Teddy Bridgewater made his first appearance in an NFL game since Jan. 10, 2016, on Sunday. He entered the game in the fourth quarter for Case Keenum with the Vikings up 34 on the Bengals.
The Vikings’ QB situation is as good as it can be, at just the right time
Teddy Bridgewater took another step, but he and Case Keenum appear to be fine with things as they are.
Photo by Adam Bettcher/Getty Images
Bridgewater suffered a devastating non-contact knee injury before the start of the 2016 season. He tore his ACL and dislocated his knee in the process. It was so bad that the team had to have him helicoptered off the field and canceled their practice after just 25 minutes.
On Nov. 12, he suited up for the first time since the injury against Washington. While he didn’t get the start in that game, it was still emotional for Bridgewater, who wasn’t sure if he’d be playing football again.
Just over a month later, he received game action, taking another step in a complete comeback from the injury.
The ovation he received was incredible.
The Vikings took Bridgewater in the first round of the 2014 NFL draft out of Louisville. They hadn’t had a quarterback show any type of promise up to that point since Brett Favre did in 2009. In his first two seasons, Bridgewater gave Vikings fans hope that the team had finally found its quarterback. He was voted to the All Rookie team in 2014 and made the Pro Bowl a year later.
When he made it back onto the field for the first time in almost two years, the crowd erupted to the point where he had to cover his ears to even hear anything being said in his helmet.
In describing the sound, Kyle Rudolph said via ESPN, “I’m just glad the glass didn’t break on the roof because I was a little worried once I found out he was going in.”
And there clearly doesn’t appear to be any tension in the locker room, with Case Keenum holding his job. Bridgewater mentioned how he really enjoyed seeing Keenum lead chants as he made his way onto the field:
It was another step for Bridgewater, a big one.
He didn’t have a chance to get significant reps in.
The Vikings jumped out to a big lead rather quickly against the Bengals. Midway through the second quarter, they held a 24-0 lead, and had extended it to 27-0 midway through the third. By the fourth quarter, they had a 34-0 lead, allowing Bridgewater to enter the game.
While Bridgewater entered the game with nearly 11 minutes left in the fourth, he didn’t get too much action. His first two plays were handoffs to Jerick McKinnon. His first pass on a first-and-10 from the Vikings’ 26 was an interception after being tipped.
The following drive started with another pair of handoffs, before Bridgewater threw an incomplete pass intended for Michael Floyd to go three-and-out. His final drive would simply be a trio of kneeldowns to end the game.
Sunday was a step for Bridgewater, but there are bigger steps to be taken. There’s not a whole lot of evaluating that can be done on two passes, but everyone involved can be happy that he just saw the field.
If Keenum hadn’t been playing so well Sunday afternoon and this season, we might feel otherwise.
It’s going to take a lot for Keenum to lose his job.
Keenum had another good game on Sunday. He completed 20 of 23 passes for 236 yards and two touchdowns. This performance alone isn’t reason to say that he’s not going to lose his job, though. Since becoming the starter, Keenum really hasn’t given any reason for anybody to think he should lose it.
He’s started in all but two games this season, where he has a 9-3 record with over 3,100 yards, 19 touchdowns, and seven interceptions. Many expected (and if you’re a Vikings fan, wished) that he would be a formidable game manager. With a defense that’s one of the best in the NFL, the Vikings have just needed Keenum to not turn the ball over, and find the end zone a couple of times a game. He’s proven on multiple occasions that he can do more than that.
Bridgewater’s return is heartwarming. But Keenum’s story is also pretty damn good in itself. That’s not to compare the two, but when you see the mutual respect between the two players, this seems like a no-lose situation for the Vikings.
They can continue to ride the Keenum wave with no questions asked. They’ve clearly spent the time they’ve needed to with Bridgewater, who seems primed for a full NFL comeback as a starter. The Vikings made it past the halfway point of the season before Bridgewater was even ready to go, and with Keenum’s great play on the field, having him start the remainder of the season is a no-brainer.
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