Teddy Bridgewater Vs Adrian Peterson: Solving the dilemma

How do the Minnesota Vikings fix the play calling dilemma regarding young quarterback Teddy Bridgewater and veteran running back Adrian Peterson?

Have you ever been watching a Vikings game and noticed that Teddy Bridgewater seems to be more comfortable throwing the football from shotgun, while Adrian Peterson runs better when the quarterback is under center? Well you aren’t the only one. So with that in mind, I want to dive deep into the stats to find out if that is actually true, or just a figment of our imagination.

The first thing we need to take a look at is how well Teddy Bridgewater performs in each situation.

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All stats are from Pro Football Reference

As you can see from the table, Teddy Bridgewater has thrown nearly 74 percent of his passes from the shotgun, and

Dec 10, 2015; Glendale, AZ, USA; Minnesota Vikings quarterback Teddy Bridgewater (5) takes the snap from center Joe Berger (61) against the Arizona Cardinals at University of Phoenix Stadium. The Cardinals defeated the Vikings 23-20. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

there is good reason for this. Bridgewater has a QB Rating of 93.8 when in the shotgun, compared to just 62.2 when throwing from under center. (For comparison sake, I looked up the same numbers for Aaron Rodgers, Tom Brady and Peyton Manning, and Teddy was the only one of the four that has a worse QB Rating when throwing from under center.)

Teddy Bridgewater is a smart quarterback who can easily scan the field and make the correct read when given time. Unfortunately for Teddy, he plays for the Vikings, who have one of the worst offensive lines in the league. When he is in the shotgun, Bridgewater is able to start scanning the field earlier in the play, which generally correlates to him getting the ball out quicker, thus negating the negative impact the offensive line has.

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Adrian Peterson has carried the ball 2,322 times throughout his NFL career, and over 80 percent of those carries have been when the quarterback was under center. As you can see, Peterson runs more effectively when he has the chance to get a full head of steam going before hitting the line of scrimmage (over a full yards per carry difference).

Adrian Peterson is also more successful getting first downs when running from under center. When in shotgun, 15 percent of Adrian’s carries result in a first down, while 24 percent of his carries go for first downs when the quarterback is under center. However, some of that may be due to down and distance, as the Vikings usually have a longer distance to go for the first when they are in shotgun formation. (I don’t have any fancy stats to back that up, I’m just assuming.)

So if Teddy Bridgewater is a better quarterback when in the shotgun formation, and Adrian Peterson is a better running back when taking handoffs from a quarterback under center, what can the Vikings possibly do?

Basically, the Vikings have a few options. Norv Tuner and Mike Zimmer can talk to Adrian, and attempt to force him into becoming a running back who excels out of the shotgun, which should make Teddy a better quarterback, but would limit Adrian’s explosiveness. Or maybe the coaching staff can approach Teddy and work with him on taking the ball from under center. Between these two options, the easiest would be working with Teddy, as Adrian has been in this league a long time, and as the saying goes: “you can’t teach an old dog new tricks.”

Oct 4, 2015; Denver, CO, USA; Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson (28) is tackled by Denver Broncos defensive end Vance Walker (96) andDenver Broncos inside linebacker Brandon Marshall (54) in the first quarter at Sports Authority Field at Mile High. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports

However, the most beneficial solution might not have anything to do with either Teddy Bridgewater or Adrian Peterson. Maybe the best solution would be to revamp the offensive line this offseason. Having a better offensive line would make everyone’s job a lot easier; Teddy would have the time needed to complete a five or seven step drop, scan the field and deliver a strike to his intended receiver, while Adrian would have better holes to run through.

Teddy Bridgewater has shown he has what it takes to be a successful quarterback in this league, while Adrian Peterson has shown he is one of the best running backs to ever put on a jersey. Unfortunately, the Minnesota Vikings will not be able to reach the peak of their offensive ability until they are able to figure out a way to get the most production from the two most important pieces on offense.