Vikings prepared to activate Teddy Bridgewater, says Mike Zimmer

@"greediron" said:

@"Jor-El" said:

No comparison is perfect, of course. But I think waiting for Keenum to slip is going to lead to either:

• Sticking with Case too long because he is never "bad enough" and so we never assess Bridgewater and possibly slide into a wildcard with a mediocre QB; OR
• Change after watching Case fail at the cost of a few losses and putting pressure on Bridgewater to come in and save the season.

That is the big issue right there.  Do you mess up what has been going right so far?  Or do you risk waiting too long to make the necessary change? 

IMO, I would have a plan to start Teddy either in DC or at home the week after.  If he is showing well enough in practice, I think you have to make the switch around the bye.  Case is a good backup and seems to realize that is his role.  I don't think making the change will affect the chemistry too much as the team loves Teddy.  Case is respected and has done well enough, but I think the team is smart enough to see they need an upgrade if they want to make a run.  I think they would respect the coach for having the guts to make the call.

@"purplefaithful" said:

@"greediron" said:

That is the big issue right there.  Do you mess up what has been going right so far?  Or do you risk waiting too long to make the necessary change? 

IMO, I would have a plan to start Teddy either in DC or at home the week after.  If he is showing well enough in practice, I think you have to make the switch around the bye.  Case is a good backup and seems to realize that is his role.  I don't think making the change will affect the chemistry too much as the team loves Teddy.  Case is respected and has done well enough, but I think the team is smart enough to see they need an upgrade if they want to make a run.  I think they would respect the coach for having the guts to make the call.

Not if Keenum lites-up the Redskins they wont...This is why imo the best "steady hands at the wheel" decision by Zimmer is to manage this situationally and not make a very public call that backs himself into a corner

If Keenum keeps bird dogging Adam Josh Norman and Company will have a multi-interception game. Maybe even in one half.

I like the kid's moxie but he needs to start going through his progressions again like earlier in the season and not be so reliant on AT.

@"Jor-El" said: No comparison is perfect, of course. But I think waiting for Keenum to slip is going to lead to either:

• Sticking with Case too long because he is never "bad enough" and so we never assess Bridgewater and possibly slide into a wildcard with a mediocre QB; OR
• Change after watching Case fail at the cost of a few losses and putting pressure on Bridgewater to come in and save the season.

In Teddy's playoff experience he had a QB rating of 33.9 and no touchdowns. what do you rate that at?

Teddy's the better QB and I want him in as soon as possible. But we do have to be a little careful here. I know the tough guys in the room will say Teddy has to man up and play well, and if he can't, give the keys back to Case. But it's a little more complicated than that. There's a big opportunity for misreading reality here. 1. The opponents get tougher from here on out. 2. Teddy could require some adjustment to the kind of live bullets he hasn't seen in 15 months. I know the coaching staff will, but will the media (or fans) afford him the kind of patience required to get him back to normal? And if not, will the coaching staff be tempted to go back to Case? The absolute worst thing that could happen is we find ourselves switching QBs down the stretch. There's a big opportunity for screwing things up if we're not careful, or the answer doesn't present itself definitively.

Only two things I know for sure: 1. We have to find out this season what we have in Teddy. 2. We have to go into the playoffs knowing who our QB is and have full confidence in him. 

I just hope Zimmer and company uses a different set of criteria of judging when Teddy is ready than what they used for Sam against Chicago. Dude was defenseless out there.

@"Norse" said:

In Teddy's playoff experience he had a QB rating of 33.9 and no touchdowns. what do you rate that at?

@"mgobluevikes" said: I just hope Zimmer and company uses a different set of criteria of judging when Teddy is ready than what they used for Sam against Chicago. Dude was defenseless out there.

Truth...something was very amiss in all of that. Was Freeman'esqe

Maroon Bells I think that Teddy can thrive in Shurmur's offense. My thoughts are I would like to see Zimmer get Teddy some playing time like a quarter or half of a quarter to see how Teddy responses. And go from there.
But there are some questions on Teddy that still need answered which will only come from playing. Can he protect himself, how mobile is he, how does the knee do, and last how does Teddy play.
I still think Keenum should start. He has done a good job getting use where we are at now.

