3 Reasons Stars Could Align for Teddy Bridgewater to Finally Meet Career Expectations in Denver
The Denver Broncos knew they had to bring in some competition for Drew Lock and find a fail-safe should he not improve his decision-making and mechanics. GM George Paton first kicked the tires on trading for veteran quarterback Matthew Stafford, but that opportunity soon faded when the Los Angeles Rams offered the Detroit Lions a king's ransom for his services.
The cupboard seemed to be barren until Denver made one final attempt to bring in a signal-caller. That quarterback's name was Teddy Bridgewater.
Bridgewater already proved to be more than a fail-safe, vanquishing Lock in open competition and winning the Broncos' season-opener in convincing fashion. Today, I will break down why this time around, Teddy has all the ingredients to have a career year in Denver.
Locker Room Respect
Teddy immediately garnered the respect of the coaching staff, the veterans, and even some young star players. He has always been well-liked in whatever locker room he's in. Players seem to gravitate to his personality and how he carries himself.
Safety Justin Simmons told Good Morning Football earlier this week, "Teddy is cool, calm, and collected. I mean, that's literally how I would define Teddy... It's that type of leadership over the years that you can kind of see has grown and has been placed over him. It's something I feel like this team needed."
Excellent Pocket Presence
One of the most vital skills to being a successful quarterback in the league is pocket presence. While Teddy has some athleticism, he isn't known for his quickness or straight-line speed like Baltimore's Lamar Jackson. What Bridgewater does possess is excellent footwork and patience in the pocket.
In addition, he maintains a wide stance which allows him to throw at all times. Teddy also is great at sidestepping the pressure, climbing the pocket, and letting the pass rush blow right past him, all while keeping his eyes downfield.
These subtle, navigating movements are vital to providing those few extra seconds for his weapons to get open, or for him to take off for a nice chunk of yards.
Unmatched Arsenal
Teddy is great at taking what the defense gives him and not forcing unnecessary throws that can often turn into soul-crushing turnovers. As a result, some fans have already unfairly dubbed him 'Check-Down Teddy.'
Lucky for them, Denver's offense is loaded with weapons that have tons of yards-after-catch potential. Players such as Jerry Jeudy, KJ Hamler, and Courtland Sutton provide an arsenal for Teddy few NFL teams can match. Sutton has the strength to shed would-be tacklers on the way to the end zone while Hamler is a threat to house it from anywhere on the field.
Teddy might not throw 70 yards through the air for a touchdown but he has the weaponry that can take his 10-15-yard passes to the house.
Bottom Line
Teddy's minimal mistakes and consistent style of play bodes well for Denver. Consistency is key to lengthening drives and dominating the time of position.
Keeping the Broncos' talented defense well-rested and operating at its peak every time it takes the field is paramount to competing against division foes. If Teddy can maintain the same level of success in his first game, look for Denver to build momentum and be a tough matchup for even the best teams in the league.
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