Teddy Bridgewater: ‘I Got To Be Much Quicker Getting The Ball Out’

Vikings quarterback Teddy Bridgewater isn’t the kind of guy to sulk and throw blame around.  Even after the crushing 17-3 loss to the Detroit Lions on Sunday, the rookie quarterback took the podium and spoke like a veteran player to the media.

During the session with reporters on Wednesday, Bridgewater shouldered the blame for the poor passing game.  Here is what he had to say:

"Oct 12, 2014; Minneapolis, MN, USA; Minnesota Vikings quarterback Teddy Bridgewater (5) passes against the Detroit Lions in the fourth quarter at TCF Bank Stadium. The Lions win 17-3. Mandatory Credit: Bruce Kluckhohn-USA TODAY Sports“We could have played better.  We all could have played better, especially starting with me.  In the passing game, I got to be much quicker in my decision making, get the ball out of my hands faster and just get the ball to our playmakers and allow them to make plays.”"

Bridgewater is right.  Getting the ball out faster is one remedy to the problem in the passing game.  However, according to Pro Football Focus, Teddy faced pressure on 51.1% of his dropbacks.  And ESPN said that he had the ninth shortest time in the pocket as well as the ninth shortest average time before throwing.  For a rookie that is adjusting to the speed of the NFL, that is definitely not a positive thing.

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Minnesota will face another tough challenge this Sunday when they take on the Buffalo Bills.  Buffalo currently has the #11 overall defense in the NFL and are tied for second in the NFL with 19 sacks on the season.  The Bills also rank as the #1 rush defense in the league, which is bad news for the Vikings ground game.

Minnesota’s offensive line will have to play much better than they did this week to give their young passer a solid chance in that game.  If not, it could be another really long game on Sunday.