I've felt all along that the Rams game would be Teddy's first game back provided he's healthy enough.  It feels like a "safer" scenario starting him at home his first game back rather than on the road in Washington.  I think Teddy starts taking a lot more first-team reps next week and Zim plays a little gamesmanship with Washington, ultimately starting Case one more game.  

Unless Case absolutely lights it up next week, I see Teddy taking over vs. the Rams.  Look, Case gracefully bowed out when we rushed Sam back....then came in and helped us win when Sam couldn't go anymore.  I think he knows the situation, and so does the team.  I don't feel putting Teddy in is going to mess with the chemistry of the team at all.  Teddy is going to provide a HUGE emotional boost for the whole team knowing what he came back from.

@"greediron" said:

@"Norse" said:

In Teddy's playoff experience he had a QB rating of 33.9 and no touchdowns. what do you rate that at?

Because one playoff game in the coldest game ever is such a good indicator?  What was Wilson's rating that game?

lol, that cold is not a excuse, it is a reality.  They played a conservative game plan and really didn't open up until the last drive.  Which Teddy executed very well.

Nobody is saying he can't do better, doesn't have much left to prove.  But to throw out his "playoff" rating as the norm for him is willfully ignorant or deceptive.

@"greediron" said: lol, that cold is not a excuse, it is a reality.  They played a conservative game plan and really didn't open up until the last drive.  Which Teddy executed very well.

Nobody is saying he can't do better, doesn't have much left to prove.  But to throw out his "playoff" rating as the norm for him is willfully ignorant or deceptive.

I put that out there because it was mentioned if we didn't play Teddy we would have a mediocre quarterback for the wildcard.

Teddy is the only QB while injured with one good leg. That has seemed to improved his game from 14td's and 9 interceptions (the last season he played) To a sure thing in the playoffs.
Which is pretty Amazing!

@"Norse" said:

@"greediron" said: lol, that cold is not a excuse, it is a reality.  They played a conservative game plan and really didn't open up until the last drive.  Which Teddy executed very well.

Nobody is saying he can't do better, doesn't have much left to prove.  But to throw out his "playoff" rating as the norm for him is willfully ignorant or deceptive.

I put that out there because it was mentioned if we didn't play Teddy we would have a mediocre quarterback for the wildcard.

Teddy is the only QB while injured with one good leg. That has seemed to improved his game from 14td's and 9 interceptions (the last season he played) To a sure thing in the playoffs.
Which is pretty Amazing!

@"FSUVike" said:

@"Norse" said:

@"greediron" said: lol, that cold is not a excuse, it is a reality.  They played a conservative game plan and really didn't open up until the last drive.  Which Teddy executed very well.

Nobody is saying he can't do better, doesn't have much left to prove.  But to throw out his "playoff" rating as the norm for him is willfully ignorant or deceptive.

I put that out there because it was mentioned if we didn't play Teddy we would have a mediocre quarterback for the wildcard.

Teddy is the only QB while injured with one good leg. That has seemed to improved his game from 14td's and 9 interceptions (the last season he played) To a sure thing in the playoffs.
Which is pretty Amazing!

What's amazing is that you equate Teddy behind a crappy Line being asked to forcefeed AP the ball on 1st and 2nd down and then take 7 step.drops on 3rd and long with his primary target being Wallace with this current team.

Context matters. 2014 Teddy in a time capsule would still be improved just by virtue of such a markedly better, well, everything! 

Better Line. RBs that can actually catch the ball and pick up blitzes. 2 Elite, well-rounded WRs. OC that actually fits his strengths.

Again, context matters.

@"greediron" said: lol, that cold is not a excuse, it is a reality.  They played a conservative game plan and really didn't open up until the last drive.  Which Teddy executed very well.

Nobody is saying he can't do better, doesn't have much left to prove.  But to throw out his "playoff" rating as the norm for him is willfully ignorant or deceptive.

IT was a conservative game plan. But we REALLY DON'T KNOW if that call to Rudie was the only time they opened it up or not. 

I think a lot of fans are forgetting Bridgewater checked down a lot, too much. He could not throw deep well or throw deep accurately, let alone toss a back-shoulder fade like most nfl qb's can make and have to make. @"Norse" said:

@"FSUVike" said:

@"Norse" said:

@"greediron" said:
lol, that cold is not a excuse, it is a reality.  They played a conservative game plan and really didn't open up until the last drive.  Which Teddy executed very well.

