Y’all already know what time it is so let’s get to it.
“This Is a Teddy Bridgewater Stan Account”
If that isn’t your handle on social media, you’re living life wrong.
Since Peyton Manning’s retirement in 2016, it’s felt like at least a century since the Denver Broncos have had even serviceable quarterback play. But now that the days of Trevor Simien, Brock Osweiler, Joe Flacco, Case Keenum, Drew Lock, and whoever the hell else are in the rearview and the reins have been handled to journeyman Teddy Bridgewater, the Broncos are 2-0 for the first time since...well, Manning was under center. And instead of serving as a concealer for John Elway’s front office shortcomings or a stodgy stopgap, the 28-year-old has been extremely impressive thus far.
Like, extremely.
For one, he’s become only the fourth quarterback in the history of the league to record at least two passing touchdowns and exactly zero interceptions while completing at least 75 percent of his passes in each of his first two games. He’s also shed the “Teddy Checkdown” label by extending plays with his feet, spreading the love by throwing darts all over the field, being extraordinarily accurate, and going deep when the opportunity presents itself. Case in point, he hit Courtland Sutton—who finished with nine receptions and 159 receiving yards—with this bomb on Sunday and took plenty of other shots down the field.
Simply put, Bridgewater is ballin’ and his teammates have taken note of his preparation and unwavering composure.
“That’s a great quality to have at all positions, especially at quarterback, and he has it—it’s just in his DNA,” Broncos coach Vic Fangio said after the team’s 23-13 victory over the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday. “I’d like to tell you we have coached that into him, but we didn’t. We got it when we signed him, that’s who he is.”
Haters will say the Broncos have racked up obvious wins against questionable competition—they faced the New York Giants in Week 1 and will return to New York to go to war with the Jets in Week 3—but you can only play who’s on the schedule and Denver did exactly what they were expected to do in their first two games: win decisively.
Kyler Murray Gotta Chill
After doing this last week...
Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray continued to do damage in Week 2 against the Minnesota Vikings. I mean, goddamn. Look at these plays:
Dude is playing like a man possessed and if he continues at his torrid pace—he’s collected 689 yards and seven touchdowns in the air, another pair of touchdowns on the ground, and a blistering 73.5 completion percentage—the Cardinals could be headed to the postseason for the first time since the Kliff Kingsbury era began.
If You’re Andy Dalton It Was Fun While It Lasted
I don’t know what it is about quarterbacks on a short leash inexplicably getting hurt—or otherwise missing time—only to subsequently lose their jobs, but that seems to be par for the course yet again this season.
In August, Cam Newton suffered a football fate crueler than death when he missed an important stretch of training camp due to his refusal to take the COVID-19 vaccine and was eventually cut in favor of rookie quarterback Mac Jones. And now Chicago Bears quarterback Andy Dalton, who had exactly zero margin for error with Justin Fields breathing down his neck, suffered what’s believed to be a bone bruise on Sunday and could miss a couple of weeks.
This provides Chicago with a convenient opportunity to insert Fields as the permanent starter without ruffling Dalton’s feathers, especially since the 22-year-old has been “tearing it up” in practice, according to NFL insider Ian Rapoport.
“There’s been a lot of ‘wow’ moments,” he said on Monday’s edition of Good Morning Football. “They’ve seen all the growth they’ve wanted to see.”
Helping Fields’ case is his performance on Sunday. The box score doesn’t properly convey his impact on the field but he helped propel the Bears to their first win of the season against the Cincinnati Bengals.
Sorry, Andy, but your time is up.
Who Balled Out This Week
- Did y’all see what Najee Harris did to Jonathan Abram?!
Good Lord. R.I.P. to that man.
- Derrick Henry continues to do Derrick Henry things as he collected 237 scrimmage yards (182 on the ground, another 55 in the air) and three rushing touchdowns against the Seattle Seahawks.
- After running up 13 tackles against the Colts in Week 1, Bobby Wagner followed that up with a franchise-record 20 tackles on Sunday against the Titans. Too bad his team lost.
Catch y’all next week.