NFL Minnesota Vikings

Teddy Bridgewater Should Be NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year

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By @bradberreman24

Brace Hemmelgarn-USA TODAY Sports

Brace Hemmelgarn-USA TODAY Sports

Odell Beckham of the New York Giants has taken center stage among a deep group of rookie wide receivers this year, as he finished with 91 receptions for 1,305 yards and 12 touchdowns over just 12 games. He is widely considered the front runner for NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year, and rightfully so for the most part, though a strong case could be made for Cincinnati Bengals running back Jeremy Hill and Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Mike Evans as well.

The Minnesota Vikings traded into the end of the first round of the 2014 NFL Draft to select Teddy Bridgewater with the 32nd overall pick, as general manager Rick Spielman made a move to secure a quarterback of the future. Matt Cassel opened the season as Minnesota’s starting quarterback, with the idea he would maintain that role well into the season at minimum, but a season-ending foot injury in Week 3 opened the door for Bridgewater to take over sooner than expected.

A lot of factors worked against him throughout the season, but the fact he was able to overcome those obstacles and finish this season strongly makes Bridgewater my top choice for NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year.

Bridgewater threw for 317 yards in his first career start, and Minnesota got a win in Week 4 against the Atlanta Falcons. But the buzz of that performance quickly wore off when an ankle injury suffered late against the Falcons, and a short week ahead of a Thursday night game, forced Bridgewater to miss a blowout loss to the Green Bay Packers in Week 5. He was able to return to action after missing just one game, but Bridgewater found himself under nearly constant duress as the Vikings’ offensive line performed poorly, and the results showed (four touchdowns and six interceptions) over his next five games.

Things began to turn around for Bridgewater in Week 12 against the Packers, as he went 21-for-37 for 210 yards with two touchdowns and an interception in a 24-21 loss. That would be the last game this season that Bridgewater did not complete at least 68 percent of his passes, and leaving aside a two-interception hiccup late in the first half against the Detroit Lions in Week 15, he would have thrown just four interceptions over the last six games this season.

Add in two passes that were intercepted that should arguably have been caught by his intended receiver, one each in Week 16 and Week 17, and Bridgewater’s level of play was really even better than it looked at the end of the season.

The play that may stand out the most from Bridgewater’s rookie campaign came in Week 14 against the New York Jets. Offensive coordinator Norv Turner gave him the ability to audible into a certain play if the defense offered a specific look, and that’s just what Bridgewater did as he threw a quick screen to wide receiver Jarius Wright early in overtime.

Wright’s individual effort, including making a somewhat difficult catch of a less-than-perfect throw from Bridgewater, yielded an 87-yard game-winning touchdown for the Vikings. Bridgewater’s physical execution on the play was not picture perfect, but his ability to recognize what the Jets were showing defensively, and then act on it quickly, was the stuff of a veteran quarterback.

The Vikings were notably without running back Adrian Peterson for 15 games this season, and his rookie replacement Jerick McKinnon was eventually sidelined for the final few games of the season by a back injury. Top tight end Kyle Rudolph also missed significant time with a groin injury and was operating at less than full strength even after he returned, while an already struggling offensive line became hampered by injuries as the season wore on.

Add in wide receiver Cordarrelle Patterson’s underachievement, and eventual lack of involvement in the offense over the second half of the season, and Bridgewater had a lot to overcome during his first 12 NFL starts.

Bridgewater was clearly the top rookie quarterback this year, due in part to having the opportunity to start as many games as he did. It’s fair to wonder how well he might have done if all the pieces around him came together in a better fashion, or at least performed closer to how they were expected to heading into the season, but considering the lackluster hand he was dealt, Bridgewater did very well.

Only Ben Roethlisberger (66.4 percent) and Robert Griffin III (65.6 percent) had a higher completion rate as a rookie quarterback than Bridgewater did this season (64.4 percent). But Roethlisberger stepped onto a Pittsburgh Steelers team that would win the Super Bowl after his second season, and Griffin had an offensive system uniquely tailored to his dual-threat skills with the Washington Redskins. Bridgewater had neither of those luxuries this year, which makes his performance, including four straight games completing at least 70 percent of his passes, all the more impressive.

It may be hard for Bridgewater to really challenge Beckham for Offensive Rookie of the Year, since his solid performance despite an outwardly dismal situation with the Vikings seems unlikely to significantly sway voters. But he showed steady improvement at the most difficult and important position on the field, which surely went hand-in-hand with increased confidence in his ability and better comfort in Turner’s offense, with solid results over the final five or six games of the season to reflect that progress.

Bridgewater gives the Vikings a potential long-term answer under center, arguably for the first time since Daunte Culpepper injured his knee in 2005, and if he continues to develop at this pace, he could become one of the best quarterbacks in league.

Even if he doesn’t pull a relative upset and win Offensive Rookie of the Year, Bridgewater at least belongs among the leagues’ top rookies of 2014, on either side of the ball.

Brad Berreman is a Columnist at Rant Sports.com. Connect with him on Twitter or Google +.

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