Nobody is saying he can't do better, doesn't have much left to prove.  But to throw out his "playoff" rating as the norm for him is willfully ignorant or deceptive.

I put that out there because it was mentioned if we didn't play Teddy we would have a mediocre quarterback for the wildcard.

Teddy is the only QB while injured with one good leg. That has seemed to improved his game from 14td's and 9 interceptions (the last season he played) To a sure thing in the playoffs.
Which is pretty Amazing!

What's amazing is that you equate Teddy behind a crappy Line being asked to forcefeed AP the ball on 1st and 2nd down and then take 7 step.drops on 3rd and long with his primary target being Wallace with this current team.

Context matters. 2014 Teddy in a time capsule would still be improved just by virtue of such a markedly better, well, everything! 

Better Line. RBs that can actually catch the ball and pick up blitzes. 2 Elite, well-rounded WRs. OC that actually fits his strengths.

Again, context matters.

Crappy line?? It got AP the rushing title..

@"purplefaithful" said:

@"greediron" said: lol, that cold is not a excuse, it is a reality.  They played a conservative game plan and really didn't open up until the last drive.  Which Teddy executed very well.

Nobody is saying he can't do better, doesn't have much left to prove.  But to throw out his "playoff" rating as the norm for him is willfully ignorant or deceptive.

IT was a conservative game plan. But we REALLY DON'T KNOW if that call to Rudie was the only time they opened it up or not. 

I think a lot of fans are forgetting Bridgewater checked down a lot, too much. He could not throw deep well or throw deep accurately, let alone toss a back-shoulder fade like most nfl qb's can make and have to make. @"Norse" said:

That line was decent at run-blocking, terrible @ pass blocking. 
 

@"CFIAvike" said: I've felt all along that the Rams game would be Teddy's first game back provided he's healthy enough.  It feels like a "safer" scenario starting him at home his first game back rather than on the road in Washington.  I think Teddy starts taking a lot more first-team reps next week and Zim plays a little gamesmanship with Washington, ultimately starting Case one more game.  

Unless Case absolutely lights it up next week, I see Teddy taking over vs. the Rams.  Look, Case gracefully bowed out when we rushed Sam back....then came in and helped us win when Sam couldn't go anymore.  I think he knows the situation, and so does the team.  I don't feel putting Teddy in is going to mess with the chemistry of the team at all.  Teddy is going to provide a HUGE emotional boost for the whole team knowing what he came back from.

I think the emotional boost is a bit overplayed. Nearly everyone besides for a few receivers are new this year. This is a completely new offense. The crowd would go wild on the first couple drives, but if they are 3 and outs and or non-scoring, that good will be like the 4th Christmas present to a 2 year old on Christmas morning. 

People thinking that he's going to come in and set the place on fire are going to be sad and possibly angry. It's going to take him at least 4 games if he's human to get his feet underneath him and get a rhythm. To me that's probably playing a a notch below what we've seen out of Case so far. So he MIGHT be better than Case by week 12. Is everyone willing to take a step back for a few weeks to see what develops, with the hope that Teddy is going to be a better Teddy than what we remember? 

@"greediron" said:

@"purplefaithful" said:

@"greediron" said: lol, that cold is not a excuse, it is a reality.  They played a conservative game plan and really didn't open up until the last drive.  Which Teddy executed very well.

Nobody is saying he can't do better, doesn't have much left to prove.  But to throw out his "playoff" rating as the norm for him is willfully ignorant or deceptive.

IT was a conservative game plan. But we REALLY DON'T KNOW if that call to Rudie was the only time they opened it up or not. 

I think a lot of fans are forgetting Bridgewater checked down a lot, too much. He could not throw deep well or throw deep accurately, let alone toss a back-shoulder fade like most nfl qb's can make and have to make. @"Norse" said:

That line was decent at run-blocking, terrible @ pass blocking. 
 

A second year QB with a strong defense, I wonder who told him to check down and avoid risky throws?  And on a record cold day, even Wilson wasn't risking much. 

i dont like the notion of Teddy coming on in game to replace Keenum if he struggles.  If that is the plan then either let Keenum take the whole game, and accept a loss,  or start Teddy.  If injury forces Zims hand so be it,  but I dont want Teddy forced into a game that is getting away from us on the score board and then having to be more predictable in the play calling.