Blake Bortles, Teddy Bridgewater, or Derek Carr? Who do you want leading your team? [POLL]
By Luke Sims
Aug 29, 2015; Arlington, TX, USA; Minnesota Vikings quarterback Teddy Bridgewater (5) throws a pass in the warm ups before the game against the Dallas Cowboys at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports
Teddy Bridgewater, quarterback, Minnesota Vikings
2014 statistics: 6 wins, 6 losses, 259/402 (64.4%), 2919 yards, 14 TDs, 12 interceptions, sacked 39 times
2015 preseason statistics: 29/35 (82.9%), 295 yards, 1 touchdown
Teddy Bridgewater had an excellent rookie season. He came into the NFL polished and instantly competitive, giving the Minnesota Vikings a real shot at contending immediately. While the team missed the playoffs in his first season, they seem poised to make a run in year two.
With a 64.4% completion percentage in his rookie season, it would be tough for any quarterback to improve in a major way. But somehow Bridgewater has done just that in the 2015 preseason. He has increased his completion percentage by 18.5 points to a ridiculous 82.9% completion percentage (one drop credited by PFF). He had one preseason game in which he was absolutely perfect, completing every pass.
While the current sample size (last year and the preseason) is lower than that of Blake Bortles, it’s clear that Bridgewater is able to connect when it counts. He’s an efficient quarterback with high accuracy, and that’s exactly what the Vikings need. With Adrian Peterson back in the mix, Bridgewater’s accuracy will be even more valuable as he’ll be called upon rarely but expected to deliver.
He has also taken a step forward, increasing his yards per attempt by 1.1 yards, up to 8.4.
There’s no doubt Bridgewater is in the best position, with the most complete team among the three quarterbacks. That said, will his team be good enough through the season to keep him ahead of his peers? Bortles has obvious shown a step forward, but so has Bridgewater. Can he keep an 82.9% completion percentage going?
It’ll be interesting to see how strong Bridgewater’s 2015 season opens up, especially since he’s placed such a high bar as a standard at this point.
Next: How has Derek Carr developed after a solid rookie campaign?