Film Room: Teddy Bridgewater's Poise Under Pressure Provides Broncos Massive QB Upgrade
The Teddy Bridgewater era started off on the right foot as the Denver Broncos beat the New York Giants 27-13 in the season opener. The Broncos simply outclassed the Giants in all three phases and controlled the game for a majority of the day.
While it wasn't an elite performance from the Broncos' new signal-caller, Bridgewater had a strong first start with the team. He finished the day completing 28-of-36 passes (77.8%) for 264 yards and two touchdowns, adding three rushes for 19 yards.
Where Bridgewater impressed me the most was how he dealt with pressure from the interior of the Giants' defense. He was able to stand tall and deliver strikes, despite being under duress for most of the game.
In today's film room, I dive into how efficient he was in this area on Sunday.
Advanced Stats
Pro Football Focus charted Bridgewater as being under pressure on 22 dropbacks on Sunday, which was the second-most among quarterbacks who played in Week 1. When pressured, he managed to complete 12-of-17 passes for 101 yards and a touchdown which was good for a passer rating of 105.3.
Diving deeper into the stats makes it even more evident that Bridgewater thrived under pressure in this game. He had an average depth of target of 10.5 yards per attempt and an adjusted completion percentage of 87.5%, both statistics ranking among the tops in the league for Week 1.
Considering the Broncos' starter last year — Drew Lock — ranked 39th in passer rating when under pressure in 2020 (with an abysmal 26.2 passer rating), this seems to be the biggest step-up for the Broncos from the past season.
Impressive Film
While Bridgewater may not have the biggest arm or the most aggressive mindset, one major attribute in his game is his toughness. He isn't afraid of hanging in the pocket and taking big hits in order to complete passes.
The Giants' defensive line simply dominated up front and caused interior havoc throughout the game. This is the most effective way to disrupt a quarterback's process, but Bridgewater still found a way to succeed.
This first clip is a great example. The interior of the Broncos' offensive line begins to crumble as the play develops downfield. Bridgewater can sense the defensive tackle breaking free, but he remains calm with his eyes up. As soon as the in-route clears, the QB is able to step into the throw and deliver an accurate pass.
This next clip may be an even better example, as this pocket closes quickly on Bridgewater. He starts his drop looking at the flat, but has to come off of that throw with the cornerback squatting in the area.
This next clip may be an even better example as this pocket closes quickly on Bridgewater. He begins his drop looking at the flat but has to come off of that throw with the cornerback squatting in the area.
As he begins to work back to the middle of the field, the defensive tackle begins to drive past RG Graham Glasgow. Bridgewater is seemingly unaffected by this, however, as he slides up and hits his check-down over the middle.
Bridgewater also made things happen with his legs when he needed to. This was arguably the play of the game as the Broncos were backed up with a 3rd-&-5 early in the third quarter.
The Broncos immediately allow pressure up the middle and Bridgewater is forced to vacate the pocket to buy time. He is nearly brought down by the edge defender, but he gets free with a well-timed stiff arm.
Once he gets near the sideline, he resets his feet and fires a pass back to the middle of the field to WR KJ Hamler for the first down.
Later in the same drive, Bridgewater makes another big play with his legs. The Broncos are on the goal line, with a pivotal 4th-&-1. The offense dials up a play-action leak play in hopes of getting an easy throw to the flat for the score.
The Giants read the play well, however, and bottle up both Bridgewater and the leaking tight end. Bridgewater does a great job of extending the play, though, and hits the leak late as TE Albert Okwuegbunam uncovers in the route.
Bridgewater was so poised and in control in this game. The strength of the Giants' team is in their defensive line, and they got after Bridgewater all game long. He did a great job of maintaining his poise in the pocket and making plays when he had to create.
This is an absolute strike down the field by Bridgewater as the late blitzer closes in. He sees the blitzer coming and knows he is about to take a hit, but he still hangs in there to make this big throw down the field.
Bottom Line
This Week 1 performance by Bridgewater gives some good insight into why the Broncos ultimately named him the starter for this season. What he lacks in some areas, he makes up for with his toughness and ability to deliver against pressure.
In the NFL, quarterbacks are constantly under duress. The ability to consistently make plays, in spite of this, is huge for a talented team like the Broncos. While Bridgewater may not be a long-term answer at the position, he will keep the Broncos competitive if he performs like he did this past Sunday on a regular basis.
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