.@teddyb_h2o moments after throwing the game-winning TD pass. #VikingsVictory pic.twitter.com/ppDxndImIJ
— Minnesota Vikings (@Vikings) August 17, 2014
Teddy Bridgewater’s second preseason game with the Vikings was much better than his first. He went 16-20 for 177 yards and two touchdowns, including the game-winner with 18 seconds left in Saturday’s 30-28 win over Arizona.
Here’s what the world is saying about the Vikings’ rookie.
Cordarrelle Patterson
“I told Teddy, I think that drive made him the man of the city,” Patterson said after Saturday’s game, according to Sports Illustrated. “I told him I used to be the man, but he just came and took over all my little shine that I had.”
Still not the starter
The starting quarterback job is still Matt Cassel’s to lose. Bleacher Report said that while Bridgewater was decisive, productive and clutch, Cassel’s 12-15 performance and a passer rating of 125.3 “cemented his hold on the job.”
Friendly rivalry
Cassel and Bridgewater are enjoying their competition against each other. Cassel, a 10-year veteran, was excited when Bridgewater threw his first NFL touchdown pass.
“You are always happy to see your teammates succeed,” Cassel said, according to the Pioneer Press. “The whole thing about this is we are all in this thing together. … To go out and see Teddy throw his first touchdown in the NFL, even if it is preseason, that is really cool. … I was excited for him.”
The total package
A Peyton Manning comparison? We found one, but we’ll let the writer from Rant Sports tell you the rest.
Bridgewater is the real deal. The man is pro-ready. He played in a pro-style offense in Louisville, and also has all the physical tools you look for in a quarterback in terms of accuracy and arm strength. But inherently more crucial is the way Bridgewater takes command of his offense; his field vision is off the charts, and he makes Peyton Manning-caliber decisions.
