors, and he's like 22-30 or 22-31, this year. He's fucking up regularly and better get his shit straightened out in the offseason.

[DonovanMcnabb for H.O.F 2,241]

Looking at his numbers now, they are actually a lot better then I thought. Assuming he can get even a little bit of help, the future is very bright for him. Touch on deep passes is still very inconsistent, but that'll come along.

[Bucman 891]

Just imagine if AP wasn't a child abuser.

[DonovanMcnabb for H.O.F 2,241]

 

 

While the progress that Bridgewater made through his rookie season is definitely a sign that he was improving with experience, and thus beginning to fulfill his potential, there is something even more encouraging about Teddy Bridgewater: the level of his performance relative to other QBs in the league. Bridgewater's final five games of the year were his best according to the four measures above. So I took a look at how Bridgewater compared to other NFL quarterbacks during that same time frame. Here are his combined stats, taken from Pro Football Focus, over that final 5-game stretch, and his ranks among NFL quarterbacks:

-NFL QB Rating: 103.0, 2nd best (behind only Tony Romo)
-Yards per Attempt: 8.8, 2nd best (behind only Russell Wilson)
-Completion Percentage: 72.1, tied for 1st (with Tony Romo)
-Passing TDs: 8, 9th best (ahead of Brady, Wilson and P. Manning)
-Passing Yards: 1,231, 10th best (ahead of Romo, P. Manning, Brady and Luck)
-PFF QB Grade: +11.0, 1st

In other words, not only did Teddy Bridgewater show progress throughout the season, but by season's end he was performing on par with the NFL's best quarterbacks in a number of efficiency metrics and in some he was doing better than the NFL's most elite. While the Vikings only went 3-2 over that stretch of games, their two losses were both by only 2 points: close games that were largely lost on defensive or special teams breakdowns. I want to temper my excitement and enthusiasm about Teddy Bridgewater, because this is only 5 games worth of statistics. When you take his entire rookie season on the whole, it does leave a lot to be desired, because some of those earlier games really were abysmal. But it's always hard to ignore the extremely high level of play from Bridgewater as the season ended. It's not unreasonable to think that Bridgewater could continue that level of progress in Year 2 with the same coaching staff, offense and players around him. And it's possible the 22-year old has not even reached his full potential yet. I think it's safe to say that the Vikings have finally found their starting quarterback, and it feels good to say that Teddy Bridgewater is no longer a freshman.

 

sbnation

[CampinWithaMissingPerson 2,025]

Teddy ain't the best QB in the draft doe

[BwareDWare94 723]

Teddy was significantly better than any other rookie QB by the end of the season.

[Sarge+ 3,436]

Bware can't detect sarcasm.

[Attyla the Hawk 197]

Bridgewater is an outstanding prospect. I'd hope that Minnesota opts to boost the stink out of their defense instead of following the tired formula of 'getting him more weapons'.

 

Take pressure off him. Not add more for him to carry a team. Develop him and support him.

[DonovanMcnabb for H.O.F 2,241]

There is no faster way to reach the playoffs then to build around a QB...

[Favre4Ever+ 4,476]

Bridgewater is an outstanding prospect. I'd hope that Minnesota opts to boost the stink out of their defense instead of following the tired formula of 'getting him more weapons'.

 

Take pressure off him. Not add more for him to carry a team. Develop him and support him.

He has weapons... Johnson, Wright, Rudolph, AP (maybe, maybe not). The offensive line needs some MAJOR work though.

[OSUViking 505]

Sign Duron Carter, draft defense and OL.