3 Quarterbacks Who Can Get to the Next Level This Year

Teddy Bridgewater

Admittedly, I felt -- and still do feel -- the Texans made the correct choice picking Jadeveon Clowney with the number one overall pick in the 2014 NFL Draft. I did however feel it was criminal for Teddy Bridgewater to fall to 32nd overall. As much as I thought the early defensive player picks by many teams were warranted, I also felt that Teddy was a top-half of the first round -- early-twenties at worst -- pick. And a better, if not safer, pick than the two quarterbacks chosen well before him.

Bridgewater started the season slowly, not throwing for a single touchdown until Week 7 in Buffalo in his fourth start. He also didn’t have his first multi-touchdown game until Week 12 in a home game against the division-rival Packers.

However, from Week 12 and on it was like a switch flipped, and he took that next step. Over the following five games, from Week 13 to Week 17, Bridgewater averaged 246 passing yards and a completion percentage of 71.7 percent. He also threw eight touchdowns to only five interceptions.

Over that five-week period, Bridgewater had the second-highest passer rating in the league with a 103.0 and amassed a Passing Net Expected Points mark of 20.86 – 91.6% of his 2014 season Passing NEP total! Teddy also rushed and scrambled his way to a Rushing NEP of 9.10 during that five-game span.

The young quarterback finished 18th on the season in terms of Passing NEP and 19th among quarterbacks in Total NEP (Passing, Rushing and Reception NEP combined). However, if we were to extrapolate his last five games into a whole season, that would come out to a Passing NEP of 66.75 and a Total NEP of 95.87, both of which would have ranked 11th among all quarterbacks.

Also to consider are the additions Bridgewater will encounter in 2015. Adrian Peterson will be back in the saddle leading a rushing attack that already ranked third according to our team Adjusted Rushing NEP metric. The Vikings also received Mike Wallace in the offseason and will be hopeful for Charles Johnson to continue his late-season success into the 2015 season.

If Bridgewater can carry his great late-season momentum into the 2015 season, good things are in store for the sophomore quarterback, and the Minnesota Vikings as a whole. He’s got the players around him; it’s up to him to capitalize on the opportunity that’s ahead of him.