Vikings QB Teddy Bridgewater needs to trust Kyle Rudolph
By Adam Carlson
Having pass faith in pass catchers like tight end Kyle Rudolph will do wonders for quarterback Teddy Bridgewater and the Minnesota Vikings passing offense.
One of the most interesting things to watch in the NFL is how a quarterback interacts with their pass catchers. If a good relationship is developed between the two, it can result in more targets, more yards, more touchdowns, and more of just about everything good in the passing game.
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When it comes to Teddy Bridgewater and the Minnesota Vikings, the quarterback play tends to be more conservative. Bridgewater works hard to ensure that he doesn’t make too many mistakes and give defenses opportunities, and because of that he can sometimes play too close to the vest and not let his receivers make plays.
During last season, ESPN reported that head coach Mike Zimmer wanted Bridgewater to let loose a little more last year, and that included having more faith in one specific pass catcher to make plays when asked.
"“Just trust Kyle more.”"
Although the two players could benefit from more trust, that is something that is typically developed or established over time. It isn’t very often that two players appear on the same page immediately, but Bridgewater knows just how import
"“They always say a tight end’s a quarterback’s best friend, and now I’m seeing why,” Bridgewater said. “He’s a big target. He’s like a quarterback out there; he sees things the same way I see it. When we’re installing, he doesn’t just want to know his job. He wants to know all 10 other players on the field. He wants to know the quarterback’s progression, things like that. It’s pretty cool to have a guy like that on the field on my side of the ball.”"
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There were too many times during the 2015 NFL season that the Minnesota Vikings offense worked their way down the field and had to settle for field goals. If the franchise hopes to make more noise in the NFC North this season, they will need to capitalize on these opportunities. Hopefully, Bridgewater will be less conservative and more trusting of Rudolph as the two help to develop the team’s offense together.