Is a backmost contention officially implicit erstwhile 1 of the contestants is compared to the top subordinate successful pro shot history?
The adjacent fewer days volition find if Broncos manager Vic Fangio was anointing Teddy Bridgewater arsenic the team’s Week 1 starter erstwhile helium compared his tract consciousness to Tom Brady pursuing Saturday’s 30-3 triumph implicit the Seattle Seahawks.
“Teddy has bully backmost consciousness and instincts,” Fangio said. “I deliberation it’s shown successful the mode helium tin determination wrong the pouch and bargain clip that way. There are 2 types of elusive quarterbacks: One that runs astir and past the different ones that manipulate the pouch to bargain time. The champion astatine that successful the past 20 years has been Tom Brady and Teddy has got a small of that successful him.”
Bridgewater’s consciousness and patience were connected afloat show during his 2 possessions against the Seahawks, some of which ended successful touchdowns. He was 9-of-11 passing (one drop) for 105 yards and a 136.7 rating.
The continued accordant backmost play — Drew Lock led 3 scoring drives (all tract goals) successful his 5 possessions of enactment — has brightened Fangio’s outlook. Does helium person much assurance successful his quarterbacks present compared to the commencement of grooming camp?
“Definitely,” helium said. “Both of these guys person done well. We tin play and triumph with either 1 of these guys and that’s a bully thing.”
A large happening would beryllium Fangio naming his Week 1 starter aboriginal this week, allowing the victor to instrumentality the first-team signifier snaps with the violative enactment and displacement their absorption toward the opener against the New York Giants connected Sept. 12.
Bridgewater’s non-verbal connection that helium should beryllium the prime was emphatic against a Seattle defence that played lone 4 projected starters.
For the preseason, Bridgewater is 16 of 19 (84.2%) for 179 yards, 2 touchdowns, nary interceptions and a 141.0 rating. His 4 possessions person ended successful 3 touchdowns and 1 tract goal.
“I was conscionable retired determination doing my occupation — my occupation is to determination the chains and get my portion into the extremity zone,” Bridgewater said. “Get the shot to our guys, fto them marque plays and you tin spot what tin hap erstwhile they get the shot successful space.
“My large mentor (Pro Football Hall of Fame manager Bill Parcells) ever tells me, ‘No substance however you bash it, conscionable get (your team) successful the extremity zone.’ That’s my mindset each clip I measurement connected the field.”
Against Seattle, Bridgewater played 23 snaps implicit 2 possessions, but 3 plays stood retired and prompted Fangio’s praise.
*Fourth-and-five from the Seattle 40 (first drive): Bridgewater sensed the unit coming from the edges truthful helium climbed the pocket. After holding the shot for 3.60 seconds, helium delivered a walk to receiver Jerry Jeudy connected a crossing way that gained 35 yards (19 yards post-catch).
“It’s conscionable 1 of those deals wherever you person a timepiece successful your caput and you tin consciousness the pocket,” Bridgewater said. “I ever archer the tackles that I similar erstwhile they conscionable unit the antiaircraft ends to bash a definite happening and fto maine measurement up successful the pouch (and) make a lane to wherever I tin flight oregon conscionable springiness myself much time. Jerry did a large occupation winning his way vs. antheral coverage, the violative enactment did a large occupation protecting and we were capable to convert.”
*Third-and-goal from the 2 (first drive): The Broncos lined up receiver KJ Hamler successful the close slot. At the snap, information Ryan Neal, who was matched against Hamler, blitzed. Once moving backmost Royce Freeman picked up Neal, it was an casual recognition-and-deliver play for Bridgewater, who knew Hamler would beryllium unfastened erstwhile Neal blitzed. He threw successful 1.58 seconds to Hamler, who ran a elemental retired way for the touchdown.
*Second-and-9 from the Seattle 22 (second drive): A well-designed play by violative coordinator Pat Shurmur and an fantabulous propulsion by Bridgewater. The Seahawks were successful a single-high information look. Hamler started from the near broadside and ran a station way that kept the information successful the mediate of the field. That allowed choky extremity Eric Saubert to tally a country way to the near against linebacker Jordyn Brooks without having to interest astir the safety. Bridgewater’s pin-point propulsion successful 3.57 seconds gained 21 yards and the Broncos made it 14-0 2 plays later.
“It was a large throw,” Fangio said. “We’ve seen Teddy bash it successful signifier and evidently it was a bully drawback and bully way by Saubert.”
Overall, Bridgewater was decisive and showed spot successful his protection. The transportation clip connected his 11 attempts (in seconds): 2.94 (Saubert 5 yards), 2.51 (incompletion), 3.60 (Jeudy 35), 1.58 (Hamler two), 1.95 (Royce Freeman 17), 2.75 (Javonte Williams five), 3.02 (incompletion), 4.88 (Freeman 11), 2.57 (Freeman four), 2.10 (Jeudy five) and 3.57 (Saubert 21).
Bridgewater staked the Broncos to a 14-0 lead. Lock played 5 possessions (27 snaps) and was 9-of-14 passing for 80 yards.
Fangio volition consult with absorption and his coaching unit earlier making the last call, 1 helium hopes ends the Broncos’ September misery (0-7 past 2 years).
“They’ve made it a hard decision,” helium said. “We’ll springiness it thorough thought. We’ve been discussing it with the coaches and with (general manager) George (Paton) each on and we’ll proceed to bash that.”