Vikings QB Bridgewater working on rhythm and mindset

Minnesota Vikings quarterback Teddy Bridgewater knows there are certain areas of his game that need improvement and are working hard to improve upon them.

There is no such thing as perfection when it comes to being a quarterback in the National Football League. Even elite passers make mistakes on a weekly basis and work on their craft in a never-ending effort to be the best quarterback they can. This is exactly what Minnesota Vikings signal caller Teddy Bridgewater has been doing this offseason.

While there are several areas the young quarterback is working on, his focus seems to be rhythm according to an article on thedickinsonpress.com. After practice on Sunday in Mankato, he spoke with the press about his desire to be more in rhythm in the future.

"“It’s all about playing in rhythm,” Bridgewater said. “As long as you’re playing in rhythm, what’s going on around you doesn’t even matter. You know when you hit that fifth step, the ball should be out. When you hit that seventh step, the ball should be out.”"

Last year, Bridgewater drew criticism for holding on to the football for too long. While that is a rhythm and timing issue, it also has a lot to do with his mindset during each play and ability to recognize the play developing around him.

"“It’s part of my progression,” he said. “It goes back to me having that aggressive mentality while being relaxed physically. You know I’m physically relaxed but my mindset is ‘be aggressive and attack and take what the defense is giving me.’ “"

Taking what the defense gives him is one of the strengths of Bridgewater. His ability to complete an exceptionally high percentage of short to medium range passes has helped the team pick up first downs and keep drives alive on numerous occasions.

However, Bridgewater isn’t the kind of guy to rest on that ability. Plus, his head coach Mike Zimmer isn’t the kind of coach to allow that to happen.

"“We can’t have any days that we’re taking a step back,” Bridgewater said. “That’s coach Zimmer’s message. There are no excuses this year. We have to continue to hold each other accountable and play Vikings football.”"

Next: Vikings game-by-game 2016 season preview

Teddy Bridgewater will hope to improve upon a sophomore season that found the Vikings winning the NFC North and hosting a Wild Card game in the NFL Playoffs. With last year’s leading rusher and a first round draft pick at wide receiver to help out, Minnesota’s offense could finally take that step to make the Vikings a team nobody wants to face in the NFL.